Benjamin Logan High School freshman Winnie Bodin and Environmental Science Club adviser Bruce Smith attended the Annual Student Wildlife Research Symposium April 13 at the Deer Creek State Park Lodge and Conference Center.
The symposium highlighted how to conduct research with students and how to collaborate with universities and environmental professionals to provide wildlife-related research opportunities for pupils.
Winnie was selected to be a poster presenter in this unique event because of her placement at the Ohio Academic Science Fair.
Her project, “The Biological and Chemical Assessment of the Mad River Over Five Years” involved testing sites for diatoms, macroinvertebrates, and chemical characteristics.
Winnie’s hypothesis was that the Mad River water quality would be poor consistent with previous years of research showing poor quality because it is lacking a wooded riparian zone, which would offer shade.
Her hypothesis was partly supported because the PTI was poor; however, the chemical parameter and oxygen levels were satisfactory.
Jeff Baker was the keynote speaker for the symposium. He teaches at-risk students involved in the court system.
After studying more about scientific inquiry during his MAT in biology studies at Miami University of Ohio, he began to change the way he taught science from giving information to asking questions.
He now has two published papers in the American Biology Teacher based entirely on student-driven studies using real scientific investigation. He has found the key to student interest is allowing them the freedom to have input into the lesson design.
The symposium was sponsored by the ODNR Division of Wildlife and EECO-the Environmental Education Council of Ohio.