Bobcat Stories

By Kim Fike, Field & Community Science Educator

Two Bosque School students, seniors Lelia and Ada, and two Bosque School alumni,  Eliot and Mary, recently made an important trip to Baltimore, where they presented their research at the National Wildlife Society Conference. Field and Community Science teacher Kim Fike observed that as the youngest presenters at an event attended by undergraduates, graduate students, professors, and seasoned professionals, the students met a high standard in their field, with research that was on par with the older presenters.

Ada remarked that “being the youngest person at a national conference can be incredibly intimidating, and I definitely felt nervous trying to talk with and meet people, but I found that it was easier than I thought to step out of my comfort zone because everyone was so nice. This experience has taught me how to communicate and advocate for myself, which are skills I will use for the rest of my life.”

Eliot ‘24, now at the University of British Columbia, delivered a compelling 15-minute presentation on “Engaging Youth in Bilingual Wildlife Science.” She shared how, in her senior year at Bosque School, she partnered with New Mexico Game and Fish to engage younger students from underserved communities in a frog-swabbing project aimed at tracking the spread of a deadly fungus in amphibians. Conducted in Spanish, this project highlighted her belief that science should be accessible to everyone, regardless of language or background.

Ada and Lelia presented their multi-year study on the Hispid cotton rat’s diet changes following fire and flood disturbances, a complex study utilizing stable isotope analysis. They did extensive lab work in the University of New Mexico’s (UNM) Center for Stable Isotopes, with support from their co-authors, Emma Elliott Smith, Ph.D., and Seth Newsome, Ph.D. Lelia’s and Ada’s Bosque School senior thesis projects will likely become candidates for scientific publication. 

Lelia felt the power of the larger scientific community of which they are now a part, saying, “I’ve gained a connection to a very welcoming community of interesting people who share my joy of wildlife and for being outside. It made me realize that my research is incredibly important and that the work we’ve done with the Hispid cotton rats matters on an international scale.”

Meanwhile, Mary, now at Cornell University, shared the research she completed with partner Gwendolyn (currently at Oklahoma State University) on the genetics of Hispid cotton rats, tracing the origins of this species’ newly discovered presence in Bernalillo, Sandoval, and Santa Fe Counties. Their work was a cooperative effort with their co-authors: Lexi Baca, Joe Cook, Ph.D., Jason Melaney, Ph.D., and Jonathan Dunnum, Ph.D., all with the University of New Mexico, and Jennifer Frey, Ph.D. of New Mexico State University. The group is currently working on a manuscript for publication.

Each of these students incorporated outreach to youth in their projects, inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards. Science truly is for everyone. This experience was more than just showcasing high-level science. It was about young people having the capacity and rigor to do hard things. It was about overcoming challenges and self-doubt. It was about exploration and curiosity being the driver of collaboration. 

None of this would be possible without the dedication of Field Science Coordinator Dan Shaw, whose Wildlife Research Seminar offers students the opportunity to engage in real wildlife research.  The school’s proximity to the Middle Rio Grande Bosque and adjacent wild areas allows for authentic research within a few minutes of our buildings. These experiences often form lasting memories, like sharing the warmth of a sunrise while measuring the length of a kangaroo rat’s tail or feeling the strength of a porcupine’s front leg while it's being collared.

To learn more, we invite you to explore these students’ project posters along our hall of fame in the Pera Science Building at Bosque School and to step into the cottonwoods to nurture your own sense of wonder in these wild spaces so close to home.