Conservation

Bees see the world in vibrant color…but that may be changing. Smithsonian-Mason team researches the impact with bee vision.

Road salt has been touted as a lifesaver when it comes to combatting icy roads. Yet using this snow-melting mineral has a dark side once it enters waterways. Graduating senior Maggie Walker, through the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation (SMSC), is gathering data at local streams to influence change.

Mason senior Eva Noroski spent a month assisting alumna and Elephant Trails keeper Ashley Fortner at the National Zoo, researching elephant sleep patterns.

Because elephants only sleep three to four hours a night, and frequently wake during that time, their sleep is a precious commodity.

That’s why George Mason University senior Eva Noroski has spent a month this semester assisting 2017 Mason alumna and Elephant Trails keeper Ashley Fortner at te National Zoo, researching how these massive mammals can get optimal sleep.

Shima Mohebbi, assistant professor in the College of Engineering and Computing at George Mason University, together with researchers from universities across the country received a $1.6 million grant from NSF on Conservation Incentives and the Socio-Spatial Dynamics of Water Sustainability. Work during the project will include examining cooperative behavior among water users and developing water conservation incentives.

Sophia Chapin was the Honors College Multimedia Communications Intern from 2019 to 2021, during which time she improved the quality of Honors College student-, public-, and alumni- facing communications.

Ben Rhoades was involved with sustainability and environmental justice at Mason and is putting these commitments into practice as a Watershed Specialist for the Reston Association.