Eckerd College Course Uncovers Hidden Campus Biodiversity

SAINT PETERSBURG, Fla. – Eckerd College students explored the often-overlooked biodiversity of their campus and surrounding community during an Autumn Term course. The class, “Under Our Eyes: Exploring the Natural World,” exposed students to plants and animals commonly missed due to their size, nocturnal habits or human bias.

Visiting Assistant Professor of Marine Science David Durieux ’11, Ph.D., led the course. Students collected pond water for microscopic analysis, joined nighttime insect-gathering excursions and used seine nets in Boca Ciega Bay to find hidden organisms. Durieux noted that research data often favors easily observable species like birds over insects, a bias he believes extends to the general public.

“That diversity just doesn’t cross people’s minds unless they’re actively exposed to it,” Durieux said. He emphasized that the course connects students to their environment by engaging them with overlooked species and encouraging contributions to the citizen science platform iNaturalist.

Students shared their iNaturalist observations, with Durieux highlighting the broader impacts of these contributions. “Highlighting that shows us that making a picture of a bug on campus actually has broader impacts in the community, because other people are involved with the identification process,” he explained. “Other people might be using that observation later for research.”

Field trips included local natural areas like Boyd Hill. On campus, students explored Eckerd’s Palm Hammock, participating in nature scavenger hunts. First-year student Marsh Wraithmell of Tallahassee, Florida, who plans to study biology, described the course as “insightful.” Wraithmell recalled noticing a praying mantis in a sunflower field during a trip to Boyd Hill, an observation that might have been missed during a faster walk.

Wraithmell, whose interests include entomology, has become known on campus as the “chameleon kid” due to their new enthusiasm and collections from the course. Durieux aims for the course to allow students to pursue their specific interests, whether in entomology or general campus biodiversity.

The course integrated ecological study with the history of Eckerd’s land, making it “Eckerd-oriented,” according to Durieux. Students learned about the importance of biodiversity and the relevance of often-ignored species, connecting them to the natural world and the college’s environment.