Speaker Abstracts

Keynote Speaker

Julia Kumari Drapkin, CEO of ISeeChange

About ISeeChange:

ISeeChange empowers communities to tackle climate change impacts by integrating public input into infrastructure design and response management. Headquartered on America's Gulf Coast, we prioritize community, connection, integrity, equity, and insight. ISeeChange has evolved into a global platform for climate data, community engagement, and education. Residents contribute real-time observations of climate events like flooding and heat waves, which ISeeChange transforms into actionable insights using AI and sensor data. These insights enable cities, engineers, and utilities to prioritize infrastructure investments and design resilient solutions.

About Julia:

Julia is the CEO and founder of ISeeChange. She founded her award-winning climate change tech company after over a decade of reporting natural disasters and climate change across the globe and in her own backyard on the Gulf Coast. Today, it is almost impossible to separate our natural, built, and social environments. Weather and climate affect the type of infrastructure we build and how we live, work, and play in our communities. While our social environment determines how those impacts are experienced, it also determines which voices are heard from when it comes to solving problems.

Julia is connecting the stories to the data and producing unprecedented information related to climate change for use across numerous industries and communities. Under her leadership, ISeeChange has received national and international recognition from the Obama White House Climate Data Initiative, NASA, MIT Solve, Echoing Green, TechStars, the United Nations, Grist, AGU, and the AAAS.

 

Conserving Our Native Bumble Bees, One Photograph at a Time (Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas)

Amy Dolan, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Community scientists can help protect the bumble bees! Across the states of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada, volunteers of all backgrounds are stepping up to participate in the Bumble Bee Atlas. These volunteers are part of the Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas, a collaborative community science project aimed at finding and monitoring native bumble bee populations and learning more about the habitats they inhabit and the flowers they depend on. By adopting a geographic area, seeking out flowers, and documenting bumble bee species using a standardized catch/photograph/release protocol, volunteers are not only falling in love with these fuzzy pollinators, they’re gathering valuable data needed by conservation decision-makers and land managers. As western landscapes continue to change due to drought, fire, agriculture, and urbanization, data show that over 25% of North America’s bumble bees are already at risk. Before we can help protect these vital pollinators, we need to have a more complete understanding of where they are, and the habitats they need. And in the vast, remote lands of our four-state region, we need all the help we can get to fill these data gaps! Bumble Bee Atlas volunteers are supported through online training resources, in-person workshops and field events, and communication with the regional atlas coordinator. Come hear what we’ve learned so far, and how you can be part of this exciting project to help complete the Atlas!

 

Mullen Fire Community Science Initiative

Linda van Diepen, UW Ecosystem Science and Management

The Mullen Fire Community Science Initiative was initiated in the Fall of 2021 to monitor the recovery of sagebrush ecosystems post Mullen wildfire in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. To prevent invasion of the invasive annual grass cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) in sagebrush areas with moderate to severe burn severity, the USDA Forest Service aerially applied the herbicide indaziflam. To complement the vegetation monitoring of the USDA Forest Service to measure the efficacy of the herbicide and its potential unintended effect on the native vegetation, we set up an additional 50 paired sites of herbicide treated and untreated plots in the burned sagebrush area. Over the past three summers, community scientists have been collecting data on the presence of cheatgrass and native vegetation composition at the paired sites, as well as collected cheatgrass and native plants to analyze the effect of herbicide on the abundance of symbiotic mycorrhizal fungal associations. In this project slam, I will give an overview of the Initiative and share some of the results from the past three years based on the hard work of all the volunteer community scientists.

 

Hopping Into Action: The Boreal Toad Conservation Team

Kinsey Greve, Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance

The boreal toad (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) is Colorado’s only alpine toad species and serves as a valuable indicator of montane wetland health, especially in the context of a changing climate and intensifying periods of drought. Unfortunately, these amphibians have experienced dramatic population declines caused by anthropogenic factors (e.g. climate change, habitat loss) as well as the introduction of chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis). While listed as a state endangered species, conservation efforts for boreal toads are hindered by limited resources and funding. To address these challenges, Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (DZCA) has partnered with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) in a collaborative effort to study and reverse the decline of boreal toads in Colorado through community-based science and stewardship. In 2022, DZCA launched the Boreal Toad Conservation Team, a community science program that engages Coloradoans to collect data that will help inform DZCA’s and CPW’s next steps for boreal toad reintroduction and monitoring. This program also aims to foster greater community involvement and investment in the conservation of these vulnerable amphibians. For the past three summers, DZCA staff has trained volunteers in the field to collect data on amphibian presence and wetland habitat quality as well as to swab amphibians to test for the presence of chytrid. The Boreal Toad Conservation Team aims to build a network of passionate volunteers who can conduct independent surveys across many montane wetlands, thus greatly increasing the capacity in Colorado to find and monitor boreal toad populations and habitat.

 

Vulture Watch Wyoming - Bringing the Focus to an Underappreciated Bird

Elizabeth Wommack, University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates

Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) are Wyoming’s only avian obligate scavenger, specializing in the search and consumption of dead animals. Uniquely evolved and adapted for dealing with eating decaying animal parts, they play an immensely important ecological role in all habitats in the state, from the mountain foothills to the plains. By consuming and digesting dead animals, Turkey Vultures help remove dangerous pathogens and other potential disease vectors from our environment. The Turkey Vultures of the North American Plains and Mountains are also unique in their behavior, as they migrate each Spring and Fall. Birds will arrive in Wyoming in early to late March and leave in September/October. Yet, while the species is a recognizable part of the Wyoming landscape, very little is known about them. Vulture Watch Wyoming is a collaborative community science program between the Biodiversity Institute and the University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates with the goal to partner with Wyoming citizens and visitors to gather basic data on the habitats and behaviors of Turkey Vultures from across the state. Data is collected through a mobile survey app, and specific emphasis in the first year was on identification of roosts and surveys for juvenile birds.

 

Engaging Your Community in the USFS Region 2 Rocky Mountain Native Plant Materials Program

Maggie Gaddis, Colorado Native Plant Society

The National Native Seed Strategy, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is the first sweeping national land management strategy to employ native seeds for ecological restoration. The Colorado Native Plant Society, in partnership with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) is administering the USDA Region 2 United States Forest Service (USFS) Rocky Mountain Native Plant Materials Program (RM NPMP). We collect seeds in the five-state region of USFS Region 2 including Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Kansas. Through our strong botanical leadership and our many numbers, we can both influence the direction of the RS NPMP and increase the impact of the program through volunteer seed collection efforts. We are seeking partnerships throughout the Region 2 area. Come learn how you and/or your organization can get involved in this landmark restoration initiative.

 

Golden Years, Golden Discoveries: Science Outreach at Senior Centers

Sabrina White, UW Zoology and Physiology

With approximately 75% of the world’s crops relying on pollinators, the recent declines in bee populations have far-reaching implications for ecological stability and food security. Bumble bees, critical to both wild and commercial plant pollination, are facing significant declines due to a variety of factors such as climate change, pesticide use, and habitat loss. While scientific research drives our understanding of these issues, widespread conservation support requires engaging the broader population, particularly older adults who vote at higher rates. Our initiative, "Bee the Scientist," focuses on empowering older adults in Wyoming to actively participate in pollinator conservation. In partnership with the UW Science Initiative Roadshow, we reached over 94 older adults in 10 senior centers, with 88.3% of participants reporting increased motivation to advocate for pollinator protection. Our workshops include interactive learning on pollinator diversity and threats, hands-on activities like building bee houses, seed bombs, and building Arduino-based weather stations to understand temperature impacts on pollination. This project highlights the potential impact of focusing conservation outreach on older adults and voters, addressing both local biodiversity conservation and broader policy advocacy.

 

IDAH20 Master Water Stewards: Growing Other Extension Education Programs

James Ekins, University of Idaho Extension

IDAH2O Master Water Stewards is a citizen science water quality monitoring program started by U-Idaho Extension in late 2010. Jim started managing it in early 2013, and has grown it from less than 50 volunteers and a dozen sites to a multistate Extension program including about 650 trained Stewards throughout Idaho, Eastern Washington, and Eastern Oregon. More importantly, Jim has used IDAH2O as an important component for several other impactful programs.

The Confluence Project is a high school place based, investigative program including almost 500 students throughout north Idaho, and expanding into the Treasure Valley of Ada and Canyon Counties of Idaho. Students leave the classroom on field excursions to learn watershed science in the field. The water quality portion was developed using IDAH2O protocols and techniques for statewide consistency and ease of access.

4-H Wildlife and Water Habitats National Curriculum teaches middle school youth about wildlife and water science principles. The water portion includes mapping, home water use assessment, and stream/pond monitoring based on IDAH2O protocols and techniques.

Crayfish Cit-Sci Study developed by The River Mile and Janice Elvidge and Rick Reynolds uses the IDAH2O Physical and Chemical Stream Assessment protocols for their water quality measurements. In turn, IDAH2O’s volunteers have additional opportunities to engage in citizen science.

After a dozen years, IDAH2O has proved itself as an effective Early Warning System for watershed problems. In 2021, a volunteer was able to use IDAH2O protocols to document a fish kill on the Priest River. Later the same year, high school students in Lewiston discovered a biological invasion of red swamp crayfish in the stormwater ponds in Lewiston, a first in Idaho history.

 

Do Vultures Take Showers: Observations and Future Questions from Participating in Community Data Collection

Anna Petrey, UW Psychology 

The turkey vulture roost on campus at the University of Wyoming offers an accessible and unique opportunity to closely observe a large group of turkey vultures. During my time participating in Vulture Watch from June through early October, I collected hundreds of photographs of vultures in this roost. Through curiosity and a newfound love of birds, I arrived at several observations and one resulting question from the images I captured. Contrary to a bias people might hold about vultures, turkey vultures spend a great deal of time in the roost preening. In other words, much of their time is spent cleaning themselves. Other observations that emerged were noticing bare spots on a couple of vultures chests, communication (i.e., hissing) amongst vultures to move over on perches, and group flight around the roost as they prepared to migrate. The photographs, however, that prompted further questions, were vultures assuming the horaltic pose in the rain. Perhaps this is a method through which they dry their feathers periodically through breaks in the rain. This seems most consistent with existing hypotheses about what the purpose of the horaltic pose is. However, given that horaltic poses are thought to also be used for cleaning purposes, and that it was actively raining during these photos, perhaps vultures take showers. Okay—maybe it is not that dramatic. Instead, I am proposing a two-fold purpose to horaltic posing in the rain: drying and cleansing. Given the observations and photographs I’ve collected, I plan to participate in Vulture Watch next year to collect more photographs, videos, and notes specifically aimed at turkey vulture behaviors in the rain to better understand the purpose of horaltic posing in the rain.

 

Wyoming Naturalist Program: A Treasure Trove of Trained and Passionate Volunteers

Mason Lee, UW Biodiversity Institute 

The Wyoming Naturalist Program’s mission is to cultivate a community of volunteers to steward the state's natural resources through conservation education and service. The WNP has trained 90 participants since it began in 2021. These volunteers have since contributed almost 3,000 hours of conservation service to the state of Wyoming. WNP volunteers are located around the state and they are eager to provide their support to conservation related projects, including community science programs. Wyoming is not the only Rocky Mountain region state with a statewide naturalist program. Community science practitioners should engage with their state’s naturalist program to tap into a pool of passionate and trained individuals who will collect high-quality data for their programs.

 

Fueling High School Curriculum Through Community Science

Zoe Pritchard, Marin Hunt, Leo Valdivia, Aislyn Cooper, Drew Cooper, Olivia Dolan (Bozeman Field School); Suzi Taylor (Montana State University Science Math Resource Center) 

How can students collect data on fire fuels to meet dual goals of citizen science and high school curriculum? High school students from Bozeman Field School collaborated with the NSF EPSCoR-funded SMART FIRES team at Montana State University to workshop the use of an existing citizen science platform (GLOBE Observer) to gather customized data to assess fire fuels. This project demonstrates the possibilities for high school classrooms to partner with higher education institutions to enhance student learning. Students will evaluate the efficacy of this platform in both achieving curricular goals and addressing relevant research questions around forest fuels and wildfire. Students will highlight some of the opportunities and challenges within their project and outline a vision for how citizen science can be incorporated in high school science curriculum to enhance student learning.

 

Exploring Resilience as it Pertains to Self-Reported Psychological and Social Benefits of Active-Duty Airmen and their Families Stationed at F.E. Warren AFB in Cheyenne, Wyoming

Sarah Delgado, Wyoming Naturalist Program

As the field of research continues to grow surrounding outdoor recreation and its psychological and social benefits, the research surrounding these benefits for active duty military is relatively minimal as compared to their veteran counterparts and the general public.  This pilot study of 20 military families located on F.E. Warren Air Force Base in conjunction with the F.E. Warren AFB Outdoor Recreation office explores the self-reported psychological and social benefits that airmen and their families associate with participation in outdoor recreation activities through Moral, Welfare, and Recreation programs.  The research specifically documents codes and themes as they pertain to familial resilience and well-being.  These themes are recorded through surveys, with more extensive interviews of five military families who reported the highest instances of resilience related themes in their survey data.

 

Build Your Skills: Best Practices in Graphic Communication

Kayla Clark, UW Communication and Journalism

Kayla Clark joined the Haub School as an assistant lecturer in 2021. Prior to academia, Kayla owned a design and marketing studio, building an international professional practice. Kayla’s expertise is in graphic design with a focus on archetypal print and digital design as well as exhibit installation and industrial design. She works closely with natural and social scientists on STEAM collaborations and provides creative strategies to scientific communication. Her creative research includes the merging of new technologies with 14th-century style letterpress printing, an early form of graphic design.  Kayla also teaches in the Communication and Journalism Department and the Art & Art History Program at the University of Wyoming.