2018 Shenandoah Scholars: Science Symposium
On Friday, our 16 Scholars traveled to the National Park Service's National Capitol Region office to present their science investigations. The presentations covered a range of topics from plant and animal life in the park, to questions about the chemistry of the streams, and even the effects of rain on group morale!
The presentations were structured as a science symposium, in which three Scholars with similar research projects each presented their posters, and then returned to the front of the room as a group to be asked questions about their research. The Scholars did a wonderful job explaining their research and methodology, the importance of their findings and ways they would continue their research if they had a longer time in Shenandoah National Park.
Among the attendees were Kayla Branch, Grant Administrator of Alcoa Foundation; Autumn Saxton-Ross, Mid-Atlantic Regional Director of NatureBridge; Maricy Schmitz from the Embassy of Brazil; and Ásdís Hreinsdóttir, the Ambassador's Assistant for Iceland! Maricy asked great questions of the Scholars and spoke of the need for more scientists and scientific research, and had a chance to meet Henrique, our Scholar from Brazil.
One of our Icelandic Scholars said it was a great surprise when one of the audience members (Ásdís) said "Hello" to her in Icelandic. We are so thankful for all of the people who attended the presentations and made the science symposium such a success, and the Scholars for all the hard work and intention they put into their projects.
After presentations, the Scholars traveled to Rock Creek Park for lunch, and then hiked the trails and cleaned up trash in the park as part of their stewardship project. They then spent the afternoon at the National Zoo, and ended the evening walking through the National Mall by the FDR and Lincoln Memorials at sunset.
Stories
Fall Reflections from NatureBridge Yosemite
As an environmental science educator, I spend a lot of time teaching about nature, but this season I’ve been finding that as it turns out, nature has a lot to teach us, too. Sometimes I can let the trees, the meadow, and the lichen teach for me. They show us how to respect each other’s boundaries, how to celebrate differences, how to work together, and how to lean on each other’s strengths in order to exist in a new place. These lessons felt incredibly relevant to me heading into the first week of November, a notoriously busy time at NatureBridge Yosemite. I wanted to focus on messages of kindness and inclusivity with my students, I wanted them to feel a sense of belonging in this new space, and I also hoped that they would share those messages with others.
An Incredible 10th Anniversary of Evening on the Lake
On October 25, the Amazon Meeting Center in downtown Seattle buzzed with celebratory energy as over 300 NatureBridge guests and supporters gathered for the 10th anniversary of "Evening on the Lake," our signature Pacific Northwest fundraising event for our Olympic campus.
"Science became fun" at NatureBridge for Alum Laura Lomeli Russert
Laura Lomeli Russert is a NatureBridge alum who grew up in Groveland, CA and now calls Washington, D.C. home. Laura’s journey with NatureBridge began when she attended the Golden Gate campus as a young student with her class from Tenaya Elementary. Laura credits NatureBridge with shaping not only her love for nature but also her passion for education and science. "Science became fun,” she recalls. “You weren’t learning from a textbook anymore, and it became so much more real." Her hands-on, scientific experiences at NatureBridge laid the foundation for her eventual pursuit of a Ph.D. in psychology. “I feel like I owe a lot to NatureBridge."