American Black Bear cub measurements during den work February 2013
I am a wildlife ecologist, currently working in British Columbia Canada. My research over the last eleven years has been focused on understanding the link between animal movement behaviour and the importance of a connected landscapes for wildlife management. I have broader interests that involve understanding how animals interact with their surroundings and how food abundance and distribution change animal behaviour. I am constantly looking for new opportunities to learn about species interactions, ecosystems dynamics and to work towards a more inclusive approach to ecological conservation.
Thick-Billed Murre chick banding on the cliffs of Coats Island, NU
For the past three summers I have had the incredible opportunity to work for Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and McGill University on a seabird project based on Coats Island in Nunavut. Here I combine my passion for scientific research with my favourite sport and past time, rock climbing. For this project I have been responsible for the installment, maintenance and upkeep of fixed ropes and equipment that allow myself and the other researchers to access cliff ledges to study Thick-Billed Murres and Glaucous Gulls. During the winter of 2017 I worked for fRI Research as a Caribou Researcher in Hinton, Alberta. Here I was responsible for analyzing GPS Collar data from female Woodland Caribou to identify habitat use and selection during the calving season. I completed my M.Sc. at Trent University in 2017 under the supervision of Dr. Martyn Obbard, a research scientist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (ONMRF), and Dr. James Schaefer, a professor in the biology department at Trent.
Weighing an adult Red Squirrel working in the Yukon for the Kluane Red Squirrel Project. July 2009
My first exposure to wildlife reach are field biology was during the summer of 2009 working for the Kluane Red Squirrel Project in the Yukon Territories. It was through this experience I was able to collaborate with many dedicated researchers and start to develop my own ideas for my future research projects. Starting in 2010, I worked with the OMNRF, where I was first hired by Species at Risk ScientistJoe Nocera. I was involved in two student research projects on Chimney Swifts and was integral in the development of capture and handling protocols , as well as nest monitoring of these birds. I was also a part of a filed crew for the Far North Terrestrial Biodiversity Project where I collected biological samples in remote areas of the James Bay lowlands in Northern Ontario. In 2011 and 2012 I worked for Dr. Obbard on his Algonquin black bear project in Algonquin Provincial Park. This position, gave me the opportunity to fulfill my childhood dream of working with large mammals, and also provided an important step into pursuing a graduate degree. Using data collected through GPS satellite collars, I completed an undergraduate thesis, supervised by Dr. John Fryxell, where I explored the effects of offspring presence on female black bear movement behaviour. In 2012, I completed my undergraduate in ecology at the University of Guelph with an area of emphasis in resource conservation and started my Master of Science at Trent University.
Waiting for the helicopter to pick us up after 6 days in the James Bay Lowlands. August 2010.
Bog walking. August 2010
Catching Chimney Swifts in Guelph Ontario. July 2010