This summer, the Fishers Island Conservancy and the Community Center launched a new program – Island Sentinels – to enable students from the F.I. School to learn about wildlife monitoring and connect with the natural environment of our Island on a scientific level. Guided by naturalist Justine Kibbe, the first two Island Sentinels, the brother-sister team of Olivia and Rob Backhaus, did a fabulous job of observing and recording conditions at ten different sites around the island.

Olivia, who is now a senior, is building on her work this summer by engaging in an independent study project. With mentoring from Justine Kibbe, as well as the guidance of Carol Giles and other faculty at the school, Olivia is analyzing and interpreting the data she gathered this summer.

Olivia has put together two videos about their work. Learn what Sentinels do!