Climate change is reshaping life at Costa Rica’s Pacuare Reserve. Rising sand temperatures skew sea turtle hatchlings toward all females, and coastal erosion threatens nesting sites. EPI students witness these impacts firsthand, joining nightly beach patrols, collecting data, and learning how science and conservation practices help protect endangered turtles.

Citizen science is rewriting what we know about Yellowstone’s wildlife. Two groundbreaking studies—powered by data collected by students and volunteers—reveal that bison are ecosystem engineers and that large herbivores defy the old grazer-browser labels. From DNA metabarcoding of scat to tracking bison herds, these discoveries show how community-driven science is transforming conservation and inspiring the next generation of ecologists—thanks in part to the fieldwork of EPI