As part of our mission to inspire understanding of ancient forest ecosystems through education and interpretation, Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center has identified the need to introduce scientific research into our curriculum of existing environmental education programs. Scientific research employs the analysis of empirically-gathered data as a way of understanding the natural world. By incorporating research into our curriculum, Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center can demonstrate to program participants how science can help shape our understanding of ancient forest ecosystems, while at the same time generating data valuable to the scientific community, local organizations, and general public.

Through our research program, students have hands-on practice in scientific inquiry, hypothesis generation, data collection and analyzing, and presentation of findings. Research program participants, subsequent students, and other interested scientists or individuals can examine resulting data to deepen our understanding of the Opal Creek ecosystem, and to compare conditions at Opal Creek with other environments.

Current projects students have been involved with include:

• Water quality monitoring of Opal Creek, Battle Axe Creek, and the Little North Fork river;
• Macroinvertebrate sampling in the same water bodies;
• Plant identification and species list generation; and
• Moss and lichen inventory.

Our Research Program is a work in progress, so please check back for updates and additions to this page. We anticipate online databases of Opal Creek related data, blank data sheets used by Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center staff and participants to record measurements, and many research opportunities for high school and college students.