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By Faith Crawford �鶹��Ƶ ’26  

Thanks to the generous donation of alumna Joan Thuebel �鶹��Ƶ ’52, �鶹��Ƶ  students at Wilson �鶹��Ƶ  have the opportunity to �鶹��Ƶ  pursue �鶹��Ƶ  education outside of the classroom through Earthwatch �鶹��Ƶ  research expeditions around the world. �鶹��Ƶ  Students can submit a proposal for the expedition of their choice and pursue this �鶹��Ƶ  uniquely hands-on experience that takes learning to a new level. �鶹��Ƶ   

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Nicole Sanchez-Downey �鶹��Ƶ ’20 traveled to Thailand on her first Earthwatch expedition in 2019. After working as a conservation educator at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore for three years, she is now a high school biology and environmental teacher in Hanover, Pennsylvania, and has returned to Wilson to pursue her postgraduate secondary teaching certification. 

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After participating in "Tracking Asiatic Wild Dogs in Thailand" in 2019, Sanchez-Downey returned to Earthwatch in 2025 for "Restoring Habitats in the Greater Maasai Mara," a research expedition based in the Enarau Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. The expedition focused on rejuvenating the landscape degraded by heavy farming. 

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Sanchez-Downey was part of an eight-member team that completed landscape monitoring through vegetation and wildlife surveys. She participated �鶹��Ƶ  in invasive species removal and agricultural restoration �鶹��Ƶ  in research plots, preparing and planting the land in a more sustainable way. �鶹��Ƶ  The team worked to overcome harmful farming practices that damaged the natural environment and to develop more sustainable strategies. �鶹��Ƶ   

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As an undergraduate animal studies major with minors in biology and studio art, Sanchez-Downey most enjoyed �鶹��Ƶ  the opportunity to see animals from another part of the world, some of which she recognized from her time working at the zoo. �鶹��Ƶ  She encountered �鶹��Ƶ  lions, zebras, jackals, hyenas, and a white rhino; �鶹��Ƶ  observed �鶹��Ƶ  a cheetah; and identified �鶹��Ƶ  birds she had worked with before. One animal �鶹��Ƶ  Sanchez-Downey was excited to see up �鶹��Ƶ  close was the wildebeest. In her biology course, she spends time discussing the Serengeti ecosystem to teach ecological relationships, and wildebeest migration is a major focus of the curriculum. �鶹��Ƶ “A big reason I asked to go on this trip was to see the wildebeest, �鶹��Ƶ ” she said. An additional highlight was seeing a single male cheetah hunt and capture a wildebeest.  

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The �鶹��Ƶ  Earthwatch �鶹��Ƶ  expedition to Kenya gave Sanchez-Downey �鶹��Ƶ  the opportunity to further her education through hands-on research and firsthand observations. �鶹��Ƶ  She said, �鶹��Ƶ “It was an honor to be able to go again and experience this. �鶹��Ƶ ” �鶹��Ƶ  The knowledge she gained will allow her to bring engaging lessons about ecosystems and biodiversity to her high school biology students while continuing her postgraduate studies at Wilson. 

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