Imagine you are reading a comic book… you are enthralled, flipping through the glossy pages to see how the protagonist defeats the villain and accomplishes their goals. Now imagine that the protagonist is a scrappy little Florida Scrub-Jay, Florida’s only endemic bird species, and you, the reader, find yourself strangely invested in this silly little bird’s fate.

The comic in question is the result of a recent intern project by Anicka Chaffey, the first Scientific Illustration Intern in the Avian Ecology Program at Archbold Biological Station. “Cora: Finding a Home in the Scrub” is a 25-page story that follows a female scrub-jay named Cora who is trying to move out of her home territory and build her own life! While following along on her journey readers will learn about life in the Florida scrub and the challenges Florida Scrub-Jays face when it comes to finding a territory in this unique habitat. The comic book aims to educate readers about Florida Scrub-Jays as well as some of Archbold’s scientific research and conservation practices. Join Archbold’s mailing list to be notified of the comic’s release: click here.

One of the main goals of this project is to get copies in the hands of every 7th grader in Highlands County. “From the get-go, this comic was a collaboration between Archbold’s Avian Ecology and Education staff to create material that could be used in classrooms” explains Anicka, “we wanted to make sure the product had a lasting and useful application within the community.” While a comic might seem like an unusual tool for education, Anicka explains that “comics are actually the perfect tool for science communication! Carefully combining words and pictures to tell a story can make learning about dense topics both fun and accessible.”

Dr. Sahas Barve, Archbold’s Director of Avian Ecology, believes this comic has value not only as a tool for science communication, but also as a way for community members to get to know a bird that relies on public support for its conservation. “Florida Scrub-Jays are federally Threatened and their populations are declining," says Barve. “A story like Cora: Finding a Home in the Scrub helps build a connection with the species and inspires folks to conserve what they value. A large proportion of Floridians have never even heard of a Florida Scrub-Jay. We want to change that!”

Dustin Angell, Archbold’s Director of Education and lifelong comic book fan, thought the comic would be the perfect way to connect to middle school students and saw this project as a way to expand Archbold’s existing K-12 outreach program. Utilizing a list of Florida’s middle-school science standards, Dustin compiled a set of science learning goals to incorporate into the comic. “The nature of science is part of everyday life at Archbold, but this topic is one that local students struggle with every year on state exams. The comic is designed with these state standards in mind, using visual examples of real ecological research so students can see science-in-action.” He added that “integrating these standards into a story will hopefully make this a resource that is easy for teachers to fit seamlessly within existing curricula for years to come.”

Anicka Chaffey

This was a first of its kind collaboration between Archbold’s “bird scientists” and education staff, as well as the Highlands County School District. Thanks to a generous local donor, every 7th grader in Highlands County will receive their very own copy! “Working closely with Dustin and Anicka to translate research into a fun adventure story has been an inspiring experience that has led me to think about the outcomes of our research in an entirely new way,” says Tori Bakley, Avian Ecology Research Assistant, “It is exciting to build a project that unites the objectives of multiple different programs that all have the same goal: to educate and inspire the next generation of scientists and conservationists.

Click here to download a free coloring page from the comic book!