Service, outreach, community engagement
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We regularly conduct outreach events at local schools, public libraries, and public events to raise awareness about Tennessee's beautiful and diverse assemblage of reptiles and amphibians. Unfortunately, our leader is old, balding, and generally unattractive (see photo at right), but we leverage this deficiency to emphasize the majesty of the herpetofauna of Tennessee via juxtaposition.
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Conducting co-reviews with students: I am really passionate about conducting co-reviews with students to increase the integrity of the peer-review process and help train future reviewers/scientists. I was recently interviewed about co-reviewing practices for the Methods Blog, the official blog for the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution. You can read the full online here.
Citizen Science
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Long-term monitoring is essential to produce the data required to conserve species; however, long-term datasets are rare, particularly for cryptic species. I am leading a citizen science project using iNaturalist to document nesting behavior in marbled salamanders (Ambystoma opacum) across their range. The goal is to leverage the enthusiasm of amateur naturalists to better understand how nesting behavior of this species varies geographically and with changing climatic conditions. Feel free to join the project!
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