Exploring Campus Wetlands with Scientist
10/29/2026
Montrose students recently donned waders and explored the campus wetlands, under the supervision of Caitlin White, a Project Manager at Hancock Associates. Caitlin spent the day on campus as the Wetlands Scientist-in-Residence, the first visitor of this year’s Women of Noble Purpose Residency.
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Caitlin has spent the last several years caring for the conservation and restoration of our campus wetlands, as part of our nearly-completed Campus Renewal Project. During her visit, she worked with students in science classes and Science Club, teaching them how to observe and track plant life and how to design their own wetland experiments. In Common Homeroom, she addressed the entire student body, sharing how and why she became a wetland scientist and what her work on our campus has meant.
The Campus Renewal Project was designed to give Montrose students a beautiful space, surrounded by the awe and wonder of nature, in which to practice and build the habit of sustained attention. Head of School Katie Elrod has highlighted the importance of the habit of attentiveness, choosing it as the habit that all at Montrose are working to cultivate this year
“Caitlin’s work requires extraordinary attention and care,” said Mrs. Elrod. “We created the Women of Noble Purpose Residency to introduce women exemplars from a variety of fields to our students. Caitlin is an example of what a life of noble purpose looks like in practice – someone who has followed her questions and found work that serves others.”
In notes of thanks to Caitlin after her visit, 6th grade students shared their gratitude for the opportunity to explore and learn about the campus wetlands, noticing thing they had never seen before. “I really enjoyed learning about the native and invasive plants that grow here,” said Lorna K. ‘33.
Madison F. ‘33 wrote, “I was so inspired by you and everything you know about the wetlands. You have definitely inspired me to be a wetlands scientist.”
The Women of Noble Purpose Residency is part of Montrose’s signature LifeCompass Institute student speaker series.