SMSC Fall 2026 Adventures

Tag: travel

  • Macroinvertebrate Sampling in the Shenandoah River Watershed

    The focus of class this week was sampling water in the Shenandoah River and in streams that feed into it. At each stop along the watershed, each team had the same two tasks. The first of these was running a test for the chemical we were assigned (nitrate in the case of my team). The…

  • Ecological Monitoring

    This week we did a lot of going out, looking for animals, and recording what we found. This was to give us first-hand experience with ecological monitoring, which is essential for conservation. To have any idea of what steps should be taken to preserve the biodiversity of an ecosystem, you need to know what species…

  • Stakeholders and Conservation

    This week, one thing that was emphasized in our course material was the role of stakeholders in conservation of species or natural areas. Because with any given one, it won’t just be one group that is affected by decisions about their protection. Therefore, for conservation efforts to be successful in a long run, all relevant…

  • Learning About Protecting Wildlife in the US

    The class material for this week focused on the history of environmental protection laws in the US, as well as what is happening with them in the present day. We learned about how the extinction of species such as the passenger pigeon, as well as disasters that resulted from mismanagement of the environment like the…

  • Initial Personal Reflective Essay

    View of sunset over the Blue Ridges from Racetrack Hill. I want to begin this post by saying that I am thrilled to be at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation (SMSC) this fall semester. Ever since I learned about this opportunity from my mom, the idea that I could spend an entire semester studying on…