Twelve Montana K-12 Teachers Participate in GPS/GIS Workshop

The August 10 workshop, developed by MSU's Extended University, was part of a public outreach program of Montana NSF EPSCoR called Climate In My Backyard (CLIMB). Participants learned how researchers within the Montana University System and the new Montana Institute on Ecosystems are using GPS/GIS to study everything from noxious weeds to water quality, and practiced using GPS and smart-phone apps in the field to idenfity and report noxious weed infestations. Each participant received a Garmin Montana 650t GPS receiver and several books and educational resources. They will take part in a year-long project that helps students learn about climate science- and ecology-based research by identifying and mapping noxious weeds in their communities.