Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

🐦 Natural History Illustration: Birds in Color

Students in our high school summer course, CONS 110: Natural History Illustration, put their observation skills to work creating these beautiful studies of birds in color. Across these eight works, course participants explored form, feather patterns, color, and the small details that help bring each subject to life.

Swipe through to see the incredible variety of approaches and styles from these amazing artists!

We’re so proud of the care, curiosity, and creativity they brought to this work. 🎨🪶

One of the recent highlights of this summer’s NSF REU was a special conversation about what comes next. Students had the opportunity to hear from alumni of our undergraduate semester-away programs, who returned to share their career journeys and experiences in conservation. The distinguished alumni panel offered a firsthand look at where the SMSC experience can take you.

We’re so grateful to these former students and current professionals:

🌱Stephen – Conservation, Biodiversity, and Society
🌱Dasha – Conservation, Biodiversity, and Society; and Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
🌱Lauria – Conservation, Biodiversity, and Society
🌱Caty – Conservation, Biodiversity, and Society
🌱Ben – Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

The REU may have wrapped up, but we’re proud of the connections, experiences, and inspiration that will continue beyond the summer. 🌞🤝

🌿 Saying goodbye is never easy! 🌿

We recently said, "Until we meet again!" to our incredible 2026 NSF-REU students, and we couldn’t be more proud of everything they accomplished during their 10 weeks with us.

From hands-on conservation research in the field and lab to presentations, professional development, and plenty of time learning from one another, these undergrads brought curiosity, enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication to everything they did. They tackled challenging research questions, grew as scientists, and made meaningful contributions to conservation science.

Most importantly, they were a wonderful group of colleagues and community members. Their hard work, teamwork, and infectious energy made this summer truly special. We are so grateful to have been part of their journeys and can’t wait to see where their talents, passion, and commitment to conservation take them next. 💚

Congratulations to our 2026 REU cohort—you did an amazing job, and you will be missed! 🪶🌎🔬

🔎 Discover what’s beneath the surface.

Applications for our Spring 2027 Undergraduate Residential Semester-Away Programs go live September 1!

Explore two incredible opportunities to learn and gain hands-on experience in conservation:

🌿 Conservation, Biodiversity, and Society
🐾 Endangered Species Conservation

Spend a semester immersed in conservation science and real-world experiences while building skills, connections, and memories that last far beyond the semester.

✨ Mark your calendar for September 1!

Kestrel cuteness, bird bands, and a full-circle conservation connection. 🦅

REU student Liv (Mount Holyoke College) recently got to experience conservation science up close—and we mean really up close. In Madison County, Virginia, Liv joined a permitted ba**er in the field to help band juvenile American Kestrels as part of a broader effort to better understand and conserve these charismatic little raptors. The tiny bands gives individual birds their unique IDs, allowing researchers to learn more about where birds go, how long they survive, and how populations are doing over time. Those data can help inform conservation efforts far beyond a single field day.

And here's the full-circle part: also in the field was Lauria McShane, an alumna of Sweet Briar College and our Conservation, Biodiversity, and Society semester-away program! Today, Lauria works with the Piedmont Environmental Council's Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative, putting her conservation experience to work for birds and their habitats.

We love seeing connections like this: a current undergraduate researcher gaining hands-on experience, an alum building a career in conservation, and a shared commitment to protecting the species and places that need us most. And, of course, baby kestrels. 🥹

Today's REU student spotlight features Val!

Growing up in California, Val saw firsthand the impacts of habitat degradation-from littered waterways to fewer monarch butterflies in places they once thrived. Those experiences sparked a passion for conservation that has led her to study ecology at Cal Poly Humboldt and work on projects involving native bee biodiversity, invasive species, and community conservation efforts.

This summer, Val is working with Dr. Bernadette Rigley to explore how different haying schedules affect both forage quality for agriculture and the nesting success of declining grassland birds. By combining fieldwork with data analysis, the project aims to identify management strategies that support both productive farms and healthy bird populations.

After earning their degree, Val hopes to attend graduate school and ultimately teach at a community college, inspiring the next generation of conservationists while continuing to advance biodiversity conservation.

By exploring ways to support both sustainable agriculture and declining grassland bird populations, Val's research is helping inform conservation practices that benefit both farms and wildlife. We know Val will continue to make incredible contributions to the future of biodiversity conservation! 🌱 🐦

📸: Brooke McDonough / Smithsonian

Curiosity has a way of shaping our future. For David, it started with childhood evenings spent watching National Geographic and the History Channel with his father—an experience that sparked a lifelong fascination with the natural world.

A Biology major with an ecological/organismal biology concentration and Chemistry minor at Dominican University, David is spending the summer with Dr. Nucharin Songsasen studying reproductive technologies that support the conservation of threatened species. His research contributes to developing assisted breeding tools for endangered animals, including black-footed ferrets, whooping cranes, and giant pandas. 🪽🐼

Beyond the lab, David volunteers with the education department at Chicago's Field Museum, where he helps inspire curiosity about conservation and the natural world. He hopes to pursue graduate studies in ecology, evolutionary biology, or biological anthropology and use research and education to strengthen the connections between people and their environments.

We're grateful to have David as part of this summer's REU cohort and we know we'll continue to hear great things about him! 🌏

🍂 Fall undergrads—are you ready?

We're counting down the days until our newest cohort arrives! From transformative field experiences and hands-on learning opportunities to new friendships and incredible wildlife, this semester is going to be one to remember.

But before the adventure begins, there are a few important things to check off your list:

✅ Read your emails from the SMSC team.
✅ Complete your Dietary and Vehicle Survey.
✅ Register for your courses.
✅ Complete your federal background check.
✅ Reach out if you have questions—we're here to help!

We can't wait to see you soon!

If the face of the Wildlife Center of Virginia's Outreach Coordinator looks familiar, that's because it's our alum, Alison! We love seeing Alison share Virginia's incredible native wildlife with families during a recent stop on the Wildlife Center's Summer Library Tour.

Many thanks to Alison for inspiring curiosity about wildlife and helping connect communities with conservation. And thanks to Prince William Public Libraries for hosting! 🦉🐍💚

🌿 Each student in our NSF-REU cohort brings a unique perspective to conservation science. Maria is a Veterinary and Biomedical Science major at Penn State University with a minor in Wildlife and Fisheries Science and a certificate in Spanish for Healthcare. Her passion for wildlife conservation is rooted in experiences in her home country of Ecuador, where witnessing the impacts of human expansion and urbanization on wildlife inspired her to pursue a career dedicated to protecting biodiversity.

This summer, Maria is bringing that passion to our REU program, where she's working with Dr. Budhan Pukazhenthi to explore reproductive technologies that support the conservation of threatened ungulates. Her research includes assisted reproductive techniques such as s***m cryopreservation, reproductive tissue culture, and genomics—tools that can help safeguard the future of endangered species, including Przewalski's horses, Persian onagers, Hartmann's mountain zebras, scimitar-horned oryx, addra gazelles, and Eld's deer.

Maria hopes to combine veterinary medicine, conservation research, and community outreach to improve the health of wildlife and the communities that coexist with them. Her Spanish language training also reflects her commitment to culturally informed conservation and collaboration with diverse communities around the world.

We're grateful to have Maria as part of this summer's REU cohort and look forward to seeing where her passion, curiosity, and dedication lead her next! 🦌🐾