WEST MILFORD Kathleen Hewins, an eighth grade math teacher at Macopin Middle School, was recently awarded a grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation to be a member of a 19-person Earthwatch Expedition research team. The Earthwatch Institute partners volunteers with research scientists to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment through the collection of scientific data. Hewins was a member of the “Wildlife Trails of the American West” team, which collected vegetation data for elk, deer, and moose while hiking down steep terrain in the Bitterroot Mountains on the Idaho/Montana border. In addition, the team marked the location of wildlife trails using a GPS and downloaded cameras at carnivore scent stations. Hewins is looking forward to sharing her experience with her students as well as developing a lesson to illustrate the real world importance of mathematics particularly in the area of environmental science.