Strengthening Global Conservation Through Undergraduate Research

One of the most complex agricultural and natural resources challenges of our time is sustainably feeding the world while concurrently conserving biodiversity and the natural environment. We are working in Belize with community... [ view full abstract ]

One of the most complex agricultural and natural resources challenges of our time is sustainably feeding the world while concurrently conserving biodiversity and the natural environment. We are working in Belize with community agriculture and conservation partners to improve understanding of sustainable approaches to farming to address this challenge. Our project goal is to develop leaders in agriculture and natural resources research and extension who can synthesize the complexity of agricultural systems to address natural resources conservation and sustainable global food security. Our 3-year experiential research and extension project brings together 14 undergraduate students and 10 mentors to investigate smallholder farms practicing conservation farming methods adjacent to the Vaca Forest Reserve in Belize. Through the project, we will train students through one-on-one student-mentor focused projects, which have both a research and extension component. Student fellows will conduct research in their first summer in Belize, and follow this with outreach and extension of their research in Belize in their second summer. We are conducting projects on crop production and soils, social and economic systems, wildlife, forestry, and ecosystem services. Our first cohort of 7 fellows has been selected and will conduct their research in 2017. At Pathways 2017, we will briefly share research results in an agroecological context, however, primarily focus on the effectiveness of international undergraduate research to student development. Additionally, with two mentors attending Pathways 2017, we will discuss potential opportunities with students interested in joining the second cohort.