WBAIS Israel and Greek ‘Citizen Scientists’ Partner for the GAIA Project
By Dr. STUART FLEISCHER, Middle School Science Coordinator-The Walworth Barbour AIS in Israel, NESA Virtual Science and Engineering Fair Project Director (NVSEF), and GAIA Project Director (Global Awareness, Investigation and Action)
The GAIA Project’s Global Ambassador, Nicole Neshto (L), welcomes Greek students to the GAIA Research Symposium in Israel.
This past winter, ten students from the Walworth Barbour International School in Israel (WBAIS) returned to the Attica Zoo near Athens, Greece, for the second Annual GAIA Greece Conference. GAIA (Global Awareness, Investigation and Action) is a citizen science project created by Dr. Stuart Fleischer from WBAIS.
Within the framework of citizen science, students collaborate on research projects with scientists and field researchers to solve environmental problems. The intended outcomes are often advancements in scientific research, as well as an increase in the public’s understanding of science.
This year’s conference hosted 40 Greek students from numerous high schools around the Attica (Athens) region and Grade 6 students from ACS Athens. Under the guidance of Christina Bakoyannis from ACS, students presented their real-time research projects and findings.
Students from WBAIS Israel gathering trash from the Vravrona Wetlands and Estuary in Attica, Greece. (Photo by Jaime Margolis)
Additionally, Dr. Georgina Spyres, Director of Education at the Attica Zoo, led students from Greece and WBAIS on a research trip to the Vravrona Wetlands and Estuary, west of Athens. Within this unique coastal wetland area, students participated in bird watching, flora and fauna identification, and collecting and analyzing water samples from the Erasinus River with hi-tech sensors. The day ended with a beach cleanup focusing on the effects of micro-plastics in the marine environment.
During the GAIA Conference, WBAIS students presented continued research on DNA Barcoding of flora and fauna in Israel, returning Heritage Fruit Trees to agriculture and developing upcycling projects. All of these topics are long-term (five-year) research projects developed by WBAIS students.
WBAIS GAIA Student (center) explaining to Greek students and their teacher how to use sensors to measure the turbidity of river water at the estuary interface
In early March, three students from Greece representing the Attica Zoo’s Science Based Learning Project (SBL) traveled to Israel to attend the 9th GAIA Research Symposium and Research Trip, joining 20 Czech students and 300+ students from Israel. The Symposium presented over 60 mini workshops and lectures by students in The GAIA Project.
After the Symposium, 45 students from WBAIS, Greece and the Czech Republic travelled to Northern Israel to participate in Citizen Science Projects for three days. Students learned about using owl pellets to identify the species of rodents in a specific area and whether these rodents are causing crop damage. In addition, the students were exposed to the use of drones to develop 3-D models of agricultural fields and identify the damaged areas and rodent breeding zones. The drones used in this unique field research project were purchased for joint research by WBAIS.
GAIA Students bird watching in the Vravrona Wetlands, Greece. (photo by Jaime Margolis)
Students learned through hands-on experiences about determining water absorption in trees, how invasive snails from the Arabian Peninsula arrived to the Sea of Galilee, and managing invasive species such as Nutria.
The GAIA Project now operates in Israel, the Czech Republic and Greece. It is starting alliances with wildlife conservation organizations in Cambodia and TIME (This Is My Earth), an organization dedicated to preserving biodiversity hotspots.
If your school is interested in joining The GAIA Project, contact Dr. Stuart Fleischer at sfleischer@wbais.net
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