What started as an exercise in science communication for Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources students has turned into a beloved spring tradition.
Every April for the past 21 years, students in John Maerz’s herpetology class have set up tents and tables on D.W. Brooks Lawn, equipped with a cast of reptiles and amphibians. Maerz wanted to see how students communicate classroom lessons to peers on campus.
It was such a hit that it became tradition for the herpetology class to do each spring semester during Warnell’s alumni weekend. Initially, it was only for herpetology students and called “Herpetology Day on the Lawn.”
“It’s really become a celebration of the whole school and particularly our students,” said Maerz, a Dennis and Sarah Carey Distinguished Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources and Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor. “It gives our students a chance to show people what they do and what they’re passionate about.”
As the 20th anniversary of Herpetology Day approached, Maerz approached fellow faculty and proposed they expand the event to the rest of the school.
The reptiles and amphibians remain the stars of the day, but they’re now joined by other faculty and student club booths from all over Warnell, such as the Wildlife Society, Gino D’Angelo’s Deer Lab, UGA Fisheries Society, and James Martin’s “Them Dawgs Will Hunt!” game lab.
“It’s great to come out and celebrate not only the natural resources that mean so much to us, but also the students and faculty who dedicate their careers studying and making sure we have these resources forever,” Warnell Dean J. Todd Petty said.
Explore more in the video above.