14 Months as a WERM
Program Schedule
The WERM program lasts 14 months and has three different phases. Each phase is composed of different activities, including hands-on fieldwork, coursework, collaborative projects, and research with scientist mentors. Through this holistic approach, WERM interns learn about urban ecology in an authentic context. Interns have opportunities to participate in vital field research and restoration projects, helping us increase awareness, and improve the health of, our local ecosystem.
Phase I: First Summer
This phase begins in late June and ends in late August, with a schedule of Monday through Friday, from 9AM to 4PM. Interns take classes three days a week.
During Phase I, interns gain foundational knowledge of the principles of restoration ecology, standard data collection methods and essential tools for scientific analysis. Interns take two classes, Mapping New York City's Urban Environment: An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Restoration of New York City’s Natural Areas. These classes are a combination of formal instruction in the classroom or computer lab, and hands-on fieldwork in our woodland to apply key ecological principles to real-world situations.
My time at Wave Hill has taught me the value of nature. It is irreplaceable and truly the best thing about being on this planet.
Phase II: Academic Year
This phase consists of WERMshops. These take place on Saturdays during the school year, from 10AM to 4PM.
Phase II is dedicated to building on the summer—deepening interns’ understanding of the different methodologies used in scientific research and knowledge of the ecology of New York City’s natural areas. Through a series of weekly WERMshops, interns meet local scientists, read scientific journals, explore local natural areas and practice data collection methods using GPS and GIS. Putting their newly acquired techniques to use, WERM interns collect data that contributes to existing research efforts, and help monitor and improve the health of our woodland. In the spring, interns form small teams and select a mentor to begin laying the groundwork for their research projects. Some examples of WERMshops include:
- Tour of research projects and Rutgers University's Hutchinson Memorial Forest
- Community paddle along the Bronx River with Bronx River Alliance
- Freshwater-ecology data collection in Van Cortlandt Park
Field trips in WERMshops are subject to change due to COVID-19.
Phase III: Second Summer
This final phase runs from late June through the end of August, Monday through Friday from 9AM to 4PM.
Interns complete the program at the end of the summer when they present their research during a graduation ceremony.
In Phase III, interns spend the majority of their time working on mentor-led, small-group research projects. They work both with their mentors, and independently with their team members. To support students in their research, interns meet weekly to take the course Introduction to Science Research. In addition, interns participate in an improv class that helps develop communication and public speaking skills. The phase culminates with interns presenting their research at a celebratory graduation symposium in August. The WERM program is also a part of the NYC Science Research and Mentoring Consortium, which provides students further opportunities to present their research to scientists and peers.
Past projects include:
- Urban Green Spaces and COVID-19: An Exploration of Park Use and Sense of Belonging in NYC
WERM interns created a survey and surveying methodology to investigate people's usage of and sense of belonging in New York City parks before and after the City's stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Watch the video of the interns presenting their project. - Forest Heath and Human Involvement: Planted vs Unplanted Sites in Van Cortlandt Park
WERM interns researched the impact of human restoration on forests, comparing the forest composition of planted versus unplanted sites two years after restoration occurred.
Watch the video of the interns presenting their project. - NYC Pollinator Project: Monitoring the Future of the Big Apple
WERM interns investigated pollinator populations while piloting a community science pollinator data collection protocol around different Bronx green spaces. - Tracing the Spread of Invasive Pests Through Remote Sensing in the Lower Hudson Valley
WERM interns used remote-sensing data to determine the spread of the emerald ash borer and hemlock woolly adelgid over the past five years in the Lower Hudson Valley.
Watch the video of the interns presenting their project. - Being Coyote-Smart: Developing a Rapid Assessment Protocol to Aid Coyote (Canis latrans) Management in NYC WERM interns used GIS software to create a map as a tool to identify priority areas in the Bronx for coyote management.
- Population and Community Ecology of Crayfish in an Urban Brook: Tibbetts Brook in Van Cortlandt Park
WERM interns setup crayfish traps to determine distribution of native versus non-native species. - Assessing The Effects of The Bronx River’s Water Quality on Riparian Plant Communities
WERM interns collected data to measure the health of the Bronx River and draw connections with existing vegetation surveys.