Bedford Audubon Society

Robert Tunney Wins BAS Scholarship
June 2006

At a recent ceremony at the Katonah Village Library, Junior Robert Tunney, of John Jay High School in Cross River, was awarded Bedford Audubon Society’s educational scholarship for 2006 to attend a weeklong environmental science research camp with Audubon Vermont.

Robert Tunney has shown a keen interest in the environment since the age of 12. He attended the New York State DEC’s environmental education programs at Camp DeBruce in the Adirondacks for four years, and during the last two summers he worked there as a counselor-in-training. At John Jay High School, Robert has taken Honors Biology and AP Environmental Science courses. Since his freshman year, he has been a member and competitor in the school’s Science Olympiad club, specializing in entomology and geology. The team has won twelve medals, seven of them specifically in entomology and geology, including a bronze medal in entomology at the state competition. Robert has also participated in the Westchester Citizens Volunteer Monitoring Program conducting water quality studies in area streams. He intends to pursue environmental studies in college.

Robert will attend the Wildlife of the Northern Forest Research program from August 10-20.

Robert's Winning Essay
My earliest memory of my father, vague as such memories often are, involves a tipsy mid-reservoir rowboat, a frightened three year old child, and dialogue along the lines of "buck up and sit down!" My sister, who happens to study behavioral science, once told me that early memories like these are often of significance. Generally I smile and nod when she tries to shrink my head, but in this case I took her words to heart. You see, my father and I are fairly opposite people; he's aggressive and brassy, I'm passive and reserved, but we've shared that rowboat for as long as I can remember. More than just the rowboat, we've shared archery equipment and rifles (although I have to say he prefers those more than I do...). In short, we've shared nature as our common bond.

Even as I've grown older and grown more independent of my parents, I've found myself drawn to opportunities to explore the natural environment. At the age of twelve I applied for sponsorship to my first environmental program, Camp DeBruce, one of the Department of Environmental Conservation's environmental education camps. Attracted by the prospect of campfires and overnight camping trips, I discovered more than I had bargained for. At Camp DeBruce I not only participated in traditional "nature camp" activities, but I also received my first exposure to environmental science. Nature was not only entertaining canoe trips, but also something to study and observe, an entity of principles and delicate balances to appreciate.

Over the next four years DeBruce played a significant role in my summers. Returning a second year for returnee week, I enjoyed more investigative learning and was invited to return as a volunteer, a sort of counselor-in-training. In this way I passed two weeks of each of my last two summers, helping to bring other campers the experience I once had by coordinating activities, maintaining order, and imparting what I had learned about the environment in earlier years. Affected by my wonderful stays at DeBruce, I decided to pursue further education in environmental science through my school's newly created AP Environmental Science class.

Having taken a rigorous honors biology course conducted by Dr. Burke  in my freshman year, and encouraged by past experiences, I signed up to take AP Environmental Science in my junior year. Here I gained my first intense exposure to the issues relevant to our environment today. APES was an opportunity for me to integrate my scientific knowledge in a field that both appealed to my interests and came to me naturally. I particularly enjoyed getting out into my own community and doing water quality testing on local streams and learning about issues like habitat fragmentation, road salting, and acid deposition as they related to people and places around me. I decided to supplement this experience by learning about entomology and rocks and minerals through my school's Science Olympiad club. Having been a member and competitor since my freshman year, I chose these events in particular to augment my understanding of the environment. As a result of seven months of study I accrued five medals in these events (in addition to seven other various medals over the previous two years), three gold, two bronze, including a bronze medal in entomology at the highly competitive New York State competition. Throughout the year I've been able to apply entomology and geology principles to my environmental science class.

And so I come to the present day, satisfied with my past experiences and looking for new opportunities. While I can't be certain where my college education will take me, I have always believed a scientific career lies in my future. In particular, I'm excited by the fact that the global community is coming to recognize and appreciate protective changes in environmental policy. I would very much like to participate in the "Wildlife of the Northern Forest" research in order to get hands on experience in environmental protection and management and to apply the skills and concepts I've learned over the past year. Please consider me for your Bedford Audubon Society scholarship award.

Sincerely,
Robert J. Tunney

About the program
Audubon Vermont’s “Take P.A.R.T.” (Program of Audubon Research for Teens) “Wildlife of the Northern Forest Research” program is one of two environmental science programs conducted this summer. They provide unique opportunities for high school students (ages 15 -18) to be immersed in conservation research.

In partnership with the NorthWoods Stewardship Center, the “Wildlife of the Northern Forest Research” team will work on contributing data to the Center’s Ecosystem Management Project. Staff ecologists will guide participants in monitoring and habitat restoration projects on their 3,000-acre property. The team will band birds, monitor salamander activity, improve wildlife habitat, and live-trap small mammals. The data collected will contribute to the management and enhance the understanding of wildlife populations and habitat health in the region

About the Scholarship
The Bedford Audubon Society Educational Scholarship to attend an environmental education summer program is awarded to a high school student who intends to pursue the environmental sciences at the college level. Preference is given to a student who has written a relevant scientific paper or has done relevant research, and who has also been involved in environmental and conservation-minded community service.

Copyright © 2006 Robert J. Tunney and Bedford Audubon Society
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