Field Days

Woods specializes in the coexistence of plant communities in rainforests, and how habitat and microclimate affect those communities. Under that broad umbrella, she says, “I let students follow their own interests and intuition when they’re deciding what they want to do for summer research.” 

Her commitment to student-driven research stems from her own undergraduate experience at the University of Guelph: She took a trip to Ecuador, where she was encouraged to study an intriguing termite species she’d stumbled upon in the field. “That experience is what got me into science,” Woods says. “It was the best feeling. I try to provide that for all of my students.” She also shares her own start-up funding to supplement the grants— such as from Agricola, McCormick, and the university—that fund each student’s research. 

Woods especially encourages sophomores to pursue summer research, so they can gain an extra year of field experience and become mentors for younger students. Regardless of where they are in their studies, all of her students must follow the three pillars of her lab: research commitment, data management, and building community. 

“You have to have ownership over your project,” Woods says. “It’s intense for those weeks when we’re in the field. You have to commit to getting everything ready and making sure you have all the tools you need.” 

Ellie Olpin ’24, who is majoring in biology and in environmental policy and decision making, was one of Woods’ returning researchers last summer. In 2022, while studying moss communities in the Hoh Rain Forest inside Olympic National Park, Olpin was intrigued by the fungus growing under the bark of a nurse log—a fallen tree that serves as a habitat for tree seedlings. A year later, she and biology major Reisha Foertsch ’25 spent 12 days focusing on the fungus and how it affects Western hemlock seedlings. “Fungi are so amazing and cool,” Foertsch says. 

The students meticulously collected the delicate seedling roots and prepared them for later DNA extraction and sequencing. The days were long: “We’d be in the field collecting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” Olpin says, “and then we’d go back [to a dorm at the Olympic Natural Resources Center] for three to four more hours of precise, sterile prep work.” 

The rigor and exhaustion didn’t dampen their enthusiasm. “I loved the rainforest and how healing it can be,” Foertsch says. Olpin is looking for field positions that will bring her back to the rainforest after graduation. “If I could just live in the forest, I would be so happy,” she says. 

Olivia Brech ’24, a biology major, and Kaia Doan ’24, a natural science major, spent 15 days camping and working at Salt Creek Recreation Area near Port Angeles, studying how variations in habitat and tidal height influence the variety of intertidal species. They encountered occasional logistical delays: One day, when the rocky terrain proved challenging, they drove into town and bought construction kneepads so they could kneel for a closer look at their samples. 

What they didn’t anticipate was the human factor. The Salt Creek tide pools attract visitors from around the globe, and curious onlookers often interrupted the students’ work to ask questions while they were conducting time-sensitive species counts in 15 different plots. “It was a battle between people and time,” Brech says. “We did as much community outreach as we could, given the amount of time we had with the tide coming in.” They were touched when a mom approached them with her three daughters to share a message that stayed with them: “She told us how important it was for her daughters to see women doing science,” Brech says. 

The students received support from Woods throughout their field work. Steward was literally in Woods’ hands every time she climbed a tree, because Woods handled the ropes. The support didn’t waver as the students transitioned from the field to the lab and transformed their raw data into abstracts and posters. “I set high expectations,” Woods says. “If we don’t aim for publishable research, what is the point? So I do set the bar high, and then provide all the support I can to get them there. But then I slowly pull back and let them have the autonomy and ownership, and watch their confidence soar when that happens.”