{"id":52876,"date":"2013-09-13T15:46:12","date_gmt":"2013-09-13T19:46:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=52876"},"modified":"2013-09-13T15:46:12","modified_gmt":"2013-09-13T19:46:12","slug":"citizen-scientists-can-aid-students-research-for-the-birds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/citizen-scientists-can-aid-students-research-for-the-birds\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Citizen Scientists’ Can Aid Student’s Research for the Birds"},"content":{"rendered":"
There\u2019s a certain population at UCF that eats, sleeps and, well, is at the university pretty much 24\/7 \u2013 and student researcher Marissa Zimmerman is seeking your help to document their movements and activities.<\/p>\n
The Environmental Studies senior is studying the Florida sandhill cranes that live on the 1,415-acre campus. She is establishing a baseline understanding of the UCF birds and the factors that influence them.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s where \u201ccitizen scientists\u201d \u2013 anyone with a camera phone and an interest in the project \u2013 can help. To assist Zimmerman in determining where the cranes spend most of their time, their patterns, where they nest, food sources, and other information, she is asking for anyone who sees them on campus to snap photos of the birds in their habitat and send them to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cFlorida sandhill cranes nest and forage on our campus and I couldn\u2019t think of a more appropriate animal to study,\u201d Zimmerman said. \u201cTo me, the Florida sandhill crane is symbolic of Florida. They\u00a0were always around my Florida homes\u00a0as I was growing up, and I had always admired them. When I moved away from Florida, I found myself missing the cranes and was glad when I came to UCF that they were here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even though the cranes are seen around urban areas, they are listed as threatened because of habitat destruction, mostly due to development. (Read more about sandhill cranes below this story.)<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought this was my opportunity to help our 女仆AV population,\u201d she said. \u201cI am taking this data to determine what areas on campus these cranes would benefit most from preserving. The more sightings the more accurate my conclusions will be. That\u2019s why I’m thankful for everyone\u2019s help.\u201d<\/p>\n
At one point, she said she had documented 16 of the birds living on campus.<\/p>\n
The research is being conducted through UCF\u2019s Research and Mentoring Program at the Arboretum.<\/p>\n
\u201cSandhill cranes are one of our most charismatic native bird species,\u201d said Patrick Bohlen, a professor of biology and director of Landscape and Natural Resources and Arboretum. \u201cWe are very interested in basic questions such as how many resident birds there are on campus, which habitats they use, where they are breeding, and, more regrettably, what risks they face in the urban environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the \u201ccitizen scientist\u201d component of the project not only enables Zimmerman to collect more data, but also provides a way to get people interested in making observations and contributing to an understanding of our campus ecology.<\/p>\n
Zimmerman will accept photos until November. She will present her conclusions next spring at UCF\u2019s Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence. After she graduates, she hopes to earn a master\u2019s degree in behavioral ecology.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have always had a passion for anything nature-related, especially animals,\u201d Zimmerman said. \u201cEver since I can remember, I have wanted to be an ecologist \u2013 even before I knew what an ecologist was.\u201d<\/p>\n
She hopes this is just the beginning of research on UCF\u2019s sandhill cranes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope this project doesn\u2019t end. I hope it expands\u2026to study the changes in population density and habitat use over the years to help us protect this species and understand them even more,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n