Channel Islands Live

1. Channel Islands Live Bringing Channel Islands National Park to the People through Technology and Education

2. Welcome and Introductions Carol Peterson Education Coordinator Channel Islands National Park Carol_Peterson@nps.gov Cathy Reznicek Educational Technology Specialist Ventura County Office of Education Creznicek@vcoe.org

3. Partnerships & Collaboration

4. Partnerships & Collaboration Interagency Cooperation: Original partnership began in 2002-2003 during the JASON XIV: From Shore to Sea expedition. Collaboration continued after the expedition year ended. Channel Islands National Park & Ventura County Office of Education Both agencies dedicated to providing opportunities for teachers, students, and the general public to learn more about the Channel Islands and their unique place in the local ecosystem.

5. Park Headquarters Santa Barbara Island 55 miles Access to the Islands a Challenge • Because of its remote location only about one-half of park visitors ever get out to the islands. • A solution is finding a way to bring the islands to the people. • Bringing the Park to the People through technology allows visitors and students to “virtually connect” with park resources at their convenience. Santa Rosa: 46 miles San Miguel: 58 miles Santa Rosa: 46 miles San Miguel: 58 miles Santa Cruz Island 20 miles Anacapa Island 14 miles Santa Cruz Island 20 miles Anacapa Island 14 miles

6. Virtual Kelp Forest Dive • For over almost 25 years the park has offered a live interpretive dive program on Anacapa Island.

7. Technology Takes You to a Hidden World • Video cameras and special two-way communication equipment allows visitors to talk with divers as they explore the kelp forest. • Favorite program for visitors • Effective in communicating the values of this prolific marine ecosystem

9. Linking the Island to the Mainland • From 1995 to 2001 a 915 Mhz microwave link transmitted the dive program from the island to visitors at park headquarters in Ventura Harbor. • The park needed to reestablish and expand the reach of this program.

10. Ventura County Office of Education’s (VCOE) needs • Countywide need to decrease cost and increase the bandwidth between the county office and county school districts. • Needed for everyday school operations • Increased bandwidth also supports web-based services, applications, and rich interactive multimedia educational content

11. The Technology

12. Red Mountain VCOE ASC Laguna Peak, Broome Property VCOE Wireless Links July 2007 Fillmore Santa Paula SD South Mountain Ventura USD SimiValley USD CHINPS Santa Cruz Eagle Cam VCOE CESC RioSD Anacapa Dive Program OxnardEl Hueneme OceanView

13. Red Mountain VCOE ASC Laguna Peak, Broome Property VCOE Wireless Links July 2007 Fillmore Santa Paula SD South Mountain Ventura USD SimiValley USD CHINPS Santa Cruz Eagle Cam VCOE CESC RioSD Anacapa Dive Program OceanView

14. Red Mountain, Ventura 18-mile microwave wireless link 6-mile wireless link Channel Islands Park Headquarters Fiber run Anacapa Island solar building Landing Cove Interaction and viewing at Visitor’s Center Diver in the water off Anacapa

16. Channel Island Live’s Vision • Connect people to the resources values of the park and marine sanctuary • Bring Channel Islands research to students and learners of all ages • Enhance student learning as research shows students better understand key science concepts through multimedia interdisciplinary approaches • Better prepare students in science and technology literacy, essential for the 21st century

17. What is Channel Islands Live? • Real-time interactions with a remote resource • Live Dives, Hikes, Talks • Terrestrial CAMs • Bald eagle • Pelicans • Underwater CAM

18. Education

19. JASON From Shore to Sea • Provided a multidisciplinary, standards-based curriculum that we continue to use • Allowed us to experience impact of reaching a much larger, international audience • Created a strong local educational interest in distance learning possibilities

20. Education Partner collaboration includes development of teacher and student learning resources • Leverage the standards-based JASON XIV curriculum to be used as a continuing learning tool • Develop pre- and post-live broadcast activities for teachers to use in the classroom to scaffold student learning • Create and deliver face-to-face and online professional development opportunities for teachers

21. Education Channel Islands Live provides opportunities for teachers and students to become active researchers, both in the field and virtually via live interactivity. The curriculum is place-based and can be continually updated to insure its relevancy. Encourages young students to get outside and make connections with their local environment. No Child Left Inside! And more…..

22. A Pilot Program—From Ventura to California and Beyond • Pilot participants: • Four 4th grade classes at Haycox School/Oxnard • Two 5th grade classes at Sheridan Way School/Ventura • Four 6th grade classes at Blackstock Middle School/Oxnard

23. BWET: Bay Watershed Education and Training Program • A NOAA grant • Supports teacher training • Funds students’ field experiences

24. Curriculum • Kelp Forest Ecosystems: Monitoring and Management • Conserving our Natural Resources: A Balancing Act • LiMPETS: Long Term Monitoring Program and Experience Training for Students

25. Scientists in Training • Participate in Live Dive • Conduct inventorying and monitoring

26. Bald EagleCAM • First bald eagle in over 50 years hatches on Channel Islands • Channel Islands Live technology thrills public • Media frenzy • Thousands of hits, hundreds of articles • Funded by MSRP for two years

27. Bald EagleCAM • Discussion board • IWS and USFWS biologists post current information for public to read • Regularly used by classrooms for journal writing and development of observation skills • Opportunity to develop stewards • New park stewards range from stockbrokers in NYC to Cottage Hospital ICU staff • New stewards volunteer to help manage site • Post latest video clips • Document observations for scientists • Help monitor discussion forum content

28. What’s Coming • CINP has prioritized Channel Islands Live as its most important interpretive project. • VCOE received BWET funding for year two and has applied for year three. • VCOEis continuing to develop its ability to deliver high bandwidth signals to area schools and beyond via Internet and Internet2. • Media server: Archived video and other media to support teaching, learning, and research throughout the year should begin to be posted later this year.

29. What’s Still Needed • Further develop evaluation tools to use with both students and general public • Demonstrate how research that shows the effectiveness of distance learning applies to this program • Develop additional educational resources and continue to enhance the website content • Meet staffing and funding challenges to expand the program • Increase awareness of and access to live and archived footage for scientific research

30. Partners Support NPS and VCOE • Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary • Institute for Wildlife Studies • Marine Science Institute, UCSB • Minerals Management Service • Montrose Settlements Restoration Program • The Nature Conservancy • Santa Barbara County Education Office • Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

31. References • Channel Islands Live http://chil.vcoe.org Contact Info: Carol Peterson: Channel Islands National Park, carol_peterson@nps.org 805.658.5735 Catharine Reznicek: Ventura County Office of Education, creznicek@vcoe.org 805.383.9326