Each summer the KBS LTER supports students to participate in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, funded by the NSF. This is part of a larger undergraduate research program at KBS. Rachel Geiger is a student at Western Washington University. She wrote about her REU project working with mentor Joe Lee-Cullin, a PhD student in Dr. Jay Zarnetske's Lab at MSU. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ This summer I set out with a goal to discover what it means to conduct ecological research. Throughout my undergraduate career I have always