SPHS Biomedical Sciences teacher Ryan Long wasn’t sure how the students would feel about the hands-on assignment he presented as part of the Ecology unit in his classes: bring in a seed or seedling of the Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) and include a photo that you personally took with the location of the plant. Soon after, in backyards throughout South Pasadena, students dove into the research–identifying, and collecting samples of the plant that appears all over the San Gabriel Valley.
Mr. Long did not expect the students’ enthusiasm and the effects their assignment could have on the community. The Tree of Heaven plant is an invasive species that is nearly impossible to control. It has gained even more notoriety recently as a reporter from LAist has written an article about Angelenos’ challenges with the plants.
The students’ findings will be published as part of a database used by the State to eradicate the plant. Plus, students will be adding their photos to Google’s Teachable Machine, which helps create a machine-learning model to see how well artificial intelligence does in identifying the plant. The students’ photos and locations also will be added to iNaturalist for public research/use.
Turns out, some Tigers have green thumbs after all.
Go, Tigers!
For more information, contact: South Pasadena Unified School District, Office of the Superintendent, [email protected].