I am a senior in the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation program at the University of Florida. I was born in Tampa, Florida and grew up just north of there in Wesley Chapel. I’ve always had a soft spot for animals, and I’ve had a hundred pets in my lifetime, from a golden retriever and cats to turtles, chickens, and ducks. My mother recently became a professor of Nursing and Midwifery at Yale. She and my younger brother moved to Connecticut last year, and my older sister is currently traveling through South America; so I’m the only one left in Florida! I have always loved to travel too. In high school, I visited Canada with my family and spent a spring break in England and Scotland with my sister. I’ve also been to Alaska and Amsterdam and can’t wait to go back! Even though it’s no big city, I’ve enjoyed my last three years in Gainesville. I spend my time away from class working at a bakery, exploring trails and parks, playing guitar, doing nature photography, watching movies, and learning to cook with my boyfriend.  

In high school, my mom took me to see Jeff Corwin give a seminar about being an environmentalist at the University of South Florida, and it really got me thinking about the possibility of pursuing a career in this field. My experience in wildlife work outside of classes began with a study abroad trip that I took to Kenya last year. I stayed at the Mpala Research Centre in Laikipia for a month then traveled to Nairobi and Mombasa. Under my professor, I studied the symbiosis between acacia trees and the ants that protect them from elephants and other large herbivores. I got to meet researchers studying African wildlife and see lions, rhinos, zebras, etc. I loved Africa and the people I met there. So far, that trip has been my most life-changing experience. I think of it daily, and I’d go back in a heartbeat!  

Since last summer, I have been volunteering at a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission research lab helping the wildlife health team do necropsies of deer, panthers, birds of prey, foxes, etc. I never thought I’d like necropsy, but it’s been interesting and the people at the lab are very encouraging. I’m excited to continue volunteering with them until I leave UF. I’m planning to graduate soon with a major in wildlife ecology and a minor in entomology. This fall, I intend to get involved in more research and apply to graduate school programs. I hope to stay in academia for at least a master’s degree and then see what world travels and experiences in conservation I can get from there.  

So far, I have learned a hundred new things every day at this internship. I’m looking forward to completing the surveys and projects that we’ve started. Thank you so much for providing me with the opportunity to stay at St. Marks and assist in their conservation efforts!