Global Forest Link Using the Global Forest Watch platform to support cross-country deforestation dialogue, evidence-based education and environmental advocacy

WHY BOTHER?  1.6 billion people depend on forests  50 soccer fields worth of forest are being lost every minute = 2.3 million square kilometers over the past 13 years  Forest loss contributes between 6% and 12% of annual CO2 emissions  In the US 60% of sources o drinking water are in the forested areas  Forests are home to almost half of the world’s species  Large forests also play a role in weather and rainfall patterns and micro- climates  Additional ten trees on a given block correspond to a one-per-cent increase in how healthy nearby residents feel

IN THE NEWS the-soot/ar-AAe7uwp?li=AAa0dzB&ocid=iehp San Joaquin Valley: ~ 160 square miles burnt The area of forest fires in Buryatia per day increased by more than 800 hectares

HOW WE CAN HELP CONSERVE FORESTS  Collecting images and data Educate Build Connections Gather Data Share Stories

HOW IT WORKS US and Russian students will take photos of different forests in their areas These photos will be organized into an online visual analysis system and compared to satellite images from Global Forest Watch Using photos and satellite images, students will observe and explain forest changes, and discuss their findings on-line and through virtual conferences

PARTICIPANTS

WHAT IS THE GLOBAL FOREST WATCH  Established in 1997 to record global forest change Using satellite images to show the most recent information about the status of forests worldwide. Near-real-time alerts showing which places have dangerous forest cover loss. See

WHAT WE CAN DERIVE FROM THE GFW Watch our tutorial: Play with the GFW interactive map:  Experiment with different layers  Experiment with different base maps  Move around the Tree Cover Loss time slider  Turn on the Stories Layer

GLOBAL FOREST LINK PORTAL Participants: Need your pictures and some information to create a pivot Tutorials: You should go over them on your own Stories: You would need to submit stories Gallery: Submit your pictures. We will create a pivot based on them News: us link to the news you want to submit: commons.com or Join our FB group Blog: We’ll embed your google blogger

HOW TO COLLECT IMAGES  Go into a forest region and take some photographs and fill out the data forms If possible enable geo-tagging on your camera/smartphone  Upload your photo and fill out the online form

HOW DO WE ANALYZE THE IMAGES Survey Analysis via Visual Exploration tool that makes survey data easy to share online and explore collaboratively Examples:

HOW TO WRITE A STORY QUESTIONS TO ANSWER:  What do your photos show?  What can you infer about the condition of the forest from looking at them?  What does GFW tell you about the forest?  What do other sources tell you about the forest?  After looking at all of these sources, what conclusion can you make about the forest?

HOW TO SUBMIT A STORY  You can submit MS Word, PowerPoint, PDF or YouTube Link at  You can submit a story and a video at the Global Forest Watch site Before writing your story check some examples: 1) 2) 3) Turn on the “User stories” layer and check their storieshttp://

TIMELINE TaskDateRequirements/outcomes Kick-off on-line meetingSept 5:00 pmAssign leaders, prepare answers to questions Make and upload photos and metadata September 11 – October 31 Each team should submit 15–20 pictures. SUAVE application will be created. Research observed changes in the neighborhood, interview experts/witnesses October 1 – October 31Facts for the stories collected Students produce their stories (MS Word/PPT/PDF/Video) and share them with peers. November 1 - November 15 Write stories (~ 1 page), following template Students review each other stories, edit their stories, publish them on- line November 15 – December 10 Stories reviewed, edited and published Virtual award ceremonyMid DecemberStudents share their experience

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW  Go over the Global Forest Link site  Go over Tutorials  Learn functionalities and features of the GFW site  Take pictures and record corresponding data, submit on-line  Interview witnesses/specialists  Write a story, submit for review, edit and publish  Interact with Russian students (blogs, FB, skype, etc)

SKYPE SESSION September 16 at 5:00 pm We would like your team to prepare answers (~3 minutes) to the following questions: 1) Tell us about your school and your team 2) Tell us about your city/county: climate, physical features, etc 3) What are the main environmental challenges faced by your communities? 4) Which aspect of the project is of most interest to you? You can use PowerPoint, videos, or other media

USEFUL LINKS       on-the-soot/ar-AAe7uwp?li=AAa0dzB&ocid=iehp on-the-soot/ar-AAe7uwp?li=AAa0dzB&ocid=iehp