Experiences like Saturday’s service-learning event at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge exemplify a Whitworth education! Environmental science and biology students volunteered for an important cause, practiced valuable skills, and enjoyed being out in nature in the beautiful Northwest.
Students helped to prepare bluebird boxes for the nesting season during the event, which was organized by Professor Grant Casady. They learned about bird conservation and the role that the wildlife refuge system plays in wildlife conservation, and gained skills in data collection methods and maintaining the nesting boxes. They also met the wildlife biologist at the refuge, Molly Dixon, and learned about her job and educational preparation.
“We maintained around 80 bird boxes over the morning, a task that would have taken the biologist a long time to complete,” Casady says. “Bluebird reproduction is limited in part by the availability of adequate nesting sites. The Western bluebird is listed as a ‘Species of Greatest Conservation Need’ in the state of Washington, so efforts to bolster reproduction are important.”
Worth a Look 