Wild Encounters at the Wilds

Name: Rachel Dalton

Class Year: 2016

Hometown: Columbus, OH

Internship: Conservation Science Research Intern, the Wilds

Location: Cumberland, OH

Hello again from beautiful Cumberland, OH! It’s been warmer here over the last couple of weeks, interspersed with the occasional monsoon (when it rains here, it rains pretty impressively!). I just came back inside from standing on our deck and listening to the wood thrushes sing. They are very abundant in the treed areas around here, and I love hearing them in the evenings. The other night I also heard a barred owl hooting, which was neat.

 One of the things I have been working on this week is finishing/proofreading the Intro section of my paper. All of the interns are required to write a full scientific paper about their project, which if you are not already familiar with this, includes Introduction, Methods & Materials, Results, and Discussion/Conclusions sections, as well as an abstract, works cited, etc.  We also have to format our paper according to the requirements of a primary literature journal that publishes work similar to our project. I decided to write mine with the formatting requirements of the Journal of Wildlife Management, as there are several papers about eDNA monitoring published in it. We will also be responsible for making a scientific poster and PowerPoint presentation to share the results of our studies. The 8 students with the best posters as selected by the Chief Science Officer at the Wilds, Dr. Barbara Wolfe, will present them at the Columbus Zoo on the last day of our internship. 

I have also been perfecting my DNA extraction skills as of late, and am now to the point where I can do it independently (woohoo!). I recently did a DNA extraction from Indian rhino tissue! I am also learning how to do qPCR right now, which I am excited about. Looking forward to applying these skills with Indian rhino eDNA very soon!

Speaking of some of favorite perissodactylids…  Last week, fellow interns Katie and Evan and I had the opportunity to visit the rhino barn and spend some time with Julia the white rhino! 

Needless to say, I was more than a little excited about this! Julia is a beauty, and seemed quite content to receive some pats and scratches behind the ears from interns who were all too happy to give them. It was a really neat experience. 

Something I have been realizing more and more is just how much I am learning during my time here. I’m learning a lot about eDNA and rhinos of course through my research, but I have also had opportunities to  learn from quite a few people here at the Wilds who are not only extremely knowledgeable, but also very willing to share their knowledge (something I am very thankful for and have benefited greatly from!). 

A hellbender!
 Image courtesy of the Wilds' Facebook page.

As an example of this, last Friday after completing  hellbender morning care I had the opportunity to observe Dr. Don Neiffer, who is a veterinarian here at the Wilds, do physical exams on four adult hellbenders. I am very interested in pursuing a career in zoo veterinary medicine, so I was excited about this. I was expecting to simply observe quietly in the background, but Dr. Neiffer was really great about making it into a fantastic, interactive learning experience for the other interns and I. He taught us about various aspects of amphibian biology, common problems in amphibian medicine, etc by asking us questions. He would ask us things like “What can you tell me about the ammonia cycle?” or “What are the names of the major groups of amphibians?” or “Do any mammals have cloacas? Which ones?” I really appreciated that he took the time to do this, as it kept me on my toes and I learned a lot!

As another example of learning cool things from really neat people, Mollie and I had the opportunity to tag along with our supervisor/instructor, Joe Greathouse, and fellow intern Katie on a trip to the giraffe barn later that same day. Katie is working on a project that involves developing alternative browse sources for the giraffes. On our way there, Joe told us all about different diet-related health issues that can occur in giraffes, previous experiences he has had in caring for them during his time as a zoo keeper, different nutritional aspects of different browse sources, etc. I was fascinated. And getting to feed two of the giraffes was a lot of fun, too J It is truly hard to appreciate just how tall they are until you are on ground level right next to them! 

One of the Indian rhinos residing at the Wilds.

I've decided for the remainder of my posts I will close with a fun fact or two that I have learned related to the biology of rhinos! Many people assume that all species of rhinos have essentially the same diets, but this is actually not the case. The two species of rhinos that live at the Wilds are a great example of this. The southern white rhino is a strictly grazing species, whereas the Indian rhino is both a grazer and a browser (able to eat leaves off of trees). This is because the Indian rhino has a skeletal build that allows it to lift its head higher than the southern white rhino, as well as a prehensile upper lip that is very handy for stripping leaves off of branches. 

A Million Gallons of Fun and Countless Grains of Salt

I love the water. It's almost an obsession I have. It's something that completely fascinates me. The only thing that might be cooler than water, are the things that live in it. The ocean has it all; and probably more. The ocean is so mysterious that we know more about the surfaces of the moon and Mars than we do the ocean floor. Say whaaaat?!
I've wanted to be a marine biologist since I was six years old. Being from and living in Ohio, I can't tell you how many times people told me "good luck with that," or "how's that gonna work out for you?" Because, ya know, Ohio, home of the corn and cows and not sandy beaches or marine things, poses a bit of a challenge. So, when I was offered this internship at the Newport Aquarium-- honestly to my surprise-- I couldn't accept this opportunity fast enough. I didn't know what I would be getting myself into. All I knew was that I had the official title of being an 'aquatic animal care intern.' Whoa. So surreal.

THE INTERN'S FIRST DAY:   The intern. Ooohhhhh the dreaded life of an intern. I could only imagine what kinds of things I would be doing. All the odd jobs that no one else wanted to do? Organizing a freezer? Preparing a shark diet? BEING the shark diet? Anything was possible, if you asked me as I walked in for my first official day of training. I finally put a face to my wonderful mentor, Jen; or as we call her, Haz. Little did I know that she would end up being the greatest mentor that I could ever even hope for. On the very first day, she greeted me with a big smile and said that she looked forward to spending the summer with me. The ultimate goal of my internship, and this summer, is to, by the end, be able to do exactly what she does--no holding back. And that's exactly what I'm already starting to learn. I'm learning about diets, cleaning, filling and emptying tanks for water changes, different filtration systems, etc.
Let me just get something out there for everyone:  this internship is hard. It is. Of course it's fun, and I love being here every second. But it certainly isn't a cakewalk and it’s physically demanding, which I expected anyway. To some of my dismay, I actually have to use my absolute worst subject, chemistry. I have to be super careful with these animals. They aren't pets; they're wild animals, and some are dangerous. It's important to get things done efficiently and to understand when things are "normal" or not. Communication is important, just as you would expect it to be.

My first few days have been so informational, I could probably fill a textbook with everything I’ve learned already. I’ve done things like cleaning out the protein skimmer (super important, by the way. It makes sure that aquarium tanks don’t become sewers), feeding some of the critters, and being introduced to the crazy maze that is the behind-the-scenes of the aquarium. There are doors and stairs and hallways that I’m convinced didn’t exist the day before-- I’m STILL learning those tunnels. But I have to say, I’m the luckiest girl on the planet. On my very first day, I got to stuff some lobsters with vitamins and then watch, front and center on the 'catwalk,' as they were fed to the shark rays! Talk about cool.

I managed to make it all the way to the (almost end) of my second day before I got my first injury on the job. For those of you that don’t already know, I was getting ready to clean some windows, by myself instead of with a partner like earlier that day, and I underestimated the strength, and distance between the 2 pieces, of the magnets on the window scrubber we have. I’m not even joking when I say that I momentarily thought my finger was as flat as a pancake when those magnets slammed together with my fingers between. I don’t remember what words came out of my mouth when it happened, but I can say that I’m glad no one was around to find out, as I’m positive they weren’t the nicest of words. I’m not sure what hurt worse: getting my fingers slammed, or having to pull the darn magnets off my hand. From that, I have since started to become an expert on aquarium glass/windows. No kidding, I think I might know the windows more than the people who actually work there. From repairing scratches, to clearing smudges, I’ve observed every inch of the tanks my mentor is responsible for. SG8, one of the tanks Haz cares for, and I have become the best of friends. I’ve had to crawl in and out of that thing multiple times the last 2 days, filling in scratches that have been accumulating over the last 15 years (Happy Anniversary, Newport Aquarium!!), cleaning off some algae, and even rearranging the fake plants. The first time I crawled in (wearing the most flattering waders around), I had a crab crawl on my foot. He just sat there for a while. Whether he thought I was a new rock, or just checking me out, it took me a second to realize that hearing your boss say “there’s a crab on your foot” is a totally normal thing here.

The taste of salt is inevitable. It’s everywhere; the floor, the side of the tanks, your shoes, your hands, everywhere. I’ve had my fingers smashed, covered in krill, and holding such a large lobster that I don’t even want to know how much it would cost if you ate it at a restaurant. For the first time in my life, I’m glad I’m not any taller than I am, because I’ve hit my head a million and one times already. I had more people wave at me while I was inside a tank that I started to feel like I was a celebrity; I even had a few people take pictures of/with me. Talk about awkward. One lady mouthed the words “what kind of fish are you?” To which I answered back to her “a very rare one.” I’ve been splashed by a sea turtle and a shark or two, I’ve seen an entire lobster swallowed whole, I’ve seen an otter so close they chirped when I said hello. Need I explain more? I have the coolest internship in the entire world. These opportunities are incredible. And I can’t wait to see what lies ahead. I love it.

Welcome to Arizona, the Grand Canyon State!

Greetings from Tucson, Arizona! 

Hello, my name is Amanda Stilwell. I'm a fifth year student and in the Zoo and Conservation Science program. I originally transferred to Otterbein from Syracuse University in 2012. This will be my third and final year in the program and it has been an amazing experience thus far. I was lucky enough to have been chosen by the Biology and Earth Sciences department, for internship at the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, AZ, with fellow zoo student, Matt Vieth. Together, we will be spending the next ten weeks working at Reid Park Zoo working on the elephant baby watch team and much more. 

Photo taken right before we began our decent into Tucson. 

I've only been here for four days but it seems as though I'm finally getting use to the three hour time difference! Which may not seem like much (as I first thought) but when all your friends back in eastern standard time go to bed at eight o'clock, you start to notice! 

Matt and I arrived on Sunday though I got in around noon and he didn't arrive till that evening. My day started at 2:30 am to catch a flight at 6 am. Phew, was I exhausted when I arrived. Upon arrival I was instantly struck by the beauty of the land scape. Various types of cacti and palm trees and beautiful mountain ranges all around me. It's definitely not Ohio, and a far cry from my hometown in upstate New York. My lovely host for the summer showed me around town and took me by the zoo. The next two days, Matt and I spent time lounging, enjoying our central air, but occasionally venturing out into the 100+ degrees. 

Today, Matt and I had our first day of orientation with a couple of other fellow elephant baby watchers. It was the usual safety regulations and all about Reid Park Zoo. We were able to tour the grounds and meet other people from education, the zoo director and other keepers on elephant staff. The newly constructed elephant facility is the largest I've seen and more is being added on for the arrival of the new baby! Mabu (the bull of the heard) and Semba are expecting their third baby together. Punga and Sundzu are their first two calves together and also live with them at the Reid Park Zoo. However this new baby if the first to be born at the Reid Park Zoo. There is another female in the herd, Lungile that acts as an aunt. Often she is seen playing with the young males, as we were able to see today! 

*Photo taken from the Reid Park Zoo's webpage. 

*this information about the elephants was taken from the zoo webpage, news articles, education signs and brochures 

here is the link to learn more: http://reidparkzoo.org/animals/elephant/

This summer will definitely be a great experience that I will never forget. I've already seen a real armadillo so check that off the bucket list! More to come on experiences we are allowed to share and cross your fingers the BIG bundle of joy comes soon!

FUN FACT: The Reid Park Zoo's logo is an anteater because they have a very successful anteater breeding program! Yay breeding!

Meaghan Graver - San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research - Conservation Education

Meaghan Graver - San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research
Class: 2016
Hometown: Enon, Oh
Internship: Conservation Education Intern
Location: Escondido, CA

Blog #1!

Hi!

So it has been an incredibly crazy couple of weeks, but here I am, writing from sunny Escondido, California, after my first official day as an intern with the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research – Conservation Education Department!

I first off just want to say a big thanks to Dr. Mathias Tobler, Samia and Diego for letting me, and fellow intern Macie, stay in their cute little house. Although their cute little cat Michi likes to make sure I do not even think about sleeping in, the house the house and everything about Escondido is pretty perfect.

Macie and I arrived here a week early and like typical girls have made sure to hit up the beach, twice, sample many different froyo options, and find all of the closest shopping centres. We have also had the chance to just explore the hidden wonder that is Escondido; from the weekly farmer’s market to Daley Ranch, the local hiking hot spot (It was a new form of hiking for me all sand and sun, no trees) to the fruit stand on the side of the road, we've left no corner untouched. And now sun-burnt and tired, we official start our internship.

On Friday May 30 2014, Macie and I went in to the Beckman Center for Conservation Research to meet the Conservation Education team, and get a tour of the facility including a brief trip into the Safari Park. We passed the Frozen Zoo – It is so cool looking! After that, we headed over to HR to get our official IDs.

And finally it arrived, June 2, 2014 the first day of our internship. Macie and I spent the day in our office, which is pretty snazzy if I do say so myself, diving into the core of what the Conservation Education department does – learning about how to change people’s behavior. This week will be spent really researching and getting to know what conservation really is before we move onto our individual projects. I’m pretty excited.

Well that’s enough for now, I’ll let you know how the rest of this week played out especially since we have a jam-packed next couple of days.  Bye!

Rhinos, eDNA, and Turtles

Rachel Dalton-- The Wilds

Name: Rachel Dalton

Class Year: 2016

Hometown: Columbus, OH

Internship: Conservation Science Research Intern, the Wilds

Location: Cumberland, OH

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Hello again! It’s been a busy few days here at the Wilds. With orientation complete, project work is in now full swing.

As I mentioned in my first post, I am studying Indian rhino eDNA extraction and detection via qPCR (also known as “real time” PCR). The little “e” in front of DNA stands for “environmental”. Environmental DNA is the DNA that is naturally released by organisms into their environment—this may occur via metabolic waste, shedding skin cells or other tissue fragments, etc. Previous work has demonstrated that this DNA can be detected from bodies of water the organisms have been in via a technique known as PCR: polymerase chain reaction. In a nutshell, the process of PCR allows you to amplify (make a lot of copies of) very specific DNA sequences, and can be used to determine whether a specific sequence is present. The successful (or unsuccessful) amplification of specific DNA sequences can be used to address a lot of different research questions. In the context of my study, PCR will be used to essentially determine if rhino eDNA can be successfully detected from water samples from various lakes within the rhino pasture, and whether differences exist in the amounts of eDNA detected from the different lakes (ex: do lakes that are more downstream tend to collect higher concentrations of the eDNA, etc).

Why does this matter? Unfortunately, Indian rhinos are a threatened species—classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN-- and have experienced very significant habitat loss and fragmentation in their home range of north eastern India and Nepal. 

This is an Indian rhino! Image courtesy of Arkive.

Many of the population surveillance techniques commonly used to monitor Indian rhino populations (and populations of other species) are contingent on actually seeing the animals—whether in person or via camera traps. The beautiful thing about potentially using eDNA detection as a monitoring technique is that in theory you could assess whether a species was present in an area without having to actually see the species. For attempting to monitor populations of threatened/endangered as well as more recluse species, this would be a really big deal. Additionally, a lot of eDNA survellience research to date has focused on species that live in the water, such as marine mammals and fishes. There has not been much work published yet regarding terrestrial mammal species—like rhinos J So, I am very excited to get to work on a project that has such significant implications for helping to monitor and conserve wild populations! Additionally, it is a pretty new area of study—the vast majority of the eDNA primary literature I've found so far has been published within the last 5-10 years. Cool beans on all fronts. J

After helping to care for the hellbenders this morning, I spent a couple of hours in the lab this afternoon learning how to do the process of DNA extraction from the awesome Caitlin Byrne. Caitlin is one of the Conservation Science staff members, and also does a lot of research involving eDNA. What I learned today is actually step 2 in the lab work process of analyzing samples potentially containing eDNA. First, you have to filter the water samples, then you do the DNA extraction process, then you run PCR.

Another fabulous aspect of being a Conservation Science intern is that you have the opportunity to metaphorically (or literally, in the case of stream-based projects J) dip your toes in other projects as well. I really appreciate this because we have the opportunity to learn about a lot of different research, field work, and ecological issues! On Friday, we all went out in the field with the interns who are working on turtle, snake, and salamander species diversity surveys. One of our finds was a ~13 pound female snapping turtle! I was particularly excited about this, as I have a soft spot for snappers J We learned about how to safely pick up and move a snapping turtle in the field (which is quite a bit different from how one would handle smaller species, like box turtles). We were taught to hold the turtle by both the tail and a leg so that its weight is distributed in a way that is safer for the turtle, and to be sure to hold it far away from you—snapping turtles have a bite force capable of biting off fingers and breaking broom handles!

The snapping turtle and I!
 Also note how I am sporting extremely glamorous field work/anti-tick fashion here with my socks pulled up over my khakis. :)

A very small painted turtle we also found.

Rachel

Hi from the Wilds! (Again)

My name is Mollie Kemp, and I just finished my junior year at Otterbein where I am a Zoo and Conservation science and Equine Pre-Vet double major. So for those of you have been following this blog, you've probably already read Rachel's intro post- but just in case you did not, I'll give you a quick run through (though you should check out her post too, :) ) Anyway, I am spending 10 weeks at the Wilds as a research intern. The Wilds is an incredible facility, the largest conservation facility in North America that stretches over 10,000 acres. All sorts of animals are managed here -- some native species, some highly endangered. Over my ten weeks at the Wilds, I will be researching terrestrial salamanders and the impact that Autumn Olive trees may have upon them. Autumn Olives are an invasive species that is found widely on reclaimed mine sites, like the Wilds. More about the reclaimed land aspect of the Wilds in a little bit!

Anyway... I'll walk you guys through my first couple days here at the Wilds! Rachel and I both arrived on Friday and were both struck with how beautiful it is out here... and how nice our cabin is! We have a deck that overlooks the lake behind the cabins, I mean, what more can you ask for? One of our roommates, who is an apprentice for the Restoration Ecology department, told us about the beaver dam outback, and we have been frequently checking it to try and catch a glimpse of the beaver family! The birds are also great in number out here- you hear all sorts of new calls. I'm glad Rachel is along on this trip with me, not only is she great in general, but she also knows her bird calls, so she can usually tell me what is what. We found a Baltimore Oriole one morning, which was so cool, especially to me as a native Marylander (it's our state bird.) Rachel and I also spotted a Red Fox one night driving back to our cabin! The wildlife here is just so neat! Rachel and I also went for exploring trip on the Sunday before our internship orientation started and went to the Birding station that sits on the Wilds grounds. It is quite a view up there and it was so neat to look over the property, and see the bison calmly grazing and hear the endless chatter of birds. Beyond cool.

This is the view of my back porch. Pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.

The view from the birding station!

We finally saw our friend the beaver!!! So neat. Can't wait to observe these guys more!

Monday was our first day of orientation, in which went over basic rules, and heard talks from Joe Greathouse, the director of Conservation Science here and Shana Byrd, the director of Restoration Ecology. We learned a lot about the history of the Wilds- which was once a land that looked like the moon- stripped of all life, literally, when it was strip mined from the 1940s-1980s. I think that is one of the things I appreciate most about the Wilds- that it was produced out of such horrible looking circumstances, yet still can have such impact on the world of conservation. Out of a seemingly bad situation, came something so good (cue analogy about life.) The land still presents its own challenges, especially when it comes to growing trees and other plants, as the soil is extremely compacted. Invasive species, like the Autumn Olive, which undergoes nitrogen fixation, was planted during the reclamation before the Wilds existed, and is still a problem today. There is Autumn Olive all over property, which can out compete the native plant species. There are many on going projects that focus on planting native trees, or prairie land restorations, wetland restorations and so on. The goal is not only to create great habitats for the species the Wilds actively manages, but also a great area for native species to thrive as well.

On our second day, we got to go on a pasture tour (!!!!!) where we got to experience what the guest see and all of the great species the Wilds manages. It was beyond exciting, interesting, and beautiful. There are so few places left on this planet where you can watch a herd of rhinos mosey around in a large group, out on acres and acres of land, without having to worry about being poached, or being confined to a small space. I can't even completely put into words how great it is to see animals out in these large areas. Anyway, here's some picture from the tour:

Persian Onagers!

Sichuan Takin!

My new favorite- the Dhole! They were so fun to watch.

Momma giraffe and baby! What a treat it is to look out over the horizon and see giraffes!

Scimitar Oryx. Notice the calves!

Bactrian Camels! They were incredibly close to us.

I'm looking forward to telling you all more about my individual project in future post. On Friday, I will be learning my basic field protocol. Should be interesting! 

Until next time,

Mollie

Hello from the Wilds!

Rachel Dalton-- The Wilds

Name: Rachel Dalton
Class Year: 2016
Hometown: Columbus, OH
Internship: Conservation Science Research Intern, The Wilds
Location: Cumberland, OH

Hi! My name is Rachel Dalton, I just finished my sophomore year as a Zoo and Conservation Science major at Otterbein, and I am very excited to be a research intern at the Wilds this summer! The Wilds is a ~10,000 acre safari park and conservation center (the largest in the country!), located in Cumberland, OH. It is home to many species, both exotic and native, as well as a diverse array of conservation, restoration ecology, and animal health management research initiatives. I will be working in the conservation science area, examining the potential use of eDNA detection and quantification via qPCR for assessing proximity/distribution of Indian rhino populations! More on that soon J

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be here with my fellow Otterbein student, zoo major, research lab member (shout-out to the Young lab!), and awesome friend, Mollie! There are 8 other conservation science interns, and 3 restoration ecology interns that are participating in the Wilds Scholars intern program as well. 

Mollie and I rocking our awesome uniform shirts! We were also keeping an eye out for beavers-- there is a beaver lodge in the lake right behind our cabin!

We had orientation for the first two days of this week. On Monday, we learned about the Wilds itself, including its history as a former surface mine and the restoration process that followed (and is still very much continuing to this day), logistical matters such as how to access administrative buildings and field work sites, navigating inside and around the perimeter of the grounds, all about the Conservation Science and Restoration Ecology programs here at the Wilds from Directors Joe Greathouse and Shana Byrd, and more. We also received our name badges and uniform shirts!

 Today we had an open air bus tour and got to see all of the animal pastures and such, which was fun. Here are a few pics:

Sichuan takin

Cheetah

African wild dog

Southern white rhinos!

Scimitar horned oryx. Note the babies :)

A dhole, which is an Asiatic wild dog.

Bactrian camels

The Wilds is beautiful.

Giraffes

This afternoon we also had the opportunity to have Rick Dietz, who is Vice President of the Wilds, and Dan Beetem, the Director of Animal Management, come and speak to our group about what they do. I was especially fascinated by the greater detail that Dan provided regarding the Wilds’ involvement in the Sichuan takin project. The Wilds works with a Sichuan takin conservation organization in China to help monitor and promote conservation of populations over there (Sichuan takin are very endangered), and is able to develop techniques for doing so with its Sichuan takin herd here in Ohio. This includes developing tracking collars, anesthesia techniques, herd behavior ethograms, and more. This may not seem like that big of a deal, but it would be problematic if, for example, one were to develop tracking collars, take them over to China, and then discover they are easily removed/destroyed by takin. So, developing and figuring out things like that here first is really helpful. Dan also spoke about how genomics will likely be incorporated into captive breeding programs in the future. Being able to sequence the genomes of breeding individuals would allow those involved in managing breeding programs to get a very accurate picture of the relatedness of individuals. Maximizing and maintaining genetic diversity in captive breeding populations is very important (inbreeding can result in less healthy/less fit offspring), and genomics would contribute significantly to this. 

Tomorrow we will learn about how to care for the larval hellbenders being raised here at the Wilds. Hellbenders are an endangered, stream-dwelling amphibian, and the Wilds is working on a reintroduction project with the goal of reestablishing hellbender populations here in Ohio. The interns will be assigned days to do hellbender care.

I am so excited and thankful for the opportunity to be here, and can't wait to get started on my study! I will post again soon with more info about my project and other adventures. For now, I am off to go hunt for more eDNA journal articles J

Rachel