Hiking up to the next plot…
Biological field stations are living, outdoor laboratories for students, researchers, and the general public to learn, explore, and discover ecosystems and learn ecology and other disciplines. Field stations are located from deserts to montane regions and include marine laboratories as well as terrestrial reserves. Field stations offer invaluable services by providing unbiased scientific information and facilities to help governmental and other stakeholders tackle critical environmental and societal issues at local, regional, national, and international scales. The Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS) was initiated in 1966 to assist directors and managers of field stations solve common problems and address environmental issues. The mission of OBFS is to facilitate the highest quality environment for scientists, students, teachers, and the public to pursue research and education, and to enhance biological and environmental understanding. OBFS pursues this mission in a manner that maximizes diversity, inclusiveness, sustainability, and transparency (see www.obfs.org). Present membership includes 228 stations representing 18 countries. One of OBFS’ goals is to streamline implementation of long-term research and education initiatives. Specifically, OBFS encourages collaborations across multiple platforms, helping to insure that our physical infrastructure, educators, students, and scientists are working on common goals with expediency and purpose. What follows is a summary of some of the key activities of OBFS in the past 24 months. The 2014 OBFS annual meeting was held jointly with the National Association of Marine Labs (NAML) at the Marine Biological Lab in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, September 20–24, 2014. Congressman Bill Keating (U.S. Representative, MA) addressed the attendees and remarked on the exponential advances in information technology that allow scientists to transmit data from field stations “instantly, accurately, and efficiently.” He also commended OBFS and NAML for their collaboration: “Working jointly, with the information you gather, creates enormous opportunities in the private sector as well as in environmental science”. At the 2014 meeting, OBFS and NAML identified the urgent need to engage a broader audience to share the ideas put forth in the National Academy of Sciences - Field Stations and Marine Laboratories (NAS FSML) report Enhancing the Value and Sustainability of Field Stations and Marine Laboratories in the 21st Century (http://dels.nas.edu/Report/Enhancing-Value-Sustainability/18806). This report demonstrated the significant value of field stations to science and society, and provided recommendations to guide their future sustainability. The report grew out of a National Science Foundation-funded workshop that brought together many field station and marine lab users, directors, and stakeholders to evaluate the relationship of labs and field stations to science, education, and policy constituents. Given that today's regional and global issues require a high degree of collaboration and communication, the report also explored what is needed to make field stations more relevant and responsive to current societal needs. To maximize the reach of the NAS FSML report, a brochure “From Science to Solution: Advancing the Role of Field Stations” was created. The brochure was a collaboration between OBFS, NAML, the American Institute for Biological Sciences (AIBS), and the Integration & Application Network of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. In December 2014, OBFS President Sarah Oktay participated in the AIBS policy meeting, and in March 2015 she attended the NAML annual policy meeting as an invited speaker. Together OBFS and NAML are working on the synergies identified in the OBFS strategic plan and further described in the NAS FSML report. Her talk can be found at: http://www.naml.org/meetings/2015%20Winter/OBFS%20Sarah%20Oktay%20Briefing%20to%20NAML%202015-03.pdf. In May, AIBS provided support for the 2015 Congressional Visits Day for OBFS volunteers. Each year this event plants the seeds of the value of field stations to the nation into the heads and hearts of congressional staff. Our new brochure and copies of the NAS FSML report were also distributed. Later in summer, four OBFS representatives participated in a new Congressional Briefing Day organized with the help of AIBS. The objective of the Congressional Briefing was to communicate the potential of our national field station assets and to demonstrate the impact that strategic federal partnerships have in leveraging new research and funding opportunities. The Organization of Biological Field Stations held its third annual development event in August on Nantucket, MA. The guest speaker was the renowned science writer and social media presence Andy Revkin who was interviewed by Wavemaker creator and former CNN producer Michael Schulder. Trips to member stations across the country were auctioned off to enthusiastic bidders; these field station visits help spread the word about the scientific vitality, value, and beauty of field stations. The Organization of Biological Field Stations participated in the 100th annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America in August in Baltimore, Maryland. The Association of Ecosystem Research Centers (AERC) shared a table with OBFS and the NAS report tri-fold, the NAS Report in Brief, and OBFS brochures were distributed to conference goers. The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory hosted the OBFS annual meeting in September, 2015. The 118 attendees representing 75 field stations enjoyed a presentation by actor, director, and environmental activist Mark Ruffalo who talked about his commitment to water resources and how field stations engage the public. OBFS presented the inaugural Friend of OBFS Award to Miles O'Brien, an internationally known science correspondent for CNN and PBS who was recognized for his efforts to create a lasting network of field stations devoted to the discovery and understanding of the environmental challenges of our time. The Mary Hufty Local Hero Award went to John Norton of Crested Butte, Colorado. This award recognizes an individual who exemplifies the ideals of OBFS and supports research, education, and outreach through personal and/or professional actions, particularly in the areas of biology, conservation, or ecology. The Organization of Biological Field Stations will have its golden anniversary September 21–25, 2016 at Sitka Sound Science Center in Sitka, Alaska where we will continue to connect field stations, local communities, users, and other stakeholders with shared objectives that strengthen our programs in teaching, outreach, and science.
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