A New Partnership Begins

The sixth partnership of the DSMP project is with Washington College’s Foreman's Branch Bird Observatory (FBBO) at the Center for Environment and Society (CES). Since 1998, Foreman’s Branch has been documenting spring and fall migration through bird banding. It is the only major migratory bird banding station operating on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and is three miles northeast of Chestertown, MD on the College’s River and Field Campus. FBBO collects data used to track population trends, migration timing, and bird movements. Additionally, FBBO supports external research partners on projects such as avian perception of glass, the accumulation of microplastics in birds, and radio-tagging birds tracked by the Motus Network.​

Working with an internal Washington College partner this year will allow the DSMP team to explore and develop new approaches and best practices for creating virtual tours and exhibit materials for outdoor learning spaces which will expand the project's future community partnerships.  The first phase of this project was supported by summer fellowships in which student Digital Imaging Consultants working in Washington College's Virtual/Augmented Reality Digital Imaging Studio (VARDIS) partnered with Environmental Science and English Department students to research best practices in using digital technologies in outdoor learning spaces and to prepare the technological groundwork for a variety of virtual tours. During this two-week fellowship, students delved into strategies for integrating technology into visitor engagement through immersive research conducted at local and regional botanical gardens, museums, arboretums, zoos, and other outdoor educational venues, as well as by exploring online resources and examining exemplar technological practices in the field. 

This research informed student work in the Virtual/Augmented Reality Digital Imaging Studio [VARDIS] in collaboration with 2024-2025 DSMP partner Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory and another partner project site: the Poetry Garden @ the WC Campus Garden.

See the presentation below to learn more about student insights from the summer fellowship.