Addressing “real-world” needs: An innovative undergraduate semester in conservation studies

Background/Question/Methods In the past decade, there has been discussion of how to prepare students properly to meet “real-world” conservation challenges when they graduate.  Conservation is an interdisciplinary field, incorporating ecology, public policy, social sciences, economics and conflict resolution.. Are existing undergraduate programs too focused on disconnected disciplinary courses, not providing students with the interdisciplinary understanding necessary to achieve applied ecology and conservation? Or are programs too broad, not providing students with a sufficient level of knowledge on any one topic?  Both George Mason University (Mason) and the Smithsonian Institution (SI) are interested in providing high-quality education that meets the need of future ecological conservation practitioners. The Smithsonian Institution and George Mason University have developed a partnership that addresses these challenges in undergraduate applied ecology and conservation education.  This partnership serves as a model for other universities, museums, zoos and aquariums.

Results/Conclusions

In January, 2008, Mason and SI initiated an innovative residential semester for upper-level undergraduate students called the Smithsonian-Mason Semester in Conservation Studies.  Fifteen students are enrolled in a 16-credit hour semester, where they live and study on the Smithsonian’s Conservation and Research Center (CRC). CRC is a 3,200 acre facility in Front Royal, Virginia, about 60 miles west of Washington, DC.  Approximately one-third of the facility is used to study endangered species that are housed on site.  Students learn about endocrinology, reproduction and husbandry by working directly with leading scientists and the animals.  A number of laboratories, including GIS and remote sensing, endocrinology and reproductive physiology, as well as a veterinary hospital, provide a unique opportunity for students to gain practical experience working with modern techniques and technology.  The remaining two-thirds of CRC is comprised of different natural ecosystems, where students conduct outdoor experiments and learn about ecological research and biodiversity monitoring.  With easy access to Washington, DC, students are engaging members of non-governmental organization and policy-makers on topics ranging from ecology and conservation, wildlife-human interactions to environmental economics and law. The Semester students are participating in the “learning community” that is CRC.  They interact with Mason faculty, SI researchers, international research fellows, NGO and government representatives, graduate students, and staff on a daily basis. Course work and assignments are hands-on and designed to promote critical thinking and problem solving skills associated with current, complex conservation issues.  This partnership provides students with “real-world” conservation challenges and prepares them to meet those challenges as practicing conservationists.