SLN invites you to our third webinar of 2025.
About the Talk:
This webinar explores experiences as a research assistant on long-term research projects in the remote forests of Central America and Equatorial Africa. Virginia Tech University’s IX Belize Jaguar Project in Belize and the Max Planck Institute’s LuiKotale Bonobo Project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have both continuously studied elusive species for more than 20 years in historically remote field sites. Utilizing diverse methods to study population dynamics, occupancy modelling, and behavior, these field sites contribute rigorous study of some of the least observed mammal species: jaguar (Panthera onca), puma (Puma concolor), and mesocarnivores of Central America, and bonobos (Pan paniscus) of the DRC. Long-term field sites are invaluable, not just for the dynamic research projects they support, but also for the community investment they contribute, and conservation initiatives they promote in the areas surrounding project sites.
About our Speaker:
Michaela Foley is a ecology and conservation researcher with a background in animal husbandry, and field experience in remote sub-tropical and equatorial tropical forests. After obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology at North Carolina State University, she worked in the care of large mammals, particularly primates and carnivores, at several AZA accredited institutions in the United States. Returning to her passion for field research and conservation, she joined Virginia Tech University’s IX Belize Jaguar Project in Belize, Central America as a research assistant, and later spent a year in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the Max Planck Institute’s LuiKotale Bonobo Project as a senior research assistant. Michaela grew up in New York, USA, loving animals and wanting to pursue a career in human-wildlife conflict and conservation research thanks to the books and wildlife photography that opened up the world’s ecosystems for her.
About our Facilitator:
Miles Engell is a Teaching Professor at North Carolina State University, where she has taught for 20 years. She has a BSc from Davidson College in Biology and a PhD in Zoology from NCSU. Her classes include a large intro biology class that focuses on evolution, ecology and biodiversity, and a large course in animal behavior for upperclassmen. She also teaches a smaller class that explores the evolution of human behavior, and a graduate course in stress physiology. Having spent a semester in Kenya studying wildlife management during college, she was happy to also become involved with and help teach, each year, a study abroad program focused on conservation issues in Namibia. She lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband and daughters and dog, and enjoys traveling, hiking, and sharing her passion for the natural world.
Date/Time:
Tuesday 11th March at 18:00 PM (Bishkek time)
Location:
ZOOM, to join this talk, REGISTER HERE
Please note:
- If you have never used Zoom before, we recommend that you try the link 10 minutes before the start of the lecture.
- Please feel free to write questions in the comment area and there will be time for questions/discussion at the end of the talk.
- Please note that the session will be recorded and later featured on the SLN website. If you have concerns about this please let us know before the session