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What I’ve Learned
In partnership with Brenda Strohmeyer
Caitlyn Champagne
Honors Science 1
May 10, 2013
What I’ve Learned
Caitlyn Champagne in partnership with Brenda Strohmeyer
At the Rocky Mountain Research Station, there are many things that scientists study.
Brenda Strohmeyer works as the supervisor to a crew in the wildlife and terrestrial ecosystems
program. In this program, scientists work with different types of threatened or endangered
species, analyzing and reporting information to forest managers. Brenda also works in the
conservation education and community outreach programs, spreading awareness of Forest
Service research to classrooms, science fairs, and tours at RMRS. For Brenda, working at RMRS
is both challenging and fun.
In the wildlife and terrestrial ecosystems program, scientists interact with
thousands of animals and plants that are of a conservation concern. Some of the
animals include the lynx, Mexican spotted owl, and goshawk. Goshawks were my
main focus of study because scientists look at this apex predator to see how
healthy the forest ecosystems goshawks live in are.
Scientists collect data on the Northern Goshawk because understanding
these short winged hawks should result in more fire sustainable forests and protecting the
number of endangered and threatened species in goshawk ecosystems. Scientists at RMRS
study all over the western U.S., including the pine forests where
goshawks live. The western U.S. has an average of 44,010 acres burned
from wild fires a year, so studying goshawks could help scientists
dwindle the number of these fires by seeing how they affect goshawks.
In goshawk ecosystems, there are many endangered and threatened
species. Scientists can learn ways to help these species while studying
goshawks because they are in the goshawk food web. Data scientists
collect will affect goshawk forest management in the future. Data will
help scientists disperse goshawk populations and help people realize
that goshawks and every animal in their ecosystem are losing habitat
that they really need. This data also helps scientists understand what
conservation guidelines scientists and the Forest Service need to
establish.
Goshawks and their ecosystems are affected by climate change. Goshawks are
“indicator species”, so scientists look at them to see how climate change affects their
ecosystem. The changing climate has made most of the Western U.S. hot and dry. Forests start
to dry and animals, including goshawk prey, die. The changing climate
is also melting ice and making the sea rise. When towns and cities are
underwater, goshawk habitat might need to be cleared to make room
for people. Goshawks need mature forests, and climate change
affects mature forests. Goshawk habitat might die if the continuing
drought kills pine trees where goshawks live. Wild fires kill forests and
make immature forests grow slower, and with a drier climate wild
fires are becoming more frequent. Helping to slow down climate
change will help people and animals around the world.
Working with Brenda and learning about the Rocky Mountain Research Station was a
great experience. I learned more about the forest ecosystems around me and how to help
them. This experience made me more interested in biological science and may one day be a
career option. Goshawks are a very important species in wildlife and terrestrial ecosystems
programs for collecting data on its ecosystems and the endangered and threatened species
around them. Studying this amazing hawk can give answers to the Forest Service on how to
help their survival and that of the ecosystems.
Capstone Summary
In partnership with Brenda Strohmeyer
Caitlyn Champagne
Honors Science 1
May 10, 2013
Capstone Summary
Caitlyn Champagne in partnership with Brenda Strohmeyer
For the Capstone project, I made a puppet show, exhibit, and sculpture. The puppet show and
sculpture are based off of goshawks. The puppet show topic is why the Rocky Mountain Research
Station (RMRS) studies goshawks. The exhibit is on RMRS, displaying the types of programs the station
has and a summary of Brenda Strohmeyer’s job. All of these topics are important to learn to understand
RMRS, so doing the Capstone project on them is a good way to teach.
Scientists look at goshawks to see how well they and their ecosystems are doing. Goshawks are
apex predators in their food web, and scientist can look at them to see interactions they have with
endangered and threatened species. Harry, a plaid shirt puppet that works at RMRS, ends up explaining
why he studies goshawks to another puppet. He tells her that RMRS studies goshawks to result in fire
sustainable ecosystems, dispersal of goshawk populations, and helping scientists figure out what
conservation guidelines the Forest Service should to establish.
This exhibit is displaying important information on RMRS. This display board shows programs
that RMRS has and information on what Brenda does. The programs are important because they
determine what fields of work scientists at RMRS accomplish. For example, Brenda works as the
supervisor to a crew in the wildlife and terrestrial ecosystems program. Under each program,
there is a list of the activities that particular program accomplishes. The display board also has
many pictures to help people imagine what it would be like to work at RMRS.
What I want people to take away from looking at the Capstone project is realizing the
importance of the Rocky Mountain Research Station. RMRS has many things to do with our
environment and communities. The Forest Service receives data from RMRS that they use every
day. With the information RMRS provides for communities that in western U.S., people can
understand wildlife more and how to help ecosystems, even if it’s something like recycling.
With this capstone project, I can show other people the importance RMRS.