This past session was mostly filled with telemetry. I needed up to 15 points for some of the chipmunks, so there were at least four different days where I was tasked with that. The good news is, after the first few rounds, I was able to devise an order and a system that allowed for a smooth flow from one animal to the next. Plus, I was taking points with a second person instead of doing it alone, which made it much easier.

I was also able to start the side project this session and do about four trial runs. These runs gave me an idea of what all I would need to do to conduct the tests, how I might need to tweak it, how long each test should take, etc.

Essentially, I will take a chipmunk and place it in a glass aquarium (an arena, if you will). The arena will be placed in an open field and one end will be closer to the neighboring forest than the other end. Once the chipmunk is inside the arena, I will video record its behavior in an attempt to determine whether the animal is able to detect the forest that is closer as within its perceptual range.

Here's a short clip of one of the trial runs. Originally we had down paper and ink
pads. When the animal crossed over the center, they would get inked. We could 
then use the paper to discover which side had a higher percent coverage and 
determine the chipmunk's perceptual range abilities that way. We decided just
to focus on the behavior through video. 

The session was also filled with the usual morning observations (though not as many!), trapping and reproduction checks.

Gogo Squeez applesauce is perfect for
morning observations.

We drove up to Riggs Lake (although it's really more of a pond than a lake) for lunch one day. While it was small, I did enjoy the change of scenery. 


One of the biggest things that happened this session was that a saw a bear! Yep! I saw an actual black bear. I was hiking up to close some traps and heard some loud cracking and snapping of branches. When I walked around to check it out, I saw a big 'ole bear butt. I quickly closed my traps and got out of there. In hindsight, that's not what I was supposed to do. For black bears, you're supposed to make noise (clap, sing, whatever) to indicate your presence so the bear doesn't suddenly notice you and get scared. But I got out of there without harm and that's what matters.

Next session is my last! I fly home in less than two weeks. :)




We have juvies! Since the research I am working on focuses on dispersal behavior, we need to trap juvenile chipmunks so we can 1) radio collar them to track their movements and 2) analyze their behavior to see where they fall on the spectrum of curiosity and aggression. This past session was my third trip on the mountain and we finally caught some juvies. Three, actually. 



Juvies through the binoculars during my
morning observation. 

We caught one! Here we have her in the bag
so we can process her - take her weight, gender,
tag her ears and put on a radio collar. 
Here we are analyzing a juvenile's behavior.
We place the juveniles in the arena to the
left and watch through a webcam that is
hooked through the computer. For seven
minutes, we see if the juvie is interested in
the false bottom holes in the arena. This
measures their curiosity. For seven
additional minutes, we see if it is interested in
the mirrored wall of the arena, which measures
their aggression. 

Since we have juvies to track, I also began radio telemetry this session, which is where I listen to their collar signal through a receiver and antenna from two different locations and pinpoint the whereabouts of the animal. I also spent this session searching for night nests, also using telemetry. This allows us to find where the radio collared nursing females are nesting at night, so we can observe for juvies the next morning. 

Searching for night nests!
Some other fun things that happened this session:

One of the interns found this awesome
lizard. He is a Madrean Alligator lizard.

We found a mountain lion print!

And of course, a battle wound! I smacked my
leg on the branch of a log while trying to
step over said log. 
I have also been working on the side project. We are hoping to start trial runs in the next couple sessions!




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Hello!

Hello!

About me

I am a graduate of NC State University with a Bachelors of Science in Zoology and a minor in Nonprofit Studies.

I am currently a Master's Student at NC State studying Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology. Part of my thesis will focus on how state action plans and policies look at and incorporate climate change and land use change. I am highly interested in habitat use, movement ecology and behavior, and hope to study these during my Master's and, later, my PhD.

I am currently working on my North Carolina Environmental Education Certification.

My skills include: Radio telemetry, Camera Trap Installation and Calibration, Animal Handling, Data Entry and Management, Animal Husbandry, Animal Behavior, Wildlife Rehabilitation, Raptor Handling, Project Planning, Fundraising, Public Speaking, Time Management and Organization

Classes I'm Currently Taking

-Conservation Biology
-Quantitative Methods in Education
-Wildlife Seminar
-Resource Selection Functions

Current Projects

-Evaluating Efficacy of Conservation Planning in the Southeast
-Evaluating the Household Dynamics of Wildlife Value Orientations

Honors, Awards, and Certifications

-Bachelor of Science in Zoology, 2015
-Minor in Nonprofit Studies
-Dean's List, Spring 2012, Fall 2013
-Roots and Shoots Founders' Award, $100, 2012-2013
-Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation Certification, March 2013
-Visionary Leader Certificate, Spring 2012

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