Hello all! Since my last update I've been fairly busy. In the spring, I helped run and manage a Daphnia (a small aquatic crustacean, aka zooplankton) experiment in the lab that involved running experimental populations under specific, controlled conditions. In May, I began a summer fellowship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) through the Directorate Fellows Program (DFP). The DFP is an 11-week summer program aimed at rising senior undergraduates or graduate students. Students are selected to work with specific USFWS offices on various projects. I am currently working with the Carlsbad CA field office to complete species assessments on threatened, endangered, or at-risk species. Unfortunately, I'm working remotely due to COVID but despite this my experience has been great! I'm currently in my 5th week and I've been tasked with completing 2 species assessments. I'm working on a 5-year short review of the San Bernardino Mountains bladderpod, a plant species that is only found on carbonate soils in that mountain range, and a rapid assessment for the Santa Catalina Island ornate shrew which is a small mammal found only on the island. Primarily, working on these assessments involves reading and locating new information and contacting partners from other organizations. But it's not all work. I've had great opportunities to network, learn more about the positions in USFWS, and what the USFWS does (hint: it's probably more than you think!). I'm very excited about this opportunity, and hope to continue working with USFWS upon completing my PhD! Stay tuned for more updates on my fellowship. See species photos below.
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AuthorKaitlyn Howell Archives
October 2022
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