Nicole Cavender, Bachelor of Science,
Plant Biology, 1996
Restoration Ecologist, The Wilds, Cumberland Ohio.
The
Wilds (International Center for the Preservation of Wild Animals)
is a non-profit center for conservation research and education located
on more than 9,000 acres of previously mined land, over 60% of which
is reclaimed grassland. 2,000 acres of the grassland are now utilized
and grazed by 28 different species of rare and endangered large mammals.
This area is open to the public for viewing and educational programs.
The Wilds was recently granted funding to initiate a restoration ecology program, which I have been hired to lead. My job is to initiate scientific studies concerning restoration and organize and conduct baseline biological surveys in order to better understand how to return this very disturbed ecosystem to a more functional and biologically diverse state. Plants and soil are an important component of environmental systems, and my educational training in plant biology, horticulture, and agriculture have given me the skills necessary to understand ecological processes.
As
an undergraduate at Ohio University, I majored in Plant Biology and
was exposed to a diversity of subjects including genetics, pathology,
evolution, mycology, taxonomy, and horticultural practices. My interest
in plants and environmental studies was greatly fostered by the program.
I felt confident to pursue the plant sciences even further and entered
into a doctoral program in Horticulture and Crop Science at The Ohio
State University. The knowledge I had gained as an undergraduate and
the research I conducted as a graduate student led me to pursue a career
in restoration ecology.
The
Wilds, because
of its vast area and diverse habitats, provides a perfect laboratory
for biological and restoration studies. There are so many options that
one of my biggest challenges has been figuring out where to begin restoration
efforts. Much of my work at this early stage involves discussing potential
projects with other researchers and biologists, writing grant proposals
to fund the research, conducting field plot experiments, and learning
what kinds of biological communities this previously disturbed area
can and should support. It is a unique job with many challenges, opportunities
and rewards.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like more information about the Restoration Ecology Program at The Wilds. You can also visit my personal website, which has information on the some the research I have conducted (http://www.nicolecavender.com)
Email:
ncavender@thewilds.org
Phone: 740-638-2083
http://www.thewilds.org
Copyright
© 2002 Ohio University