Bobcat Stories

Middle school science teacher Trista Fussner is leading 6th-grade participation in the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP). Housed at the University of New Mexico (UNM), the BEMP program monitors 32 sites along the Rio Grande to assess the health of our river ecosystems. ⁠A New Mexico native, Ms. Fussner brings broad experience to her new role, including fieldwork in New Mexico, studying the effects of prescribed burns on flora and fauna, as well as a project in which she conducted stable-isotope analysis of snails. Her science background includes a master’s degree in zoology and previous work at the Denver Zoo.  

Two of the BEMP sites, the Montano and Savannah sites, are located directly behind Bosque School. Due to changes in UNM’s personnel availability, our students have been made entirely responsible for the Savannah site, which is a short-grass prairie currently overrun by the invasive Russian Olive. Because Albuquerque Open Space would like to do some restoration work in the area, our students can make a real impact on their management decisions. Our 6th-graders are now in charge of collecting data on groundwater levels and precipitation. They are also quantifying the types of vegetation at the sites by collecting leaf litter samples in tubs, then drying and processing them in our science classroom. Processing the leaves involves weighing, sorting, classifying, and making histogram charts of tree type and location.

Being in charge of the Savannah site and data has also allowed Ms. Fussner to develop a challenging new element for the 6th-graders: not only will they maintain the site with the support of field science teacher Kim Fike, but they will also write a full report on the changes over the entire year. They will use Google Sheets to track and manage the data, then write a report that includes all the elements of a professional scientific journal, such as an introduction with background information, research summaries, and data analysis. They will determine what the data mean and how they compare with last year’s, allowing them to make real-world recommendations for further monitoring and management of the bosque. They will send their data and their reports to the BEMP program at the end of the year.

Ms. Fussner’s goals for her students are to build a sense of community, to steward shared space, and to feel responsible for their environment — even down to disposing of trash so it doesn’t end up in the river. This early fieldwork experience leads to more activities in the Field and Community Science and Wildlife Programs, with teachers Jim Daly and Dan Shaw. For some especially committed students, it can even extend into their senior capstone research project. For interested students, Bosque School offers additional opportunities outside of BEMP days, such as jackrabbit surveys and small-mammal trapping. Occasionally, there are even opportunities to participate in wolf tracking and releases with the Mexican Grey Wolf Reintroduction Program.

The entire 6th grade is highly engaged with the material, and many of them entered the program with inherent excitement, having learned about it by visiting Bosque School as 5th graders for a buddy day. Ms. Fussner says that this particular group of students is very good at active listening and responding immediately to what is being asked of them, and that the students possess both the social skills and emotional readiness that make them truly special. We are lucky to have them investing their hard work in the precious stretch of bosque in our backyard.