Novel Outreach & Education Grants

Wyoming sits on the edges of the Great Plains and the Intermountain West, providing unique landscapes and habitats for the development of variation in form for different species. Where the

edges of these habitats meet are often also where species ranges meet, and natural experiments occur that test the division and stability of species. For some, these meeting points result in the breakdown of species barriers and the development of hybrids and hybrid zones, which often display unique phenotypes and behaviors. By studying hybridization, biologists can gain vital insight into mechanisms of reproductive isolation and the evolutionary implications of introgression. However, explaining the importance of these unique areas as hubs for evolutionary processes that generate and maintain biodiversity can be a minefield of jargon and misinterpretation for non-scientists. To illustrate and explain the importance of the study of speciation and evolution in the field of ornithology, artist Rosie Ratigan is developing a visual series which examines both what hybrids are, and how hybridization is a variable force that can have profound effects on the evolution and development of different species of birds.

We have selected three species and sub-species pairs of birds that hybridize in the Great Plains of North America. Each pair represents a different story about what the effects of hybridization may have in the development of a species. For Northern Flickers the hybridization zone is between two subspecies that show distinctive coloration. Representing one of the oldest and most stable avian hybrid zones in North American, Red and Yellow-shafted Northern Flickers are also a common backyard bird in WY. No distinctive advantages or disadvantages have been found for nesting behavior, but ecological variables, such as weather, may play a role in where hybrids are found. In contrast, Lazuli and Indigo Buntings are sister species which may have started to hybridize no later than 6500 years ago. For these colorful small birds, evidence for selection against hybrids has been found for both nesting behavior and environmental variation. Our final story focuses on Bullock’s and Baltimore Orioles, two non-sister species that form a stable hybrid zone in which selection may be acting against hybridization. These three contrasting stories will provide the basis for our efforts to improve science communication through art and public outreach.

Will Run for Soil tells the story of soil through the lens of the people who study it. The documentary follows Karen Vaughan (a pedologist), Yamina Pressler (a soil ecologist), and Lydia Jennings (a soil microbiologist), as they explore soils while running through the sweeping western wilderness. Far from professional ultrarunners, Karen, Yamina, and Lydia challenge themselves to run their longest distance ever for their love of the land and in an effort to expand our collective notion of why we should care about soils. In the process, they confront ideas about what a scientist looks like, what it means to be a soil scientist, and what the human body is capable of accomplishing for the love of soil.

Will Run For Soil approaches soil science communication from a fundamentally different perspective. The film is the first step in a movement to change the way that we think about and talk about soils. We seek to engage a new audience in thinking about soil biodiversity and conservation. As of 2017, there were 9.15 million trail runners in the United States alone (Gough, 2020) . Many of these individuals spend their time on trails daily, appreciating nature mentally, physically, and emotionally, but often lack the language or awareness of how soil impacts their daily lives. We seek to engage these outdoor enthusiasts to be land conservation stewards through our film and our film screenings, connecting runners and film viewers to local soil experts in each location.

We are on a mission to make soil, and the soil scientists who study them, household names.

Humans are well adapted to appreciating the diversity of life that occurs in terrestrial environments. We simply need to observe our surroundings to appreciate the sound of birds, the color of butterflies, the smell of wildflowers or the feel of plants. However, humans are not well adapted to appreciating aquatic life. We would make the underwater world accessible to everyone using videography coupled with hands-on sampling of aquatic organisms. Art Education pre-service teachers would see aquatic organisms (by sampling) and aquatic habitats (by taking their own underwater video) and create art that captures elements of aquatic ecosystems. A field-collecting trip followed by time in the art studio would allow students to create drawings/paintings based on screen captures from the underwater video they took and their field notes with sketches. The hope is that by having pre-service teachers become familiar with aquatic organisms, they will have increased empathy for the biodiversity of aquatic habitats and for conservation.

The rationale for working with an audience of future art teachers is that they will impact the learning experiences of hundreds of K-12 students during their careers. The curriculum created as a result of this project is aligned with the foundational approaches to teaching art in the 21st Century to make art learning inquiry-based and relevant to the lives of students and their communities. Olivia Gude, an art educator and theorist, articulates the potential for art education: “to teach skills and concepts while creating opportunities to investigate and represent one’s own experiences – generating personal and shared meaning. Quality arts curriculum is thus rooted in belief in the transformative power of art and critical inquiry.” This project offers pre-service teachers the opportunity to engage in an inquiry of issues related to biodiversity and ecology – issues that have meaning and relevance for them as individuals, for their local communities and their future students.

We plan to build a sustainable community of students engaged in a variety of outreach activities by providing a space for graduate students to explore educational outreach experiences. This group, Community Outreach Program for STEAM Engagement (COPSE) will encourage student growth through communication, training events, and assessment strategies for future opportunities. As a part of our first year in operation, we plan to develop a program called “Crossroads." With the support of the funding of the Novel Outreach Grant Program, the objectives of Crossroads will be:

1. To teach students of all ages about the importance of diversity from the scales of microorganisms to extra-solar systems, and inform them of the current diversity research going on at the University of Wyoming,

2. To engage the public in the crossover between interdisciplinary science and art through education and a festival to be held at the University of Wyoming Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center,

3. To develop effective assessment techniques for both self-performance and project impacts, and

4. To develop the members of COPSE to be better suited for teaching, training, and moving forward with outreach centered on their research at the University of Wyoming.

Why do we care?

As of now, Earth is the only celestial body known to harbor life and the only home we have ever known. The biodiversity found on our planet is one of its key features. All organisms, both big and small, are in dynamic relationships with one another and depend on thriving ecosystems. As we expand our view outwards, we see that our planet is unique in its biodiversity, and that there are other forms of diversity that are also important. Educating the public on the importance of diversity at all levels is going to be necessary going forward, for both preserving the biodiversity of our planet, and recognizing the importance and beauty of it beyond Earth.