Planting a TREE for underrepresented students: Immersion at USFWS site

Background/Question/Methods

There is a serious dearth of female and minority representation in the sciences. To help remedy this problem, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is committed to developing the next generation of conservation and community leaders (Youth in the Great Outdoors Annual Report 2011) through a variety of programs and through empowering partnerships.  One approach is a partnership developed between Iowa State University (ISU) and the FWS through the Turtle Camp Research and Education in Ecology (TREE) program. The fundamental goal of TREE is to immerse traditionally-underrepresented high school and undergraduate students in an atmosphere of professional ecological research.  Foreseeable outcomes of this immersion program are enhanced student interest in ecological careers, and improved appreciation and understanding of the importance of ecological research. An additional broad goal of TREE is to educate student participants in the importance of conservation, and to give them the tools and confidence to share this knowledge with their peers, families and educators. The specific objectives of TREE are to guide students in performing ecological research, introduce students to key ecological concepts through reading and discussion, provide students an opportunity to deliver their new-found knowledge to the public, and expose the students to techniques and practices in mentoring.  We seeded the program with high school students from Iowa and Illinois, along with undergraduate and graduate students, comprising an economically and racially diverse group.  Participants converged at a field site (Turtle Camp) located in northwest Illinois on the FWS Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and the Army Corps of Engineers Thomson Causeway Recreation Area during the summers of 2007-2011.  At Turtle Camp, students worked toward four main goals: research experience, education, local outreach, and mentoring.  

Results/Conclusions

To date, more than 35 high school, 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate students, and 2 post-doctoral researchers have participated in the program which has provided meaningful experiences for all participants.  Anonymous surveys from high school participants has shown that TREE has provided an excellent environment for advancing interest in, and knowledge of, science and for influencing career plans of the participants.  Several high school alums have gone on to pursue science-related degrees at local universities. This program is a model of the importance of near-peer mentoring and reflects the commitment of the FWS to engage Youth in the Great Outdoors.