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.

October 14, 2025- “Helping Others Help Nature” with Trish Brockman, Ecologist with Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc
November 11, 2025- "Wildfire, Wildlife, and Warriors: Science Where You Least Expect It” with Michele Richards, Natural Resources and Wildland Fire Program Manager with the MI Army National Guard
December 9, 2025- “Adventures in Wildlife Medicine: From the Field to the Clinic” with Avery Tilley, College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia
January 13, 2026- “Nature’s Detectives: How Insects Help Solve Crimes Against People, Animals, and the Environment Through Forensic Entomology” with Dr. Samantha Sawyer, Forensic Entomologist at the University of New Haven
February 10, 2026- Carly DeVet, Michigan Department of Natural Resources
March 10, 2026- Zach Wilson, Forest Ecologist, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission

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: Snakes and Frogs- Fieldwork in the Tropics, With Dr. D. Bruce Means; October 2023

Published on October 30, 2023

You will meet Dr. D. Bruce Means, biologist with the Coastal Plains Institute and Land Conservancy & Adjunct Professor at Florida State University. He was recently featured in a National Geographic magazine cover story and documentary ‘The Last Tepui’. You’ll learn about his field work, and the education and career path he followed to get there.
Wild Spartans: Black River Lake Sturgeon Facility: Management of a Threatened Species with Doug Larson; April 2023

Published on April 11, 2023

“Black River Lake Sturgeon Facility: Management of a Threatened Species”. You will meet Doug Larson, Research Assistant, Black River Sturgeon Facility. You will learn about his field work, and the education and career path he followed to get there.
Wild Spartans: Upland Bird Conservation with Marissa Jensen; March 2023

Published on March 14, 2023

“Upland Bird Conservation.” You will meet Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Education and Outreach Manager, Marissa Jensen, learn about her field work, and the education and career path she followed to get there. This scientist will take us to the grasslands and prairies of the Midwest.