A Maasai woman sharing her beadwork in Soralo, Olkiramatian, Kenya. Earth Expeditions (EE) Community Learning Leader Jerran Orwig of Cincinnati, Ohio, took this photo on a Kenya EE course. Orwig is also the AIP on-site advisor at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.

Dragonfly photo contest winners!

Every year we invite Project Dragonfly students, instructors, and staff to submit photos for the annual Dragonfly photo contest. Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to everyone who submitted photos! Read more

Bird banding volunteer keeping birds safe

AIP graduate student and bird banding station volunteer Molly Toth of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was published recently in Wild Hope magazine. In "Resilience on the Wing" Toth shares how birds are coping with the stresses of a warming planet. “I’m often overcome by the feeling that I’ve been entrusted, briefly, with the care of something truly precious, something vanishing and fleeting,” she writes. "Recently, Pittsburgh became a Lights Out city, committed to darkening its skies during migration to keep birds safe. These are small steps, but they are rooted in hope, and we will need hope to save these birds and the world we share with them." Toth's experiential learning takes place at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Read more on page 34

Slowing the effects of climate change to protect seahorses, sea life

GFP graduate Rebecca Scherr '23 of Vandalia, Ohio, was published on Sevenseas Media. In her article, Scherr shares how you can protect endangered seahorses.

"Whether you are an avid traveler, first-time tourist, or prefer the comforts of home, there is something we all can do in our daily lives to help protect seahorses from extinction," she writes. "Climate change is happening all around us, so we need to work together to slow its damaging effects. ... We want this ecosystem to be healthy ... so we can enjoy its beauty for many generations to come." Read more

Community-based conservation work continues for recent graduate: "The work is never really done."

Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) graduate Sierra Lippert '23 of Encinitas, California, chronicles her AIP master's journey in a video she shared in her final capstone course. An excerpt here describes how she plans to continue her work in supporting coexistence between large carnivores and their adjacent communities in California. Watch

Recent graduate rediscovers passion for birds, gains confidence: "I've discovered what it takes to be a leader." 

Global Field Program (GFP) graduate Devin Mingesbruney '23 of Columbus, Ohio, chronicles her GFP master's journey in a short clip from a video she shared in her final capstone course. In a video excerpt hear how she rediscovered her love of nature and found a new passion for birds and avian conservation. Watch

2023: A busy year for recent AIP graduate

AIP graduate Karina Altman '23 of Burlington, Kentucky, earned her AIP master's from Miami in December and won two American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) awards. The awards—Excellence in Journalism and Photographer of the Year—were for an article she wrote as part of her master's coursework. She traveled to AAZK's annual conference in Akron, Ohio, to accept the awards and presented at the Zoological Association of America conference in Providence, Rhode Island. There's more! Her article was featured in Answers magazine and published online, and Altman filmed a YouTube special about it! Her AIP field work took place at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Read more

Spending nature-inspired days in Hoboken

AIP graduate Shannon Hester '23 of Bayonne, New Jersey, was published on The Hoboken Girl, a website dedicated to all things Hoboken and Jersey City. In "How to Spend a Nature-Inspired Day in Hoboken" she shares unique ways to get involved with nature in your community.

"When was the last time you went outside and stopped to smell the roses?" asks Hester. "It can be so simple: get outside!"

Hester encourages readers to get involved with nature in their community by, for example, instituting a green hour, trying wildlife photography, and becoming a citizen scientist. Hester's AIP field work took place at Bronx Zoo. Read more

Cheetahs, coyotes, cougars: drawing comparisons

GFP graduate Hannah Cross '23 of Dunlap, California, was a guest educator at Fremont/Lopez Elementary School in Stockton, California. The class of second graders learned about her expedition to Namibia and the work of our EE partner, Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in the region. Cross shared her classroom experience in a CCF blog:

"While my community in California does not have human-wildlife conflict with cheetahs, these students can draw comparisons to our wildlife, such as coyotes or cougars."

Cross' GFP research focused on raising awareness for human-wildlife conflict issues affecting cat species. Read more

Best practices for monitoring Komodo dragons in zoos

GFP graduate Liliana Hidalgo '23 of Los Angeles, California, was published in the Animal Keepers' Forum (AKF), a journal of the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK). The article titled “Monitoring Komodo Dragons in Zoos: An online approach” was written as part of her master's requirements and identifies the best practices for Komodo dragon care and monitoring in zoos.

"I am honored to have been published in AKF and am proud to have done this with Project Dragonfly’s program," shared Hidalgo. "I could not have done it without the help of my instructors and peers. ... It has been such a positive journey working with the Project Dragonfly community."

Hidalgo's article in AKF is available through purchase with the AAZK.

Helping students realize their STEM potential

GFP graduate Shannon Conner '20 of Monterey, California, has been busy building the success of the Watershed Guardians Program at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. This student-community science program works with local students to develop connections with nature while analyzing the water quality of two major watersheds in Monterey County, California. Conner has redesigned the curriculum to help build student agency, empowering them to realize their potential in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Conner presented her research to the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) and the American Geophysical Union. In March 2024, she will present to the California Association of Museums (CAM) and accept the Excellence in Museum Education award—along with her colleague, Hannah Sarver, who runs the Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students (LiMPETS)—from CAM in partnership with the California Superintendent of Education. Read more

Leading hikes across Nebraska

GFP graduate Meghan Manary '23 (right) of Platte, Nebraska, was featured in her local hometown news, The North Platte Telegraph, for helping lead the annual First Day Hike across 22 state parks in Nebraska. Manary, Southwest Regional Outdoor Educator for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, led the Lake Maloney hike. During the brisk morning walk, she helped hikers look for scavenger hunt items, identified animal tracks in the snow, and explained how animals forage for food in the winter as well as other interesting facts about Nebraska wildlife. Read more

AIP application fee waived for attendees of final Dragonfly '24 info session

Please join us for our last free, live webinar with Project Dragonfly faculty, staff, and graduates on February 15. The Miami University Graduate School (GS) will waive the $50 application fee for those who attend and apply to Dragonfly. Webinar attendance must precede payment of the application fee. Applicants are encouraged to start their application prior to attending an info session, as they can complete the application prior to paying the $50 GS application fee. The due date to apply to the GFP is January 28 and to the AIP is February 28. Read more and register

Info sessions from AIP sites

Each year our premier zoological, botanical, and wildlife conservation AIP sites offer their own in-person and virtual information sessions. These free sessions allow applicants to learn more about the Miami University degree and the experiential learning that takes place on-grounds at AIP sites and in and around the cities where they are located. Learn more