Would you like to submit a question to the community of Biologists?
What’s an unusual skill you have that is useful at work?
Ask A Biologist Monday 6-21-21
Alright, so I’m good at skinning animals. It’s really useful for necropsies (figuring out how an animal died) and prepping animals for scientific collections.
Answers from Biologists:
Photoshop and indesign
I’m an enthusiastic talker.
Climbing things, tying knots, and fitting into small spaces.
Sewing.
I do aerial and pole dance and it’s useful for climbing things.
Ranch skills. Building fence, using irrigation systems, running large equipment.
Organization.
I make decisions quickly and can salvage crappy field work days.
Boiling coyote bones to loosen up fat and hair to get at smaller bones for articulation.
Communicating complex concepts to non-scientific brained people.
Driving off-road in giant pick-up trucks.
Getting a vehicle unstuck from the mud.
A good memory.
Bushwacking
Writing small and neatly.
Critical thinking/problem solving/rigging things on the fly.
Befriending older landowners.
Climbing fences.
Spotting fish in water.
Navigation.
Fixing tools in the field.
Catching birds with a throw net.
Starting fires.
Following game trails.
Languages, an excellent shot, and cooking.
Drawing animals.
Driving in reverse.
Managing pests in a museum.
Building docks and setting up pilings.
I can fix almost anything.
Graphic memory.
Drawing blood from birds.
A really good nose.
Crawling through barbed wire fences.
Drawing/illustration.
Engaging the public.
Net repair.
Handling birds.
Spotting wildlife.
Extracting otoliths (ear bones) from fish.
Fixing engines.
What is your favorite piece of field gear that you recommend?
Ask A Biologist Monday 6/14/21
Mine is the Leatherman “sidekick”. It’s got a ton of tool options, including a saw that has come in handy so many times.
Answers from Biologists:
Leather gloves. I seem to need them for everything.
Hydroflask. Hot stays hot and cold stays cold.
Camelbak backpacks.
Tourniquet. I haven’t had to use it (thankfully) but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.
Neck gator and hat.
Mountainsmith Lumbar Pack! Perfect for accessing what I need without a backpack.
Good boots and a bandana.
Leatherman and Osprey backpack.
Construction gloves. They get gross but they save my hands from bugs and stuff.
Darn tough socks. Best hiking socks ever and guaranteed for life.
I work on the coast so a must for me is a good pair of muck boots and a bug net/sunhat.
A wide-brimmed hat.
My phone. I use GPS apps that allow you to georeference everything (points, photos, notes). Makes it super easy to export at the office and it can be used “offline”.
Duct tape. Repairs, waterproofs, keeps bugs out of my pants.
A good pair of snake boots and sunscreen.
Ariat Dublin River boots. They’ve been from salt marsh to blizzard and are so comfy.
A portable charging bank so I can keep my phone fully charged in the field.
Colombia fishing SPF longsleeve shirts.
A small fan that I hang around my neck.
A good buff! Keeps the sun off your neck and sunblock out of your eyes. Doubles as a mask.
Xtratuf boots.
Rite in the Rain notebooks. In yellow so you don’t misplace them.
Muck boots. I always keep a pair in the truck. Dry feet are everything!
A change of clothes.
Field guide apps.
“Good fitting” boots make or break a field day. The kind depends on your feet.
Fanny pack, Tecnu, Steadtler markers.
Ziploc bags. I always have a few in my pack.
Avenza and OnX map apps.
Field overalls. To set and check pitfalls without having to worry about my pants creeping down.
OnX phone app. Land ownership, topo, and aerial maps all in your back pocket.
Off Deep Woods and a folding buck knife.
Flannel long sleeve shirts and a cowboy hat to keep off the sun.
Tecnu!
A high quality pair of rubber boots.
Baseball cap. Helps prevents ticks and stops your hair from getting snagged.
Yeti 65oz bottle. Keeps drink ice cold all day. And a wet bandana around the neck.
Sunscreen.
Bushnell waterproof binos. I bring them everywhere. The worst feeling is missing a cool animal sighting.
A good field vest. Look like a nerd but I like them way more than backpacks. All the pockets.
Zip ties. You can fix almost anything with them.
Sling backpack. Don’t have to take it off to access what’s inside.
For the winter: hot hands to stay warm.
Fanny packs instead of backpacks all day, every day!
A compass. Can’t die like a phone or GPS unit.
A good headlamp. Also, Avenza maps, if available.
Mios electrolyte drops or Gatorade packets for your water bottle.
Overalls! So many functional pockets and no crack when I bend over.
Fly fishing gloves. Keeps the hands warm and can unfold them to write neatly.
My Outdoor Research head net.
My clipboard. The clip piece is a built in calculator and there’s storage space inside.
Tips on caring for mental/physical health during field season.
Ask A Biologist 6/7/21
During the field season you will spend a TON of time with your colleagues, especially if you also live with them. It’s healthy to take time away from one another to do your own thing so you don’t end up driving each other crazy. Even if you adore your colleagues, you can easily get on each other’s nerves if you spend every hour of the day, every day together.
Answers from Biologists:
Find the balance between personal time and work time. Make time for personal and professional goals.
Immerse yourself in a hobby.
All of the naps! If you live where you work, prevent yourself from being consumed by work 24/7.
Take mental health moments when possible to get rest and get ready for the next blitz.
Talk about how you feel. Saying it out loud can be relieving (whether to an animal or another human).
Chill time for sure! Coloring, yoga, watching a good movie.
Bring a book, get enough sleep, drink more water than you think you need, wear sunscreen.
Hand off stressful tasks (eg. navigation) to others occasionally.
Sleep!
Get to bed early. Especially when camping. Drink 12-16oz of water an hour before.
Sleep, water, sunscreen, hobbies, and fun, sugary treats hidden in my waders.
Invest in electrolytes! Powders, packets, tablets, or drinks. Better to use them before they are necessary.
Snacks snacks snacks. Water water water. Snacks snacks snacks.
Get a therapist. Spend 15 setting your goals each day. Be generous with breaks.
Always have music and headphones.
Make time to enjoy what/where you’re studying outside of work hours.
Have some alone time and get a massage. I have bad shoulders and a massage helps reset them.
Do not feel guilty about asking for breaks or (if you’re introverted) time alone to recharge.
7 years to learn this, but take breaks! Sit down, rest your body, drink water.
Make sure you eat, hydrate, and rest properly. Also, whenever possible, keep in touch with loved ones.
Don’t feel guilty about taking your annual leave.
Lots of water and resist the urge to stay up late.
Bring the comfort items. String lights for the hotel. Candles. One time I brought an entire keyboard.
Bring a camera, headphones, and a book for alone time and exercise/yoga.
Take walks in nature! Studies show it helps mental and physical health.
Yoga after work. It takes care of it all.
If it’s a toxic environment, leave. I left a job that treated techs like garbage and I’m glad I did.
Do stuff with your team outside of fieldwork.
Take “safety naps” if you need them. Better to rest your eyes for 15-30 minutes than have an accident.
Wear sunscreen and reapply at breaks. One bad burn can mean a week of misery.
Carve out time for yourself. Especially if you are living at a field station.
Complete your skin car routine no matter how tired you are.
I try to keep in touch with family and friends. They remind me I’m not alone when in the field!
Functional training-getting into the gym in off-season to stay in shape.
Taking breaks when you are tired. Be kind to yourself. Sit down, drink water, and have a snack.
When you get those rare days when your scheduled to work but there isn’t much to do, don’t feel guilty! Goof off, take a long lunch break, go swimming, pick berries!
Sit in the shade, look at the sky, be alone in the woods.
Plan your field tasks around a 20 minute lunch break. Stop. And eat. And drink water. Breathe!
Physical: stretch/yoga in the morning. Mental: go to bed early.
Work to live, don’t live to work!
Take time to appreciate the small things.
If you get a chance to eat good food, take it. People cannot live by trail mix and gatorade alone.
Make sure you have bomb snacks that keep up your energy and happiness levels.
STRETCHING
What is the most challenging part of your job?
Ask a Biologist 5/31/21
I work in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which is 5 hours away from my current home in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan where my partner (husband) lives. I make this work by doing 4 10 hour days each week and traveling on Thursday and Sunday evenings between the two places.
Answers from Biologists
Feeling like you can’t “settle down” because you always have to be willing to move for a job. Even with a current full time job.
Pressure of needing to volunteer, do internships, and research to be competitive (in addition to classes).
I travel frequently (both driving and flying) all over the country.
Working away from home for days or weeks at a time, and a tough field = stuck at my job.
Being away from home for a couple of weeks at a time, with very little break in between.
Dealing with people from the general public who think they know more than biologists.
Trying to alter the public’s perception of forestry. Can’t improve wildlife habitat without it!
The Florida heat
That I’m long distance with my partner.
The cultural expectation of overworking. We all do the work of 2-3 people.
Stats and R
I live in a different state than my family and I hope they understand that my birds rule my time.
Family not understanding what you do/why and making you feel guilty for traveling/doing temp work.
Politics. Lots of politics.
Feeling like I have no idea what I’m doing or why.
Always searching for funding so I can do the actual science.
Misconceptions from the public/other biologists about where we get our museum specimens and our purpose.
Coordinating with landowners.
Processing the data after the fieldwork is done.
The stats. I have never been much of a coder but I am learning quick!
Working solo in remote South Dakota, hours away from the office and help. Houses can be 5 miles apart.
Imposter syndrome. It makes me intensely doubt my ability every step of the way.
Keeping up with changing taxonomies, legal status, and information for 2000 species, while also trying to learn R and SQL.
The ‘do more with less’ attitude.
Working to Thrive rather than just survive as a POC in this space and setting the example for my students.
The public’s misunderstanding and mistrust of what we do.
Long hours and seven days a week in the summer with few breaks.
Aggressive foremen on monitoring projects and the aggressive public during a survey.
Making sure I’ll be competitive enough.
Few days off with a physically and mentally taxing job-burnout is common.
Unemployment.
Staying injury free! I’m constantly rolling ankles and as I’ve gotten older recovery time is longer.
Job insecurity. There are only so many permanent positions out there.
The lack of women in the field.
Funding. My job relies completely on grants.
I work in the mountains surrounded by the Chihuahua Desert, so the most challenging part is the heat.
Making minimum wage on field jobs.
I work 40 hrs/wk and 50 wks/yr, but get “rehired” every 6 months. That means no PTO or maternity leave.
Finding a permanent job and tech jobs that line up well, plus money to get from place to place.
Dealing with people who can’t see the benefits of any animals in human care.
Being away from family and friends and the lonliness.
Working at night.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Ask A Biologist 5/24/21
I love getting to do education and outreach to share the info I know with others!
Answers from Biologists
All the cool rope work/climbing I get to do.
Climbing trees to get baby woodpeckers out.
Teaching kids about animal adaptation, behaviors, and showing them enrichment.
Getting to witness wildlife and work with it. Also knowing what I’m doing is helping the future.
Working with passionate volunteers.
Field work, but seeing people’s eyes light up when they learn something new is a close second.
Being able to see the whole state and its’ most remote rivers and looked over creeks.
Being outside/the wildlife.
Coyote fieldwork and hearing people’s coyote stories.
Being paid to watch the sun rise and cuddle wildlife.
SCUBA fieldwork! Working underwater never gets old.
I love the challenge of building relationships with farmers based on trust.
Being able to collect data revolving around an endangered species and help with conservation efforts.
Observing animals in their environments interacting much the same way people do. I find it fascinating!
Exposing others to wildlife and watching them change from being scared to amused.
Spending time outside and exploring places I wouldn’t go in my free time.
Being able to protect America’s wild places and endangered species.
Collecting and sharing information that directly affects policy for listed species.
Mine is field work! I am staffed but love getting out in the field when I can.
Being “forced” to go places I wouldn’t necessarily go on my own.
Getting to create work that helps threatened species.
Snorkeling! Love the rush of swimming face first downstream.
Getting to examine and handle animals close up, in ways I otherwise wouldn’t be able to.
Fieldwork. You can learn so much about an area just by going outside and observing.
Learning from landowners I work with to do private land conservation.
Getting to explore new places.
Constantly learning new things and meeting some cool wildlife of course!
Being alone in nature.
Scuba fieldwork! I love being underwater. Makes the stats part of my job worth it.
I love interacting with the public. And training animals for husbandry/medical behaviors.
My coworkers! Human and animal.
I love data analysis and visualization! I find it so rewarding after lab and fieldwork.
Managing populations to provide sustainable harvest opportunities into perpetuity.
Working with volunteers and seeing them learn things.
Seeing ecosystems return to native species after invasive species clean up.
My amazing coworkers!
Finding new different species every day.
Knowing my easement evaluations result in permanent federal grass easements.
Getting people excited about amphibians and reptiles. They’re underrated!
Engaging people in different steps of the scientific process. Warms my heart.
Knowing that I’m witness to magical things in the field daily that others may never witness.
Checking snake traps. It’s like opening a present!
Spending time outside and amazing vistas.
Knowing that my research will be used for applied management decisions/projects.
Getting to travel and experience wildlife almost no one gets to see.
Getting to restore functioning, biodiverse communities.
Learning something new almost every day.
Working outside and always having something new to do.
What is your favorite field meal/snack?
Ask A Biologist 5/17/21
I usually go with a sandwich, yogurt, piece of fruit and a granola bar. I’m a creature of habit.
Answers from Biologists:
Cliff bars, cheese, or crackers
Hummus wraps
Troli sour gummi worms or the gummy eggs. When it’s super cold it’s nice to have hot tea.
My giant bag of homemade trail mix is a staple.
Peanut butter and jelly roll ups
Tortilla with peanut butter and banana
RX bar, jerky, mixed nuts. pieces of fruit, and lots of water.
Peanut M&Ms
PB and honey, apples and so much water and electrolyte drinks.
Fig bars, apple slices.
Can’t beat beefed up homemade trail mix with peanut M&Ms.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
PB&J’s and blueberries.
Hard boiled eggs
Smoked salmon, mini bell peppers, crackers, low sugar gatorade with water.
Baby carrots and sunflower seeds, to keep you awake during night surveys.
Fruit snacks and clemintines
Goldfish snacks!
Apples and granola bars
Fruit snacks, jerky, apple, PB&J
Just made a new batch of venison and salmon jerky
Salads!
Gonna go full feral and say steak or pork chop leftovers, eaten with just your hands.
Anything wrapped in a tortilla
Gatorade. So much gatorade.
Trail mix, dried fruit, apples, oranges.
PB&J, string cheese, chocolate covered almonds, and so much limon pepino gatorade.
Tilamook country smoker jerky
Anything with protein (bars, shakes, etc.), Pickles can literally save you from heat related issues!
I try to stick to healthy things, and then I move on to Hawaiin butter rolls with laughing cow cheese.
Apples and almonds will keep me going all day.
A whole sweet potato that I microwave in the morning. Very portable!
Turkey sandwich with chips (in the sandwich) and fresh fruit.
Chocolate covered almonds
Lot of granola bars, PB&J and blueberries
Peanut butter and honey sandwich
Anything with peanut butter. I need my protein!
Pizza lunchables (or the homemade version with sauce and cheese in a pita)
Clif and Lara bars, PB&J, grapes, and bananas.
Clif bars
Goldfish!
Leftovers and pistachios.
Almonds or a PB&J sandwich
Precooked vegeable dumplings
Kind bars and cold edamame
Frozen yogurt and juice boxes. When you open them on a hot day they are refreshing.
Cheese and vegemite sandwiches and about 10 apples.
Grapes and bananas
Chocolate chip trail mix and dried apples
Cream cheese and chive crackers
Coconut butter crackers
Homemade burritos, carrots and celery are easy to toss together and backpack friendly.
Veggie wrap
Jasmine green tea and rusks.
Blueberries
Costco trail mix
Spicy tuna packet, almonds, and coconut water
Beef jerky, bell pepper, and string cheese
Stinger honey waffles
Tortilla chips w/shredded cheese on top. Leave sit on your dash, truck nachos!
Sriracha tofu jerky
Pizza blasted goldfish with cherry tomatoes
Banana toasted sandwiches. Fast, easy, and packed with protein!
Peanut butter and dates.
Tuna and crackers
Fruit snacks
String cheese and venison jerky
Babybel cheese
Nature Valley packed PB and cranberry bars
What is the best advice and advisor/biologist has given you?
Ask A Biologist Monday 5/10/21
My grad school advisor always encouraged us to have a good work/life balance and I truly appreciate that lesson.
Answers from Biologists
Use all of your senses when appropriate.
Null results are results, and are important!
Measure your productivity weekly instead of daily.
Always know where your truck is and how to get back to it without a GPS or map.
When it comes to grad school, it’s not about where you go but what team you work with.
When traveling abroad, immerse yourself in people’s culture as much as the wildlife.
You don’t know everything. Stop and actively listen when working with the public and land owners.
Never stop asking questions.
Talk to people/do research outside of your field.
Leave undergrad and do something in the real world before coming back for grad school.
It is okay and expected for students to make mistakes.
For research: stay question focused.
Thesis=learning experience. You’re not expected to perform as if you’ve done this a hundred times.
Have a healthy level of paranoia.
Never listen to anyone who tells you that you think too much. Analyzing is good.
Travel. Get real life experience. No one can take that away from you.
Volunteer at your dream job to test the waters and make a good impression.
It’s okay to say “no”.
When you are writing, say exactly what you mean in as few words as possible.
Just because your results aren’t significant, doesn’t mean they aren’t still important.
Wildlife management is mostly people management.
Always ask the question. It’s okay not to know and it’s okay to forget. It’s always better to ask again.
What is a common biological myth that you’d like to debunk?
Ask A Biologist Monday 5/3/21
Mine is that you can’t even touch most mushrooms because it will hurt you. It’s fine to touch almost all mushrooms. Just be sure to wash your hands before the next time you touch your mouth or eat food.
Answers from the Biologists:
Skunks are not is the weasel (mustelid) family. They are actually their own family: Mephitidae!
Animals will not actually abandon their young if they “smell like humans”. Put the baby back!!
Snakes don’t chase people
Evolution has no goal or direction. We’re all just traits, shifting over time.
People claim bats eat a lot of mosquitos, but actually they usually prey on bigger invertebrates than that.
You can’t reliably tell the sex of a sport fish (like bass) by size.
That rhyme about coral snakes. It’s easily confused and coral snakes have aberrant color patterns. It’s way easier just to learn what a coral snake looks like without trying to memorize an inaccurate rhyme.
Lemmings don’t actually commit mass suicide.
Animal parents aren’t with their offspring 24/7. An alone chick/fawn/etc. is most likely okay!
Pronghorn aren’t antelope. They’re actually in an entirely different family.
Brown recluses do not live throughout the US. They’re actually limited to the SE US.
Earwigs crawl into your ears to lay eggs.
All bats do not have rabies. In reality only a small percentage do.
Virginia opossums are not gross or diseased creatures-they deserve better!
Baby birds don’t need your help.
You can’t tell if a snake is venomous by pupil shape or head shape alone.
The sound played over bald eagles in movies and shows is usually a red tailed hawk.
Black bears are not always black. They can be blonde, brown, cinnamon, black, or white.
Snakes (or really any animal) are not morally bad. They just want to survive.
Vampire bats don’t drink blood. they bat an animal then lap the blood with their tongue.
Turkey vultures are not dirty. They actually have cool behaviors and adaptations to prevent disease and inhibit bacteria.
Bears are not attracted to people menstruating.
Catfish whiskers will not sting you. They have sharp bones in their fins.
The whole tail of a sting ray will not sting you and not all species of rays have barbs.
Toads won’t give you warts.
Not all algae is bad.
Few parasites kill their hosts because it would kill the parasite too!
Bats are not blind.
If you touch a baby bird, the mother will not abandon them.
Wildlife do not need to be fed. It just spreads disease and accustoms them to people in a bad way.
Not all mammals give live birth. Echidnas and platypus lay eggs.
It's not a sad thing when a predator eats prey. That's the circle of life.
Gar aren't trash fish that “eat all the bass”. Please stop breaking their jaws.
Redhorse also aren't trash fish. They have an ecological purpose.
Owls can't fully rotate their heads. They can turn them about 270 degrees.
Bring a fork.
Check out the local geocaches.
Plan your stops ahead of time.
What did you want to be growing up?
Ask A Biologist Monday 4/26/21
When I was really young I wanted to “own an aquarium”. Then I wanted to do what the people on the Nature documentaries did.
Answers from the Biologists:
To be Jane Goodall and I was on track, but now I think I’d have more impact on conservation closer to home.
First dream was NASA then corvid biologist (honestly still my dream job), then forest ecologist.
A wildlife vet. I went the bio route instead and pretty happy with my decision.
Park ranger with less human interaction.
Biologist
A veterinarian, then I wanted to work in a zoo. But always animals!
Highway patrol. I found my way to wildlife about 10 years after that didn’t play out.
Veterinarian
Veterinarian, actress, or model.
Be Eliza Thornberry-talk to animals, travel the world, and have cool adventures.
Work in nature. Just that, without anything more or less.
Veterinarian, but I never had the marks. After 3 attempts, here I am as a zoologist/ecologist.
Rodeo barrel racer, psychologist, US Marine, pop singer, filmmaker, veterinarian, and more.
Dig up dinosaur bones!
Work at a manatee rescue center.
First a paleontologist then a big cat zookeeper, now a mammalogist.
Dolphin trainer when I was young, then civil engineer because my sister was one, finally back to wildlife biologist.
Animal explorer, paleontologist, obstetrician, then wildlife biologist.
Paleontologist
I didn’t know. I grew up without any biologist role models, in a navy base. I just knew I loved animals.
Jockey. I was heartbroken when I grew 6 inches in high school! Then a vet, but once I found wildlife, I never looked back.
A paleontologist, but I’m very glad I decided to work with living species instead.
A dolphin trainer. Then a zoo keeper.
A paleontologist and find dinosaur bones.
Veterinarian then cake decorator.
Work for Nat Geo.
A pediatric surgeon because I was born with Craniosyntosis and had major facial/cranial surgery.
A marine biologist. I was particularly enamored with dolphins.
Marine biologist when I was really young. Then vet, then medical doctor due to family pressure. But in the end I really did become a marine biologist!
A cat
Jeff Corwin or Steve Irwin. Ended up pretty close!
Herpetologist
Marine biologist, then aquatic vet, then back to marine biologist.
Paleontologist. I loved the Jurassic Park movies growing up!
Horse trainer, massage therapist, cruise ship waitress. I didn’t know any scientists and especially anything with animals. I knew I didn’t want to be in an office.
Paleontologist, then veterinarian. I knew I wanted to work with animals!
I wanted to be a jockey. I literally outgrew that!
Veterinarian or Nat Geo Photographer
Something outdoors. With animals was a plus!
Childhood-orca sanctuary. Adulthood-disease ecologist. Day job-Biochemist
Neurosurgeon
A corporate controller (basically an accountant) like my dad.
A doctor or a lawyer
Dentist, but I realized how painful medical school would be and luckily fell in love with seabird conservation.
Veterinarian, interior designer, marine biologist, and now fisheries biologist.
A national park ranger.
Veterinarian
Crocodile Hunter 2.0
Play with tigers/be a tiger trainer (at 6 years old)
Veterinarian or an animal trainer
The person who cleans animals with Dawn soap after an oil spill like I saw in the commercials.
I volunteered with a Biologist when I was 15 and knew that’s what I wanted to do!
Paleontologist. Thanks Jurassic Park!
Marine biologist because of Nat Geo books, but now I study Botany and Chemistry.
Veterinarian.
A marine biologist then a zoologist, now a field biologist.
Veterinarian, now I’m looking to become a conservation officer instead.
“the female Indiana Jones”
Lepidopterist (a person who studies or collects butterflies and moths)
Veterinarian of some sort. All I knew was I wanted to work with animals.
Meteorologist. I wanted to do the weather on TV.
What’s a challenge of fieldwork for you?
Ask A Biologist Monday 4/19/21
For me, it’s bug bites. I am a bit allergic to them so I use a ton of bug spray.
Answers from Biologists:
I have a challenge with climbing trees (mountain lion work)! The climbing part is fine, the landing is the problem.
Finding durable field clothes. Everything I have gets destroyed.
Carrying so many things because we have to hike to our nesting areas!
Finding the motivation to go sometimes. It takes up so much of my weekends!
Poison ivy. I wash the field clothes every day and usually need steroids and workers comp.
Briars are my enemy. Multiflora rose, in particular. It's the worst and I'm allergic to it.
Finding field pants for women. They either don't fit or get destroyed right away.
Having terrible eyesight and being asked to ID a bird or spot a specific leaf in the canopy.
Finding a safe spot to squat without mooning everyone.
Poison ivy. I react terribly to it and it's all over the riparian area.
Deadlines! We have to do field inventories and then contract programs in such a short amount of time.
Trying to stay warm. During scuba diving, everyone is fine and I'm the first to freeze.
I'm allergic to EVERYTHING. Plus bad knees.
Childcare
I'm allergic to grass. It irritates my skin…and I'm a rangeland ecologist, so lots of looking at grass.
Managing chronic injuries. I have tendinitis in both Achilles tendons.
Chiggers! I'm so allergic to their bites and they take forever to go away.
Periods and long hours in the field. I use a menstrual cup and reusable pads.
Battling chronic knee issues while needing to climb really big hills.
Finding field pants with some f#@$&Ng pockets.
Parasitic critters. Ticks, chiggers mosquitoes. Mainly due to disease.
I've got weak ankles so you know I'll be falling on my face hiking in the woods.
Cold weather and wind on the boat. My lips get so chapped. Chapstick is a must.
Delusional parasitosis (feeling like there are ticks on me constantly)
I have Crohn's and have to focus on my health during the field season…which is hard.
Driving stick. Why are all field vehicles manual and why am I so bad at it?
Allergies, mosquitoes, IBD, and asthma.
Pollen allergies
Sand in my shoes (I work on dune systems).
Staying awake on drives to field sites. Car trips make me so sleepy!
Night work. I always had a fear of the dark and every job I’ve had so far was with nocturnal animals.
I’m super sensitive to the sun, which is hard to escape where I work in the desert.
Sun. I was diagnosed with melanoma at 28, so I am constantly covered up and applying sunscreen.
Devil’s club. And ongoing knee issues.
Managing chronic pain.
I have a terrible sense of direction.
Dogs and landowners. The most dangerous “things” I encounter in the field.
The battle between not wanting to get wet (rain/on the water) and not wanting to roast.
Obsessively checking for ticks after I caught Lyme disease.
Realizing how out of shape I am once I start hiking.
Everything in the desert is bitey/pokey and also I got heat stroke once.
Being allergic to pine trees and working in a pine forest.
Stinging nettle. I break out in a super painful rash and it takes forever to go away.
Ticks and being harassed by men.
Having to explain what I’m doing to “normal” people passing by.
Having to find field pants to accommodate my wide hips.
Time. It feels so important , so it’s hard prioritizing what gets monitored and what doesn’t.
I want to be outside all day but I do not enjoy the cold or rain. Also, I’m hungry all the time.
In the Arctic, having layers for all weather no matter the season.
Doing a good job of packing food (quality and quantity) and not regressing to daily fast food.
Bugs bugs bugs
85 degree F temperatures. I got heat exhaustion in 2015 and I’m sensitive to heat now and I live in Texas.
What is your favorite nature themed song/podcast?
Ask A Biologist Monday 4/12/21
My most recent favorite is Completely Arbortrary.
Answers from the Biologists:
Colors of the Wind by Vanessa Williams
Ologies
American Birding Association: American Birding Podcast
The Wild with Chris Morgan
Anchored by April Vokey
MeatEater
Bear Grease
National Parks After Dark
Threshold podcast
Wasteland Baby by Hozier
I Wish You Were Dead (paleontology!)
Snake Talk
The Fisheries Podcast
Headwaters
Wildflowers by Tom Petty
Rattlesnake Girl by Jaime Wyatt
6 Ranch Podcast
Stuff You Should Know
This Podcast Will Kill You
Fleet Foxes, John Denver, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Pine Tree by Johnny and June Cash
Speak Up for the Blue
The Hunting Collective
In Defense of Plants
And a very special remake of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” written by a Biologist Dad:
“Flora, fauna, phytoplankton, earth and atmospheeeeere…We love our wildlife, we’ll keep your numbers up, whether a sturgeon or a new wolf pup, we’re in your corner, trust in us as we sing: You will recover! That is our focus view, we’re like a mother and we are always true. Species, our focused view!”
What was your first job in this field?
Ask A Biologist Monday 4/5/21
Mine was a biological technician position for the BLM in New Mexico during the summer before my junior year of undergrad. We did a whole range of activities including invasive plant removal, native plant plantings, game camera placement, wildlife exclosure building, fixing fences, and trail maintenance.
Answers from the Biologists:
I was a YCC crew leader for the FWS. We poured concrete but I learned a lot about the Service.
I documented new aquatic invasive species for the Michigan DNR.
An interpretive naturalist for a state park.
Reptile conservation in the Atacama desert.
I got my first zoo job in college. I went to the zoo and basically begged for a job!
Fisheries field tech at IRBS, Havana IL, 1 year after undergrad.
Surveying habitat in northern MN for potential elk reintroduction, summer after I finished undergrad.
REU researcher at SIU-Carbondale collecting food web data on amphibians and spiders.
Summer after my freshman year I worked at a wildlife rehabilitation center.
Identifying and preserving native MT prairie fish.
A fellowship through my school in my last year of undergrad that led to grad school!
West Virginia DNR working as a fish diversity tech.
Rio Grande silvery minnow tech for USFWS the summer between high school and uni.
I was a bat technician for a grad student my junior year of undergrad.
Golden-cheeked warbler field tech at Ft. Hood.
Junior year I worked managing the crocs at a crocodile farm.
Mule deer nutrition study in an experimental forest in Oregon.
Natural history museum collection manager for my undergrad university.
Seasonal technician in Alaska studying Emperor geese.
Research tech for otter genetics study my junior year in WY.
Wildlife apprentice in Redwoods State and National Parks studying martens.
Through the SCA I was a fellow for the USFWS working on an NWR for bio planning.
Field tech for NM cooperative fish and wildlife unit summer before my junior year.
Summer after my freshman year, I worked on a YCC crew stationed in the Cibola National Forest.
Data collection in the Channel Islands-free diving!
Spotted owl surveys in CA.
Paid undergrad research looking at Bachman’s sparrow site preference.
Archeologist who dabble in Bio-fire effects monitoring and plant inventory for NPS.
Interpretive ranger for the Fernbank Museum-I managed a 65 acre old growth forest.
USFWS Pathways intern in visitor services.
Ohio River National Wildlife Refuge summer position summer after my sophomore year.
Trail crew member through SCA in Alaska.
Field tech for USGS slingin’ bird carcasses on wind farms.
Research assistant in the Baltic Seabird Project.
Cutting down invasive Russian olive with the Utah Conservation Corps, 2 years after undergrad.
Technician for the WA Dept of Ecology.
Undergrad REU studying critically endangered pupfish in Texas.
Summer internship for a NSF site fidelity study of local marsh fish.
Wildlife rehabilitation intern.
Point counts at Yosemite National Park.
Undergrad researcher for project on use of underpasses.
Summer field tech on urban stream ecology.
Working with leatherback sea turtled in Trinidad.
What is your job related pet peeve?
Ask A Biologist Monday 3/29/21
Mine is people who feed wildlife, especially bears. It leads to a number of issues including disease and the animal becoming too accustomed to humans, often leading to their death.
Answers from Biologists:
Littering
People ignoring trail signs
Messy handwriting (this can really mess with data collection)
Locals asking me how the squirrels I work with taste (they’re endangered)
People thinking illegal wildlife rehab is okay
Feeding bread to birds (this causes their wing feathers to grow in incorrectly and they often die)
People killing for fun. I’m a hunter, but killing an animal for no purpose sickens me.
The public trying to discredit your knowledge with an old wive’s tale/viral internet video
People who are perpetually late to field activities. Especially early mornings.
Assuming I have the ability to arrest someone for breaking a regulation, especially in state or federal jobs.
People assuming that I’m not the big game biologist because I’m a woman.
Being loose with data collection and organization.
When I tell people I’m a wildlife biologist and they think that means I work in a zoo.
Careless data entry/management.
People joking about shooting “annoying” birds (like Scrub jays and Magpies)
Standing on coral when snorkeling. Most people don’t know coral is a living thing.
Balloons. I find so many, even in the most remote areas.
Free roaming cats. Barn cats included. (They do so much damage to small mammal and bird populations.)
Batteries. Always have extras. If you don’t, a camera or GPS will always be dead.
People saying I don’t know anything even though I have 2 degrees and 11+ years of experience.
People not understanding that all species are vital.
Not hitting reply-all on an email chain.
People not believing me when I tell them that Virginia creeper is not Poison ivy/oak.
Exotic pets like cougars and coyotes.
Being an educator with a Bio degree, having biologist talk down to me or disregard my role.
Off-leash dogs.
When people ask what species I work with and then respond with “Ew.” “Gross.” etc.
Members of the public directing their questions to my male interns/techs/coworkers and never to me.
The expectation of working for free when we start out.
People sending blurry photos to ID (flora/fauna) and feeling inadequate when I can’t.
Bragging about illegal/immoral activities.
Disregarding any advice or information.
People asking me for pest control advice.
People thinking of predator species as “mean”. They’re just living their life!
Assuming that I’m lost when doing fieldwork.
Asking to ID all kinds of random blurry critter pics.
Off-leash dogs in piping plover nesting areas. Especially when they ignore the fences!
People who claim zoos are bad and should be abolished.
Being asked if I’m “catching butterflies??” when I go out in the field with insect nets.
People who work in the field with long nails (that inevitably get full of dirt).
Bad handwriting on datasheets.
People saying that they want to hunt/eat the animals I care for (zookeeper).
When people use me as a dumping ground for their anti-predator opinions.
Sexism.
Saying the black mountain lions exist in Texas.
What school(s) did you go to?
Ask A Biologist Monday 3/15/21
I went to NMSU for undergraduate, took 2 years to do tech jobs and gain experience, then went to Texas A&M University-Kingsville for grad school.
Answers from Biologists:
Ohio State for undergrad, Tufts University Cummings School of Vet Med for grad school
Oregon State w/summer at Mexico Uni for Spanish, James Cook Australia for semester of Marine Sciences
Humboldt State for undergrad, Texas A&M University for grad school
Auburn University for undergrad, Texas Tech for Master’s
University of Georgia-undergrad
University of Montana-undergrad
Undergrad-Auburn University. Master’s (currently)-Texas Tech
Eastern Illinois for undergrad and University of Kentucky for Master’s
University of Georgia-undergrad
Ball State-undergrad. Western Illinois-Master’s
Delaware Valley College (BS), Stephen F Austin State University (MS), Texas A&M-Kingsville (Ph.D)
Loyola Marymount University for undergrad. UCLA for Ph.D
UC Davis-undergrad
Texas Tech University-undergrad
Oregon State University-undergrad
UW Stevens Point for undergrad. University of North Dakota for Master’s
University of Nevada-Reno for undergrad
Purdue University for undergrad. Grad school TBD after a few more years working!
University of Rhode Island for BS. University of Florida for MS
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point for undergrad. South Dakota State University for grad school
UNC Wilmington for undergrad-double major in Biology and Environmental Science
Northern Michigan (plus OkState and Lansing CC) for undergrad. Angelo State University for Master’s
Texas A&M University for both undergrad and grad school
University of Nevada-Reno for undergrad
Humboldt State University-undergrad
UC Davis-undergrad and John’s Hopkins (MS)
University of Florida-undergrad
University of Montana-undergrad
Mississippi State University for bachelor’s. Still looking at grad schools.
Tennessee Tech for undergrad. University of TN at Chattanooga for MS
Ball State-BS. Western Illinois-MS
Michigan State University for undergrad. Auburn University for MS
Kansas State University-undergrad
University of Idaho-BS, University of Alaska-MS, Washington State University- Ph.D
University of Tampa for undergrad and Drexel University for Master’s
Texas A&M University-Galveston for undergrad. University of Alaska-Fairbanks for fisheries MS
University of Main in Orono for undergrad as a non-traditional student (currently 30 years old)
What percent of your work is outside vs. inside?
Ask A Biologist Monday 3/8/21
I personally manage all the species within a specific area. During the spring, summer, and fall I spend about 70% of my time outside and 30% inside. During the winter it shifts to about 80% inside and 20% outside. Tip: The further you get into your Wildlife career, the more time you will spend indoors. Most of the hands-on work is done by technicians. Consider this before getting a Master’s and/or PhD.
Answers from Biologists:
October-April, 80% indoors. Only to help other projects with surveys
Summer: almost 100% outdoors (sans admin duties). Winter is for data analysis indoors (Fisheries Biologist)
100% outdoors (Seasonal Fisheries Biologist)
99% outdoors (technician for the CA department of Fish and Wildlife)
70% office in normal times. 100% office with Covid restrictions (Public Lands Specialist)
30% outdoors, but it can go in waves throughout the year (Partner Biologist with American Bird Conservancy and NRCS)
0.5% outdoors-this is what a PhD looks like for a lot of Wildlife Biologists!
30% outdoors, though Covid has changed this (Refuge Specialist for USFWS)
20% outdoors, 80% indoors (Master’s student)
I get out maybe 1-2 days/month (Consultant Ecologist)
100% inside online. Post Covid: maybe 5% outside (Bio Planner for USFWS)
99.9% inside. Sometimes I miss the field but I volunteer on other’s projects and I spent more than 10 years working tech jobs so I’m okay with the desk job and stability (T&E nerd)
80% fieldwork, 20% data entry and reporting (invasive weeds ranger in NZ)
100% inside (applications manager for hunting applications and make hunting maps)
30% outside, 70% inside (Forest Service Ecologist)
70-80% outside, 20-30% inside depending on the season (Wildlife Biologist-Environmental Consulting-CA)
100% inside, but I volunteer on other projects (Permit Coordinator)
20% outside, 80% inside (Environmental Scientist)
30% outside, 70% inside (Wildlife Rehabilitator)
90% outside summer, 80% inside fall/winter (Part-time bird researcher)
10% outside when collecting data. Now 100% inside (Master’s student)
What is your favorite ecologically themed book?
Ask A Biologist Monday 3/1/21
This book was recommended to me by one of my closest friends and fellow Wildlife Biologist. It includes some truly inspiring stories about women in jobs just like the one I have. It shows the strength and perseverance of women in what has typically been a field dominated by men. I highly recommend this book for anyone in the field or looking to become a part of it.
Answers from the Biologists:
Unseen City by Nathaniel Johnson
The Wildlife Trees by Richard Preston
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
C.J. Box Novels
The Song of the Dodo by David Quammen
Craig Childs novels
Freckles by Grace Stratton-Porter
Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith
Mark of the Grizzly by Scott McMillion
An Ocean Garden & The Curious World of Seaweed by Josie Iselin
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
Coyote America: A Natural and Supernatural History
Book by Dan Flores
Wildlife Wars by Terry Grosz
Dirt Work by Christine Byl
The Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson
Animal Weapons by Douglas Emlen
The Hungry Ocean by Linda Greenlaw
Letters to a Young Scientist by Edward O. Wilson
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Refuge by Terry Tempest Williams
Eating Dirt: Deep Forests, Big Timber, and Life with the Tree-Planting Tribe by Charlotte Gill
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson
A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter
On the Brink: The Great Lakes in the 21st Century by Dave Dempsey
Mountain Sheep by Valerius Geist
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
Wapiti Wilderness by Margaret and Olaus Murie
Wild Again: The Struggle to Save the Black-footed Ferret by David Jachowski
The Loop by Nicholas Evans
Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are by Frans de Waal
Zoobiquity by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz M.D. and Kathryn Bowers
Last Child in the Woods by Ricahrd Louv
Shadow Mountain by Renee Askins
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell