Our final assistant for this portion of sampling is Matti Bradshaw! Matti has been a great leader in our team so far and I am so glad to have her with us.
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| Matti Bradshaw, tough as nails! |
My name is Matti Bradshaw and I am a senior Wildlife and Fisheries major at Texas A&M University. I have been primarily interested in wildlife research. I have experience with the husbandry of grackles, crows, and peacocks. In 2017, I was a part of a study abroad program on the island of Dominica in which I held an independent project studying the acoustic patterns of yellow warblers, Dendroica petecia.
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| The species that Matti has worked with, yellow warblers. |
I was also a part of a group project focusing on the association of streblids and various species of bats and their gender. I will also be traveling to Mexico this summer to work with research involving echolocation emissions in bats.
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| Matti working with bats in Dominica. |
I am currently a part of the Applied Biodiversity Conservation Scholars Program that has provided funding for me to be a part of Brie’s project in Costa Rica. My interest in international research, specifically in areas with diverse tropical biology, has drawn me to Brie’s project. I do not have any experience working with non-avian reptiles, so I am excited to learn more about olive ridley sea turtles and to rack Brie’s brain on the physiology of various reptile species. I previously had a class involving some of the physiology of mammals, so being able to compare their behavior and reproductive profile with olive ridleys will be very amusing. I am also looking forward to gaining experience with field work abroad and researching in an area with a different culture.
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| Matti holding a millipede in Nosara, Costa Rica. |
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| Matti was commandeered by a giant walking stick in Dominica. |
After leaving Costa Rica, I am excited to continue working with Brie and analyzing data from this project. In the future I would like to continue my education and pursue a masters degree and eventually a PhD involving research in wildlife community ecology or a related field. Experience with this project will help me sharpen what I would like to do in the future. I am passionate about providing education and awareness into the field of conservation.
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| Matti accidentally photobombing a friend and taking it all in. |
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| Matti working hard in Dominica. |
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| Matti is an excellent swimmer and has been invaluable for her assistance capturing post-mating couples. |
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