Biology students learn about the natural world and the real-world challenges to health, agriculture and the environment  in their classrooms, laboratories, and, in some cases, in the nearby Skunk River.  The Skunk River Navy (SRN) was formed in 1998 as a community service activity for the Freshmen Biology Learning Community (BEST) by Jim Colbert, who is currently the Biology Program Director.

One of the major contributions of the SRN is to remove trash from the Skunk River.  This season, the SRN removed 7,520 lbs (3.76 tons) of trash from the river, bringing their all-time total to 143,600 lbs (71.8 tons). Students also perform IOWATER river assessments, including monitoring populations of invertebrates.