Animal Tales

Students in BIOL 261, "Animal Behavior," reported on recent publications, focusing on how to communicate the science in an engaging way to a non-specialist. They also created or commissioned figures to accompany their written work.

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Reflections on Place

Students in ENVS 106, "Reading the Ohio Landscape," become acquainted with a spot on campus — visiting each week, observing their surroundings and recording observations. They then crafted personal narratives that wove together their experiences with scientific concepts connected to the course.

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COVID Stories

In spring 2020, students in English 404, "Science Writing," were asked to tell a 300-word story about their experiences with the coronavirus, but science could play no part. They then participated in virtual workshops, did additional research, and finally added science to their stories, giving them more depth and tension.

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ENG 291: Making Science and Nature Comics

Students bring together science, visual art and creative writing to explore scientific concepts in this interdisciplinary course taught by Mellon Science and Nature Writing Fellow Frances Cannon. Here's a sampling of their work.

Page through an artistic exploration of the concept of time written and illustrated by studio art and film major Faedra Hose '27.  View the flipbook.
A molecular biololgy major, Gillian Doty '25 unpacks the molecular interworkings of moss reproduction in her science and nature comics project. View the flipbook.

ENVS 106: Reading the Ohio Landscape

Equipped with yellow field notebooks, students spent a semester connecting scientific concepts with personal narratives to tell the story of a place near Kenyon's campus in this special topics course. Here are a few of their observations.

"I observed a little rock beach at a bend in the Kokosing River, just ten feet from a steep cliff. When it comes to bending rivers and meandering streams, there are two forces at work: erosion and deposition. The river is removing earth, but it is also depositing earth. As erosion and deposition continue, the bends in the river becomes more defined." - Lucy Gibbs '23
"I picked this site in September because I loved the soft stream and the old bridge, but mostly because it was a place I could sit not on the ground near my dorm. I took field notes on a wide variety of topics this month, but I feel like what I learned most was how to look closely and respectfully at nature." - Caroline Schmale '24
"As I approached the bridge crossing Wolf Run, I knew I wanted to return to the spot. I felt this perfect isolation where I couldn't hear any anthropomorphic sounds, only the sound of the trees swaying, the crickets chirping, and the river flowing." - Liz Navratil '24
"A particular element caught my eye during exploration of the environment. Radiant orange fungi aggregate around the trunk of a tree, spanning from the roots to the upper bark of the trunk. It is gathered in layers with golden undersides that are flat with wavy edges. Its striking visual element inspired my interest in the growth. Known as Laetiporus sulphureus, it is a type of mushroom that is common in North American hardwood forests." - Olivia Wieland '24