‘NASA STEM Stars’: Wildlife Ecologist

NASA Role Model: Becky Bolt
NASA Center: Kennedy Space Center
Topic: Kennedy Space Center’s Wildlife Ecologist
Original Air Date: May 5, 2020

Did you know that 95% of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center property is a wildlife refuge? Learn how NASA ensures that launches have minimal impacts on the surrounding ecosystem. Wildlife ecologist Becky Bolt talks about working at a spaceport where raccoons, rattlers and rockets coexist. She also explains the importance of science journaling.

STEM Short Activity: NeMO-Net …. Become a Citizen Scientist By Helping NASA Map Coral Reefs
Objective: Identify and classify corals using 3D images
Duration: 30 minutes for set up, daily mapping of coral and journaling over a week’s time
Materials Needed: Smart device, journal and writing utensil
Difficulty: Easy

Next Generation Science Standards: MS-LS1-6, HS-LS1-5

“NASA STEM Stars” is a webchat series. Each chat introduces a science, technology, engineering or math career, addresses a STEM topic and highlights a NASA mission. The chat includes a STEM activity that students can do at home. After the interviews, experts answer students’ questions.