Directorate Fellowship Program (DFP)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Summer 2017
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"DFP provides undergraduate rising seniors and graduate students who are interested in conservation or other related careers with a full-time, 11-week opportunity that supports FWS conservation priorities." - USFWS
GIS Study of Threatened and Endangered Species in Colorado (Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Greenback Cuttroat Trout, Colorado Hookless Cactus, Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse)
I have spent an overwhelming majority of my life within the urban confines of Baltimore City. In early school years, I recall instructors from a nature center visiting my summer camp program weekly. Those lessons about and activities regarding our natural environment and its components sparked my appreciation and interest in the natural environment which would carry on into my college studies in the years to come. I have remained dedicated to scientific research and technology that contribute to the conservation efforts of natural resources for the benefit of all people. Ultimately, I seek a career applying my environmental science and GIS skills and knowledge to complete meaningful conservation tasks with a special interest in increasing awareness and access of these valued natural resources to urban populations.
For summer 2017, I completed a fellowship with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)’s Directorate Fellows Program sponsored by Student Conservation Association (SCA). This fellowship program presents a 12-week (with training) summer opportunity where students take on proposed projects stationed at one of many USFWS host sites. USFWS’s mission is to conserve and protect our nation’s unique fish, plant, and wildlife species and habitats which benefit people today and of future generations. USFWS’s mission is fulfilled through federal wildlife law enforcement, endangered species protection, migratory bird management, and so much more. I fulfilled a proposed project in USFWS’s Mountain-Prairie Region, specifically, the Region 6 Office in Lakewood, CO. Within the regional office, I was placed in Ecological Services’ Branch of Decision Support, in which the decision support team is responsible for analytical, geospatial, and other decision support tasks for field offices that may not have the necessary skillsets and resources. Spatial Ecologist John Guinotte, one of the current five experienced and expert staff members in decision support, was my supervisor.
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I was a GIS Technician tasked with creating and updating GIS products for four listed species: Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Colorado Hookless Cactus, Greenback Cutthroat Trout, and Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse. For the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher and Colorado Hookless Cactus species, I revised, refined, and created spatial Area of Influence (AOI) ranges, which were then, formatted and uploaded into the Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC) system. In order to effectively refine AOIs, I communicated with field office biologists to establish AOI refinement methodology. As an additional task responsibility for refining the flycatcher AOI, I digitized species presence points from currently inaccessible, hard-copy surveys. For the Greenback Cutthroat Trout, I updated the Greenback Cutthroat Trout’s database by locating and identifying green verses blue lineage streams in Colorado based on a 2010 genetic characterization survey study by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). Lastly, for the Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse, I created a habitat conservation potential map by researching and identifying variables, and weighting and reclassifying those selected variables.
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My education at Clark University has been a pivotal component to the successful completion of my fellowship position as a GIS Technician at a USFWS regional office. Skills I obtained during my tenure as a GISDE graduate student at Clark included applying analytical vector tools. Specifically, those essential skills included digitization/spatial data creation, data organization and analysis, and multi-criteria decision-making. I did not apply remote sensing directly for my fellowship positon, but through shadowing other USFWS decision support offices, I witnessed the relevance of remote sensing skills and understanding for projects involving for instance, satellite imagery classification to quantify instances of change. Skills I acquired on-the-job were more interpersonal skills, such as communication and discussion capabilities with expert scientists on species, and written communication as well. Other skills included applying ecological understanding, independence/ personal responsibility, and strategic/critical thinking and problem solving.
Overall, I am extremely grateful to have been granted this opportunity to complete a proposed project assigned as a part of USFWS’s Directorate Fellows Program. This fellowship has aided in my career and skill growth as a GIS analyst. From this fellowship, I learned about the mission, structure, and operations of USFWS. Specifically, I learned about one aspect of decision support within the large-scaled and dynamic operations within USFWS, and processes associated with addressing federally listed species. As a final thought, I highly recommend this fellowship opportunity to students interested in a career of natural resource conservation, or who have a natural resource background/organismal coursework. USFWS is an exemplar organization with employees dedicated to public service.
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Summer presentation at Region 6 office.
Training closing ceremony.
Cohort 7 - summer 2017.
National Outdoors Day.
National Outdoors Day - USFWS.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal Tour.
Greenback Cuttroat Trout release.
Cohort 7 - Summer 2017.
Professional seminar presentation at Clark University.
Mosaics in Science Internship Program
National Park Service (NPS)
Summer 2018
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"The Mosaics in Science Internship Program provides youth that are under-represented in natural resource science career fields with on-the-ground, science-based, work experience with the National Park Service." - NPS
GIS Analysis of Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) Habitat Suitability in Minute Man National Historical Park, Concord, Massachusetts
Time flies - I have officially finished my internship for this summer and had an amazing time at the Mosaics in Science Career Workshop in Colorado. In the Colorado workshop, I met my intern peers placed at other national parks, learned about the various projects accomplished, gained valuable career advice and encouragement, and immersed myself in an environment fostering and bolstering underrepresented groups in natural resource science. Reflecting on my internship experience, I have been able to study the rare species of the Blanding’s turtle and learn all about its fascinating characteristics. I will recap and summarize my project, as well as present the results and discussion I have been able to produce throughout my internship tenure.
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While Minute Man National Historical Park preserves historic sites, structures, properties, and landscapes, Minute Man NHP also has natural habitat suitable for rare species. Blanding’s turtle is state-listed as threatened in Massachusetts, as it is threatened from vehicular traffic and habitat fragmentation. Since 2011, four tracked turtles at the nearby Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge have been found along the edge and inside Minute Man NHP boundaries. Within and surrounding Minute Man NHP boundaries are wetland complexes, specifically shrub swamps, that are favorable habitats for Blanding’s turtle.
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On the other hand, there has been an increase in residential development surrounding Minute Man NHP, increasing turtle vulnerability to habitat fragmentation and becoming roadkill. Present turtle conservation activities near Minute Man NHP include releasing head-started turtles, recording turtle characteristics through trapping and releasing, and monitoring with radio tracking.
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To better understand how Minute Man NHP and its surrounding areas support the Blanding’s turtle, I investigated habitat suitability using a set of spatial criteria. Higher suitable habitat of Blanding’s turtle are of distances closer to shrub swamps and of distances further from roads and residential development. The habitat suitability analysis I conducted, including as criteria proximity to shrub swamps (50%), roads (40%), and residential development (10%), unveiled more suitable habitat in the northern portion of the Battle Road Unit of the park in Concord. Past tracked turtle records also indicated turtle presence in those highly suitable regions. In addition, tracked turtle records indicated moderately favorable nesting habitat located near Virginia Road just north of the park.
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Using the habitat vulnerability map results as a guide, the natural resources team and I headed into the field to travel toward and investigate suitable turtle habitat in Minute Man NHP. The investigation unveiled landscape features favorable to Blanding’s turtle habitat, such as thick cattail vegetation, cropland fields, and shrub swamps. However, the lack of strong wetland complexes within Minute Man NHP limit turtle habitat in this park. In addition, a major wetland investigated in Minute Man NHP was found to be in poor condition. Because the increasing trend of invasive plants threaten the vegetation, wetland and forest communities in Minute Man NHP, management of invasive plants should be given priority in order to preserve present native plant species and to plant native species favored by Blanding’s turtle, such as Buttonbush and Sweet Gale.
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Overall, tracked turtle records indicate turtle presence within national park property and potential nesting habitat to the north of the park, such as at Kavesti Farm, Moore’s Swamp, Elm Brook, and Hanscom Field. Minute Man NHP is situated in important habitat shown to contain Blanding’s turtle. The results of the habitat suitability analysis demonstrate areas of high suitability for the Blanding’s turtle, therefore park efforts to promote conservation and education initiatives supporting the Blanding’s turtle could facilitate a stronger presence of this rare species in the park.
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Education outreach should include a narrative of beaver benefits for turtles and upland habitat awareness. Beavers and their damming activity provide a water source, wetland mosaic, and food source for turtles during dry periods. Because Blanding’s turtle prefer to nest in more developed areas such as residential yards, increasing public awareness of these turtles can help residents act accordingly when detecting these species in places where they are vulnerable.
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Minute Man NHP is currently brainstorming plans that aim to improve conservation of rare species and its habitat, such as invasive plant management. Future park management efforts can also include surveying of the park’s water quality in wetlands, particularly in ponds. Documentation of pond health can guide management when proposing recommendations for agricultural activity. Efforts to document rare species, such as Blanding’s turtle, are essential for informing park decisions to effectively improve and conserve vital species habitat.
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It has been gratifying to engage in the science around Blanding’s turtle conservation and have the results of my analysis inform efforts to protect the species in and around Minute Man NHP. Minute Man NHP is a smaller park with a small dedicated staff that works hard to provide visitors with a memorable cultural preservation experience, along with conservation of the natural landscape and species. Upon completing my internship, I shared my work with others in Colorado and delivered my work products to Minute Man NHP. I will not forget this summer experience with a supportive supervisor and team. As I move on to new adventures, I hope to fulfill my career aspirations of permanently working for and supporting our public lands.
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Learning about Blanding's turtle.
Heading to Blanding's turtle habitat.
Colorado Professional Workshop - Red Rocks Amphitheater.
Colorado Professional Workshop - Red Rocks Amphitheater.
Rocky Mountain National Park - Darla Sidles, Superintendent.
Presentation on Blanding's turtle research and GIS analysis.
Successful internship completion.
Mosaics in Science - Summer 2018 Cohort.