ConVal High School science teacher Carol Young ]was chosen from hundreds of applicants to take part in an eight-day Ecology Project International (EPI) event in Costa Rica from April 22 to 29.

Young and her peers will work at a field research station on Costa Rica’s Caribbean slope. They will work alongside researchers and instructors on a variety of ecological studies, including monitoring leatherback sea turtles or observing the behavior and social structures of primates.

The fellows will head to a  2,000-acre field research station, Pacuare Reserve, surrounded by a dense rainforest. The reserve was once actively logged and cattle farmed, but today it lies in its natural state and is home to dozens of species of mammals and more than 250 species of birds.

Fellows will work alongside researchers and others on a multitude of studies at the reserve.

The program is built with the intent that participants will return to their classrooms and apply different ways of observing, questioning, and collecting data and then pass that information along to students.

“I’m looking forward to soaking in everything at the reserve, then translating that knowledge into usable information for my students,” stated Young. “I’m really excited to have the opportunity to take part in this once-in-a-career experience.”

Established in 2001, EPI’s mission is to inspire youth with nature and empower them with science, fostering tomorrow’s leaders.

“Carol is an exceptional teacher who embodies a growth mindset and is very deserving of this honor,” stated ConVal Principal Heather McKillop. “I have every confidence she will bring back what she learns to positively impact her practice which will benefit her students.”

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