Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program:
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Hola! I began as a Research Assistant with Maine's Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and Maine's Sustainability Solutions Initiative in February 2011. I was born and raised in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, but have left the Amish paradise for other lands. I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Maine while satisfying my herpetological, freshwater ecology, spatial modeling and remote camping interests/passions.. As a Research Assistant with Maine's Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI), my research will contribute to SSI's overall mission of creating "an integrative research program and strong stakeholder partnerships that generate improved solutions to intersecting ecological, social, and economic challenges in and beyond Maine". Particularly, SSI is a progressive and unique interdisciplinary initiative aimed at promoting strong economies, vibrant communities and healthy ecosystems. My research will investigate amphibian use of high elevation lake landscapes (HELL) in Maine's western mountains and provide an ecological context to inform management of amphibians and aquatic resources in Maine's diverse geographic regions. Specific research aims include identifying amphibian assemblages in naturally fishless and stocked lakes, determining the necessary arrangement of aquatic and terrestrial habitats required by amphibians at HELL, and assessing the influence of beaver-created wetlands on amphibians in this landscape. My re...