We have been involved in number of outreach volunteer projects, aimed at ages from pre-K to adults. We thought I would highlight a few of them here. For the full list, please check Dr. Seaborn's CV. If you want to be involved in any of these or are interested in having us help you with your event, please reach out! We are passionate about connecting science and scientists with the general public. Events we have been a part of have had anywhere from a handful to over 800 people, depending on the scale and time committed to each individual attendee. Most of these are focused on the Moscow/Pullman area, but we look forward to growing future connections within the community of North Dakota. For the groups we are no longer involved with in Idaho, I wanted to keep the descriptions here to help raise awareness.
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Fargo River Keepers: Red River Water Festival
River Keepers does a large number of events in the area related to education and outreach with regards to the Red River of the North. I was excited to help run the "Invaders!" activity for them during part of the Red River Water Festival, which is aimed at education for 3rd and 4th grade students. |
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Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute
Science after hours is a monthly public presentation put on by the Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute. Various researchers from across STEM disciplines present their work to the public. Dr. Seaborn has presented with them twice in the past, including as part of their "Best Of" series. Each night helps to connect researchers, often faculty and graduate students from WSU and University of Idaho, with the general public. Because of our involvement, I have also been invited and worked with their STREAM (STEM + Restoration +Art) girls camp and their "Animals of the Night" event. They are an awesome group to keep an eye on. 
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Skype-A-Scientist / Interview-A-Scientist
Skype-A-Scientist is an amazing program which connects scientists with the classroom to allow students of all ages to ask questions and get to know a scientist. You can read/listen about it through this excellent Science Friday piece. You can also check out their homepage if you want to be involved either as a classroom or as a scientist. I did this the two previous academic years, connecting with two elementary classrooms. Due to my current schedule I am not participating in this program this year, but hope to do so again in the future. Interview-A-Scientist is a local spin off organized by WSU's Dr. Universe. |
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Phoenix Conservancy Smoot Hill Surveys
Smoot Hill currently has a biological preserve, but a complete list of species is a little limited. Because of this, the Phoenix Conservancy has been doing several surveys (with various methods) to compile a list of species. With the help of volunteers in the area, I've established and been doing amphibian and reptile surveys. 
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Biology Graduate Student Association Outreach
We did two family days each year, one in the fall and one in the spring. This is a free event for families to try out a number of activities, from learning about local birds and amphibians to bacterial cultures and microscopy. We average between 150-200 visitors for each event. Funding provided through the Graduate and Professional Student Association at WSU. The outdoor event occurs at Virgil Phillip's Farm. |