Project Title: Community Assistant Scavenger Hunt

Project Title: Community Assistant Scavenger Hunt

Authors: Lauren Costello, Jessica Dupont, Catherine Hill, Peter Lofrumento, Kent Mohlar

Project Summary

This project aims to interest incoming students during Siena’s Orientation Week by creating a scavenger hunt and a competition to find the most known species on campus. We plan to work with students’ CAs to distribute scavenger hunt materials and set aside time in the orientation for students to hunt.

Target Audience

The scavenger hunt will target incoming freshman during orientation week. It will also indirectly target CAs in freshman residence halls, as they will be the ones keeping track of the project outcomes.

Key Partners

Student Activities

Community Living

-          Community Assistants (CAs) of freshmen

Office of Admissions

Relevant Campus Contacts

Adam Casler, Director of the Office of Community Living (acasler@siena.edu)

Formats

Main Platform: Paper Identification Sheet

-          A list of known and easily identifiable species, as well as other ecological landmarks (rain gardens, solar panels, etc.) will be created.

Photos will be taken with every observation as proof of observation.

Optional Platform: iNaturalist

-          Pictures can be uploaded for identification to the iNaturalist app where it will be displayed on a map of the campus. It will be strongly encouraged that students upload their finds to iNaturalist.

Potential Supporting Platform: Digital Displays (for results/leaderboard)

-          Seeing the results may be interesting for those participating and further incentive to be actively identifying. The results could be displayed shortly on the display loops.

-          Best photos submitted

Project Description

Introduction

A large portion of the student body at Siena College is unaware of the biodiversity around them on campus due to the increasing gap between people and nature. Currently, over 48% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and many people do not get the opportunities to experience nature while growing up (Miller 430). As a result of this lack of exposure to biodiversity, people experience shifting baseline syndrome, which is the idea that people have a “baseline against which environmental degradation is measured later in life” (Miller 431). By educating and exposing people to nature at an early age, the effects of the shifting baseline can be mitigated.

Within the Siena community, there are several opportunities to influence those who have not yet made the environment a priority. One such opportunity is the mandatory week-long orientation that incoming freshmen attend every August. A scavenger hunt aimed to acclimate the freshmen with their environment is a non-invasive and low pressure activity that involves students with Siena’s biodiversity. By engaging with their new surroundings, students have the opportunity to shift their baselines and increase their respect for the environment around them.

Description

During orientation week, the incoming freshmen will have the opportunity to participate in a scavenger hunt under the direction of their CAs. On the first night of orientation, the CAs will hand out paper copies of the scavenger hunt that the students can keep with them during orientation week. As they go around campus throughout the week, they can  keep track of different species and environmental aspects of campus by using their scavenger hunt lists. At the end of the week, the two students (one male, one female) with the most things found on the list with photographic proof in each residence hall will win a prize.

Links to Other Projects or Initiatives

Social media campaign to advertise and display winner of scavenger hunt or findings

Digital displays to display winner of scavenger hunt or findings

Keep it Sustained

-          Have scavenger hunt part of freshmen orientation schedule, or other events for the future.

-          Have the scavenger hunt materials be non specific to year, and able to use annually.

-          Design event so it takes minimal effort to set up.

-          Scavenger hunt materials can be formatted for future use in admission events and for visitors.

Other Considerations

Working with Community Living, timeline and prizes may change in order to fit budget or schedule.

Project Outputs

Digital copies of the scavenger hunt and answer keys will be shared with CAs and

paper copies of the scavenger hunt will be given to residents in the introductory hall meeting.

Potential prizes: 

-          Sustainability mug

-          Bonus Bucks

-          Gift card

-          Siena apparel

Project Implementation and Timeline

For ease of planning, deadlines to be placed on a Monday

-          Week of February 17th: Proposal finished

-          Week of February 24th: Each member brings in list of scavenger hunt items

-          Week of March 2nd: Finalize scavenger hunt list and PROVIDE COPY TO DR. K. for FEEDBACK

-          Week of March 16th: Design the final list

-          Week of March 23rd: Finalize project with Director of Community Living

-          Week of March 30th: Format poster design and outline report

-          Week of April 6th: Begin final poster and work on report

-          Week of April 20th: Finalize poster and report

-          Week of April 27th: Poster Presentation

-          Week of May 4th- Final Class

Responsibilities

-          Each member is responsible for a rough draft of scavenger hunt

-          Lauren: Contact Director of Community Living as needed

-          Catherine: Formatting the scavenger hunt

-          Each member will do an equal share of the final report, poster, and presentation

-          Each member is responsible for peer reviewing every item due

References

Miller, James R. “Biodiversity Conservation and the Extinction of Experience.” TRENDS in Ecology and Evolution, vol. 20, no. 8, Aug. 2005, pp. 430–434.