The Experience Goes Beyond the Project!!

With one week left in the campaign Sarah and Natalie have raised 89% of their project goal! Only $313 left to go. Their success is solely due to the thoughtful generosity of each and every one of you who have backed the project. Thank you!!

Today I want to talk a bit about how experiences such as this proposed project extend well beyond the project itself. In the last couple lab notes I have highlighted some of the things both Natalie and Sarah are doing to get ready for the project described in this proposal. The activities they have engaged in to prepare for this project have provided a wealth of experiences beyond what is typical for undergraduate students. In Dr. Bret Tobalske's lab at the University Montana Natalie was able to learn the importance of "proofing" her protocol and system before going into the field. The importance of this was driven home by the fact that she had to make some significant changes to the protocol in order to have something she knows will work work when she gets to Arizona. This is how it goes in scientific research. Sarah, on the other hand, is already in Arizona helping Ph.D. student Anusha Shankar (Stony Brook University, NY) study nighttime body temperature management in hummingbirds. This project is an extension of experiments started last year using infrared imaging to track how hummingbirds use lower nighttime body temperatures to save energy. Last year former Powers Lab undergraduate research Isabelle Cisneros, who was also funded by an Experiment campaign) was involved in this project. If you are interested in more details on this project click here. In the last lab note it was shown how Sarah has already learned how to trap and handle hummingbirds. Now, she has gained some independence and is collecting data on her own.

 

Sarah weighing a hummingbird in preparation for data collection.

Below is a short video of the kinds of data Sarah is collecting with Anusha Shankar.

Another way in which Sarah and Natalie have, and will continue to have an enhanced experience because of this project is through the opportunity to interact with, and help other scientists. Sarah's Work with Anusha Shankar is one example of this. Also, when Natalie was working at the University of Montana she was able to interact with Ph.D. student Tony Lapsansky who is studying how American Dipper "fly" underwater! This gave Natalie the opportunity to see research on something other than hummingbirds, and also the great lengths scientists have to go sometimes to accommodate animals in the lab.

 

Tony Lapsansky along with his dippers, and a clever in-cage stream to make them feel at home!

Below is a short video of one of the dippers "dipping" in case you have never seen one in the wild.

Both Sarah and Natalie are amazing young scientists, and I am pleased to be working with them on this adventure!!