Research Update BIFoR in a Box

BIFoR-FACE has been working on the BIFoR in a Box project, and Samantha Dobbie (University of Birmingham) hopes to get more schools signed up to the scheme so pupils can get involved and learn more about the LTE.

The Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) is home to FACE, one of the largest Free Air Carbon Enrichment experiments taking place in the world. In a giant experiment in a Staffordshire woodland, carbon dioxide gas (CO2) is being pumped around trees to simulate the atmosphere we’re predicted to have in 2050. This helps to understand how the woodland responds, but also which tree species is most likely to thrive in the future.

This experiment also provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on woodland ecosystems. However, logistical barriers limit the number of people that can access the site. To overcome this, the BIFoR team have developed BIFoR in a Box; a free science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) kit for schools that contains everything needed to bring BIFoR-FACE to a classroom or community setting. An expanding set of curriculum-linked lesson resources have been developed to encourage pupils to create and install a DIY dendrometer, collect data and discover more about this experiment. Using materials from the kit, pupils can join a growing number of citizen scientists monitoring tree growth across the UK and beyond.

Ahead of the growing season, 100 free kits were sent to schools who signed up across the UK; from as far south as Devon to as far North as Gairloch. In January, as part of the run up to COP28, Jeremy Pritchard hand delivered a number of kits to schools in Dubai, and BIFoR are continuing to encourage all schools throughout the UK and beyond to join in by assembling their own kit. Pupils have documented installing their dendrometer bands using the #BIFoRBox on social media, and the data is starting to come in. Once submitted, readings are checked by a member of the BIFoR in a Box team and added to a spreadsheet, which everyone can download and explore using the interactive dashboard.

BIFoR is encouraging pupils to use this tree growth data to carry out their own research, and in October, schools will have the opportunity to share the results at a knowledge exchange event to mark COP28. Ultimately, BIFoR hopes to use the data to branch out and bridge the gap between pupils and forest researchers.

Back to the BIFoR-FACE webpage