Biological Sciences, Landscape Architecture Join for Outreach Project

Anna Leslie Potts enjoyed a close look at butterflies during a recent Starkville School District Science Club outreach event organized by MSU faculty in the biological sciences and landscape architecture departments.
(Submitted photo)

STARKVILLE, Miss. — During a recent field day in Noxubee County, Starkville fourth- and fifth-graders got an up-close look as they learned how the behaviors of butterflies and caterpillars impact the environment.

The visit by Starkville School District Science Club members to the Larry Box Environmental Education Center at the Sam Hamilton Noxubee Wildlife Refuge was an outreach effort by Mississippi State. The fun and educational event was organized by university faculty members in the biological sciences department of the College of Arts and Sciences and landscape architecture department of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The exercise was designed to introduce the grade-schoolers to the concept of habitat loss and its effects on pollinator species and plants on which they depend. It also was a component of a National Science Foundation-funded evolutionary biology research project.

Made possible by an NSF award, the project focuses on butterflies as a primary study subject, while also serving to engage local communities and build public interest in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) professional fields.

Assistant professor Brian Counterman of biological sciences currently is involved on a butterfly research project, while Timothy J. Schauwecker, coordinator of the landscape contracting and management academic program, is experimenting on prairie green roofs. The field trip was an outgrowth of their two projects.

“We came up with the idea to bring green roof structures, local prairies and butterflies to interest students in learning about science and nature,” explained Counterman.

Both said they felt the outdoor experience was successful, noting that the students appeared to have taken to heart details learned about storm water management, loss and regain of prairie habitat, and animals and plants that are displaced when habitat is destroyed.

“If we can use the butterflies as an introduction to a very complicated problem that faces society, we feel like the children in the club will be better prepared to contribute to finding and implementing solutions,” said Schauwecker.

The two faculty members also expressed hope the program can expand to other area schools next spring.

“My favorite part was watching the kids’ faces shine as butterflies flew around them and landed on their clothes, faces and noses,” said Schauwecker. “The Science Club provided a great group of kids for our first trial run and Noxubee offered a great venue.”

For more on MSU’s biological sciences department, see www.biology.msstate.edu; landscape architecture, at www.lalc.msstate.edu.

MSU in online at www.msstate.edu.