Park Entitation Project (Summer 2006- 2007)
 
Karen (Rennie) Watson conducted her research at Clifton Park, a 263 acre Baltimore City Park, in which her school, Doris M. Johnson, an Expeditionary Learning High School is physically located.
 
Ms. Watson worked with USDA Forest Service Forest Ecologist Dr. Richard Pouyat, a BES Co-Investigator based in Baltimore at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Sharon Schueler, Community Forrester, Office of Park Conservation and Community Outreach, Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks, and BES Education Coordinator Janie Gordon. During summer 2006, Watson conducted an Entitation survey in Clifton Park (Entitation, a method of land classification for urban parklands, was piloted by Dr. Pouyat and colleagues in New York City.) It’s purpose is to delineate discrete vegetation units and detailed representations of spatial vegetation patterns.
 
Watson worked with the team to learn Entitation methodology and then applied the method in Clifton Park. She refined the existing Entitation survey form, integrating suggestions based on previous park Entitation surveys done in N.Y.C. and Baltimore.
 
She has worked with her students on lessons based on her Entitation survey, integrating investigations about the urban forest at Clifton Park. She will refine her materials early in summer 2007, based on “lessons learned” from and with her students.