Curriculum Vitae
"The study of nature is a limitless field, the most fascinating adventure in the world."
~ Margaret Morse Nice
~ Margaret Morse Nice
Education
PhD, Environmental and Life Sciences (Anticipated completion: 2025)
Dissertation: "Navigating the Night: Effects of Artificial Light on the Behaviour of Stranding-Prone Seabird Fledglings"
Trent University, Peterborough, ON
Advisors: Gary Burness, Gaby Mastromonaco
MSc, Biology (2019)
Thesis: "Investigating indirect anthropogenic effects on spatial variation in nest predation risk and shorebird nest success in Churchill, Manitoba"
York University, Toronto, ON
Advisor: Laura McKinnon
BSc, Biology (2016)
Thesis: "Fall migration decisions of Northern Saw-whet Owls at an ecological barrier"
Acadia University, Wolfville, NS
Advisors: Phil Taylor, Dave Shutler
Taylor and her two labmates from York University during their Master's fieldwork in Churchill, Manitoba.
Experience
2024 -
Wildlife Biologist
LGL Limited
St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
2019 - 2024
Teaching Assistant
Trent University
Peterborough, ON, Canada
Lab instructor for BIOL4140: Ornithology, BIOL3360: Behavioural Ecology, BIOL3340: Herpetology, and BIOL1030: Foundations of Cellular & Molecular Biology
"Taylor was a very upbeat and helpful TA. For a 9am lab class, she never made it seem like it! She always tries her best and is always super helpful. One of the best TAs I've had so far." - BIOL1030 student
2017 - 2019
Teaching Assistant
York University
Toronto, ON, Canada
Lab instructor for Natural Sciences 1610: The Living Body; BIOL1000: Cells, Molecular Biology and Genetics; BIOL2325: Zoology; BIOL3170: Population and Community Ecology; and BIOL4245: Conservation Biology
Lab Coordinator and Grader for Natural Sciences 1660: The Biology of Sex
"Absolute pleasure. Really good teacher." - NATS1610 student
2017
Aerial Insectivore Field Technician
Birds Canada
Port Rowan, ON, Canada
Mist-netted, extracted, and banded hundreds of Bank and Barn swallows as part of annual monitoring program
Conducted lakeshore Bank Swallow population surveys by boat
Worked alongside team of 3-4 and with landowners to monitor Barn Swallow nesting structures
Maintained and checked Motus Wildlife Tracking System equipment
Check out a news article about our work at this link
2016 - 2017
Bird Control Officer and Educational Assistant
Pacific Northwest Raptors
Duncan, BC, Canada
Assisted in educating the public about conservation and life histories of raptors
Implemented measures of gull control at local landfills with trained raptors
Cared for raptors and ensured well-being through proper diet, housing, exercise and enrichment
2016
Avian Field Technician
Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center
Amherst, MA, U.S.A.
Banded, colour-banded, monitored nests, and took morphological measurements and feather samples of nine focal bird species
Engaged citizen scientists in learning about birds and ecological research
Compiled bird banding and resighting data into multi-year database
Led day camps for children ages 4 and up focused on birding, bird-banding, and avian ecology
2013 - 2016
Research and Field Assistant
Acadia University
Wolfville, NS, Canada
Mist-netted, banded, retrieved geolocators from and conducted censuses of colour-banded Blackpoll Warblers on islands in Nova Scotia (DeLuca et al. 2015: “Transoceanic migration by a 12 g songbird”, Biology Letters)
Transported, assembled, repaired, and downloaded data from Motus Wildlife Tracking System towers
Mist-netted, extracted, and banded numerous species of migrating eastern North American birds
Monitored Tree swallow nests including ageing nestlings, and trapping and banding adults
Taxonomically identified, sorted, and catalogued a collection of tabanid flies for a biodiversity study
Taylor (far left, if not obvious) with some enthusiastic young naturalists during a Neighbourhood Nestwatch house visit in Massachusetts. During the visit, I set up mist nets and colour-banded birds as part of a multi-year monitoring study.
Funding
CAD $2,000. 2023. Taverner Award. Society of Canadian Ornithologists.
CAD $15,000. 2022 - 2023. Ontario Graduate Scholarship. Province of Ontario.
CAD $63,000. 2019 - 2022. ReNewZoo Graduate Training Program. Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC).
CAD $3,852. 2018. Northern Scientific Training Program. Polar Knowledge Canada.
CAD $2,500. 2018. Research / Fieldwork Costs Fund. York University.
CAD $810. 2018. Northern Research Fund. Churchill Northern Studies Centre.
CAD $6,000. 2015. Undergraduate Student Research Award. Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC).
Presentations
Is light attraction the cause of otherwise unexplained seabird strandings?
Brown TM, K Baker, S Wilhelm, G Mastromonaco, G Burness (2022).
Environmental and Life Sciences Seminar Series, Trent University, Peterborough, ON.
Seabird strandings due to light attraction: testing phototactic and exploratory behaviour in Atlantic Puffin fledglings.
Brown TM, K Baker, S Wilhelm, G Mastromonaco, G Burness (2022).
International Ornithological Congress 2022, online.
Is light attraction the cause of otherwise unexplained seabird strandings?
Brown TM, SI Wilhelm, G Mastromonaco, and G Burness (2022).
Canadian Society of Zoologists Annual Meeting, online.
Investigating Indirect Anthropogenic Effects on Spatial Variation in Nest Predation Risk and Shorebird Nest Success in Churchill, Manitoba
Brown TM and L McKinnon (2019).
Society of Canadian Ornithologists annual meeting, Québec City, QC.
Risky Business: Effects of human settlement on predation risk and nest survival of sub-arctic nesting shorebirds
Brown TM and L McKinnon (2018).
ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting, Ottawa, ON.
Fall migratory decisions of Northern Saw-whet Owls (Aegolius acadicus) at an ecological barrier
*Third Place, Science Atlantic Undergraduate Research Award*
Brown TM, PD Taylor, and D Shutler (2016).
Science Atlantic, Joint Biology and Aquaculture & Fisheries, Halifax, NS.
Public Lectures
Do seabird fledglings become stranded due to light attraction?
Brown TM, K Baker, S Wilhelm, G Mastromonaco, and G Burness (2023).
Nature Guelph Bird Wing monthly meeting & speaker series (virtual).
Risky Business: Effects of human settlement on predation risk and nest survival of sub-arctic nesting shorebirds
Brown TM, and L McKinnon (2019).
Toronto Ornithological Club monthly meeting, Toronto, ON.
Oden the Red-tailed Hawk squawks his disapproval of being kept inside the work vehicle during some pretty chilly weather on the job! He wants to be out scaring gulls away from the landfill instead.
Awards and Honours
Dean's PhD Scholarship. 2019 - 2023. Trent University
York Graduate Scholarship. 2017 - 2018. York University.
University Scholar. 2016. Acadia University.
Dr. Francis M. Archibald Scholarship. 2015 - 2016. Acadia University.
Acadia Excellence Scholarship. 2012 - 2016. Acadia University.
Fred C. Manning Scholarship. 2012 - 2016. Acadia University.
Dean's List. 2013. Acadia University.
Governor General's Academic Medal. 2012. Government of Canada.
Service
2023 - current. Manuscript reviewer. Ornithological Applications (n = 1), Conservation Science and Practice (n = 3), and PLOS One (n = 2).
2023. Birding Walk Leader. Ontario Field Ornithologists 2023 Convention. Peterborough, Ontario
2023 - 2024. Social Media Manager. Northumberland Land Trust.
2023, 2022. Birder. Northumberland Land Trust 2022 Birding Marathon (fundraiser).
2021 - 2025. Volunteer Atlasser. Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.
2018 - 2023. Social Media Manager. Society of Canadian Ornithologists / Société des Ornithologistes du Canada.
2020. Social Media Manager. North American Ornithological Conference. (On behalf of Society of Canadian Ornithologists / Société des Ornithologistes du Canada).
2018. Bird Bander. Tommy Thompson Park Bird Research Station (TTPBRS), Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.
2018. Student Mentor. Prime Mentors of Canada.
2014 - 2016. Founder and President. Acadia Outdoors Club, Acadia University.
Affiliations
