(Pictured above, left, are senior Josh Toston and, right, junior JacQuan Newman. Pictured left is a photo taken by Mr. Paul Fehlner of a native species of praying mantis called a Carolina Mantis).

Mr. Paul Fehlner’s science students are participating in a national science project called Project Noah  www.projectnoah.org. Project Noah is a software platform that allows citizens and students of science to explore and document wildlife where they live or travel. The project was launched out of NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program in 2010. It began as an experiment to mobilize citizen scientists and build a digital butterfly network for this century. The project is backed by National Geographic and is geared to use modern technologies to collect important ecological data and help preserve global biodiversity.

According to the project’s developers, using a modern invention such as a smartphone may hold the key to saving species in the future. This global project encourages nature lovers to use a phone app and the Noah web community to document the wildlife they encounter. In addition to the virtual “collection” of species, Project Noah encourages citizen scientists to link with existing surveys, including the International Spider Survey and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.

Paul has set up an online Blue Ridge School Noah classroom where the students in all of his science classes (Biology, Environmental Science, Honors Biology) may share their observations and contribute to various Project Noah missions.  Students use their smartphones to take photos of organisms and share with the Project Noah community.  “This not only helps my students reconnect with nature but also gives them real opportunities to make a difference in the world of science,” says Paul.