Conservation Science

Foundation News

Light pollution: an environmental issue that affects us all

Avalon C.S. Owens led a discussion of how light pollution impacts people and the planet, reviewed current recommendations of easy, energy-saving ways to protect the night and shared about her Ph.D. research into effects of light pollution on fireflies. Find a recap of the event and resources here.
September 30, 2021
Fellow Story

Settlement proposed to clean up mercury in the Penobscot River

Karen Merritt was part of an environmental engineering study resulting in a proposed settlement to clean up mercury contamination in the Penobscot River.
September 22, 2021
Fellow Story

Dudney authors paper on the spread of deadly tree disease due to climate change

Evidence of plant disease range expansions due to climate change has remained elusive. Switzer Fellow Joan Dudney combined causal inference with stable isotope analysis in a new study that shows climate change and drought contributed to a nonlinear disease range shift into higher elevations.
September 16, 2021
Fellow Story

Moir advocates for collaborative ocean-based solutions to climate change

Rob Moir wrote an op-ed for The Environmental Magazine describing The Ocean Based Climate Solutions Act's efforts to address the ravages of climate change.
August 12, 2021
Fellow Story

Hanson authors new book - Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid

“Understanding biological responses to climate change can help us find our place within it,” Hanson writes. “Simply put, if bush crickets, bumblebees, and butterflies can learn to modify their behaviors, then it stands to reason that we can too."
August 5, 2021
Fellow Story

Plant poachers threaten California’s biodiversity

Switzer Fellow Nick Jensen and Patrick Foy published an op-ed in CalMatters in support of legislation to protect native California succulents from poaching. The bill was signed into law in September, 2021.
July 23, 2021
Fellow Story

Leppold quoted on monitoring disease killing birds in mid-Atlantic states

“To be honest, I find the amount of outdoor cats and window strikes way more alarming for birds and bird populations than this disease,” Leppold said in the Central Maine News.
July 22, 2021
Fellow Story

Don’t hike so close to me: How the presence of humans can disturb wildlife up to half a mile away

Seeing animals and birds is one of the main draws of spending time in nature. But as researchers who study conservation, wildlife and human impacts on wild places, we believe it’s important to know that you can have major effects on wildlife just by being nearby.
July 22, 2021
Fellow Story

Stabinsky quoted on joint UN report on tackling climate change and biodiversity loss

"The report unequivocally concludes that land- and ocean-based actions that capture carbon must be in addition to, and not in lieu of, ambitious reductions of emissions from fossil fuels," said Doreen Stabinsky.
June 17, 2021
Fellow

Thomas Morales

2021 Fellow
Thomas Morales is pursuing his Master of Public Health in Environmental Sciences at San Diego State University. Thomas obtained his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science at San Diego State University. While studying environmental...