Grad School- The Journey Thus Far

It’s been over a year since I have been back to America.

I think I may have forgotten what pizza tastes like.

Down here, Christmas is in the summer, and the bird calls in the forests are all so foreign and strange, and the ferns taller than I am, and the insects are bigger too, and the fungi a strange array of colors.

The smell of pine has been replaced by Melaleuca, Eucalyptus and Podocarp. I am far south, on a rock surrounded by the Tasman Sea and the Southern Ocean. I have decided to dive head first into continued education.

Presently, I am working within the broad realm of conservation biology, and forest pathology, with rare plants and dieback. In a way some days I feel like a private investigative biologist.

Dieback is a condition in which a tree or shrub begins to wither from the tips of its leaves, stem, or root backwards often owing to disease, or unfavorable environmental conditions. This could be as a result of biotic, abiotic or a combination of the two forces. My current projects involve:

• Exploring the role of fire as a necessary disturbance.

• Exploring the potential contribution of Phytophthora cinnamomi to dieback.

• Seeking future-smart conservation initiatives.

  • Exploring the role of climate change through vulnerability assessments.

  • Developing translocation protocols through experimental trials.

The takeaways I have received thus far from my experiences consist of:

• A greater understanding on how to teach myself, and synthesize knowledge.

• How to design experiments

• How to use fun computer games (R and ArcGIS)

• An entirely new flora

• How to drive on the left side of the road

• The politics of conservation (oh boy)

• The biogeography of the southern hemisphere

• Some neat lab tactics

• Writing grant proposals and publications

Lets just say, I have been able to keep pretty busy this last year…and onto some fun photos!

Caladenia carnea, if Patrick Star from Spongebob Squarepants was reincarnated as a plant, I think it’d be this.

A skull ft. my spring 2019 botany students. Learning methods in biodiversity assessments, and how to key out plants.

Scooting around on some sandstone walls.

A view from the mountains I presently have the pleasure of calling my backyard