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: Water’s Fire Got To Do With… Habitat?! with Erika Meints; October 2022

Published on October 11, 2022

“Water’s Fire Got To Do With… Habitat?!” You will meet a Northern Michigan University master's candidate and Biological Science Technician at Voyageurs National Park, Erika Meints, learn about her field work, and the education and career path she followed to get there. Youth will be encouraged to ask questions to learn more through a live Q&A. This free series is open to 4-H and non-4-H youth ages 12-19 years.
Wild Spartans: Uncovering the Evolutionary Secrets of Pollination With Robin Waterman; May 2022

Published on May 10, 2022

Wild Spartans May 2022
Wild Spartans: Great Lakes Fisheries Investigations With Brad Utrup; April 2022

Published on April 12, 2022

This month’s 4-H Wild Spartans Series will head out onto the Great Lakes to learn about fish of all sizes- from tiny venomous catfish to massive lake sturgeon. Join us on Tuesday, April 12th, 2022 at 6:30pm EST for ”Great Lakes Fisheries Investigations.”