Since 1999, Bishop O’Dowd High School students have discovered bats in Belize, giant tortoises in the Galapagos, and bison and elk in Yellowstone National Park. Some of O’Dowd’s most inspiring science learning takes place in the field – an essential experience for budding scientists. Up to eight times a year, the faculty plans student research trips to explore different ecosystems, including Costa Rica and Yosemite.
The trips involve students from all four grades recommended by science teachers. A passion for the subject is required, as participants perform and assist with experiments for researchers at partner institutions in each location.
Working with nonprofits like the National Park Service and Ecology Project International, teams of students collect data, conduct experiments, and analyze their findings.
“We’re not just looking at the data we’ve collected, but the data we’ve collected before, to see what the trends and variables are,” said Science Department Chair Tim Newman, who has taught at O’Dowd for more than 20 years.
Gabriela Gonzalez ’22 participated in a trip to Costa Rica last April, learning about leatherback turtles and their egg-laying process.
“One thing that surprised me was how much of an impact we have on the turtles,” Gonzalez said. “We live in a society where we don’t think about how our actions affect other animals, but learning about the huge impact of our unconscious decisions was eye-opening.” He is considering an academic and professional career that combines mathematics and biology.
A central element of O’Dowd’s mission is kinship with creation, meaning that O’Dowd’s science program is rooted in the ethics of environmentalism.
“Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato sì’ calls us to protect the natural environment and to be mindful of our obligations to future generations,” Newman said. “That ethos is central to our research in the field with these organisms, when we’re studying their ecosystems.”
The school’s state-of-the-art Center for Environmental Studies and its 4-acre “Living Lab” – an outdoor classroom, native plant community, certified wildlife habitat and sustainable garden – sow the seeds for the next generation of environmentalism and sustainability. the leaders
O’Dowd’s strong science program uses next-generation science standards to engage students in creative projects that master cross-disciplinary concepts in the physical sciences, life sciences, earth and space sciences, and engineering design. The curriculum is so thorough that by the end of 10th grade, every O’Dowd student has completed the science requirement for admission to UCs.
Lucien Regnier ’23 traveled to Montana last June, where his team collected data on bison, elk, bighorn sheep and pronghorn. Using excrement samples, they were able to identify the genders and ages of the animals.
“We found it very satisfying, because the collected data was used by scientists who needed these statistics to carry out research,” said Regnier. “I still don’t know how much I learned about the environment, how much there is still to learn.” Regnier plans to major in civil engineering.
In addition to assisting students on many of these research missions, Newman also conducts surveys and tracks metrics to determine how effective the trips are. A 2018 alumni survey showed that of the 141 respondents, 91% said the trip influenced their interest in science and 87% said the trip influenced their care and concern for the environment. In addition, 43% were influenced in their choice of university studies or careers.
“Even students who didn’t plan to major in science said the trip had a big impact on the way they see the world,” Newman said. “That’s the goal of these immersive science trips: to give students a broader perspective.”
Before participating in a research trip, Newman said, students don’t really understand how big of an impact they can have. But little by little, as they interact with nature and see the results of their work, they begin to understand the human-wildlife interface. He recalls a recent trip to Yellowstone, where they were camping by the river when a flood hit.
“Even in the midst of a disaster, the students were thinking about their research,” Newman reports. “They were asking, how can we check the animals? What kind of information do we have to work with?’
Newman and her fellow science faculty said they see noticeable growth in their students while they are in the field, but also when they return home. Students may want to work in the Living Lab or join O’Dowd’s EcoLeaders or enroll in an advanced placement science course.
“They want to get out there and do something,” Newman said. “The impact of O’Dowd’s scientific voyages is very lasting.”
