Research

I am currently a PhD Candidate at Trent University, collaborating with the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society to study the phenomenon whereby fledgling Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica) and Leach's Storm-petrels (Hydrobates leucorhous) become stranded in coastal Newfoundland towns during their first flights from the nest, which occur at night. The available evidence indicates that strandings are caused by an attraction of these birds toward artificial lights, especially in the absence of moon- and starlight. I am investigating the behavioural responses of puffin and storm-petrel fledglings to various spectra of artificial light and other sensory stimuli, as well as testing the efficacy of potential mitigation methods that may help reduce or prevent strandings.

For my Master's research, I investigated the effects of proximity to human settlement on predator abundance, ground nest predation risk, and shorebird nest survival (of multiple species) near Churchill, Manitoba. It was through this research that I gained an appreciation for the nuanced ecological relationships that exist among birds, their predators, alternative prey, and people; and how those relationships can change across space.

I held a number of field technician positions with esteemed researchers during the summers of my undergrad and between my BSc and MSc. These positions were not only exciting and brought me to many incredible places; they also exposed me to innovative and groundbreaking field techniques such as geolocation, automated and manual radio-tracking, and metabolic rate and stress measurement techniques to help further answer fundamental questions about avian ecology and physiology. Such experiences built nicely on my Honours project, which explored previously unknown long-range migratory movement decisions of the diminutive saw-whet owl as it encountered large topographical barriers along the Atlantic seaboard.

All of these experiences have led me to develop a distinct fascination with and research interest in birds, their breeding and movement ecologies, and interactions thereof with predators, physiology, and anthropogenic factors.