Students of ACSA will also be participating in the Monitoring Seasons Through Global Learning Communities (MSTGLC) Project, also called Seasons and Biomes. Students will be monitoring inter-annual variability in their biome and compare them to long-term data. MSTGLC uses the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program methods.

Students will be using the protocols developed in GLOBE investigations on plant phenology, atmosphere/weather, soils, land cover/biology, hydrology as well as new protocols for

freshwater ice phenology. The Seasons and Biomes project is based at the

International Arctic Research Centerat the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Seasons & Biomes Green Down

Beginning in late August, we were able to participate in a "Green Down" activity that we normally can't in Nome, Alaska.  Why?  Because usually by the time school starts "green down" is already underway or even completely over.  With a warm August, the leaves of the willows were still green when shool began.  I figured the project would run for a couple of weeks, with colder temnperatures on the way.   After collecting data for a few weeks, I started to get comments from the students asking, "How long are we going to do this?"   Needless to say a very warm September caused the activity to last a lot longer than I would have ever dreamed . So hwta did hte students do?  they monitored the changes in leaf and grass colors with changes in temperatures.  The end product was a calendar that tracked the color changes with air temperatures.