Learning in Nature's Laboratory

Thursday’s showers didn’t water down the activities for students in two classes, who donned rain gear for a short trek into the community forest.
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Twenty-four students in the lab component of Andrew Stubblefield’s Hydrology & Watershed Management class were learning how to measure stream discharge at Jolly Giant Creek. “It’s a basic skill for a hydrologist,” said Stubblefield, a professor in the Forestry & Wildland Department.

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Nearby, Lonny Grafman’s Appropriate Technology students were also conducting fieldwork applying engineering concepts. Grafman has been a longtime proponent of hands-on experience, and serves as executive editor of the _International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering_.