INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A select group of high school students in Indian River County who love science will have the chance to study alongside some of the best researchers in the region, thanks to funding that was recently awarded to FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI).
A 2014 Environmental Solutions grant for $40,000 from Wells Fargo and administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will help support the second year of the Junior Scientist Fellows program, which is a partnership between HBOI and the Indian River Land Trust (IRLT). A check was presented recently to program leaders during a reception at HBOI.
“We seek to develop a long-lasting network of young people with authentic scientific research experiences in lagoon environmental management,” said program lead and Research Professor Dennis Hanisak, Ph.D. “These students are the next generation who will now be better able to make wise decisions for the Lagoon’s resources and coastal lands.”
The program allows local high school students to work alongside HBOI scientists on research projects that aim to provide solutions to real-world issues in the Coastal Oaks Preserve, a 185-acre environmentally sensitive property along the Indian River Lagoon that is owned and managed by the IRLT.
“The data we are obtaining on these coastal habitats is very important,” said IRLT Executive Director, Ken Grudens. “The notion that we are providing a college-level scientific experience for high school students to generate this information is priceless.”
The goal of the program is to engage youth in the science needed to manage critical lands, to restore and protect one of our area’s most important natural and economic resources.
“Wells Fargo is committed to supporting our youth and helping protect and preserve our most valuable commodity – our environment,” said Kate Wilson, Community Affairs Officer at Wells Fargo. “We are pleased to partner with HBOI to protect the Indian River Lagoon.”
For more information, contact Carin Smith at (772) 242-2230 or carinsmith@fau.edu.