MC Outdoor Research Class

10/09/2026

Once again, we’re on the trail of a Grotto Salamander! And once again, we came up empty handed, though we did get to see 7 western slimys, and were able to swab one.

Bluff Dwellers allowed us access to their wild cave today. I’ve been in there a few times with Missouri Bat Census, and SOPE students spent a lot of time in there cleaning back in 2020. It’s a beautiful cave! It says a lot about these kids that we were allowed access to such a special place!

10/08/2026

Roland and Justice’s project is to determine if skin swabs can produce enough DNA for sequencing. Today, we went out to find an Ozark zig-zag. We found one western slimy to swab.

10/07/2026

We didn’t have much time in the cave today, and I didn’t get a lot of photos. Zoey and Quinlyn have been on the hunt for a grotto salamander to swab. They’re researching the microbiome of this Ozark endemic, though the grottos are making it difficult. They swabbed a cave salamander as a back up, but we’ve got one more attempt scheduled!

Huge thanks to Kirsten Alvey-Mudd from Missouri Bat Census and Bluff Dwellers Cavern for allowing us access to their caves!

09/23/2026

Students at McDonald County are bringing the Gulf of America, aka the Gulf of Mexico, back to the classroom.

09/12/2026

We had our first herping trip of the year on Thursday after the rain. We saw two bullfrogs, swabbed one and potentially saw a students target species before it disappeared into the rocks.

08/20/2026

DISL’s Senior Marine Scientist Dr. Jeff Krause introduces us to the tiny organisms that form the foundation of ocean food webs and play a surprisingly big role in our everyday lives.

08/17/2026

05/19/2026

By McDonald County HS Research Class

04/28/2026

We're beginning to make plans for the Dauphin Island Expedition 2026! This trip exposes students to field work with Dr. Jeff Krause from Dauphin Island Sea Lab. They'll collect sediment from the bottom of Mobile Bay, as well as conduct experiments on water quality in the Bay. The data they collect will be used in a variety of experiments and labs throughout the school year, and it connects students from the Ozarks to the Gulf Coast.

This year, we're planning to expand the number of students who can go to include some who are not currently enrolled in the research class. This past school year the sediment was used in our regular biology labs, while some of the data was also used with Putney's Dual Credit biology class. Some of our students presented their research work with the sediments at the Show-Me State Science Fair in St. Louis!

The experience isn't expensive, but it isn't free, either. If you would like to help support students going on this trip, you can donate here: https://givebutter.com/SkzAsh.

By McDonald County HS Research Class

04/17/2026

Today, the research kids presented the culmination of a lot of hard work and perseverance! I get to see how these kids respond to setbacks, but then deliver on what they’ve been doing. Ellie Allgood and Lilly Reeves took first place among the high school students presenting!

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend today, but Mr Putney was able to chaperone them at the presentation and college tour of MSU.