Welcome to the Trans-Canadian Research and Environmental Education website, done in partnership between the Mistik Askiwin Dendrochronology (MAD) Laboratory and the Canadian Light Source (CLS), both on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. We acknowledge that the campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Traditional Homeland of the Métis. This program is offered with the generous support of PromoScience (a program of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada).

With the TREE program, students from across Canada can be part of a national research program to study the environmental history of their own community. The MAD Lab (studying tree growth) and the CLS Education team (studying chemistry) are able to look at trembling aspen tree cores and the soil surrounding the tree to analyze the chemical composition and connect that information to a timeline of environmental events that have impacted your community. Through resources originally written to connect to grade eight curriculum, students will learn about the life and nutrient cycles of trees, apply that knowledge to decipher information about the environment captured in tree rings, and the nutrients in soil by working through modules and activities designed to engage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and social studies with Indigenous perspectives. You can check out these Teaching Resources by clicking on the them in the left menu or download them here. If you are interested in adapting these resources to fit your grade level or subject area, we welcome the opportunity to work with you! Check out our instructional videos as well!

Participation

Participation in this program requires that you commit to helping your students discover the environmental history of your community (constructing a timeline), registering with us to schedule delivery of equipment, collecting and sending to us at least 2 trembling aspen tree cores with associated soil samples according to instructions and the timeline you have created, and then sending the kit, samples, and timeline back to us. There is no cost!

Contact Info

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