Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge

Biodiversity & Resiliency

“Human health and well-being are intimately tied to surface freshwater availability and quality,” says Professor Betsy Bancroft, whose biology and environmental studies students have been wading the waters at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge near Cheney, Washington.

Will waters with greater species diversity be more resilient than areas with limited species diversity and individual variation? Students like David Nguyen (’27) are trying to answer that question by testing the effects of changing conditions on freshwater ecosystems, using technology and biological theory with observational, experimental and modeling approaches.

Gonzaga students also help with curriculum development for K-12 schools and the production of bilingual children's books that highlight Pacific Northwest freshwater ecosystems.