Engagement with the community is a priority in the Terry Lab — not only is it fun and rewarding, it is essential to changing the perception of who is a scientist and sparking the interest and participation of people of all ages via opportunities for direct hands-on experience. See below to learn about the types of outreach we do.

Finding Lake Chewaucan

In collaboration with Meaghan Emery-Wetherell (University of Arizona), our current NSF grant is supporting development of an educational video game featuring the paleontological, archeological, geological and ecological studies of the Chewaucan basin that allows players to travel back in time to view and explore the basin at different periods of time. The extremely, extremely alpha version of the video game can be downloaded here. It is a 3D explorer where you learn about the past through minigames that replicate scientific processes. Currently this includes looking around and then identifying some bones using a somewhat hilariously difficult minigame — good luck!

PelletMap Project

Owls, hawks, eagles, and falcons regurgitate pellets (hairballs) packed with the bones, claws, and teeth of their small mammal meals. We are collaborating with elementary age kids (a.k.a. partner scientists) across Oregon via OSU’s SMILE program to pick apart pellets as part of our PelletMap Project. Our partner scientists get to learn about terrestrial ecology, bones, and document what species are found where, while we get to use the specimens and data contained in the pellets in our research!

Of Mice and Meadows Museum Exhibit, Natural History Museum of Utah

In collaboration with Rebecca Rowe (University of New Hampshire) and Rebecca Menlove (Natural History Museum of Utah), we helped create a multimedia museum exhibit linking climate change, land use, altered habitat conditions, food availability, competition, and range shifts over time in the Great Basin. Next time you’re in Salt Lake City, go check it out! Or visit the NHMU exhibit page for a virtual peek.

Community Engagement

In an effort to engage the greater community with our research and to promote scientific education, conservation and engagement, we have partnered with: Oregon State University’s Discovery Days, the Integrative Biology Department’s Open House, the Academy for Life-Long Learning in Corvallis, the Benton County Public Library, the Fish, Wildlife, & Conservation Sciences Department’s Wild About Wildlife program, as well as schools around Oregon. There is never a dull moment!