More than 70 first-year students in Lethbridge Polytechnic’s Natural Resource Compliance program traded their classroom for the coulees earlier this month and contributed hundreds of plant and animal observations to a growing community database.
The field lab, in partnership with the Helen Schuler Nature Centre, introduced Ecology students to the area’s unique ecosystems and the iNaturalist app, a global citizen science tool that helps identify and track plants, animals and other organisms.
“So far, students have uploaded more than 305 observations identifying 89 species along the trails in the river valley,” says instructor Amanda Fernandes. “It’s been exciting to see them continue talking about and even using the app in other classes since the field lab.”
While field trips to the Nature Centre have been part of the Ecology curriculum in the past, this is the first time students used the iNaturalist app to blend citizen science with field learning.
“A definite highlight of the trip was being able to use the iNaturalist app to help identify different animals and plants that call the area home,” says student Jaxon Johnson. “All you had to do was take a quick picture of whatever you wanted to identify and within seconds, the app would recognize it! The app is something I would highly recommend when taking part in an outdoor endeavour.”
In addition to gaining ecological knowledge, students were also introduced to conservation opportunities in the area thanks to an orientation by Chelsea Sherbut, the Nature Centre’s resource development co-ordinator.
“The Nature Centre is the perfect outdoor classroom for place-based learning, and it’s a pleasure to welcome students,” says Sherbut. “In contributing to citizen science with iNaturalist, the students not only deepen their understanding of local biodiversity but also play an active role in documenting and protecting it. I hope they’ll continue to visit, explore and see the centre as a valuable resource to support their studies and future work.”
The Helen Schuler Nature Centre has a strong history of supporting students by offering both volunteer and paid positions, something Sherbut also discussed with the polytechnic group.
Student Summerlin Paine says she jumped at the chance to explore what more she could contribute to local conservation efforts.
“I was able to talk to Chelsea about volunteer opportunities with the Nature Centre, including Coulee Cleanup and working within the centre itself, which is really exciting,” she says. “Overall, I thought the experience was really fun and interesting and I hope to do more things like this.”
“I definitely plan to make this a regular field lab for the first week of every future Ecology cohort,” says Fernandes. “The combination of ecosystem exploration, community partnership and citizen science was a great way to kick off the semester.”
Community members can download the free iNaturalist app and search the project BIO1172 Ecology Lab – Helen Schuler Fall 2025 to see the students’ photographs and species identifications.