The last day of the undergrad semester is always bittersweet. We'll miss having these talented students around, but we know we'll be seeing them in the future, and hearing great things about how they're changing the world for the better.
Congrats, Spring 2023 cohort! 👏👏👏
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The Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation offers unique, hands-on training opportunities in biodiversity conservation for undergrads, grads and professionals
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A year ago, Gwen was finishing up her semester program with us. Today, she just completed an internship with , will soon graduate from , and will embark on another internship at 's Animal Kingdom. Way to go, Gwen!
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If you're an undergrad who's joining us this fall for a semester-away program, consider applying for the Halpin Scholarship! Deadline: 6/15
Check full eligibility requirements and access the scholarship application at go.gmu.edu/halpin.
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"Where can I get my own gear?" you say? Right here! 👇
We're proud to now offer t-shirts, hoodies & hats for purchase in our brand new online store! 🎉🎉🎉
PayPal & most major credit cards accepted! Check us out! athleticunion.com/smithsonian-ma
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Meet Phoenix, who came to us this spring from & , where she's pursuing a BS in #Sustainability & a minor in #Anthropology. Phoenix is about to complete our undergrad program #Conservation, #Biodiversity and Society, and is the 1st student we've had from ASU!
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Racetrack Hill is not only a common field work site for our students, but it also sets the scene for fun recreational activities like bonfires and stargazing. Hooray for beautiful sunsets, camaraderie, and of course, s'mores!
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Undergrads & grad students! Get field experience this summer in our popular 2-week residential course, CONS 440/540: Field Skills in Ecology!
#masonnation, enroll now in Patriot Web. All others, email smsc@gmu.edu soon for instructions.
#conservation #fieldskills #ecology
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Today's #selfiesunday was taken over by undergrad Anthony! In these photos, Anthony is showcasing both the wet and the dry activities that #Conservation, #Biodiversity & Society students get to do as part of the program. Thanks for your contributions, Anthony!
#masonnation
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It's #selfiesunday! Today we had 4 undergrad alumni staffing our table at 's Spring Preview event. Future Patriots interested in conservation were lining up at our table to chat with alums about their experience with us! 💚💛💚💛
#MasonNation
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Did you know? Elephants only sleep 3️⃣ to 4️⃣ hours a night! 🐘💤
Discover more about the sleep patterns of the #Elephants at the with 's team! #EarthDay #EarthMonth #MasonNation 💚💛
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Our staff & undergrads loved hosting a table at 's 2nd annual Earth Day Celebration in historic downtown! We're touched to be a part of a community that demonstrates such an unwavering commitment to this planet and all of the life it sustains.
Happy #EarthDay!
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.'s provides hands-on conservation biology training for undergraduates, graduates, professionals, and high school students! #EarthDay #EarthMonth #MasonNation 💚💛
🔗: go.gmu.edu/MasonSustainab
📷: OUB
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Undergrads! This summer, build and enhance your conservation toolkit ONLINE in CONS 201: How to Succeed in Conservation! Get strategies for success as a professional conservationist!
#Masonnation, register now in Patriot Web. All others, email smsc@gmu.edu for more info.
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For today's #selfiesunday, you would think our social media got taken over by our current undergrad Emma, who's been snapping shots of all of her cohort's activities. Students like Emma know how to fill their weekdays AND weekends with all that the program has to offer!
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The fieldwork that #Conservation, #Biodiversity & Society undergrads do, like #radiotracking and the related data collection, gives students the opportunity to perform the work & then apply their learning to make decisions in conservation management for a well rounded experience.
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#selfiesunday! Our campus is located in Front Royal, Virginia, a quaint town at the northern border of , just a short drive from Washington, DC. Participants in our programs love exploring all that the town has to offer, like hiking, canoeing, festivals and film.
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Last weekend, our Community Director Kristal organized a fun extracurricular trip to the nearby #Shenandoah River State Park for the #Bluebell Festival, and spring was definitely in the air! 🌱☀️
#SpringVibes
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Carl is a senior who is spending his 2nd semester with us this spring. Years ago, he was a high school student taking our CONS 100 (2nd pic). Next up, a job with this summer. Way to go, Carl!
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#selfiesunday 🤳! Just us highlighting some of the smiles that have been springing up around our campus this semester, like these undergrads who seem to be enjoying their fieldwork at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.
#biodiversity #conservation #MasonNation
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It's a special day for us at SMSC. The Fall 2023 undergrad semester program is now live! Current undergrads & recent graduates from any accredited US institution, in any major, can apply now for either of our fall programs!
Apply now on our website (search "residential").
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This summer's CONS 110: Natural History Illustration is open to all high school students, including recent graduates!
🎨100% virtual
🎨Worth 2 credits
🎨Only $500!
🎨Beginner, intermediate, or advanced students welcome
Register now on our website (link in bio)!
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#EndangeredSpecies #Conservation undergrads got a special behind-the-scenes tour of the 's Museum Support Center to view archives of rare whale specimens. We were fortunate to be joined by the Smithsonian's marine mammal expert John Ososky, & our own Dr. Kathleen Hunt!💚💛🐳
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Earn credit while working directly with conservation experts this summer!
In-person | hybrid | virtual options.
Mason students can register NOW in Patriot Web. Not a Mason student? Email smsc@gmu.edu with questions.
Visit our website for course details!
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Congrats to Medhini, #bioengineering major & alum of our Spring 2022 #EndangeredSpecies #Conservation undergrad program, who is 1st author of a peer-reviewed paper just published in the journal Gene!
📈: go.gmu.edu/vl41
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We welcome 19 grad students & professionals from the US and abroad to our #Bioinformatics Analysis for Conservation Genomics course! They'll spend the next 10 days with us learning & practicing each step of a full #genomics analysis workflow 🧬💻
#genome #conservation
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“A forest shares a history which each tree remembers even after it has been felled.” - Anne Michaels, novelist
At SMSC, we don't just learn about forests; we learn from them, and within them. Happy #InternationalDayofForests!
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One way to avoid being pinched on St. Patrick's Day is to wear your gear 💚💛!
A partnership between Mason and the , we're 🍀lucky🍀 to be connected to such leaders in conservation research and education!
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Mark your calendars! The application for our immersive residential Fall 2023 undergraduate semester-away programs will go live on 4/1!
Who's eligible to apply? ANY undergrad from ANY accredited institution in ANY major. #Scholarships available, too!
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...and we can't wait to find out how far our fluttering friends got during their migration! 🦋🌎
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Last semester, undergraduates from @GeorgeMasonU's @SMConservation Wildlife Ecology and Conservation program tagged monarch butterflies to better understand their grand migration!
Discover more 
in celebration of #NationalButterflyDay! #MasonResearch #MasonNation 
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We're so lucky to have such an amazing on-site Dining Hall, with, more importantly, the most amazing staff! They cook, bake, serve, greet, & accommodate every imaginable diet & preference. It's impossible to spot any one of them without a smile! A million thanks! 🙌🍜☕️🤗
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An awesome and important skill set to have! 🌻🏙️
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Don't forget to sign up for our #EarthOptimism lecture of the month discussing building #climateresilient urban gardens with Holly Gallagher from the National Wildlife Federation! Link in bio 
: Smithsonian Archives
: Smithsonian Archives
read image description
ALT
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It's #WorldWildlifeDay! We're grateful to draw on many amazing partnerships with institutions near & far, large & small, public & private, who demonstrate tremendous commitment to protecting the world's wonderful #wildlife 🐢🐒🐜🐴🐾🌱
Revered primatologist Dr. Anneke DeLuycker, who shot the first known footage of a titi monkey giving birth in the wild, will lead a #Primate #Conservation course this summer for undergrads & grad students!
3 credits, 5 wks., COMPLETELY online!
🔗in bio
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Shout out to Ryan, alum of our Spring '21 undergrad semester-away program & current grad student, who recently published a blog article in #Smithsonian Magazine! Well done, Ryan!
🎓
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The deadline is quickly approaching to apply for our popular, online grad/professional course, Managing Ecological Data in R: Intro to Data Science and the Art of Wrangling for Ecologists! (3/20–5/12, 2023).
Apply by 2/20, pay by 3/6!
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Many creatures migrate to warmer habitats for the winter, including the monarch butterfly. Students from tagged🦋on the way to their winter home in Central Mexico, so researchers can better understand their grand migration.
#MasonNation
🔗: go.gmu.edu/monarchbutterf
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Undergrads from any institution can take #Insect #Biology with us this summer for 3 credits!
🐝Hybrid (virtual/in-person)
🐝June 5 - July 26
🐝Includes a 1-wk residential lab experience in July
More info: smconservation.gmu.edu (search insect).
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Undergrads enjoyed a gorgeous hike at one of our favorite local spots, #Shenandoah River State Park, learning from our four core undergrad faculty about species identification, local #ecology, & environmental issues impacting this area.
#conservation #masonnation
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High school students, get college credit with us this summer! Registration is now open for Introduction to Field Conservation Ecology & Natural History Illustration!
Visit our website, search "high school" for more info, or find the red registration button to enroll!
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To familiarize themselves with our campus, undergrads took a walk to get more acquainted with its layout and topography, and to hear from our professors about everything that makes the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute so incredibly unique.
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