For natural resources professional Natalie Foos, receiving a scholarship to attend a class at Stone Lab in her sophomore year of high school was a career-defining opportunity.

“I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I knew two things for sure: I loved science, and I loved being outside,” said Foos, who attended Stone Lab’s aquatic biology course in the summer of 1999. “That summer ended up being the most transformative experience of my young life.”

Foos now works as a Land and Water Resource Administrator for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Parks and Watercraft, serving as a dedicated leader at the state agency for more than 17 years. She attributes success in her career to her experience at the Lake Erie island campus.

“Stone Lab didn’t just shape my career; it shaped my identity. It gave me direction, confidence, and a lifelong passion for protecting Ohio’s natural resources,” Foos said.

Growing up in the small town of Bucyrus in Northern Ohio, Foos always had an affinity for the outdoors, with “muddy feet and a heart full of curiosity,” she said. In high school, she was stunned and honored to receive a Stone Lab scholarship, worrying if she was really cut out for science.

“At 16, I discovered a world where people actually got paid to study water, to explore the mysteries of aquatic life and protect the ecosystems I’d only ever admired from the shoreline,” Foos explained. “I fell head over heels for the strangeness of bryozoans, the intricate life cycles of aquatic larvae, and the powerful pulse of Lake Erie’s tributaries.”

“Stone Lab didn’t just teach me science – it gave me a sense of belonging. It lit a fire in me,” she continued.

Foos carried that flame through the rest of her career, going on to study environmental biology and water quality at Heidelberg University. She spent four years working in the Heidelberg Water Quality Lab, even returning to Stone Lab one summer as a college researcher collaborating on benthic mayfly larvae studies.

Her passion for conservation science ended up being a perfect fit for a career at ODNR, originally starting out in the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves with the Ohio Scenic Rivers Program, serving as Central Ohio Regional Scenic Rivers Manager for many years.

“You will never, ever regret the choice to study at Stone Lab. Students can learn a whole lot in a classroom, but nothing replaces the hands-on, real-world experience you’ll gain by being at Stone Lab.”
Natalie Foos

Today, as Land and Water Resource Administrator, Foos oversees a wide range of programs and projects focused on water quality, environmental conservation, and habitat restoration. She’s led the removal of outdated and unsafe dams to restore natural river flow, helped implement Ohio’s first boat washing station to comply with aquatic invasive species regulations, and managed H2Ohio projects to reduce nutrient pollution through wetland and riparian restoration. In November of 2025, she was honored with a statewide award from the Water Management Association of Ohio.

Foos highlighted the value Stone Lab courses provides to current high school and college students interested in science.

“You will never, ever regret the choice to study at Stone Lab,” she said. “Students can learn a whole lot in a classroom, but nothing replaces the hands-on, real-world experience you’ll gain by being at Stone Lab. Applied science, in real time, is invaluable.”

“It’s also important to understand how that science connects to everyday life for people who may not share the same passion,” Foos continued. “Being on the island and close to the ‘action’ is a powerful reminder of how essential water is to Ohio, whether for recreation, public health and safety, or the state’s economy. It’s important to understand the science, but also to understand how to translate it into real-world concerns and priorities.”

For more information about Stone Lab courses and scholarships, visit the laboratory’s website. Thanks to support from donors, all students enrolled in for-credit Stone Lab courses this coming summer will receive a 50% discount for room and meal fees. Scholarship applications for non-Ohio State college students and high school students are due March 31.

“I’m proud to be part of the legacy of the small little Lake Erie Island,” Foos said. “And I’m deeply grateful that Ohio State continues to preserve it — not just for research, but for the next generation of curious kids who might one day find themselves, just like I did, standing on its shores and dreaming big.”

Ohio Sea Grant is supported by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension, and NOAA Sea Grant, a network of 34 Sea Grant programs nation-wide dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of marine and Great Lakes resources. Stone Laboratory is Ohio State’s island campus on Lake Erie and is the research, education, and outreach facility of Ohio Sea Grant and part of CFAES School of Environment and Natural Resources.