 New England cottontails are one of the main prey for bobcats. Photo by Amanda Cheeseman. | Trail camera photos and video taken by Ph.D. student Amanda Cheeseman during her research on the imperiled New England cottontail rabbit have been highlighted on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service northeast region Facebook page. Her trail camera pictures were also incorporated into the New England cottontail flickr account. The photos largely feature potential predators of the New England cottontail such as the bobcat (pictured left). The New England cottontail and the bobcat depend heavily on early successional forest, a habitat that has sharply declined throughout the northeastern U.S. |
Ph.D. student Maureen Durkin's work using tiny radiotransmitters to identify sources of Snowy Plover chick mortality in the Florida Panhandle received mention in the recent "Gulf Issue" of Audubon Florida's quarterly magazine. The radiotelemetry is part of a larger project, in collaboration with partners at the Gulf Islands National Seashore and Audubon Florida to understand the impact of roadways on Snowy Plovers and other wildlife at the park. _
Graduate student Alison Kocek gave a video interview to Fios1 News about the ecology of Marine Nature Study Area, a salt marsh preserve in Oceanside, Long Island New York. As part of her Ph.D. research, Alison is studying the response of Saltmarsh Sparrow and Seaside Sparrow habitat and populations to changing habitat and human-related threats. These birds are critically imperiled, because they are 100% reliant on salt marshes which have declined drastically in extent due to human development and sea level rise.
You can watch Alison's interview here: http://www.fios1news.com/longisland/node/75761#.VGZU_ih8a25 The recent edition of the New York State Parks publication "Nature Times" details research being done by Ph.D. student Amanda Cheeseman on predator communities in New England cottontail habitat. Amanda and her research team are using camera traps and avian point surveys to compare occupancy rates of predators among different potential cottontail habitat areas. Her research will inform restoration efforts currently planned by the agency.  A bobcat inspects camera-trap bait New England cottontail research highlighted by The Young Forest Project and NewEnglandCottontail.org8/27/2014
The research of Ph.D. student Amanda Cheeseman was featured in an article on habitat restoration at Cranberry Mountain Wildlife Management Area in eastern New York. The article was cross-posted on websites for the Young Forest Project, dedicated to conservation issues for early-successional forest, and NewEnglandCottontail.org which focuses on this imperiled species. Amanda's study examines the relative importance of habitat quality, including invasive plant species, and competition with naturalized Eastern cottontails in driving populations of New England cottontails. She will be able to look at the response of the rabbits to newly-created habitat, such as the restored areas within Cranberry Mountain.  A radio-tagged New England cottontail, ready for release.  A Snowy Plover forages on the park road at Gulf Islands National Seashore. Graduate student Maureen Durkin's project evaluating the impacts of road mortality to the Snowy Plover population and other wildlife at Gulf Islands National Seashore, FL was featured in a piece urging local beachgoers to be mindful of nesting birds this holiday weekend. Audubon Florida and the National Park Service also highlighted the importance of respecting wildlife by following speed limits in the park, staying away from posted nested areas, and keeping pets off the beach. Maureen is conducting her dissertation research at Gulf Islands, where mortality of shorebirds and other wildlife on park roads is an ongoing issue of concern. Ultimately, this research aims to quantify road mortality and identify contributing factors to provide information that may aid the National Park Service in balancing management of shorebird populations and recreational use. Check it out here.  A Snowy Plover broods her chick at Gulf Islands National Seashore.  Photo: Margie Brenner/USFWS Ph.D. student Alison Kocek's research on Saltmarsh and Seaside Sparrows in the greater New York City area was featured in a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service article about different projects that are studying how bird communities have been impacted by Hurricane Sandy. She was featured alongside her colleagues at SHARP (Saltmarsh Habitat and Avian Research Project), a multi-agency group of collaborators studying the conservation of tidal marsh birds. Check out the article here. Nice work Alison!
An article by Anand Chaudhary (M.S. student) was featured on Conservation International's blog recently. Anand writes about the importance of vulture conservation, specifically in his home country of Nepal. Before coming to ESF, Anand was a vulture conservation program officer at Bird Conservation Nepal from 2008-2011. Check out the article below: http://blog.conservation.org/2013/10/ensuring-a-future-for-vultures-natures-cleanup-crew/   Source: Cape Cod Times/ Merrily Cassidy M.S. student Michelle Stantial's work examining the potential impact of wind turbines on Piping Plovers in Massachusetts received a write-up in the Cape Cod Times this summer. Nice work Michelle!
Read the full article: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130723/NEWS/307230323 |
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