A wildlife biologist studies wild animals, their populations, and their habitats.
I have a strong attention to detail and I am very persistent. If I fail at something, I work harder and keep trying until I get it right. I believe analyzing complex scientific problems requires knowledge of many different subjects including weather, geology, forestry, and history. The more things you know about, the better scientist you can become. Not being afraid of math can also be a great asset for a scientist or anyone else.
How do different ways of cutting trees during timber harvesting affect different species of forest songbirds?
We capture bats at night with nets. We glue very small radio transmitters to their backs. We are then able track the signals from these transmitters to know where the bats are the following days. This allows us to determine what type of trees and habitats they are using. The bats are not harmed during this process.
The first time I radio-tracked a tri-colored bat, I found it roosting in dead leaves in the trees. I later found all of the tri-colored bats I followed did this. At that time, no one knew they did this.
When I first got out of college, I was a draftsman, designing machines that were built in a factory. I wanted do something that would make a difference to the world, and I always liked the outdoors. So I went back to college to study wildlife biology.
