Southeastern Naturalist T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 70 Vol. 16 Special Issue 10 70 Team Salamander and its Evolution as the Longest-Running Group-Studies Initiative at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Thomas P. Wilson1,*, Bradley R. Reynolds1, Penni Jo Wilson2, Paul-Erik Bakland1, Jeremy Hooper1, Nyssa Hunt1, Simone Madsen3, Maria Cooksey3, Patricia Garland3, Wes Grigsby3, Brittany Killian3, Nakeisha Ricks3, Elizabeth Staundt3, Micah Taylor3, Emily Busby3, Jose Barbosa1, Ethan Carver1, Daniel Armstrong3, Mark Dillard1, Joe Simpson3, Mark Wisdom3, Tabitha M. Wilson4, and Team Salamander3 Abstract - Since 2004, over 750 students have participated in Team Salamander, the longest-running group-studies experience at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). Like most curricula, Team Salamander is based on predetermined benchmarks that have to be met. However, rather than following the traditional syllabus-based lecture/laboratory model, the program is a hands-on cooperative experience that encourages students to become independent and forward-thinking. Ultimately, we strive for participants to become natural-science practitioners and informed citizens, and several program participants have continued on to graduate or professional school in natural-science disciplines. The Team Salamander program has contributed to UTC by teaching students to think creatively and connecting them with community partners. Specifically, Team Salamander has constructed a framework that provides students with job skills through hosting workshops on wetland conservation, participating in regional bioblitzes, and training visiting scientists. Team Salamander equips and empowers its members to facilitate change by encouraging them to become practicing scientists and community leaders that positively impact others. Introduction Undergraduate student involvement in conservation-based research is similar to most citizen science programs in which the participants generally lack science training and have little or no research experience. Inclusion of undergraduate students in meaningful conservation-based research is increasing at both private (Dorcas and Price 2008, Gibbons and Dorcas 2014) and public institutions (Reynolds 2013). Providing research experiences for undergraduate students to 1Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science #2653, 215 Holt Hall, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 615 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37403. 2Department of Biology, Cleveland State Community College, PO Box 3570, Cleveland, TN 37320. 3C/O Amphibian and Reptile Monitoring Initiative for a better Environment, Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science, #2653, 215 Holt Hall, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 615 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37403. 4Chattanooga High School, Center for Creative Arts, Chattanooga, TN 37405. *Corresponding author - Thomas-Wilson@utc.edu. Manuscript Editor: John Placyk The Outdoor Classroom 2017 Southeastern Naturalist 16(Special Issue 10):70–93 Southeastern Naturalist 71 T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 Vol. 16, Special Issue 10 gain valuable hands-on experience is important to both students and the community because such opportunities lead to the creation of a better-trained workforce from which employers can select the most appropriate candidates (Elbroch et al. 2010, Holck 2008). The program also seeks to include women, minorities, first-generation college/university students, and non-traditional students in conservation basedresearch. The benefits are clear: a more diverse student population expands the sphere of influence and increases the likelihood of solving environmental problems in the larger community. Conservation-based science attracts participants that are mindful of the various threats to the organisms and ecosystems that they have come to respect. Reptiles and amphibians are severely threatened by habitat alteration, invasive species, overexploitation, pollution, global climate change, and disease. It is well-established that populations of amphibians and reptiles are declining (Dodd 2010, Gibbons et al. 2000); amphibians have been cited as the fastest-declining terrestrial vertebrates on the planet (Dodd 2010). Clearly, proactive measures are needed to ensure that amphibian and reptile populations persist. Team Salamander is a monitoring program and undergraduate group-studies initiative at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) focused on herpetology that seeks to reverse these declines by acting locally (Figs. 1, 2). Team Salamander strives to fill gaps in our knowledge of amphibians and reptiles and develop improved habitatmanagement techniques to protect these important species Academics strive to share information with their peers and the public, but few have disseminated information on how to conduct student-based research on conservation projects (Dorcas and Price 2008, Nerbonne and Nelson 2008, Reynolds Figure 1. Team Salamander crew pictured at the BFS (LT6), September 2006. Photograph © T.P. Wilson. Southeastern Naturalist T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 72 Vol. 16 Special Issue 10 2013). Studies involving the scientific method (Anderson 2001, Nagda et al. 1998), and non-traditional opportunities such as citizen science programs (Danielsen et al. 2007) have received much attention and are numerous, but too few programs have employed design-process thinking and transformational leadership as the underpinnings of their student-based research programs in conservation (Reynolds 2013). Design-process thinking is a form of problem-based learning that is used to solve dynamic problems that are often encountered in the private sector, but it is seldom used for solving environmental problems (CPM 2013). Conservation and biodiversity research present complex, multifaceted challenges. Design-process thinking takes these complexities into account and treats conservation-related problems like a puzzle (Fig. 3). The diverse interests of stakeholders are like puzzle pieces, and effective communication and the free exchange of ideas are necessary in order to fit them together. Once the problem is clearly identified and articuluated, innovative thinkers systematically process information and arrive at probable solutions (see http:// dschool.stanford.edu). The design process is iterative and seeks empathy to better understand the end user (i.e., stakeholders). The roots of modern conservation biology are those of empirical and analytical disciplines that focus on answering questions and does not seek to integrate the human element. However, most environmental problems, like their solutions, are anthropogenic. In practice, conservation often results in compromise as the needs of people are weighed against the necessity of maintaining a healthy environment. This approach tends to create conflicts across groups because it yields incremental changes that are not substantial enough to lead Figure 2. Team Salamander crew pictured at a self-organized wilderness clean-up celebrating Earth Day at BFS (LT7) April 2013. Southeastern Naturalist 73 T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 Vol. 16, Special Issue 10 to innovations that promote transformative change through environmental leadership. We suggest that design-process thinking should be integrated into conservationbased research, education, and outreach to complement inquiry and the scientific method. When used to its fullest extent, design-process thinking encourages entrylevel science students to explore nature, empowers observation, and increases communication to produce better solutions. Environmental leadership is a transformative process because it applies interpersonal influence and engages participants in collective action to protect natural resources (Gallagher 2012). Team Salamander represents environmental leadership in practice. Instructors and students work together toward the common goal of measuring and monitoring local amphibian and reptile populations. By focusing on local salamander populations, Team Salamander promotes awareness and works to ensure that common species remain abundant. Initiatives that involve a wide array of students help to further the work conducted by researchers and facilitate a greater diversity of involvement along the continuum of concerned individuals. Using design-process thinking and environmental leadership, Team Salamander seeks to conduct sound basic science and communicate its findings to policy makers and stakeholders. Goals Herein, we describe how Team Salamander evolved and explain the unique opportunities it offers for the development of undergraduate research initiatives. We will (1) describe how we have developed a productive cooperative research Figure 3. The conservation puzzle (adapted from Reynolds and Wilson 2011) showcasing the representative areas of conservation in practice. Southeastern Naturalist T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 74 Vol. 16 Special Issue 10 experience at an open-enrollment public institution, (2) explain how Team Salamander has come to offer unique opportunities for undergraduates to explore natural environments using the various modes of investigative inquiry, (3) discuss the lessons learned when working with undergraduates in a research setting, and (4) discuss directions for the future. The City of Chattanooga and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga, like other rapidly expanding cities, has a regional plan for smart growth and seeks to integrate the 16 counties that encompass the metro area into that plan (Thrive 2016). Chattanooga has a rich history of philanthropy and environmental conservation (TRGT 2016) that compliments UTC’s strategic plan, which strives for student success by building sustainable partnerships with community stakeholders (UTC 2014). Several UTC programs (e.g., Think and Achieve, Honors College, Office of Undergraduate Research, Provost Student Research Awards, and Student Government) encourage and facilitate student research opportunities with faculty members and have provided Team Salamander with student recruits and financial support. Most faculty research within the Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science (BGE) relies on undergraduate students. UTC Biological Field Station BGE oversees the day-to-day operations at the UTC Biological Field Station (BFS); most of Team Salamander’s work is conducted at the BFS or with a community partner (e.g., Hamilton County Government, Tennessee River Gorge Trust). The BFS is located in the Ridge and Valley ecoregion where the underlying geology is dominated by limestone and dolomite formations and rolling hills (Griffith et al. 1997). The BFS property is comprised of 2 distinct parcels (LT6: 35°6'20.51"N, 85°7'46.94"W; LT7: 35°5'54.78"N, 85° 5'52.13"W) and totals 115 ha in extent. The landscape is a mix of hardwoods and is proximate to various water courses; the wetlands are ephemeral and remain dry from late May through October depending on precipitation (Figs. 4–7). The upland and aquatic landscapes at the BFS create habitat for 43 species of amphibians and reptiles (Armstrong 2012; Miller et al. 2007; Simpson 2013; Simpson and Wilson 2009; Simpson et al. 2010; Wilson et al. 2012, 2015; T.P. Wilson, unpubl. data) and 40 species of mammals (T.P. Wilson, unpubl. data). Infrastructure at the BFS includes 2 outdoor classrooms, permanent study plots, transects, drift fences, and a small weather station. This infrastructure provides a framework for training students on basic field techniques. Unfortunately, residential and industrial encroachment is occurring along the borders of the BFS. General Methods We used a protocol that integrated the specific, measureable, attainable, relevant, and timely (SMART) approach for sampling small vertebrates (Cogalniceanu and Miaud 2010, Simpson 2013). Specifically, we used drift fences in conjunction with pitfall traps, funnel traps, cover objects, PVC pipe refuges, Sherman traps, track plates, and camera traps (Figs. 8–10) to document small-vertebrate diversity Southeastern Naturalist 75 T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 Vol. 16, Special Issue 10 at the BFS. We made daily collections of target species along a drift-fence array from January 2004 to August 2015, and 3 times weekly thereafter to the present. We recorded the snout-to-vent length (SVL), weight, sex, species, age class, collection method, habitat structure, and capture location of each individual and released all animals immediately after processing. These techniques are commonplace (Dodd 2010, McDiarmid et al. 2012), can be easily taught to a novice to immediately immerse them into the project (Karns 1986), and, hence, are useful tools when building the foundation for training students in field-based res earch. Figure 4. Biological Field Stations managed by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and intended to be used for Environmental Education, Research and Outreach. Top left: LT6 Wetland Biological Field Station (37.3 ha including a ~1.4-ha wetland pictured). Top right: LT7 Upland Biological Field Station (77.6 ha of mixed-forest habitat).Bottom: LT6 and LT7 pictured on opposite ends of the mixed-use industrial park. Aerial imagery: National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) Farm Service Agency, US Gelogogical Survey, base imagery obtained 2014; Images created by N. Hunt (10 September 2015). Southeastern Naturalist T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 76 Vol. 16 Special Issue 10 Team Salamander Background Team Salamander was initiated on 4 January 2004 as a student-based research group dedicated to measuring and monitoring biodiversity of the southeastern US. It is operated from the UTC Herpetology Laboratory and is led by T.P. Wilson. The idea of developing an undergraduate-based research group started in 2002 with work focusing on riverine turtles that inhabit the Tennessee River. This project came about because of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Tennessee Aquarium Research Institute, Lupton Renaissance Fund, and the Tennessee River Gorge Trust. Although Team Figure 6. UTC Biological Field Station; Forested wetland at LT6. Photograph © S. Madsen. Figure 5. UTC Biological Field Station, Wetland Classroom at LT6. Photograph © S. Madsen. Southeastern Naturalist 77 T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 Vol. 16, Special Issue 10 Salamander still works with riverine turtles, we found that the logistics of getting a sizeable number of students to consistently participate in such an initiative was challenging, mostly due to space and time constraints. Most of the riverine turtle sampling took place from a small (less than 6 person) boat, and with research gear, we were only able to have 2–3 students working on the boat at any one time. The timing of the turtle project also proved challenging because sampling took place during the summer months when students were off campus. We tried different iterations of the riverine turtle platform until 2004, when we began to expand the initiative to include both aquatic and terrestrial habitats as well as other reptile and amphibian species. Our new focus on salamanders allowed a greater number of students to participate on a more consistent basis because students could access the terrestrial and semi-aquatic habitats on foot, and if a student had access to their own vehicle they could dedicate as much time to the team as their schedules permitted. Recruitment Students are recruited to Team Salamander either though participation in a Team Salamander event (e.g., workshop, field trip, or guest speaker), word of mouth (i.e., faculty, staff, or Team Salamander members), responding to a university-wide list-serve announcement, or via an advertisement posted to the Scholar Bridge website (i.e., a web service that links interested students with participating faculty). Team Salamander recently started using social media to recruit students through Facebook (www.facebook/teamsalamander) or Twitter (@teamsalamander1). All interested students that contact T.P. Wilson are interviewed to determine whether Figure 7. Box Turtle media event at UTC Biological Field Station, Upland Classroom at LT7. May 2014. Photograph © J. Hooper. Southeastern Naturalist T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 78 Vol. 16 Special Issue 10 their interests and skills intersect with the vision of Team Salamander. Students are then invited for a post-interview opportunity to shadow Team Salamander at work in the field or laboratory in order to get a better feel for the scope of the research, understand the different working conditions, and meet the current members of Team Salamander. Structure The structure of Team Salamander is built upon the concepts of student mentoring and problem solving. Its framework is like most cooperative internship programs encountered in industry in which resident experts train interns as apprentices, who then become trained professionals, eventually replacing their original mentors. Therefore, to facilitate this pedagogy, Team Salamander has 3 distinct, nested stages (i.e., Experience, ARMIE, Crew), in which student involvement, feedback, and critical reflection are paramount. Figure 8. UTC Biological Field Stations. Top row: Two gravid female Crotalus horridus L. (Timber Rattlesnake) being processed at the BFS by T.P. Wilson and B.R. Reynolds. Photographs © M. Wisdom. Bottom row: T.P. Wilson mentoring Jeremy Hooper using radio telemetry to track Terrapene carolina L. (Eastern Box Turtle) at LT7. Photographs © B. Reynolds. Southeastern Naturalist 79 T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 Vol. 16, Special Issue 10 A student’s first exposure is through the Team Salamander Experience (Experience) where environmental concepts and connections are made, and this stage is where most students first learn about the research and educational opportunities that are available through the team at the BFS. Students who engage in the Experience are primarily mixed majors as freshman and sophomores but become largely science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-focused as juniors and seniors. Since 2004, 761 students have participated in the Experience through Figure 9. PVC Pipe being used as refugia by Pseudacris feriarum Baird (Upland Chorus Frog). Photograph © S. Madsen. Figure 10. Left: Drift-fence array with pitfalls. Photograph © S. Madsen. Right: Team Salamander member processing amphibians taken from a pitfall trap. Photographs © P.J. Wilson. Southeastern Naturalist T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 80 Vol. 16 Special Issue 10 various courses (Table 1) or a Team Salamander-sponsored event (e.g., wetlands festival, habitat restoration, frog-call survey, bioblitz, etc.). The Experience is open to all students in good academic standing, and participants receive no academic credit for their involvement, although some students have received letters of reference because of their contributions to Team Salamander. The Experience remains a popular outlet for many students despite its status as a no-credit activity. The second tier of Team Salamander is the Amphibian and Reptile Monitoring Initiative for a better Environment (ARMIE) and has included 388 Experience students. The level of engagement with these students is more focused and allows them to gain a working knowledge of environmental leadership and science in practice (Reynolds 2013). As part of the ARMIE, students are expected to develop and execute their own individual research project that is based in conservation and science education, but it must also incorporate a sound environmental ethic. All projects must demonstrate a substantial effort (>16 hours of work not including preparation of the proposal or final product) that can be used immediately to promote amphibian or reptile conservation locally. Past projects have included Table 1. A list of 21 courses offered at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga that have exposed students to the Team Salamander Experience via field trips, wet laboratories, environmental stewardship events, guest lectures, and student government opportunities. *Indicates an ARMIE-affiliated course. Rank Major Course Undergraduate Mixed, non-STEM majors Conservation of Biodiversity* Mixed, non-STEM & STEM majors Environmental Science I & II Ecology* & Ecology Laboratory* Innovations in Honors I* and II* Military Science STEM majors Environmental Survey Methods* Soil Science Environmental Chemistry* Environmental Geology Biology Seminar Undergraduate/graduate Mixed, non-STEM & STEM majors Geographic Information Systems* Remote Sensing & Imagery Analysis* Advanced Geospatial Applications* STEM majors Mammalogy* Mycology* Ornithology Herpetology* Amphibian Conservation* Southeastern Naturalist 81 T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 Vol. 16, Special Issue 10 developing conservation lecture-series and citizen science programs; constructing vernal pools; following a modified USGS-NAAMP protocol for frog-call surveys; implementing a conservation platform while assisting in field/survey work; creating online field-guides for the amphibians and reptiles of specific natural areas; conducting wetland delineations; developing a multimedia platform to promote local conservation efforts that emphasize amphibians, reptiles, or their associated habitats; undertaking data collection in the field using mobile technology; assessing impacts of the pet trade; and posting YouTube videos that document local conservation concerns and evaluate probable solutions. These ARMIE projects are largely executed by students majoring or minoring in biology, geology, or environmental science who are able to satisfy course requirements by using their ARMIE project for a particular course (e.g., Amphibian Conservation or Remote Sensing). ARMIE students receive no additional credit beyond that provided by their individual instructor for a specific course. Courses offered to students in this tier are used to satisfy program or degree requirements. The last tier of Team Salamander is the research crew (Crew) which is comprised mainly of students majoring in biology or environmental science; 262 students have been Crew participants since 2004. All students at this level assume a higher degree of responsibility than those at the ARMIE level, and they are expected to actively lead conservation-based research initiatives and provide direction to more-inexperienced peers while they work at the BFS or with a community partner (e.g., Tennessee River Gorge Trust, Tennessee Valley Authority, or Hamilton County Government). Some students at this level become repeat volunteers but others elect to earn up to 4 credit hours in research, independent study, internship, or group studies, and apply those credits toward completing their degree. Students that successfully complete their research and take a strong leadership role in Team Salamander are invited to present at UTC’s Research Dialogues. Some of the more-motivated Crew members have gone on to present at regional, national, and international conferences (e.g., Southeastern Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Association of Southeastern Biologists, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Joint Meeting of Herpetoligists and Ichthyologists, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Herpetologists’ League, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, The Wildlife Society, or ESRI) and publish their findings in peer-reviewed journals as primary or secondary authors (Moss et al. 2009; Reynolds and Wilson 2011; Simpson and Wilson 2009; Wilson et al. 2012, 2015). Team Salamander is a resource for community stakeholders which provides baseline data for conservation researchers who wish to conduct ecological studies at the BFS or contrast the team’s findings with those from nearby communities. Team Salamander members regularly attend City Council and Town Hall meetings, and participate in community events (e.g. Wetland Festival, Athens TN; Tennessee Naturalist Program). Team Salamander serves as part of a larger long-term ecology project that has benefited students interested in environmental science (Armstrong 2012, Carpenter 2013, Colson 2009, Manis 2008, Moss 2005, Reynolds 2013, Simpson 2013) and environmental stewardship. Current and future land owners, Southeastern Naturalist T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 82 Vol. 16 Special Issue 10 developers, and other stakeholders in the Greater Chattanooga Metropolitan area will be able to make informed decisions if proactive groups like Team Salamander disseminate information at town-hall meetings or through outreach events (Armstrong 2012, Reynolds 2013, Simpson 2013). As an example, the local government recently used Team Salamander data to make an informed decision concerning the location of a proposed recreational development, and as a result they moved the staging area for a series of new horse trails to avoid impacting a nearby wetland. Assessment Each semester, we assess the various tiers of Team Salamander by evaluating student-learning outcomes through the use of rubrics, reflections, and interviews (Reynolds 2013). We recognize that not every member of Team Salamander makes a major contribution to the effort. Some Team Salamander members are better and more effective than others in helping to achieve the program’s vision (Reynolds 2013), but even less-effective students benefit as a result of their participation in Team Salamander. Student evaluations of Team Salamander state that participants learn (1) the importance of being timely, (2) how to take responsibility for tasks upon which the larger group depends, 3) that supervisors expect one’s best effort, and (4) that there are consequences for shirking one’s responsibilities. Team Salamander is a tiered platform, and consequences for insufficient performance are also tiered. For example, students involved in the Experience are largely volunteers and would not be invited to participate in future events if they were disruptive or interfered with the operation of Team Salamander. Students involved in the ARMIE tier have a class project that is graded on a rubric, and if they do not meet their project goals, a point penalty is applied. Students on the Crew have an academic contract to meet certain goals within a set timeline, and if those goals are not met or they commit a serious infraction, they may be dismissed from Team Salamander. Broader Impacts Team Salamander has processed over 13,000 amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals at the BFS since 2004 (Fig. 11; Armstrong 2012; Simpson 2013; T.P. Wilson, unpubl. data). We have analyzed mark–recapture and genetic data to make recommendations to local stakeholders regarding animal conservation and their associated wetland and upland habitats (Armstrong 2012; Simpson 2013; T.P. Wilson, unpubl. data ), spoken to community officials regarding the threats to local biodiversity at the BFS, and recommended that owners of neighboring parcels not alter hydrology or clear upland habitats. The UTC administration has listened to Team Salamander and encouraged the close and continued monitoring of amphibian and reptile populations at the BFS in an effort to minimize future declines caused by anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., mixed-use trails, horse trails, industrial manufacturing). Team Salamander has taken a strong leadership role in the community and provided a template for educators to follow regarding transformational leadership and environmental education (Reynolds 2013). Beyond these accomplishments, Team Salamander has contributed to the research and education efforts at UTC, Southeastern Naturalist 83 T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 Vol. 16, Special Issue 10 the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, the City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County Public Schools, Hamilton County Parks and Recreation, Thrive 2055, the Tennessee Aquarium, the Challenger Center, the Chattanooga Arboretum, and the Nature Center (Fig. 12). The team has organized wetland clean-ups and restorations, has been Figure 11. Top row (left to right): Ambystoma opacum (Gravenhurst) (Marbled Salamander), Notophthalmus viridescens (Rafinesque) (Eastern Newt), Pseudacris feriarum Baird (Upland Chorus Frog); Bottom row: Boykin Spaniel searching for Terrapene carolina (Eastern Box Turtle). Photographs © S. Madsen. Figure 12. Team Salamander hosts biodiversity program for Boy Scouts of America Biodiversity Program. Photographs © S. Madsen. Southeastern Naturalist T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 84 Vol. 16 Special Issue 10 instrumental in starting a new UTC-sanctioned club, the UTC Wildlife-Zoology Club, contributed materials to a new UTC course (Amphibian Conservation), and have shared educational materials with interested parties using multimedia and the internet. Team Salamander has worked with visiting international students from the Asian Scholars Program for In-Situ Turtle Conservation as a means of training these scholars in field-based survey techniques (Manis 2008, Moss et al. 2009, Reynolds and Wilson 2011). In all cases, the team has sought to educate others about life-history and conservation issues involving amphibians and reptiles found locally and within the greater Southern Appalachian region. Lessons Learned We have put several mechanisms in place to achieve student success. We emphasize the importance of team work, cooperation, and capacity building where communication is the key to success. Faculty and staff members mentor their students closely and provide them with the tools to make informed decisions. Team Salamander members go through extensive training and are required to score above 80% on all training modules involving animal use (e.g., IACUC- laboratory, field, and husbandry) and human-based initiatives (https://www.citiprogram.org/). Students are also required to have one-on-one training with a faculty mentor before they can begin research. We have developed checks and balances where students police each other on standard operating procedures, and hold one another to a high standard. We have regular team meetings to ensure that progress is being made and that problems can be addressed promptly. We facilitated the development of leadership skills that transcend socioeconomic and age barriers by extending educational opportunities to a diverse array of students. Through their experiences with Team Salamander, students have discovered significant information concerning the local flora, fauna, and environment which can be used in future land-management practices. Sharing their research findings with other students and members of the community has created a network that links individuals who seek to strengthen STEM programs and build parity among programs based on successes and failures. This communication heightens community-based science and environmental awareness through an easy-tounderstand program based on task-oriented projects and a long-term commitment focusing on the region’s natural heritage. We have used various approaches to encourage students to become practicing scientists. Beyond our use of the scientific method and design-process thinking, we have challenged students to be actively immersed in problems that seek local solutions, as demonstrated in their dedication and willing participation in all aspects of Team Salamander, ranging from environmental awareness and habitat protection to the spatial ecology of Terrepene c. carolina L. (Eastern Box Turtle) and nest-site selection of Ambystoma opacum (Gravenhurst) (Marbled Salamander). Throughout the evolution of Team Salamander, several overarching themes have emerged, and we will highlight the top 3 below. Southeastern Naturalist 85 T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 Vol. 16, Special Issue 10 First, students are particularly intrigued by the nuances of the natural world as they learn about natural history. Students are awestruck when they witness firsthand the explosive breeding (Harris 2008, Petranka 1998) and mass migration of ambystomatid salamanders as they make their way from the adjacent uplands to a nearby wetland. We have taught and students have learned much in the field while processing salamanders or other amphibians and reptiles. Students learn science by watching, listening, experiencing, and practicing the profession. Second, students crave real-world experiences that provide job skills and put them on a career path. When students were asked to provide feedback on the Team Salamander experience, responses were overwhelmingly positive. Most students felt that they had grown personally and intellectually as a result of their involvement in Team Salamander (Reynolds 2013); areas of development included critical thinking, accountability, leadership skills, teamwork, and collaboration. Many students attributed skills and knowledge gained in Team Salamander to their acceptance into graduate programs and successful employment in the fields of biology and environmental science. Responses also reflected that students developed a greater appreciation and understanding of the complexities involved in long-term field studies, and their involvement with Team Salamander provided them with important insights into the scientific process. In addition to new skill-sets and their associated benefits, students also reported gaining a strong sense of camaraderie with teammates and an increased appreciation for the study organisms. Members of Team Salamander experience the full process of scientific research, including project development and design, data collection and processing, interpretation and reporting results, and the realities of conducting research in an uncontrolled environment (e.g., extreme weather; Fig. 13). Through these experiences, members of Team Salamander have gained a knowledge and passion for amphibian and reptile conservation that has been translated into community outreach and service, including efforts at the Tennessee Wetlands Festival, the Tennessee Naturalist Program, UTC Earth Day, and local non-profit organizations. These efforts serve to educate Figure 13. Checking double-ended funnel traps for small vertebrates during a snow storm. Photograph © P.J. Wilson. Southeastern Naturalist T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 86 Vol. 16 Special Issue 10 the Chattanooga community about amphibian and reptile conservation and provide Team Salamander members with experience in engaging a range of community members, from children to adults, who represent a diversity of stakeholders—individuals they may one day encounter as professionals. It is through such experiences that Team Salamander members report that they have gained the skills needed to succeed as professionals, including leadership, critical thinking, personal accountability, the practice of healthy and educated skepticism, respect, and, above all, the value of hard work and determination. The lessons learned through the Team Salamander experience are invaluable not only to its members, but to UTC, BGE, and the various communities in which Team Salamander members go on to work and represent conservation in practice. Third, transformational leadership is central to the adaptability of Team Salamander because it builds and empowers future leaders and decision makers (e.g., stakeholders). Team members are transformed through the acquisition of knowledge and the development of skills via training in transformational leadership (Hall et al. 2015); Team Salamander members are empowered by their experiences. For example, T.P. Wilson has influenced many Team Salamander students over the years, including co-author B.R. Reynolds, who was one of these students. Once influenced and transformed, B.R. Reynolds independently introduced ~80 non-science majors to the Team Salamander Experience. At the end of the Experience, the non-science majors he recruited reported a strong desire to tell others about the biodiversity crisis and amphibian declines, and to teach others about ways to counteract both phenomena. The desire to tell and teach is essential for successful leaders and effectively demonstrates the cycle of transformation. This account demonstrates how transformational leaders invest in those who follow by tying the educational needs of the follower to the framework of the research experience, which, in turn, prompts the followers to develop and grow from a place of security (Avolio and Bass 2004). In time, fledgling leaders gain the abilities they need to become influential, autonomous leaders in their own right (Avolio and Bass 2004). Within the context of conservation, effective leaders can only address and positively impact the future of biodiversity with the support of an informed citizenry; this situation further highlights the importance of engaging and transforming undergraduate non-science majors. If these leaders in training somehow fail to acquire a connection with nature during their undergraduate experience, it is unlikely that they will acquire such a connection once they become non-STEM professionals (Louv 2008). STEM educators, therefore, have a personal responsibility to foster among their students a greater awareness of the natural world and the development of a sound environmental ethic. Long-term science-based initiatives like Team Salamander that incorporate transformational leadership and design-process thinking encourage environmental stewardship and the recognition of the importance of sustainability. Instructors in this type of experiential program should consider using social media and mobile technologies to share information quickly. For example, members of Team Salamander have used Facebook and Twitter to post conservation news or Southeastern Naturalist 87 T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 Vol. 16, Special Issue 10 information on upcoming events sponsored by Team Salamander (e.g., wetlands festival, BFS work day, May Box Turtle survey). We have used Google Drive to share documents with selected members of Team Salamander or the community. This information may be in the form of species checklists, state reports, datasets, photographs, or work schedules. In the past, we have used texting through a nested contacts list which is similar to a smart-phone application called GroupMe. We have used texting when we have been short-handed in the field and needed more help processing Mole Salamanders during their mass-breeding events (e.g., spring or fall). The benefits of this approach are that we are able to send out an instant message to members of the current Team Salamander Crew and it provides them information on where we need immediate help. This mode of communication is valuable because it has gotten the word out quickly several times a year and provided us with extra hands for processing animals in the field. While many people shy away from texting, it provides a readily accessible way to send information when cell coverage is poor or in the absence of a data connection that is required for smart-phone users. Many students that are comfortable with geospatial technology can use GIS, GPS, remote sensing, and drones to map or classify sensitive habitats, core areas, or generate predictable buffer zones (Fig. 14; T.P. Wilson, unpubl. data). It is imperative to understand how individual students acquire knowledge, skills, and abilities so that mentors can better assign students specific duties (e.g., field Figure 14. Team Salamander assists in mapping wildlife corridors for use in adaptive conservation and management strategies. Map created by Jon Oakley and T.P. Wilson. Southeastern Naturalist T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 88 Vol. 16 Special Issue 10 work; museum/collections management; outdoor classroom/laboratory management; management of data from catalogs, databases and field notes; liaison; and communications officer) and hold them accountable for those tasks. Furthermore, it is important that students identify themselves as members of the team and have a sense of community. Members of Team Salamander receive a baseball cap depicting an Ambystoma maculatum (Shaw) (Spotted salamander) on the front. It is common to see members of Team Salamander proudly wearing their team caps while on campus or in downtown Chattanooga; the caps identify them as productive members of a team that operates beyond the classroom. Significance Team Salamander has established an educational and long-term ecological research program that focuses on the conservation, ecology, and management of free-ranging populations. Through their research and close work with faculty, students have learned leadership skills, teamwork, critical thinking, reflection, design principles, and other concepts that can be applied towards creating conservation solutions. The program uses primarily salamanders as model organisms, but the team also works with other species of amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and plants. The Southern Appalachians are a biodiversity hotspot (Mitchell and Gibbons 2010). Despite the rich amphibian diversity, the loss of habitat has raised concerns that some amphibian populations are declining across the Southern Appalachians (Dodd 2010, Mitchell and Gibbons 2010). For example, Mole Salamanders are often longlived (often >8 y; Petranka 1998, Snider and Bowler 1992), and because they can be encountered in many habitats, learning about their life history and ecology offers fantastic opportunities to better understand and reflect upon our environment, including our roles and responsibilities as part of it. Thus, studies of pond-breeding salamanders are excellent model systems for those wanting to involve students in meaningful long-term ecological research. Long-term studies increase our understanding of the natural world and promote an environmental ethic by teaching students to appreciate non-human life forms. We have noted that some students who are in or have completed the Team Salamander program are more concerned with the stability of wild populations than they were before participating (Reynolds 2013). We know that the same biological principles and concepts that dictate and define the well-being of wildlife populations also determine ours (Primack 2008, Zug et al. 2001); therefore, beyond providing valuable information which can be used to better understand, appreciate, and manage our native wildlife, long-term ecological research can be a powerful tool used to educate students and others regarding important environmental issues. Directions for the Future With community support, Team Salamander will continue to serve as a model program. Team Salamander engages new groups of students and members of the community at every opportunity. The success of Team Salamander is unparalleled Southeastern Naturalist 89 T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 Vol. 16, Special Issue 10 at UTC, as evidenced by the high number of participants compared to the numbers found in other university programs. Departments outside of the College of Arts and Sciences have taken an interest in the success and operation of Team Salamander. There are 2 prominent examples of the Team Salamander model being adopted elsewhere on UTC’s campus: the UTC College of Business is developing a platform for student engagement; and Team Salamander began working with the Honors College, their students (UHON 2850 and 2860), and 4 community partners to develop a land-use and management plan for the BFS. If successful, the plan will integrate other community and campus groups into the conservation fold, and likely leverage extramural support for salamander conservation and biodiversity as a whole in the Greater Chattanooga Metropolitan area. Team Salamander’s work has been shared locally, regionally, and internationally. We are committed to being proactive and are willing to work with a variety of stakeholders. Overall, we are extremely optimistic concerning the growth and continued success of Team Salamander (Fig. 15). Acknowledgments George W. Benz was a friend, mentor and colleague who passed away early in 2015. George provided direction, inspiration, and feedback to us on the sections focusing on significance and lessons learned. He will be forever missed†. Support for this project was Figure 15. Team Salamander completes the Chattanooga 5K Mud Run, 16 August 16 2014 a charity event to aid Habitat for Humanity. Photograph © S. Madsen. Southeastern Naturalist T.P. Wilson, et al. 2017 90 Vol. 16 Special Issue 10 provided by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (Biology SUF-TPW #E041011), the Lupton Renaissance Gift Fund (#R040152003), NBII/USGS (#R041011026), Think and Achieve, and volunteers. The field portion of this research was conducted under Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Permit 3082. All research was conducted in accordance with approved protocols (IACUC: #0907TPW-03 and #0408TPW-04; IRB #12-136). We are grateful to those who provided comments on earlier versions of the manuscript and logistic support. We thank the following members of the College of Arts and Sciences: Charles Nelson, John Tucker, Timothy Gaudin, Hill Craddock, Mark Schorr, Peggy Kovach, Joey Shaw, David Aborn, and Sean Richards. We appreciate Linda Frost, Greg O’Dea, and Sal Musumeci of the UTC Honors College; and, Sue D. Culpepper and Irene J. Hillman of the UTC College of Business. We thank other members of the UTC community: Karen Adsit, John Scharer, Andrew Carroll, Chris Keller, Gretchen Potts, Tracy Jones, UTC ROTC, Richard Brown, Doug Silver, Tom Ellis, and Lisa Darger. We are grateful to Dave Collins (Tennessee Aquarium); Jim Brown, Mike Linger, and Rick Huffines (Tennessee River Gorge Trust); Tom Lamb, (Hamilton County Parks and Recreation); Tim King (US Geological Survey-Leetown Science Center); and, LaToya Cannon (US Department of Education). We thank our international students from the Asian Scholars Program for In-Situ Turtle Conservation: Pelf Nyok Chan (Malaysia), Fei Yan Zhang (China), Rajeev Chauhan (India), and Nishant Sundaresan Pillai (India). We thank the contributing members of T.P. Wilson’s Crew on Team Salamander for their efforts in the field, laboratory, museum, and beyond the classroom, including Robert Altonen, Hillary Allen, Kari Baker, Mike Bascom, Taylor Benson, Zachary Bible, Brittany Bird, Haylee Blalock, Sarah Bohr, Mary Bratton, Cameron Brocco, Kirk Brodie, Philip Brown, John Burke, Sarah Candler, Greg Carter, Neil Choyce, Curtis Cole, Evan Collins, Marie Colson, Erin Cougil, Alicia Courtwright, Matt Crane, Chelsy Crosby, George Derouche, Abbey Fletcher, Hassan Gazzi, Steven Lee Graham, Shawn Greevy, Jennifer Grubb, Charity Hammett, Paige Harmon, Cullen Harris, Jill Harrison, Rachel Head, Clay Henry, Jason Hill, Jenny Hoose, Jessica Hubbach, Daniel Huser, Stacy Huskins, Dillion Jennings, James Kee, Robert Kennedy, Brian Lee, Laura Lomenick, Chris Manis, Jenny Marceaux, Nick Marceaux, Matthew Martin, John Mason, Stephen McCallum, Ardyce Mercier, Heidi Messerly, Ashley Miller, Robert Minton, Kurtis Morris, Leanne Morrow, Stefan Moss, Macall Nabors, David North, Charles Norton, Jon Oakley, Sue Petersen, Ryan Piat, Matt Pollard, Carrie Pope, Preston Prigmore, Fawn Revels, Adam Reynolds, Elijah Reyes, Daniel Richards, Paul Roy, Channing St. Aubin, Erin Schrenker, Aaron Schoolfield, Tara Jade Scott, Rachel Seisinger, Jennifer Sexton, Kelsey Shipley, Matt Schultz, Betsy Shutters, Roger Shutters, J. 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