Land Conservation
The Virginia Outdoors Foundation protects ~900,000 acres of farmland, forestland, parkland, and other open spaces in Virginia. I currently work for VOF as a GIS Assistant where I create and edit GIS property boundaries for easements, acquisitions, and grant projects. I also use ArcGIS Online to create and update web maps, StoryMaps, Dashboards and other Apps and tools.
Switchgrass as a Biofuel
Switchgrass was historically a dominant member of tallgrass prairie ecosystems. These prairies mostly disappeared due to the expansion of mass agriculture. In a search for alternative fuel sources, the Department of Energy has been investing a lot of resources into research on perennial grasses for biofuel. Grasses have the added bonus of fixing carbon below ground, can slow both erosion and the leaching of crop fertilizers into waterways.
As lead research technician, I maintained the field plots, took plant measurements, and gathered phenology data according to protocols. I prepared equipment for and instructed teams of up to 10 for yearly harvest efforts of ~2,000 plants. |
Avian Research
Birds provide many direct and indirect contributions to the environment: pollinating plants, spreading seeds, consuming pests. Birds are also excellent indicators of environmental health. Changes in bird populations can tell us a lot about the impacts of climate change, drought, weather, and habitat change. Birds are a critical component to nearly every ecosystem on earth, and their fate is intertwined with ours.
With the ability to identify birds by sight and sound, I have conducted avian surveys in Florida, Louisiana, California, Delaware, Maryland, North and South Carolina, and Michigan. I have uses various methods such as transect surveys, point counts, and playback surveys. I have also conducted avian surveys by boat, captured seabirds using night lighting techniques, located and monitored passerine nests, target-netted banded and bled birds, banded nestlings, re-sighted color bands, attached small transmitters and geolocators, and radio tracked fledglings. |
Project Management
I have supervised and managed field logistics for several field crews of 3 to 10 people for various avian research projects. I have experience with site selection, hiring and training of the crew, development of project protocols, and writing technical reports.
For my M.S. degree I designed, implemented, analyzed, and presented research on post-fledging ecology of willow and dusky flycatchers the central Sierra Nevada. I analyzed data fledgling movement and habitat use data using ArcGIS and used Cormack-Jolly-Seber models in Program MARK to estimate fledgling survival and recapture probabilities. I thrive in a collaborative learning environment where I can give and receive feedback on projects and ideas. I am always open to learning new skills. |