VIRTUAL FIELD EXCURSIONS: A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE FOR EDUCATING AND ENGAGING LOCAL COMMUNITIES WHILE PROTECTING SENSITIVE SITES

Advances in Structure-from Motion (SFM) technologies in recent years have greatly improved the quality and relevance of using virtual reality as a useful educational tool. Mainstream popularity of virtual reality headsets and their ease of use allow a wide audience to be reached. Therefore, Virtual Field Excursions (VFEs) should be considered as a viable educational tool to increase understanding within local communities about the uniqueness of sensitive sites that need to be protected. One such site is Osborn Prairie, located in Oktibbeha County, one of the top 20 income disparate counties in the US. This small piece of the Black Belt Prairie, of which only 1% remains, contains unique and endemic species of modern flora and fauna as well as past life including exposed Cretaceous fossils. Osborn Prairie was chosen as a preferred study site since it is situated on 16^th section land, owned by the local school board, and currently leased by the Friends of the Black Belt Prairie (FOBB), a non-profit organization seeking to protect this location. The goals of the VFE are to engage the local community in protection and preservation of the site, and to produce useable science content to be incorporated in local K-12 classrooms.

Components for a VFE of Osborn Prairie were completed using SFM software by capturing images using both a UAV and a handheld DSLR. Vulnerable exposures of Selma Chalk within the prairie were scanned multiple times to measure the effects of weather on the site. By comparing the resulting 3D models through CloudCompare a strong understanding for the impact of weather on the site can be seen. In addition, 3D models of outcrops and hand samples were created to further describe more detailed areas of the exposures. Resulting data, models, and VFEs will be shared with local community groups and made available to teachers to increase community awareness, engagement, and education about the site to ensure its protection and long term sustainability.