“We will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we
understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.”
To understand and conserve wildlife on Earth, we must generate
interest in nature within future generations, while also providing young
scientists and professionals with the knowledge and practical skills
necessary to conserve it. I work to accomplish these goals through
education at multiple levels. I teach students at the collegiate level
to foster student interest, provide foundational knowledge, and
cultivate critical thinking skills. I also teach professional
conservation practitioners from state and federal agencies the
analytical skills necessary to perform risk assessments for imperiled
species. Last, I engage in outreach at multiple scales to educate and
increase interest in nature among the public. By fostering a strong
conservation ethic through education, I believe that teaching is one of
my strongest tools to not only help better understand biodiversity on
Earth, but also to conserve it.
Click on bold links below to drop-down information
about educational formats I use to teach ecology and conservation
biology.
In 2017, I worked as a Resident Professor for the Organization for
Tropical Studies in Costa Rica, where I co-taught an undergraduate
study-abroad course in tropical ecology. The course – Tropical Biology
on a Changing Planet – was offered through Organization for Tropical
Studies and accredited by Duke University. During a semester, the
students and faculty visited six tropical forest biomes in Costa Rica
and Panama, during which they become experts in ecology, environmental
policy, and research methods in the diverse tropical ecosystems. They
also become proficient in Spanish language and Costa Rican culture
through classes at the Costa Rican Language Academy and by hanging out
with all the great Costa Ricans at the field sites. Please contact me if
you are interested in studying tropical biology in Costa Rica.
Vertebrate Ecology and Herpetology
I have taught laboratory and field courses in both Vertebrate
Biodiversity and Herpetology at Auburn University. Courses introduced
students to natural history, diversity, taxonomy, and anatomy of
vertebrates in the southeastern United States, but herpetology provided
an exhaustive focus strictly on amphibians and reptiles. Both courses
included extensive field components with numerous field trips, including
weekend-long experiences. The courses concluded with students conducting
independent or group research projects on a species of interest, and
students gave presentations on the projects.
I co-taught “SSA200 - Strategic Use of Data for Species Status
Assessments”, a two-day crash-course in wildlife population statistics,
modeling, and population projections for USFWS biologists involved in Species
Status Assessments. All course materials (lectures, activities, web
applications, and other information) can be found on the course website.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
frequently performs assessments of whether certain species are at risk
of extinction. I participated in an IUCN Red List Assessment for all Central American
freshwater turtles in Mexico City, Mexico during 11-13 July 2023. I
lead the assessment for the Black River Turtle (Rhinoclemmys
funerea). Press
release.