SCBNA’s FIRST-EVER Conservation Education Forum (August 5-6, 2025)!
Thank you to all who were able to attend our event!
**For those unable to attend: session recordings – and resources – can be found below and to the right of this page.**
The Education Committee of the Society for Conservation Biology North America (SCBNA) developed a new event, the Conservation Education Forum, to increase opportunities for conservation educators in diverse settings to share their work with one another through an online forum. Our primary goal was to connect educators seeking to share and gain pedagogical support for fostering outstanding conservation education practices, and provide space for new connections. In our design of the forum, we encouraged participation from presenters and attendees across K-12, higher education, professional training, and informal education settings, and worked to create a format that invited sharing and interaction without being burdensome to organize either for the committee or for presenters. The Forum spanned two half days on August 5 & 6, 2025. Each day featured a combination of 5-min preview talks followed by 1-hour workshops (along with a keynote activity). Recordings for our introductory activities, 5-min presentations, and 1-hour workshops can be found here along with additional resources.
If you have any questions about the Forum, please reach out to SCBNA’s Director of Operations & Programs – Bernie Traversari – at bernie.traversari@scbnorthamerica.org.
Speaker Lineup, Workshop Recordings, and Resources
Nancy Lowe, Art + Science In the Field: asIF (Drawing as a Tool for Learning in the Biology/ Ecology Classroom, Lab, and Field)
Bio: An artist with a passion for interdisciplinary collaboration, Nancy Lowe focuses on the intersection of art and science, particularly in field research settings. Holding a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she leads the Ecotones network for arts at field stations and marine labs through the Organization of Biological Field Stations. For over two decades, she has taught art-science workshops at colleges, universities, biological field stations, schools, museums, science centers, and other institutions. This year she will begin a Bullard Fellowship at Harvard Forest to make art about complexity & emergence, and to develop best practices for art-science residencies.
Module Title: Drawing as a Tool for Learning in the Biology/ Ecology Classroom, Lab, and Field
Module Description: Instructors in biology, ecology, and environmental sciences often ask students to draw – from dissection or from a microscope in the lab, or in a nature journal in the field. There is a growing body of evidence that drawing increases observation skills, engages students who are visual learners, and reinforces science learning. However, biology instructors are rarely prepared to provide students with tools and techniques that help them with drawing assignments. This workshop will provide a set of practical tools for teaching fundamental drawing skills, tailored specifically to the college level biology classroom, lab, and field. The workshop will be presented in two parts: Drawing Fundamentals for Biology, and Nature Journaling in the Field. The workshop will conclude with a Q&A and discussion about applying these tips to participants’ specific needs and interests.
Amelia Moore, Ducks Unlimited Canada (Tackling Real-World Conservation Issues in the Classroom)
Bio: Amelia Moore is the National Education Program Assistant with Ducks Unlimited Canada. She has a formal background in Geography and Education and has worked in environmental and secondary education for over 7 years. Her interests include place based education and supporting students in exploring outdoor spaces and engaging with their local environments.
Module Title: Tackling Real-World Conservation Issues in the Classroom
Module Description: Ducks Unlimited Canada’s case studies invite students to take on the role of environmental researchers and conservation planners. Using five real-world case studies, students investigate current conservation issues across Canada, including:
Salt Marsh Restoration and Sea Level Rise (Atlantic Canada)
Wetland Biodiversity (Prairie Pothole Region)
Endangered Grassland Conservation (Prairie Pothole Region)
Invasive Phragmites Management (St. Lawrence-Great Lakes Region, Ontario and Quebec)
Wildfire Management (Boreal Forest)
Students form teams to analyze one of the case studies, complete research and then present their findings in a simulated competition format. Each module comes with a student workbook and teaching guide to help incorporate the case studies into your classroom, identify learner outcomes and provide research links for students. All modules are available in French and English.
Lisa Wang, Penn State University (Draw with Me: Systems Thinking and Metacognition for Learning Conservation Sciences)
Bio: Lisa Wang is a rising fourth year undergraduate in Biology at Penn State University Schreyer Honors College. Her background includes molecular ecology research, science education, non-profit programming, and health communications & policy consulting.
Lisa is passionate about supporting student-led teaching and empowering student engagement. At Penn State, she created “Draw with Me” recitations that train students how to use drawing as an effective learning tool and advises other student instructors on curriculum design as the Program Director of Students Teaching Students. Beyond Penn State, Lisa is the Communications and Conference Intern at the Society of Conservation Biology North America (SCBNA) and the Tutoring Program Administrator at STEMcx, a nonprofit that connects underrepresented K-12 youth in STEM to academic and career resources.
Module Title: Draw with Me: Systems Thinking and Metacognition for Learning Conservation Sciences
Module Description: Students often enter higher education without the skills and knowledge for navigating an increasingly challenging curriculum. Drawing, for instance creating concept maps and model representations, is an effective way to understand, integrate, apply, and retain concepts, yet the interaction most undergraduates have with drawings is simply seeing a diagram on a slideshow for a few seconds. In a field such as conservation sciences where systems thinking is especially crucial for problem solving, instructors should aim to equip students with more adequate tools for success. This module/workshop will highlight how to create engaging drawing application questions and assessment criteria for the classroom. It is intended for students to develop practical skills, confidence, efficacy, and motivation toward their learning of conservation sciences.
Sarah Orlofske, U of Wisconsin - Stevens Point (Endangered Parasites Outreach Project)
Bio: Sarah Orlofske is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. She received her B.S in Biology and Wildlife Ecology and Management from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and earned her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado – Boulder. Her research spans diverse topics from physiological ecology and community ecology to parasite taxonomy and systematics. Her passion is investigating wetland ecosystems, particularly how parasites can inform food web linkages and serve as biological indicators of ecosystem health. She is passionate about bringing conservation issues to her classes ranging from introductory biology, general ecology, and ecological methods laboratory to upper-level electives like animal parasitology and senior seminar.
Module Title: Endangered Parasites Outreach Project
Module Description: This module includes a short introduction and background section to inform students about the issues related to parasite conservation and the currently limited knowledge and little conservation action directed specifically for parasites. Then it focuses in on public education and outreach as one of the key components to improving the future of conservation for parasites. The assignment then describes the goal for students of identifying and assessing a potentially endangered parasite and learning about the host and parasite natural history to write an assessment in a format that would be accessible to the general public. Once students complete the written assignment they gather in groups to share their parasite profiles orally and then write a short reflection about the comparisons of their profile with other students in the class. This module can be modified to fit in a variety of courses and could easily be adapted for diverse class sizes and implementation formats.
Module Resources: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1siVjXR3e3VX6_e3pHcQWgO8m5cTBv-CC/view
Robert Jadin, Lawrence University (Endangered Parasites Outreach Project)
Bio: Robert Jadin is a Visiting Professor of Biology at Lawrence University. He received his B.S. in Biology with a Fisheries and Wildlife emphasis at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah OK, and a M.S. in Biology from the University of Texas – Tyler. He earned his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado – Boulder. His research primarily focuses on evolutionary biology, systematics, and conservation of Neotropical pit vipers but he has also used his experience and expertise to advise our scientific knowledge of other taxonomic groups including mollusks, platyhelminths, and other reptiles and amphibians around the globe. He is enthusiastic about the discovery and description of unknown and understudied species as a means to increase biodiversity inventories, identify species and areas of conservation concern and improve conservation assessment. He enjoys bringing conservation topics to life in courses ranging from introductory biology to evolution, animal behavior, herpetology, and ornithology.
Module Title: Endangered Parasites Outreach Project
Module Description: This module includes a short introduction and background section to inform students about the issues related to parasite conservation and the currently limited knowledge and little conservation action directed specifically for parasites. Then it focuses in on public education and outreach as one of the key components to improving the future of conservation for parasites. The assignment then describes the goal for students of identifying and assessing a potentially endangered parasite and learning about the host and parasite natural history to write an assessment in a format that would be accessible to the general public. Once students complete the written assignment they gather in groups to share their parasite profiles orally and then write a short reflection about the comparisons of their profile with other students in the class. This module can be modified to fit in a variety of courses and could easily be adapted for diverse class sizes and implementation formats.
Module Resources: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1siVjXR3e3VX6_e3pHcQWgO8m5cTBv-CC/view
Lindsay Walker, WA Department of Fish & Wildlife (Rooted in Play: Building and Adapting a Nature Toolkit for Early Learners and Families)
Bio: Lindsay Walker has led outdoor environmental education for youth and families for over a decade. She is the Conservation Education Coordinator for Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) where she creates and promotes wildlife conservation educational opportunities in WDFW wildlife areas, in urban centers and on school grounds. Prior to WDFW, Lindsay coordinated marine science and maritime focused youth and family education programs on the Salish Sea at Deep Green Wilderness and Communities for a Healthy Bay. Lindsay worked on the sustainability team at Vanderbilt University and also coordinated field experiences and community engaged learning at University of Puget Sound. Lindsay earned an M.Ed. in Environmental Education from Western Washington University with a teaching residency at the North Cascades Institute and a B.S. in Environmental Studies from Belmont University.
Module Title: Rooted in Play: Building and Adapting a Nature Toolkit for Early Learners and Families
Module Description: In this session, participants will discover how a set of early-childhood nature play cards has become a versatile tool for engaging learners of all ages across diverse educational settings. Participants will explore how Woodland Park Zoo integrates the “Nature Play in Early Learning” toolkit into early childhood programs, centering play, language, and culturally responsive practices. You’ll also see how the Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Education team adapts these same cards for informal learning and family engagement on public lands and at community events. Whether you’re a classroom educator or an outreach practitioner, this session will highlight how these flexible, seasonal cards spark curiosity, support multi-age learning, and can be tailored to reflect the communities you serve.
Stephanie Bohr, Woodland Park Zoo (Rooted in Play: Building and Adapting a Nature Toolkit for Early Learners and Families)
Bio: Stephanie Bohr has worked in the zoo, aquarium, and museum field for more than twenty years. She is the Director of Learning Programs and Partnerships at Woodland Park Zoo, where she leads three teams that create programs for children, teens, and adults both at the zoo and in Seattle communities. Prior to moving to Seattle in 2022, she was Director of Community Innovation and Collaboration at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, where she launched community engagement, teen, accessibility, and evaluation initiatives at the zoo and on the West Side of Chicago. At Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Stephanie started and led their first in-house learning evaluation and research department, as well as field research programs for teens. Stephanie is a proud alumna of North Carolina State University, where she earned a B.S. in Zoology and MEd in Science Education.
Module Title: Rooted in Play: Building and Adapting a Nature Toolkit for Early Learners and Families
Module Description: In this session, participants will discover how a set of early-childhood nature play cards has become a versatile tool for engaging learners of all ages across diverse educational settings. Participants will explore how Woodland Park Zoo integrates the “Nature Play in Early Learning” toolkit into early childhood programs, centering play, language, and culturally responsive practices. You’ll also see how the Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Education team adapts these same cards for informal learning and family engagement on public lands and at community events. Whether you’re a classroom educator or an outreach practitioner, this session will highlight how these flexible, seasonal cards spark curiosity, support multi-age learning, and can be tailored to reflect the communities you serve.
Jim Goetz, Vermont Center for Ecostudies (Integrating the Conservation Standards framework for adaptive management into your current biodiversity conservation courses)
Bio: Jim Goetz is a conservation scientist from Upstate NY with a broad range of interests in natural history, behavioral ecology, behavioral economics, languages, and understanding the intertwined social and ecological aspects of how people interact with each other and their natural environment.
Module Title: Integrating the Conservation Standards framework for adaptive management into your current biodiversity conservation courses
Module Description: Our aim with this session is to provide instructors with ideas and inspiration on how they can adopt and/or adapt either of our two online Conservation Standards (CS) courses for their own needs. In the 1-hour working group session, we will provide brief overviews of the two CS courses that we teach, followed by general suggestions for adapting the courses by adding, subtracting, substituting or modifying elements. We then plan to engage in an open discussion that will explore teacher’s challenges and needs for teaching adaptive management, and which, ideally, will result in collaborations among participants and presenters to further develop, improve, and CS teaching and learning materials, as well as facilitate and increase teaching of both CS stand-alone courses, and the integration of the CS modules into current conservation courses.
Background info: The Conservation Standards are a widely adopted set of principles and practices that bring together common concepts, approaches, and terminology for conservation project design, management, and monitoring. Developed by the Conservation Measures Partnership (CMP) and regularly updated in collaboration with the broader CS community, this open-source, strategic framework helps conservation teams achieve lasting impact. By design, CS is a highly practical approach that helps students and early-career practitioners to pivot from academic theory and to apply it to real-life conservation practice.
Details on course structure: While both courses that we teach have participants work in small groups to develop conservation projects based on case studies, Course 1 introduces the CS over the course of eight 3-hour sessions using Zoom for video conferencing and Mural as a workspace. Participants complete brief readings on CS, but there are no exams or grades. Course 2 is a semester-long course taught at the college level (with grades), online and asynchronously. Each week students read academic articles on conservation, and share their thoughts via an online discussion board. They develop their case studies using Miradi software. Students schedule meetings with the instructor(s) as needed to progress with their case study.
Heather Eves, Virginia Tech (Integrating the Conservation Standards framework for adaptive management into your current biodiversity conservation courses)
Bio: Dr. Heather E. Eves is a Certified Coach offering support to conservation professionals and their organizations as well as training in the Conservation Standards (CS). She is a Professor of Practice at Virginia Tech where she has taught the CS since 2010 along with courses in the Caribbean, East Africa, and other academic institutions. She is on the leadership team for the Conservation Coaches Network’s Conservation Standards for Academia (CoStA) group.
Module Title: Integrating the Conservation Standards framework for adaptive management into your current biodiversity conservation courses.
Module Description: Our aim with this session is to provide instructors with ideas and inspiration on how they can adopt and/or adapt either of our two online Conservation Standards (CS) courses for their own needs. In the 1-hour working group session, we will provide brief overviews of the two CS courses that we teach, followed by general suggestions for adapting the courses by adding, subtracting, substituting or modifying elements. We then plan to engage in an open discussion that will explore teacher’s challenges and needs for teaching adaptive management, and which, ideally, will result in collaborations among participants and presenters to further develop, improve, and CS teaching and learning materials, as well as facilitate and increase teaching of both CS stand-alone courses, and the integration of the CS modules into current conservation courses.
Background info: The Conservation Standards are a widely adopted set of principles and practices that bring together common concepts, approaches, and terminology for conservation project design, management, and monitoring. Developed by the Conservation Measures Partnership (CMP) and regularly updated in collaboration with the broader CS community, this open-source, strategic framework helps conservation teams achieve lasting impact. By design, CS is a highly practical approach that helps students and early-career practitioners to pivot from academic theory and to apply it to real-life conservation practice.
Details on course structure: While both courses that we teach have participants work in small groups to develop conservation projects based on case studies, Course 1 introduces the CS over the course of eight 3-hour sessions using Zoom for video conferencing and Mural as a workspace. Participants complete brief readings on CS, but there are no exams or grades. Course 2 is a semester-long course taught at the college level (with grades), online and asynchronously. Each week students read academic articles on conservation, and share their thoughts via an online discussion board. They develop their case studies using Miradi software. Students schedule meetings with the instructor(s) as needed to progress with their case study.
Stuart Livingstone, U of Toronto-Scarborough (Sync into the Earth: podcasting environmental science)
Bio: Dr. Stuart Livingstone is a Teaching Stream Professor in the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences. He has been teaching in the department for 10 years, with a focus on conservation biology and policy, the ecology and management of invasive species, protected area management, plant taxonomy, science communication and scientific literacy. He has published extensively within the disciplines of environmental science pedagogy, invasive species ecology and management, urban biodiversity conservation, endangered species conservation, and plant ecology. Outside of teaching and research, he is the co-creator and co-host of the Emerging Environments podcast, which has been active since 2020.
Module Title: Sync into the Earth: podcasting environmental science
Module Description: This module provides an overview of how to produce a group podcast assignment, drawing from my experience with the assignment and my class podcast “Sync into the Earth”. The module articulates the motivation for such an assignment, instruction for content development and engagement with conservation/environmental science, incorporating strategies for conservation science communication, logistical coordination, some of the technical aspects of audio engineering, and adapting this assignment in other courses. I have included some guidelines for the assignment.
Module Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16pL2s9nZtDf0Ke0rmb8MROJxoDcEewWo/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108274260564533872375&rtpof=true&sd=true
Martha Groom, U of Washington, Bothell (Cultivating Allyship among Conservation Practitioners)
Bio: I am endlessly fascinated by teaching and learning, and helping people gain capacities and understandings about conservation as a field and practice. I have been teaching conservation since the mid-1990s. Currently, I’m an active member of the Education committee, and have been on the parallel committee of SCB Global in the past. I am the lead author/editor of Principles of Conservation Biology (2006) in its third edition, and currently working on open source exercises in conservation. I co-founded and led a training program for graduate students in interdisciplinary pedagogy at UWB, and for the past nine years have served as the faculty lead of the undergraduate Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at the University of Washington. I have co-led many teaching workshops at NACCB and other conservation meetings, including interactive session on conservation literacies. I am particularly interested in supporting exploration of the multiple literacies that could be promoted among conservation students today.
Module Title: Cultivating Allyship among Conservation Students
Module Description: Allyship, or providing support to members of marginalized groups, is a skill of increasing importance in conservation. To help promote allyship, the Society for Conservation Biology North America (SCBNA) produced a series of interview-style videos to promote awareness and greater understanding of the diversity of individual experiences in conservation. Along with additional resources, these videos have provided a nucleus for fostering discussion and reflection among undergraduate and graduate students. This session will provide examples across 3 institutions where faculty have engaged students with the larger goal of helping them collectively identify and implement strategies for allyship within the field. The range of approaches taken will be summarized and shared among the participants, with the goal to help participants begin to create their own adaptations of such curricular elements for their teaching contexts.
Jessica Pratt, University of California, Irvine (Cultivating Allyship among Conservation Students)
Bio: Jessica Pratt is a community ecologist and teaching professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Irvine. She is broadly interested in the application of ecological theory to environmental problem-solving, what some might call Conservation Science, and in effective pedagogy to train the next generation of environmental leaders and Earth stewards. She primarily teaches courses in the undergraduate Minor in Global Sustainability and the Masters in Conservation and Restoration Science program.
Dr. Pratt’s research interests are motivated by a deep desire for improved environmental literacy in K-12 education, greater self-efficacy and transfer of knowledge to action in our emerging environmental leaders (e.g. college students), and increasing diversity and representation of minoritized groups within education and the environmental sciences. Dr. Pratt’s current research examines the affective dimensions (i.e. emotions, moods, attitudes) of learning and working in the environmental and climate justice space. She seeks to understand the emotional responses that students have to learning about the state of the environment and how faculty can best address these emotions in the classroom. Through her research and teaching, she hopes to develop effective approaches to teaching about planetary crises while also instilling critical hope, emotional resilience, and a determined self-efficacy in her students.
When not working, Jessica can be found hitting the trails with her puppies, out on the soccer field with her kiddos, cooking from her home garden, on her yoga mat, or tucked in with a good book and cup of tea. All of which are effective coping strategies for her own ecological grief and climate anxiety.
Module Title: Cultivating Allyship among Conservation Students
Module Description: Allyship, or providing support to members of marginalized groups, is a skill of increasing importance in conservation. To help promote allyship, the Society for Conservation Biology North America (SCBNA) produced a series of interview-style videos to promote awareness and greater understanding of the diversity of individual experiences in conservation. Along with additional resources, these videos have provided a nucleus for fostering discussion and reflection among undergraduate and graduate students. This session will provide examples across 3 institutions where faculty have engaged students with the larger goal of helping them collectively identify and implement strategies for allyship within the field. The range of approaches taken will be summarized and shared among the participants, with the goal to help participants begin to create their own adaptations of such curricular elements for their teaching contexts.
Brendan Reid, University of California, Santa Cruz (Cultivating Allyship among Conservation Practitioners)
Bio: Brendan Reid works at the intersection of genetics, ecology, and conservation biology. He is currently an assistant project scientist working for the University of California Santa on the Albatross Recollection Project, which utilizes museum collections and partnerships with researchers in the Philippines to investigate centennial changes in biodiversity within the Coral Triangle. Brendan is the past chair of SCBNA’s Allyship and EID committees, and this fall he will begin a faculty position in conservation biology at the Université de Namur in Belgium.
Module Title: Cultivating Allyship among Conservation Students
Module Description: Allyship, or providing support to members of marginalized groups, is a skill of increasing importance in conservation. To help promote allyship, the Society for Conservation Biology North America (SCBNA) produced a series of interview-style videos to promote awareness and greater understanding of the diversity of individual experiences in conservation. Along with additional resources, these videos have provided a nucleus for fostering discussion and reflection among undergraduate and graduate students. This session will provide examples across 3 institutions where faculty have engaged students with the larger goal of helping them collectively identify and implement strategies for allyship within the field. The range of approaches taken will be summarized and shared among the participants, with the goal to help participants begin to create their own adaptations of such curricular elements for their teaching contexts.
Matthew Knope, University of Hawaiʻi, Mānoa (Cultivating Allyship among Conservation Practitioners)
Bio: Matthew Knope is an evolutionary biology professor and the Director of the Joseph F. Rock Herbarium in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He is broadly interested in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology. In particular, he generally studies questions related to the ecology of speciation and extinction, with particular focus on native Hawaiian plants. Dr. Knope is highly collaborative and uses a variety of research techniques including phylogenomics, experimental and comparative methods, and large-scale quantitative analyses of the fossil record. He is always excited to learn new things and loves to create research projects that are only possible by combining the complementary expertise and ways of knowing of multiple people. His research, teaching, and service efforts are often integrated. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, swimming, and surfing throughout the Hawaiian Islands.
Module Title: Cultivating Allyship among Conservation Students
Module Description: Allyship, or providing support to members of marginalized groups, is a skill of increasing importance in conservation. To help promote allyship, the Society for Conservation Biology North America (SCBNA) produced a series of interview-style videos to promote awareness and greater understanding of the diversity of individual experiences in conservation. Along with additional resources, these videos have provided a nucleus for fostering discussion and reflection among undergraduate and graduate students. This session will provide examples across 3 institutions where faculty have engaged students with the larger goal of helping them collectively identify and implement strategies for allyship within the field. The range of approaches taken will be summarized and shared among the participants, with the goal to help participants begin to create their own adaptations of such curricular elements for their teaching contexts.
Heather Kraus, Nemours Wildlife Foundation (Creating a Conservation Discovery Series)
Bio: Heather Kraus is the Education and Outreach Coordinator at Nemours Wildlife Foundation. She received a B.A. from Washington & Jefferson College and a M.S. from Emporia State University. For the past four years, Heather has developed and built the Foundation’s educational programs, including small group programs that explore regional conservation issues, family friendly nature experiences, and an outdoor education series for youth. She brings her passion for all nature-related topics to her role and loves to share her enthusiasm about the natural world with everyone she meets.
Module Title: Creating a Conservation Discovery Series
Module Description: The creation and implementation of a nature-based education series that highlights the uniqueness of a given region can be an effective tool to build environmental knowledge. Nemours has created an adult-focused monthly discovery series that delves into the unique plants, animals, habitats, and ecosystems found in South Carolina. The series offers an opportunity for people to not only learn about the area but also connect with the landscape during some field exploration. Learn about the creation of the Nemours Discovery Series and steps to build a similar guided, discovery series at any nature center, park, museum, or other environmental education facility. As towns, cities and states continue to attract new residents year after year, it is vital to provide opportunities for people to fall in love with the region and the natural wonders all around them. Come learn one way to foster a nature-based connection that educates people and sustains the land and its many inhabitants.
Resources:
Colin Phifer, Lane Community College (Carcass Collectors: Connecting Community College Students to Conservation Science through Bird-Window Collision Research)
Bio: Colin Phifer is a biology instructor at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. With a background in ecology, natural resources, and interdisciplinary science, Colin is passionate about making biology accessible, engaging, and relevant to diverse student populations. Colin works to develop course-based research experiences for each of his classes, believing that students must DO science to LEARN science. He also works to scale and develop accessible activities so that all students can experience hands-on, collaborative activities and the development of scientific thinking skills, particularly in introductory biology courses. He is committed to creating inclusive learning environments and supporting the next generation of conservation practitioners and critical-thinking citizens.
Module Title: Carcass Collectors: Connecting Community College Students to Conservation Science through Bird-Window Collision Research
Module Description: Bird-window collisions are a leading cause of avian mortality in urban environments, yet this conservation issue is often not explored on community college campuses. Our module, “Carcass Collectors,” empowers community college instructors and others to engage students in authentic, place-based research by monitoring bird-window collisions on their own campuses. Inspired by the Ecological Research as Education Network’s Bird-Window Collisions Project (EREN BWC Project), this module adapts established research protocols (Elmore et al., 2020) to create a hands-on, accessible, and highly relevant conservation experience for students at the introductory level.
Participants in this session will learn how to structure data collection and class projects so that students can generate scientific posters or infographics from their class-based dataset. We will share adaptable resources, including protocols, activity guides, assessment rubrics, and strategies for integrating the module into diverse course contexts. Classroom and group management tips will be discussed to help instructors facilitate collaborative research and maintain student engagement.
A unique feature of this session is the inclusion of both an instructor and a former student (now a graduate) who participated in the activity. Attendees will hear firsthand about the student experience and the impact of connecting coursework to real-world conservation issues. Participants will leave with concrete examples of past student research posters, infographics, rubrics, and classroom management strategies, ready to implement or adapt the module for their own students.
References:
(1) Elmore, L. P., et al. (2020). Correlates of bird collisions with buildings across three North American countries. Conservation Biology, 34(4), 1107–1116. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13569
(2) Ecological Research as Education Network (EREN): Bird-Window Collisions Project. https://erenweb.org/all-projects/bird-window-collisions-project/
Amy Sherman, Lane County Queer Birders (Carcass Collectors: Connecting Community College Students to Conservation Science through Bird-Window Collision Research)
Bio: Amy Sherman (she/her) is a queer birder, science communicator, and recent summa cum laude graduate of Portland State University. She founded Lane County Queer Birders to create field spaces where LGBTQIA+ people feel seen, safe, and welcome. Amy presented undergraduate bird-window collision research at the 2024 oSTEM Conference and volunteers at Cascades Raptor Center, where she supports public education efforts about birds of prey and the challenges they face in human-altered landscapes. She also serves as a volunteer captain with Birdability, advocating for accessibility in outdoor spaces. Amy is currently seeking graduate programs in the Pacific Northwest where she can keep weaving together ecology, equity, and public engagement.
Module Title: Carcass Collectors: Connecting Community College Students to Conservation Science through Bird-Window Collision Research
Module Description: Bird-window collisions are a leading cause of avian mortality in urban environments, yet this conservation issue is often not explored on community college campuses. Our module, “Carcass Collectors,” empowers community college instructors and others to engage students in authentic, place-based research by monitoring bird-window collisions on their own campuses. Inspired by the Ecological Research as Education Network’s Bird-Window Collisions Project (EREN BWC Project), this module adapts established research protocols (Elmore et al., 2020) to create a hands-on, accessible, and highly relevant conservation experience for students at the introductory level.
Participants in this session will learn how to structure data collection and class projects so that students can generate scientific posters or infographics from their class-based dataset. We will share adaptable resources, including protocols, activity guides, assessment rubrics, and strategies for integrating the module into diverse course contexts. Classroom and group management tips will be discussed to help instructors facilitate collaborative research and maintain student engagement.
A unique feature of this session is the inclusion of both an instructor and a former student (now a graduate) who participated in the activity. Attendees will hear firsthand about the student experience and the impact of connecting coursework to real-world conservation issues. Participants will leave with concrete examples of past student research posters, infographics, rubrics, and classroom management strategies, ready to implement or adapt the module for their own students.
References:
(1) Elmore, L. P., et al. (2020). Correlates of bird collisions with buildings across three North American countries. Conservation Biology, 34(4), 1107–1116. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13569
(2) Ecological Research as Education Network (EREN): Bird-Window Collisions Project. https://erenweb.org/all-projects/bird-window-collisions-project/
Judy Braus, NAAEE (Engaging People in Conservation: Tools, Resources, and Networks)
Bio: Judy Braus has been actively involved in national and international environmental education efforts for more than three decades. She is currently the Executive Director of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing environmental literacy and civic engagement to create a healthy and sustainable future for all. NAAEE is a network of networks, and includes the NAAEE Affiliate Network in North America, with 52 state, regional, and provincial organizations, the Natural Start Alliance, with more than 2,000 organizations focused on early childhood and environmental education, and the Global Environmental Education Partnership (GEEP), which is an international learning network designed to strengthen environmental education and promote collaboration and networking across borders. (NAAEE is the Secretariat of the GEEP.) Prior to NAAEE, she managed the education and outreach departments at three national and international conservation organizations: the National Audubon Society, World Wildlife Fund, and the National Wildlife Federation. She was also the manager of environmental education programming at the U.S. Peace Corps. She has led many international environmental education projects, facilitated leadership workshops and conferences, and given keynotes in dozens of countries. She has also been the chief editor of several successful national publishing efforts focused on environmental education and conservation, including “Windows on the Wild,” “NatureScope,” and the “Tools of Engagement.” Judy has also published in numerous nationally recognized periodicals and books. Her areas of expertise include environmental education, project management and strategic planning, leadership training and facilitation, conservation planning, writing and publishing, curriculum and web development, and fundraising. Throughout her career, Judy has focused on creating a more just and inclusive movement, promoting collaboration, and building leadership.
Module Title: Engaging People in Conservation: Tools, Resources, and Networks
Module Description: During this session, we will share practical tools and resources that conservation practitioners can use to better engage communities in their work and advance education. Without creating long-term community support and buy-in, conservation gains will be lost. Through this session, we will: 1) Share effective practice: The Tools of Engagement, developed in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Audubon Society, and Stanford, is a step-by-step toolkit to walk conservation practitioners through the process of how to work more effectively with a diversity of communities. We will walk participants through a variety of practical planning tools to help them more effectively understand and engage a variety of stakeholders. 2) Guidelines for Excellence–Community Engagement: The Guidelines for Excellence is part of a continuing series of documents published by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) as part of the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education. The project is committed to synthesizing the best thinking about environmental education through an extensive process of review and discussion. Hundreds of individuals and organizations representing all aspects of environmental education reviewed working outlines and drafts. The Community Engagement Guidelines focus on how we can work more effectively in communities to advance our work. 3) Global Environmental Education Partnership (GEEP): The GEEP is designed to strengthen environmental education globally and share effective practice across borders. As a global champion for EE, GEEP is committed to building a network of committed professionals working to create a more sustainable planet. We will share resources to help support environmental education, including a Discussion Guide and information on how to become more involved in our global environmental education network.
Richard Buchholz, University of Mississippi (How do we decide the value of a species?)
Bio: Rich Buchholz is Professor of Biology and Director of the University of Mississippi’s Center for Biodiversity & Conservation Research, which he helped to co-found in 2018 before assuming the Center’s leadership in 2022. A behavioral ecologist by training, Rich has studied avian reproductive behavior, sexual ornamentation and parasites for several decades, while also investigating biodiversity and the conservation of a variety of wildlife species (from tapirs to turtles). He frequently takes students on field trips, including to the Mississippi Gulf coast. In collaboration with the MS Dept of Marine Resources, he is team leader on the GulfSeeLife (GSL) project, a mobile app naturalist platform that facilitates participatory science with a focus on the natural resources of the Gulf. He co-edited the first book on behavioral approaches to conservation, chaired the Conservation Committee of the Animal Behavior Society, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Endangered Species Coalition. His research has been funded by the American Museum of Natural History, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Science Foundation, RESTORE Council/Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, and the National Geographic Society, among others. Rich earned his MS and PhD in Zoology from the University of Florida, and his BS in Biology from the State University of New York at Binghamton.
Module Title: How do we decide the value of a species?
Module Description: A fundamental tenet of conservation biology is that all species have intrinsic value, but that does not mean that we all value all species equally. Conservation effort is known to be biased in favor of birds and mammals, especially if they are attractive, impressive or endearing. How can we prepare students to value biodiversity more equitably and ecologically? In this multi-part exercise, I ask undergraduate students in an introductory conservation biology class to consider a) the conservation value they would assign based only on textual descriptions of ‘species’ natural history, b) how and why their individual valuations may differ from their classmates, and c) how their emotional, or other, biases may cause them to under-value some ecologically important species (e.g., parasites) and intrinsically over-value taxa that are largely irrelevant to the conservation of biodiversity and functioning ecosystems (e.g., individual pets). Activities include an anonymous pre-class online survey to report how they value each species, in-class discussion of the results of the survey and their individual reasons for the valuations, sharing of species images and in-class written reflection on whether species appearance changes perceived value, and before/after written reflections that occur in-class on another day when students are taught about an animal with high ecological service value (before) that is eventually revealed to them to have a parasitic phase of its lifecycle (after).
Introductions, Keynote Activities, and 5-Min Presentation Recordings
Agenda Overview:
