Students will launch the field ecology investigation by experiencing a short campus biodiversity challenge, building shared vocabulary for biodiversity and habitat variables, and generating an initial testable local research question that can be refined in the next phase.

Students will turn early biodiversity observations into a focused field investigation by analyzing a mystery dataset, refining a testable local ecology question, drafting a hypothesis, and building a peer- and mentor-reviewed sampling plan with clear variables, repeated measurements, and traceable journal evidence.

Students will carry out their approved biodiversity investigations in the field, document species and habitat data in auditable research logs, check data quality with peers and university ecology mentors, and create first-round tables, graphs, and preliminary results statements that can be revised before full analysis.

Students will turn raw field records into defensible ecological findings by organizing datasets, creating graphs and summary statistics, testing interpretations with peers and mentors, revising their proposal and paper with tracked feedback, and preparing a polished poster draft for the Living Lab Showcase.

Students will present their completed field ecology investigations to an authentic audience, defend their methods and conclusions with evidence, gather final feedback from university ecology partners and peers, and document how critique shaped their proposal, paper, poster, and understanding of local biodiversity research.