TIMBERLAKE BIOLOGICAL FIELD STATION

Mary’s Mesocosms

A mesocosm is a world within a world. A container placed in the environment with controlled exchange pathways, a mesocosm allows a researcher to control certain variables while permitting overall environmental processes to continue as is natural. At Timberlake, three ponds have been outfitted with mesocosms to study the effects of shading and food web structure on the community structure of algae over time. This is the thesis research of Mary Mullins, a graduate student in the Department of Biological Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Victoria Chraïbi. Mary will repeat the experiment multiple times to study seasonal variation in the ecological interactions. If you visit Timberlake in the next year and see orange buckets in the water, you’re observing science in action!

Introducing the FIELDS Program

Science education plays a key role in interesting young students in STEM careers and shaping scientifically literate and involved citizens. At the same time, it is increasingly important for university STEM students to develop formal and informal science communication skills to interact with the public. To serve both educational needs, Timberlake is now the focal point of a new program, FIELDS, that has received funding from the Pioneer Foundation. FIELDS stands for “Field-based Interactive Experiences for Learning Disciplines in Science.” The program will train undergraduate science majors to lead authentic learning experiences for grades 4, 5, 6, and 9 students from regional school districts who visit Timberlake for field trips. Coordinated by the assistant director of Timberlake, Dr. Victoria Chraïbi, the undergraduate FIELDS leaders will learn how to teach scientific concepts using invitational learning and inquiry to foster a love of nature and interest in the scientific process in young visitors. As part of the FIELDS program, Timberlake will release a schedule of monthly field trip programs with topics aligned to state learning requirements with the goal to increase Timberlake’s accessibility and impact as an outdoor learning center for the surrounding area.

If you would like more information on the FIELDS program, please contact Dr. Victoria Chraïbi at chraibi@tarleton.edu.