Current Projects
Kihansi Spray Toad (Nectophrynoides asperginis)
The Kihansi Spray Toad is a species native to a small wetland on the side of a waterfall in Tanzania. They are currently extinct in the wild, but hopes are to reintroduce them in the near future. As part of the reintroduction efforts, on request from the Lower Kihansi Environmental Management Project and the National Environment Management Council of Tanzania, myself and Brooke Reeve (MSc graduate) conducted a toxicity study of endosulfan and tested endosulfan's interactions with the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) from May-September 2011.
My main role in the project was to plan, create, and maintain the husbandry set ups for toads. Highly specific in their requirements, we had to maintain a constant mist in their enclosures 22-24 hours a day for their survival. We had anywhere from 100 to 500 toads at a time. Along with caring for the toads, I also helped implement the study by monitoring health, behavior, population numbers, and spraying the chemicals.
We are beginning a manuscript with our results soon and hope to have it in review by early 2012.
Watch the National Geographic video below for more information about our project:
The Kihansi Spray Toad is a species native to a small wetland on the side of a waterfall in Tanzania. They are currently extinct in the wild, but hopes are to reintroduce them in the near future. As part of the reintroduction efforts, on request from the Lower Kihansi Environmental Management Project and the National Environment Management Council of Tanzania, myself and Brooke Reeve (MSc graduate) conducted a toxicity study of endosulfan and tested endosulfan's interactions with the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) from May-September 2011.
My main role in the project was to plan, create, and maintain the husbandry set ups for toads. Highly specific in their requirements, we had to maintain a constant mist in their enclosures 22-24 hours a day for their survival. We had anywhere from 100 to 500 toads at a time. Along with caring for the toads, I also helped implement the study by monitoring health, behavior, population numbers, and spraying the chemicals.
We are beginning a manuscript with our results soon and hope to have it in review by early 2012.
Watch the National Geographic video below for more information about our project:
Future Projects?
One of my primary research interests is how amphibian species interact with the causal pathogen of chytridiomycosis, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). More precisely, I am interested in how Bd is affecting native species in the northeast United States. Bd has been found in most areas where substantial testing has been done, but a large part of the region remains untested. For example, only around thirty samples have been taken in my native New York state. In my future research, I hope to begin to answer the questions of where is it, what species is it affecting, and why?
Other Interests
Zoo-Based Conservation - Having volunteered and worked at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo for the past five years, I am also immensely interested in the role zoological institutions can play in conservation. From having captive emergency colonies, conducting research, and using exhibits to inform the public, I believe that zoos are becoming ever more important tools in conservation. Since amphibians and reptiles are smaller and generally less expensive than large carnivores or other mammals, Zoos can be an even bigger assest to their conservation efforts. In fact, if it were not for the Toledo and Bronx Zoos and their dedicated staff, the Kihansi Spray Toad, among other species would most likely be extinct.
Natural Resources and Wildlife Policy - Since I started watching Meet the Press with my Dad on Sunday mornings as a four year old (I knew who Madeleine Albright was before I could read), I have been really interested in politics. A solid understanding of natural resource and environmental policy, not to mention how state and federal agencies work, is as important as ever for today's conservation biologists. I am extremely interested in taking my knowledge of conservation and the natural world and incorporating it into policy making decisions. I currently am a member of the newly formed Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmen's Legislative Committee, serving as a liaison between the Federation and elected officials at both the local and state levels. In January 2010, I traveled with the Federation to Albany for the annual "Sportsmen's Legislative Awareness Day" and met with State Senators Valesky, DeFrancisco, and Krueger in their offices to discuss current sportsmen's issues, which ultimately affect conservation.
Teaching and Public Outreach
-As much as I enjoy learning new things, I also find teaching others about conservation and wildlife to be extremely fulfilling. Four out of my last five semesters I have been a tutor or teaching assistant for courses on campus. This fall, I taught two full lectures. One was a lecture specifically on Chytridiomycosis for Dr. Sadie Ryan's Emerging Infectious Disease class and an Amphibian and Reptile Conservation overview lecture for Prof. Joe Folta's Herpetology class.
-As a volunteer at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, I am also trained to handle a variety of raptors and parrots which I use for public demonstrations and bird shows. I have also done countless "meet the keeper" talks and feeding demonstrations for the public in the herp, aquariums, and indoor birds departments.
-For the second year in a row, I am also serving as Volunteer Coordinator for the Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmen's "Women in Nature" Outdoor Skills workshop. This yearly event that we put on every April is a full day, no-cost, introduction into a variety of outdoor skills and activities for women of all ages.
Teaching a person something new, sparking their interest, and helping them open their eyes to the world around them is one the most rewarding feelings I have ever felt. Further, if we are going to protect this earth for future generations, it is critical that we lead the way and open the doors for everyone.
Natural Resources and Wildlife Policy - Since I started watching Meet the Press with my Dad on Sunday mornings as a four year old (I knew who Madeleine Albright was before I could read), I have been really interested in politics. A solid understanding of natural resource and environmental policy, not to mention how state and federal agencies work, is as important as ever for today's conservation biologists. I am extremely interested in taking my knowledge of conservation and the natural world and incorporating it into policy making decisions. I currently am a member of the newly formed Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmen's Legislative Committee, serving as a liaison between the Federation and elected officials at both the local and state levels. In January 2010, I traveled with the Federation to Albany for the annual "Sportsmen's Legislative Awareness Day" and met with State Senators Valesky, DeFrancisco, and Krueger in their offices to discuss current sportsmen's issues, which ultimately affect conservation.
Teaching and Public Outreach
-As much as I enjoy learning new things, I also find teaching others about conservation and wildlife to be extremely fulfilling. Four out of my last five semesters I have been a tutor or teaching assistant for courses on campus. This fall, I taught two full lectures. One was a lecture specifically on Chytridiomycosis for Dr. Sadie Ryan's Emerging Infectious Disease class and an Amphibian and Reptile Conservation overview lecture for Prof. Joe Folta's Herpetology class.
-As a volunteer at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, I am also trained to handle a variety of raptors and parrots which I use for public demonstrations and bird shows. I have also done countless "meet the keeper" talks and feeding demonstrations for the public in the herp, aquariums, and indoor birds departments.
-For the second year in a row, I am also serving as Volunteer Coordinator for the Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmen's "Women in Nature" Outdoor Skills workshop. This yearly event that we put on every April is a full day, no-cost, introduction into a variety of outdoor skills and activities for women of all ages.
Teaching a person something new, sparking their interest, and helping them open their eyes to the world around them is one the most rewarding feelings I have ever felt. Further, if we are going to protect this earth for future generations, it is critical that we lead the way and open the doors for everyone.