Since 1999, students at Bishop O’Dowd High School have been found tracking bats in Belize, giant tortoises in the Galapagos, and bison and elk in Yellowstone National Park. Some of O’Dowd’s most inspired scientific learning takes place in the field – an essential experience for budding scientists. Up to eight times a year, faculty plans and tracks student research trips to explore diverse ecosystems, including Costa Rica and Yosemite.
The trips are attended by students from all four grades who have been recommended by their science teachers. A passion for the subject is required, because participants actually conduct and contribute experiments to research staff at partner organizations at each location.
Working with nonprofit organizations such as the National Park Service and Ecology Project International, student groups collect data, conduct experiments, and analyze their findings.
“We’re not just looking at our own data that’s collected, but what’s been collected previously, to see what the trends and variables are,” said Department of Science Chair Tim Newman, who has taught at O’Dowd for more than 20 years.
Gabriela Gonzalez ’22 took part in a trip to Costa Rica last April, learning about leatherback turtles and their spawning process.
“One thing that surprised me was the impact we actually have on turtles,” Gonzalez said. “We live in a society where we don’t really think about how our actions affect other animals, but learning about the huge impact of our unconscious decisions was a big surprise.” She is considering an academic and professional career that combines mathematics and biology.
A central element of O’Dowd’s mission is kinship with creation, which means that O’Dowd’s science program is rooted in the ethics of environmentalism.
“In Pope Francis’ 2015 Encyclical Laudato sì’, we are called to protect the natural environment and intentionally consider our obligations to future generations,” said Newman. “This ethos is fundamental to our field research with these organisms when we study their ecosystems.”
The school’s state-of-the-art Environmental Studies Center 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 leading environmental and sustainability issues.
O’Dowd’s robust science program uses Next Generation Science Standards to engage students in creative projects that master cross-cutting concepts in physical sciences, life sciences, earth and space sciences, and engineering design. The curriculum is so complete that by the end of Grade 10, all O’Dowd students have completed the science requirement for admission to CUs.
Lucien Regnier ’23 went to Montana last June, where his group collected data on ungulates, including bison, elk, sheep and antelope. Using fecal samples, they were able to identify the sexes and ages of the animals.
“It was very gratifying because the data we collected was used by scientists who needed these statistics to do their research,” Regnier said. “I learned how much I still don’t know about the environment, how much there is still to learn.” Regnier plans to enter civil engineering.
In addition to accompanying students on many of these research missions, Newman researches and tracks metrics for travel effectiveness. A 2018 alumni survey showed that out of 141 respondents, 91% said travel affected their interest in science and 87% said travel affected their care and concern for the environment. In addition, 43% were affected in their choices of college courses or careers.
“Even students who didn’t plan to pursue science said that travel profoundly affected the way they see the world,” said Newman. “That is the purpose of these immersive science trips – to give students a broader perspective.”
Before going on a research trip, Newman said, students don’t really understand the size of the impact they can have. But gradually, as they interact with nature and see the results of their work, they begin to understand the human-wildlife interface. He remembers the most recent trip to Yellowstone, where they were hit by a flood while camping along the river.
“Even in the midst of a disaster, students were thinking about their research,” Newman reported. “They were asking, how can we check the animals? What kind of information do we have to work with?”
Newman and his fellow science teachers said they see tangible growth in their students while in the field, but also when they return home. Students may want to work at the Living Lab or join O’Dowd’s EcoLeaders or enroll in an advanced placement science course.
“They just want to go out and do something,” Newman said. “The impact of O’Dowd’s scientific voyages is very lasting.”
