Wild Spartans Series

Join 4-H staff for the "Wild Spartans" series for a look into life working with fisheries and wildlife! Follow along as we climb through bogs, peer into bear dens, mist net songbirds, snorkel for fish, or perhaps even tag deer. Meet researchers, learn about their field work, and the education and career path they've followed to get there.

LOCATION: Online Meeting will be held using the free app called Zoom.

Register for Wild Spartans here

Each 60 minute session will feature 1-2 guest researchers. Youth will be encouraged to ask questions to learn more through a live Q&A with scientists.

Upcoming Program Dates and Topics:

Monthly Sessions will be held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. ET October through March.

January 14, 2025 with Elliot Nelson
- This month's 4-H Wild Spartans will delve into the freshwaters and skies that surround us. Join us for “Flying to New Heights, Swimming to New Depths: Working my Dream Job with Michigan Sea Grant.” You will meet Elliot Nelson with Michigan Sea Grant.
February 11, 2025 with Jason Smith
- This month's 4-H Wild Spartans Series will plunge into the world of Great Lakes fisheries. Join us for for “The Relationship Between Tribes and Fish.” You will meet Jason Smith, Great Lakes Fisheries Assessment Biologist for the Bay Mills Indian Community.
March 11, 2025- with Seth Magle
- This month's 4-H Wild Spartans Series will explore conservation efforts in zoos with Seth Magle, Director of the Urban Wildlife Institute at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, IL.
October 14, 2025- coming soon
November 11, 2025- coming soon
December 9, 2025- coming soon
January 13, 2026- coming soon
February 10, 2026- coming soon
March 10, 2026- coming soon

Interested in being a Wild Spartans guest speaker? Fill out our interest form here!

All event recordings are now available below!

Attended or viewed recordings? Please fill out our brief feedback form.

To learn more, contact:
Veronica Bolhuis, Stacie Gath, Anne Kretschmann, or Dr. Alexa Warwick.

Share past sessions in classrooms, home school group, or your 4-H club! Links below include resources for continued learning in science, research, and career preparation. Meet these scientists and more in the videos below.

View previous 4-H Wild Spartan sessions

Wild Spartans: You Drive That?! Being a Fire Officer is About More Than Just Fire, With Jennifer Hansen & Courtney Kubitskey; December 2024

Published on December 17, 2024

You will meet Jennifer Hansen & Courtney Kubitskey with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. You’ll learn about their work, and the education and career path they followed to get there.
Wild Spartans: Behind the Scenes in the Life of a Park Ranger, With Andrea Martinson; November 2024

Published on December 2, 2024

You will meet Andrea Martinson, Park Ranger for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. You’ll learn about her work, and the education and career path she followed to get there.
Wild Spartans: From the Desert to the Deep-Sea, With Brendan Talwar; October 2024

Published on October 11, 2024

You will meet Brendan Talwar, Postdoctoral Scholar at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, learn about his field work, and the education and career path he followed to get there.