Research in the Rockies: A Summer at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory

Annie Schiffer is a senior double majoring in biology and environmental science. She received a Summer 2019 Independent Grant which she used to to study community ecology under Dr.  Berry Brosi. 

My name is Annie Schiffer, and I am a senior studying biology and environmental sciences in the college. I am currently working on an honors thesis with Dr. Berry Brosi in the Department of Environmental Sciences, studying plant-pollinator networks and community ecology in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Before joining Dr. Brosi’s team, I conducted research in the Emory Human Health Department studying medical ethnobotany and held a position as a naturalist at a nature center in Northern Virginia. I have also volunteered for the Emory Herbarium and completed fieldwork at the Jones Ecological Research Center in Baker County, Georgia.

            This summer, I conducted research at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado with the Brosi Lab. Every morning we convened in the lab to gather our supplies, including bug nets, glass vials, colored beads, and a soil moisture probe. Because I helped with the pollen limitation experiment and mostly worked with plants, my day was comprised of tagging individuals of our focal species, hand pollinating individuals selected for pollen supplementation, collecting any individuals with expanded ovules, measuring soil moisture, and tracking the phenology of species in a designated area. After visiting two or three sites, we returned to the lab to sort the seeds and enter data. We occasionally encountered problems, such as getting our car stuck in a snowbank and losing tagged individuals to grazing cattle, but the experiment ran smoothly, and we collected valuable data.

            Aside from the tangible research techniques, I learned how to think and act like an ecologist. RMBL provides many resources for conducting research, learning about graduate school, and developing science communication skills. Between weekly presentations from graduate students and occasional panels about careers in ecology, the undergraduates studying at RMBL were equipped for pursuing their own research interests and thinking about the next steps in an ecology career. Additionally, the research station attracts renowned ecologists from across the United States and beyond, making it easy to connect with talented scientists and explore a variety of research areas within ecology.

 

            Although I heard many positive things about RMBL before I arrived, I was still taken aback by the strength of the community. RMBL draws researchers in and makes them fall in love with the traditions, the mountains, and the culture. Because of this, some scientists have returned to Gothic every year for decades. Though these scientists have more experience in the system than anyone else, they welcome everyone who conducts research at RMBL, regardless of their background in ecology research. This sense of inclusion creates a tight-knit community every field season.

            Now, back at Emory, I am using the data collected at RMBL for my senior honors thesis in the Brosi Lab. Throughout the fall semester, I will be counting seeds from our focal species, analyzing the data, and writing my thesis. Additionally, I am staying in contact with other RMBL researchers and starting to think about lab managing positions. After learning from a variety of scientists this summer, I have confirmed that plant ecology is my passion, and I hope to work with some of the amazing RMBL researchers in the future.  

 Visit the Undergraduate Research Programs website to learn more about applying for Independent Research Grants.