by Dr. Lisa Ferguson, Director of Research & Conservation

 

This summer we were able to hire another early career scientist, Gwyneth Daunton, thanks to the Jeannie Morris Graduate Fellowship program. As a Research Assistant, Gwyneth is gaining valuable field experience in Diamondback Terrapin ecology, as well as exposure to avian and Horseshoe Crab research and conservation programs. Gwyneth shared, “I am very excited to start working with terrapins! Ever since I was little I’ve always been intrigued by reptiles and amphibians, much to my parent’s chagrin. Since then I’ve worked with a bunch of different herpetofauna up and down the east coast, from Burmese pythons in the Florida Keys, Loggerhead sea turtles in Georgia, to marbled salamanders for my master’s degree. This opportunity will not only encourage my passion for conserving herpetofauna, but also give me the chance to work with other species that I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise. I’m very grateful that my position could be made available by others’ generosity!”

Our projects are not only benefiting from the generosity of Jeannie and Jim Morris through Gwyneth’s position this summer, but also from the experience of Chris Dolan who held the position in 2021. Chris has joined us for a second summer to assist with coastal bird projects, and will be applying knowledge gained last year on surveys of marsh-nesting birds using acoustic recorders.