I also perform volunteer work with other agencies at various times in addition to my own work. This may involve working out in the field or helping to educate the public. This offers me the opportunity to interact with the public and learn more about research as I study specific wildlife species in their natural habitat. Below are some of my projects. The hours spent on these projects are not recorded and not part of my over-all volunteer hours.
Museum of Biological Diversity
Prior to COVID, the Museum of Biological Diversity held an annual open house for the public to view live animals and artifacts of various animal species around the world. I have volunteered at the open house and also did some volunteer work in the Tetrapods department. This was not only educational for those I spoke with, but for myself. It was a great opportunity to speak with the public, educate them on aquatic life and even learn from them.
Wildlife Monitoring
I do a lot of hiking both day and night. I have spent many hours either searching areas or quietly sitting to observe the movement of wildlife. Though I am usually monitoring mammals, I also observe reptiles and amphibians. Some of the things I check are habitats in trees, ground or foliage. Wildlife monitoring provides me with information on species / populations within an ecosystem and how they live individually and together. I am learning to identify animal tracks, scats, paths and other signs left by the local wildlife populations.
Bee Houses and Wildlife Habitats
I constructed a bee house where bees can deposit eggs inside logs. I built a frame and cut numerous logs with several 1.4" diameter holes drilled in the logs. Due to a lot of invasive plant removals, I had many logs and brush so I built several habitat homes around the wetlands for birds, mammals and other animals can make their home.
Bat Advocacy
My goal is to educate the public about bats and how we need them for our future. I attend environmental events and hand out literature about bats and their importance to our ecosystem and economy. The literature is from Bat World Sanctuary. In addition to handing out material, I talk to people and answer their questions or concerns. It is great to break down the myths people have about bats. Photo at right was from Earth Day 2018.
Bat Box Inventory
I am currently checking bat box locations in Franklin County to create an inventory of the boxes within the county. These will be put together using GIS which local monitors may use. I am also working with local parks to either help get bat boxes in the park or help with maintenance for those already having bat boxes. Map coming soon!
Bat Box Study
I performed a study on bat box colors based on internal temperatures. I performed this study for one of my classes in college. Check out "Bat Study" page.
Photos from various events
