This program can be modified for adults.

Program Description: Techno-biology, sometimes referred to as "TechBio," is the intersection of biology and technology, focusing on the use of data and computational tools to enhance biological research and develop a deeper understanding of our natural world. This program encourages students to use their smartphones while out in nature, to help them ID plants, animals, bird songs, tracks, and fungi. Students will download four apps onto their personal phones ahead of the program: Seek, Merlin Bird ID, iTrack Wildlife Lite, and Shroomify Mushroom ID. Your Christopher Farm & Gardens educational guide will explain the functions of each app, demonstrate how to use them in the field, and then offer opportunities for students to practice with each app's main functions. As your students identify species, your guide will discuss ecological complexities with the class, considering the wildlife found in each ecosystem. The program consists of 2+ miles of walking on trails and pathways through a variety of natural habitats and landscaped gardens. The class will also visit indoor points of interest, such as the Educational Bee Shed, the Nature Studies Center, and the Greenhouse.

Timeframe: 2.5 Hours: April - November

Science Standards:

SCI.LS2.A.m. Organisms and populations are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and nonliving factors.

SCI.LS2.C.m. Ecosystem characteristics vary over time. Disruptions to any part of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations. The completeness or integrity of an ecosystem’s biodiversity is often used as a measure of health.