Field Trips
Ecology field trips are the cornerstone through which SEEDS introduces diverse students to the range of ecological systems and research in the United States. Students spend three-four days at an ecologically significant site, such as a field station, research laboratory, or national park, learning about the science of ecology, exploring career options, and seeing the practical applications of ecology. Students have the opportunity to find out more about what ecologists do through hands-on experiences with professionals, to receive training in specific areas, and to build networks with students and professionals.
October 27-30, 2022 : Hubbard Brook LTER in New Hampshire!
The Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) is a 3,160 hectare reserve located in the White Mountain National Forest, near Woodstock, New Hampshire. The on-site research program is dedicated to the long-term study of forest and associated aquatic ecosystems. The HBEF was established by the USDA Forest Service in 1955 as a major center for hydrologic research in New England. In 1963, the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study (HBES) was initiated to use the small watershed approach at Hubbard Brook to study linkages between hydrologic and nutrient flux and cycling in response to natural and human disturbances, such as air pollution, forest cutting, land-use changes, increases in insect populations and climatic factors.
Since that time there has been continuous support from the NSF and the USDA Forest Service. In 1988 the HBEF was designated as a Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site by the NSF. Hubbard Brook scientists pioneered the small watershed approach to understanding forest ecosystems and advanced the use of whole-ecosystem manipulations to quantify the response of forests to disturbance. Hubbard Brook research has figured strongly in the national debates on air pollution, carbon emissions, and forest management.
The selected students will have the opportunity to explore this unique station and gain hands on experience in ecology research practices. You will receive mentoring from SEEDS Alumni and staff about your future career in ecology!
Find out more here: SEEDS National Field Trip
Recent Adventures!
Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge and LTER – La Joya, NM
From April 21-24, 2022, the ESA SEEDS– Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability – program sponsored 10 undergraduate students on a field trip to the Sevilleta LTER Project. This site is located in and around the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). The Refuge, which is managed by the US Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, and its surroundings, are positioned at the intersection of several major biotic zones: Chihuahuan Desert grassland and shrubland to the south, Great Plains grassland to the north, Piñon-Juniper woodland in the upper elevations of the neighboring mountains, Colorado Plateau shrub-steppe to the west, and riparian vegetation along the middle Rio Grande Valley. This convergence of biomes, however, has created an important research area for geology, hydrology, archeology, atmospheric science, biology, and ecology for many decades.
Student Reactions From Last Year’s Trip
- “The rawness of the conference about inclusion and the difficulties that come with being a minority were really special to me. To have diverse mentors and leaders was probably the thing that made this trip so wonderful and rewarding.”
- “The relationships between the other SEEDS students was absolutely amazing. I feel like I can actually be a part of a scientific community now”
- “What I loved most about this trip was the diversity of students within the ecology science. How everyone was so different but we connected so fast because we are in love with science and with our backgrounds. It was an enriching experience since I met a lot of new people and made new friends”
To look at more past trips and detailed trip reports, check out our Past Field Trips page.