This Is No Ordinary Summer Camp 

McNeese State University’s Field Biology Experience is a summer camp for high school students like no other.  

McNeese professor Dr. Mark Merchant led the small group of high school students through the swamps, rivers and forests of Southwest Louisiana for three weeks in June. There is some classroom learning, but most of it is boots-on-the-ground, or waders-in-the-water, kind of learning. 

“The first day, I gave them a lecture about alligators and crocodiles and the marsh ecosystem in a classroom,” explained Merchant. “That night we went out into a marsh to catch a few alligators. The students caught, weighed, measured and collected blood samples from the alligators and then released them.” 

Students recorded the data in weather-proof field notebooks that are provided to them. The next day students learned how to input and plot the data they collected from the alligators. 

“This Field Biology Experience offers students an opportunity to input data about alligators, and other animals, that they collected with their own hands,” Merchant exclaimed.  

Southwest Louisiana is the perfect location for the aspiring field biologists, conservationists, biology teachers and veterinarians to learn. The environment is rich in different habitats and eco-systems. From beaches, salt marshes and swamps to coastal prairies, rivers and forests— there are plenty of places to touch and feel biology. 

One parent reported after the Field Biology Experience that her daughter learned more in three weeks than a year in school. 

McNeese biology professor and mammologist Dr. Justin Hoffman presented a lecture on mammals and took the students out that evening to set small mammal traps. A day later they checked the traps and found a couple of pocket gophers. Another day McNeese biology assistant professor Dr. Sarah Baker led a discussion about snakes and turtles and that night took the students to McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge to catch snakes. The students collected data on the animals and released them. 

“We are teaching the students how to safely track, capture and handle animals in several different habitats,” Merchant said. 

The group spent some time with Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) boat electrofishing on English Bayou in Lake Charles. The students cataloged and measured what they caught. This type of research helps LDWF gauge the health of sport fish and of the waterway in general. 

“Dr. Hoffman, Dr. Baker and biology instructor Danielle Maxwell bring different fields of expertise to the program and that allows us to expose the students to expert knowledge in a wide array of biological subfields,” Merchant said. 

Every day was a new adventure during the Field Biology Experience. They spent a day in Grand Chenier, Louisiana where they trapped and banded ducks and found an alligator nest. Other times, with the help of LDWF, they conducted a freshwater mussels survey and collected and cataloged aquatic macroinvertebrates. 

One of the highlights of the camp was finding bat colonies. The group found a nursery colony of Southeastern Myotis bats under a bridge. The students recorded the weight, sex, tail length, and forearm length of each captured bat and then released them. 

During the Field Biology Experience the students stay in dorms at McNeese, eat in the cafeteria and get a little taste of college life. They take an overnight trip to visit the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Houston Zoo.  

In addition to the enriching educational experiences, Merchant ensures the students enjoy a bit of the Southwest Louisiana culture. This year the students attended the Annual Coushatta Powwow, spent some time at the beach and had a crab boil. Other special social events include a barbecue and pizza and movie night.  

Students reported that this camp is “a learning experience unlike any other,” and “one of the coolest and most memorable experiences that I have been a part of.” 

The Field Biology Experience camp has space for 14 students and includes meals, lodging, an overnight trip to Houston and transportation to field experiences. For more information visit https://mcneesefieldbiology.com/ or email Dr. Merchant at mmerchant@mcneese.edu. 

Another student said “my experience was honestly the best. I did so much that I didn’t know was even possible and I met some amazing people and teachers along the way!”