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2024 Field Courses at the Mountain Research Station!

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 17:32:01 +0000

2024 Field Courses at the Mountain Research Station! Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 01/18/2024 - 10:32

[video:https://vimeo.com/904158184?share=copy]

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Tree “Fitbits” Track Urban Growth, Flowering, More

Anonymous — Tue, 17 May 2022 18:03:51 +0000

Tree “Fitbits” Track Urban Growth, Flowering, More Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/17/2022 - 12:03

CU Boulder study: trees outfitted with accelerometers could be the future of arborism, agriculture

Low-cost “tree fitbits” can pinpoint the precise timing of tree activities, like spring bloom or autumn leaf change, according to a new CU Boulder study. Researchers outfitted two East Boulder ash trees with high-resolution accelerometers, efficiently tracking how the trees responded to changing seasons. And in the coming years, arborists could efficiently monitor trees by the thousands with this technology—ultimately giving researchers insight into how tree phenology is changing with a warming climate.

“Accelerometers are in cars, smartphones and fitbits—they track movement in real time. When we put them on trees, accelerometers detect vibrations on the trunk as the tree sways in the wind,” said Deidre Jaeger, recently minted CIRES PhD researcher and lead author of the study out this week in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. “That sway corresponds to the tree's mass, which tells us what the tree is doing.”

A tree’s mass all depends on its water uptake throughout the seasons, creating the structural differences that determine how it dances in the wind. In the winter, trees are dry and brittle. “Think of the quick, shaky rattling sound of leafless trees in the dead of winter,” Jaeger said. “Now think of spring: the trees are lush with leaves, full of water, and sway with flexibility.”

A previous accelerometer study was able to detect when trees’ leaf buds opened or when leaves dried and fell off—but Jaeger’s team proved how much more detailed data such tree fitbits can collect. The team picked up the precise moment when white ash trees flowered, catching the subtle change in movement that corresponded to the trees blossoming and pollen release.

AN ACCELEROMETER STRAPPED TO A TREE ON CU BOULDER’S EAST CAMPUS. PHOTO: DEIDRE JAEGER/CIRES

Jaeger and her team outfitted two white ash trees on CU Boulder’s East Campus in 2018, working with CU Boulder arborist Vince Aquino to strap equipment to the trunk of each tree. “Previous work suggested trees would need to be out in the open to have enough wind to sway, but we found it not only works on trees inside a city—it’s actually an ideal way to track urban tree growth,” said Jaeger.

Satellite-based, remote sensing tracking methods are useful for monitoring greenness changes in forests dominated by a single species, but it’s hard to learn about a tree species within the city because of the high diversity of species contained within each city block, the team says. Time-lapse cameras also aren't ideal: they are expensive and raise privacy concerns in populated areas. And while drone imagery can provide high-resolution imagery, getting permission to do daily or weekly fly-overs would be unsustainable. “Accelerometers are discrete, continuous and unaffected by the action or physical barriers a city environment presents. We get high-res, reliable data.”

“Now that we know accelerometers can determine flowering dates, that could be useful in agriculture, predicting when tree fruit may ripen or knowing when to apply interventions to protect tree buds from extreme weather,” Jaeger said. The technology could also forecast when leaves change color in the fall, measure how much snow sits in forest canopies, or even detect tree damage from bugs.

“Trees are also bioindicators of climate change,” Jaeger said, “So having high-resolution, long-term accelerometer data would help scientists better anticipate how a changing climate will impact tree bloom, tree health and beyond.”

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Can't Find Your Keys? You Need a Chickadee Brain

Anonymous — Fri, 13 May 2022 18:07:06 +0000

Can't Find Your Keys? You Need a Chickadee Brain Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/13/2022 - 12:07

New research finds genetic link for spatial memory in Mountain Chickadees

For the first time, researchers have shown that there is a genetic component underlying the amazing spatial memories of Mountain Chickadees.

These energetic half-ounce birds hide thousands of food items every fall and rely on these hidden stores to get through harsh winters in the mountains of the West. To find these caches, chickadees use highly specialized spatial memory abilities. Although the genetic basis for spatial memory has been shown for humans and other mammals, direct evidence of that connection has never before been identified in birds.

Above: A Mountain Chickadee retrieves a seed from the smart feeders (Vladimir Pravosudov).

These findings were just published in the journal Current Biology. The research is a collaboration among scientists from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Nevada, Reno, and the University of Oklahoma.

“It’s usually hard to measure traits in wild populations and relate those to natural selection,” says Scott Taylor, an assistant professor at CU Boulder and the new director of the Mountain Research Station, who is an author on the paper.

“This research expands the kinds of ways we can explore how natural selection operates in nature and then, ultimately, shapes the variation that we’re fascinated by.”

If natural selection (survival of the fittest) is shaping chickadee memory, certain criteria have to be met. There has to be variation in the trait: some chickadees are indeed better than others at re-finding their stores. There has to be a fitness advantage: birds that perform better on a spatial memory task are more likely to survive and produce offspring. Importantly, variation in the trait must have a genetic basis.

"Environment does still matter a lot in terms of shaping behavior, but our work here suggests that genes may create the brain structures, and then experience and learning can build on top of that," explains lead author Carrie Branch at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

To measure chickadee memory, senior author Vladimir Pravosudov and his team at the University of Nevada, Reno, designed arrays of "smart" feeders to measure memory in a population of wild Mountain Chickadees in California's Sierra Nevada mountains.

Study area in California's Sierra Nevada mountains (Vladimir Pravosudov)

Each feeder is equipped with radio frequency identification sensors. The 42 birds tested were fitted with leg tags the size of a grain of rice which give off an identifying signal. Each bird was assigned to one of the eight feeders in each array. The feeder sensor reads the bird's ID tag and if it's the matching feeder for that individual, a mechanism opens the door, and the bird gets a seed. The scientists then tracked how many tries it took before the birds consistently went to the correct feeder.

"This is an effective system to test spatial learning and memory in hundreds of wild chickadees in their natural environment," said Pravosudov. "We have previously shown that even very small variations in performance are associated with differences in survival."

To understand the connection between spatial memory and genetic architecture, Taylor and Georgy Semenov, a co-author and postdoctoral researcher in Taylor’s lab, then sequenced Mountain Chickadee genomes.

"We used two methods to link genetic variation with spatial memory in chickadees," said Semenov. "In the traditional genome-wide approach, we compared genetic data across individuals, from those that performed well on the spatial learning and memory task to those that performed poorly. We did the same comparison with a new machine learning algorithm. Both methods showed hundreds of differences associated with spatial memory. Many of the variations in the genomes turned up in areas known to be associated with learning, memory, and neuron development in the brain."

The authors say many questions remain about the influence of spatial memory itself, including what role it may play in the female’s choice of a mate.

This research was supported by a National Science Foundation grant to the University of Nevada, Reno and to the University of Colorado Boulder and by a Rose Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

This release has been adapted with permission from Cornell University.

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Graduate School celebrates faculty with outstanding mentor awards

Anonymous — Fri, 06 May 2022 16:39:07 +0000

Graduate School celebrates faculty with outstanding mentor awards Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/06/2022 - 10:39

The Graduate School is pleased to recognize 18 dedicated faculty members who received this year’s outstanding faculty mentor awards. The nomination materials showcased their many contributions in mentoring graduate students and supporting the mission of graduate education.

We appreciate their service and offer our heartfelt congratulations.

2022 outstanding mentor awardees

Krister Andersson, Political Science
Susan Brown, Linguistics
Carson Bruns, ATLAS Institute & Mechanical Engineering
Amanda Carrico, Environmental Studies
Brianne Cohen, Art and Art History
Noah Fierer, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Joshua Grochow, Computer Science
Jill Heydt-Stevenson, English
Rosi Kaiser, Psychology and Neuroscience
Kai Larsen, Leeds School of Business
Tim Oakes, Geography
Elika Ortega-Guzman, Spanish
Michelle Sauther, Anthropology
Marcos Steuernagel, Theatre and Dance
Matthias Steup, Philosophy
Stephen Voida, Information Science
Ellen Yi-Luen Do, ATLAS Institute & Computer Science
Wilson Smith, Chemical and Biological Engineering

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INSTAAR Assistant Professorship in Aquatic Ecology and/or Aquatic Biogeochemistry

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 20:44:43 +0000

INSTAAR Assistant Professorship in Aquatic Ecology and/or Aquatic Biogeochemistry Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/23/2022 - 13:44

Requisition Number: 36595

Location: Boulder, Colorado

Employment Type: Faculty

Schedule: Full-Time

Posting Close Date: 11-Mar-2022

Date Posted: 31-Jan-2022

Job Summary

The Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EBIO) at the University of Colorado, Boulder, (CU Boulder) invite applications for a tenure track Assistant Professor of Aquatic Ecology and/or Aquatic Biogeochemistry.

The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

INSTAAR is an interdisciplinary scientific research institute dedicated to understanding global environmental change. Researchers across many departments come together in one unit to study environmental issues using monitoring, precision datasets, and integrative modeling. With deep roots in Quaternary history, polar regions, and alpine environments, today INSTAARs embrace a broad global perspective on our planet’s past, present and future, with a focus on bellwethers of environmental and social change. EBIO—one of 6 academic departments affiliated with INSTAAR—has an international reputation for strengths in ecology, ecosystem science, evolution, genetics, behavior, biology education research, and systematics. Faculty link their work in these subject areas to address global change, conservation, disease ecology, and the mechanisms that underlie structural and functional organismal adaptations.

INSTAAR and the affiliated academic departments' value diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in academic culture and all our endeavors. As we implement the CU Boulder campus’ Inclusion, Diversity and Excellence in Academics plan, we embrace research questions that integrate DEI to address pressing environmental issues and expand access and participation of diverse and marginalized communities in the sciences. We encourage applications from candidates whose background, expertise, and work in research, teaching, and/or service reflect a strong commitment to DEI.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

We seek applicants with expertise in aquatic ecology and/or aquatic biogeochemistry. Examples of research areas that will be considered include but are not limited to: direct and indirect effects of climate change on biotic communities and biogeochemical cycles through species interactions; understanding anthropogenic changes to biogeochemical cycles in aquatic environments; the causes and consequences of biotic change (e.g., harmful algal blooms) for aquatic ecosystems; or the ecological links between shifting climate and water quantity and quality. Scholars who employ a diverse suite of field and laboratory approaches are preferred.
The position provides opportunities to become involved in the Niwot Ridge Long-term Ecological Research site, Western Water Assessment, and to work on pressing water issues in Colorado Front Range and the broader Colorado River Basin. The aquatic ecologist/aquatic biogeochemist will participate in research and service activities in both INSTAAR and EBIO, and teaching obligations in their tenure home (EBIO). This will be a standard 40% research, 40% teaching, and 20% service appointment.
The aquatic ecologist/aquatic biogeochemist will be expected to develop and teach undergraduate and graduate level courses such as aquatic ecology, limnology, or hands-on field courses, as well as develop specialty courses in their area of expertise.

What You Should Know

All University of Colorado Boulder employees are required to comply with the campus COVID-19 vaccine requirement. New employees must provide proof of vaccination or receive a medical or religious exemption within 30 days of employment.

What We Can Offer

The hiring range is $80,000-$100,000.
Relocation assistance is available per Institute guidelines.

Be Statement

Be inclusive. Be inspired. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Applicants must have a Ph.D. in ecological or environmental sciences, or related fields at the time of appointment, as well as a demonstrated capacity for innovative, multidisciplinary research.

What You Will Need

Commitment to working in an inclusive and interdisciplinary environment and a desire to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in ways that align with CU Boulder’s mission.
Commitment to excellence in teaching and research mentoring of undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-docs. Interest in and/or evidence of teaching courses that use advanced pedagogical approaches, provide a dynamic classroom environment and enhance learning outcomes at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

What We Would Like You To Have

Evidence of outstanding scholarship, impactful research, and external funding within a relevant field such as, but not limited to environmental sciences, aquatic ecology, aquatic biogeochemistry, ecosystem science, limnology, or related fields.
Strong process-based research skills and a potential to establish an innovative research agenda, to communicate their work effectively to a broader public, and to work with other researchers and/or partners from diverse fields.

Speical Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

Curriculum vitae
Cover letter (limited to 1 page)
Statement of Research Philosophy: Description of past, current, and proposed research (limited to 3 pages)
Statement of Teaching Philosophy: Description of prior teaching experience, teaching philosophy, and future teaching interests, as well as a statement of prior and proposed academic, professional, and/or community service experience (limited to 2 pages)
Diversity and Inclusion Statement: Description of contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Include information about your record of activities to date, as well as your specific plans and goals for advancing equity and inclusion if hired at CU Boulder. Please note that this statement may be evaluated as a standalone document and should, therefore, include all relevant information, even if aspects are also discussed in other submitted materials (limited to 2 pages)
Professional Publications: Up to 3 copies of publications, such as journal articles, book chapters, or other appropriate products. These should be combined and uploaded into one pdf.
List of References: The names and contact information for 3 professional references. These individuals will be contacted if the applicant advances beyond the initial search pool.

Please apply by March 11, 2022 for consideration.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs.

Posting Contact Information

Posting Contact Name: Eve-Lyn Hinckley

Posting Contact Email: eve.hinckley@colorado.edu

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Historic “Old Main Cottonwood” slated for removal over Winter Break

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 22:49:32 +0000

Historic “Old Main Cottonwood” slated for removal over Winter Break Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/15/2021 - 15:49

Planted in 1879 or 1880, the “Old Main Cottonwood” is the oldest and tallest tree on campus. At more than 140 years old, 110 feet tall and 19 feet in circumference at the base of the trunk, it has outlived and outgrown all other on-campus cottonwoods that were planted at the end of the 19th century.

However, it is finally time for the tree’s reign on the south side of the Old Main Building to come to an end -- even though its legacy will live on thanks to scions cultivated from it in 2014. The most recent examinations of the tree have indicated a likely steady decline and potential safety risks increasing in coming months if the tree is not removed.

“We have been monitoring the health and risk factors related to this beloved tree for the past several years,” campus Forestry Supervisor Vince Aquino said. “We have done everything to preserve its heritage for as long as possible, and it has lived for more than double its expected lifespan.”

An 1879 voucher from the CU archives showed the university spent $35 out of its general fund for 42 plains cottonwoods, which had a one-year warranty. Plains cottonwoods (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera) are known as the “pioneer trees of the plains” because of their hardiness and ability to withstand harsh weather conditions. They have an average lifespan of 70 years and reach about 60 to 80 feet in height.

A local contractor will use a crane to remove the tree over Winter Break, when fewer people are on campus. The removal will take at least a week to complete.

The Old Main Cottonwood will find new life thanks to its superior genetics and a desire for its legacy to endure. With its above-average age and height, it is an ideal candidate for cloning; cuttings were taken and rooted in 2014. There are now four six-foot scions in the campus greenhouse that will be planted in the coming years to help preserve the tree’s legacy.

“Our partners at the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Greenhouse deserve all the credit for cultivating the initial cuttings into healthy scions that are ready to be planted,” Aquino said. “This tree has seen a lot over the last century and a half and I’m grateful that we are getting the chance to allow this tree to continue its life on Norlin Quad.”

The bottom portion of the trunk will be preserved, and during the spring semester, there will be a celebration of the tree with the installation of a commemorative plaque at its base. One of the scions will be planted in the vicinity, and the path next to the Old Main Cottonwood will be renovated to include a small section on the west side of the trunk. Preliminary discussions have taken place about a possible repurposing of some of the tree’s wood, but there are no firm plans as of yet.

CU Boulder is a member of Tree Campus USA and is nationally recognized for its exceptional dedication to trees. Consider making a donation to the Campus Beautification Fund to have a direct impact on the future of campus landscaping.

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Lab turns critical eye on itself, aims to retain diverse voices

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 20:51:31 +0000

Lab turns critical eye on itself, aims to retain diverse voices Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/27/2021 - 14:51

It’s said that a diversity of voices promotes a diversity of solutions, but retaining those diverse voices remains a challenge for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. A new project at the University of Colorado Boulder, though, hopes to target that need at the most accessible level: the lab group.

This project, out this past week in a new article in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, is a two-step iterative process that seeks to figure out if members of a lab or other small group feel that they belong or are valued through a scientifically sound survey—and then provides guidance about how to improve.

The researchers hope this tool, created in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC) at CU Boulder as part of continuing efforts to understand the campus culture, will be something that any lab or small unit uses to understand their culture and see how to help everyone feel they belong and are valued.

"We are increasingly reckoning with the lack of diversity in science and recognizing that it is not enough to address diversity through hiring and recruitment. We need to take a hard look at the experiences of minoritized individuals once they are in an academic setting—and, too often, these experiences are lonely and difficult," said Molly Mcdermott, a PhD candidate in ecology and evolutionary biology (EBIO) and one of the paper’s authors.

"I see it (this project) as a way to address the gap of 'what comes after' when academic groups are diversifying. It is not enough to just get people in the door; everyone needs to feel like they belong in order to stay in the room and keep trying to open the next door."

In STEM, those of different gender, racial and ethnic backgrounds remain underrepresented compared to other industries, according to the Pew Research Institute. For Rebecca Safran, an EBIO professor who has had her own struggles as a woman in STEM, this wasn’t just an issue of recruiting more students from underrepresented backgrounds—it was also about making sure that everyone in the lab community felt valued and had a sense of belonging.

So Safran and her lab asked: What could they do in their sphere of influence to address this issue?

The retention of diverse voices in STEM is a huge problem, but Safran's lab (above) has created a two-step iterative process to try and make those voices heard and valued.

"We are truly trying to revise the way that we work as a scientific entity, as the prevailing, hierarchical model is not working and has to change," said Safran.

"We're trying to change the whole culture here (in the lab) so that everyone is encouraged to contribute in areas where they shine most brightly and feel valued because of their different skills and talents while also feeling supported managing the various balancing acts we all experience in our lives."

About this time, Safran met Julie Volckens, who is OIEC director of assessment. They hit it off right away and began chatting about doing a small survey in Safran’s lab to assess the cultural climate.

Volckens agreed to talk to the group, discussing what would—and wouldn’t—be feasible with this survey. Altogether, they then created a survey and iterative process that they hoped would accomplish their goals.

"This was the most directly collaborative project I’ve worked on, with everyone getting ideas in at every stage and a very 'all-hands-on-deck' mentality throughout the process. This was especially gratifying, given the subject of the paper," said Drew Schield, a postdoc in Safran’s lab and one of the paper’s co-authors.

The group ended up creating a survey that, in many ways, is an extension of the Campus Culture Survey, which Volckens and her team also created, using many of the same rigorously tested questions but more targeted for the smaller lab group context.

We are truly trying to revise the way that we work as a scientific entity, as the prevailing, hierarchical model is not working and has to change."

The Campus Culture Survey, which will be distributed to all faculty, staff and students the week of Oct. 18, came out of the Inclusion, Diversity and Excellence in Academics (IDEA) Plan. According to the OIEC website, the survey’s goal is to, “gather anonymous feedback from students, faculty and staff related to their sense of belonging, experiences of incivility, classroom and workplace culture, and protected-class harassment (including sexual harassment), and discrimination”—all of which help predict whether people will stay or leave.

“When people are treated like they belong, they fit in, they’re valued, those are the components of feeling like this is my place, my people, my passion,” said Volckens.

These factors also mirrored the goals of Safran’s lab, where they wondered if those in the lab felt like they belonged, mattered or were respected.

“We all decided that a lab group is a great target for rapid cultural change, and Julie helped us sort out what response variables would help us meet our goals of having everyone feel valued. It was exciting to realize that we really can study and attend to the climate in our lab in ways that we know that have been demonstrated through social science research that actually mean something important,” said Safran.

In addition to the survey, the group also advises other groups in the article to work to change the behaviors or community norms flagged as points of concern with the survey in whatever way works best for them. For Safran’s group, they did this by creating a “living document” in which lab members can anonymously contribute thoughts. Time is then set aside each term to discuss the lab’s community values and goals.

“The idea is that everyone can help co-create our lab climate and that we can iteratively check in to see whether how we are doing is commensurate with our goals. If not, we can discuss soft spots and experiment with different interventions,” Safran explained.

Which, Volckens says, is exactly how it’s supposed to work.

“Groups take the survey to get a sense of where they are, where they’re growing, where they may have new concerns. It’s a little bit of going in and having your blood pressure checked,” said Volckens. “These two things go together. This survey is a snapshot, and then that living document is what you’re going to do about it.”

For Safran’s lab, that living document proved crucial for everyone.

“This document helped me understand what I could expect from Dr. Safran, the PI, and what, in turn, was expected from me as a student. Reading the document made clear that the Safran lab values a lab culture which is respectful and supportive, and contributing to the document made me feel like a valued member of the lab,” said Sage Madden (EBIO’21) who was a part of the lab as an undergraduate and is now a PhD student at the University of California Davis.

Together, the researchers argue, the two tools are something that any small group can use—and they hope they do.

“My hope is that many small groups will use this framework to improve sense of belonging and community connection, and that through many iterations, these small units will aggregate to form a larger system of support, resilience and innovation,” said Avani Fachon, an EBIO undergraduate student and a co-author.

And Heather Kenny, a second-year graduate student and a co-author on the paper, agrees:

“I suspect many people have recently been feeling motivated to take action to improve the diversity and equity of our society as well as our smaller social circles. The societal problem feels too immense to really be tackled by a single individual, but assessing belonging and sense of value in a small lab group is a space where a single individual can create change,” Kenny said, adding:

“Hopefully if enough people change the attitudes in their small circles, the larger society will begin making progress in the right direction.”

Before labs or other groups use this survey, though, the researchers advise them to work collaboratively to reach consensus about confidentiality, open-mindedness and making sure everyone has an equal opportunity to have their voice heard.

“I think the beauty of what we propose lies in the intuition it follows. We so often refer to academic lab-based research groups as ‘families,’ yet it is relatively rare that we put deliberate time and effort into fostering the connections among our members in a transparent, inclusive way,” said Mike Gil, a University of Colorado chancellor's fellow who’s currently a postdoc in Safran’s lab but will join the EBIO faculty next fall.

“I think we show here that the family analogy can be powerful when acted upon, and the that the buy-in is relatively inexpensive relative to the potential payoff.”

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Declining warblers making the best of bad situation

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 20:46:01 +0000

Declining warblers making the best of bad situation Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/27/2021 - 14:46

A strange warbler found in a Pennsylvania backyard is the first-of-its-kind three-species hybrid, indicating nearby endangered warblers might be making the best of a declining population—but at a cost, according to new research from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the University of Colorado Boulder.

With a mother that is a fertile hybrid of the Golden-winged Warbler and Blue-winged Warbler, and a father that is a Chestnut-sided Warbler, this newly found bird is one of only a few firmly documented cases of a three-species hybrid ever found, and the only known hybrid of two completely different genera (or, the biological classification above species).

These findings were recently published by the journal Biology Letters.

“I don’t think we would’ve expected that across such a different part of the warbler evolutionary tree we’d still have offspring produced. They’re genetically very different birds,” said Scott Taylor, an assistant professor in ecology and evolutionary biology at CU Boulder and one of the study’s co-authors.

The small, vocal bird was first spotted in May 2018 by Lowell Burket, a bird watcher, on his property in Pennsylvania. Burket, who is a co-author on the study, had gotten into birding only in the last few years, and immediately noticed when he reviewed a video he took that there was something not quite right about this bird. It looked and acted like both Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warblers, but it sang like, and had minor physical characteristics of, a Chestnut-sided Warbler.

After seeing the bird a few times, he sent a photograph and video of it to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where Taylor was previously a postdoctoral researcher. The bird immediately drew the interest of Taylor and David Toews, a fellow postdoc, as the bird was found in an area where Golden-winged Warblers have declined dramatically over the past decade.

“During fieldwork in West Virginia the previous summer, we were having these conversations about, what if Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers hybridize with Chestnut-sided Warblers? But we both thought that would be crazy,” said Taylor.

Toews immediately went to the property and retrieved a blood sample from the bird. And, using that sample and genomic tools they had already created from Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers, Toews and Taylor established that this mysterious bird was indeed a three-species hybrid.

"I had literally zero knowledge about birds until seven years ago," Burket commented to the Lab of Ornithology. "And now I end up discovering what appears to be a first-of-its-kind bird. It can happen to anybody!"

While the three-species hybrid is interesting, Taylor cautions that it’s hard to say how evolutionary relevant this hybrid is to the grand scheme of warbler speciation and conservation. Rather, it might actually hurt the Golden-winged Warbler, which is up for consideration to be listed on the Endangered Species Act, and the Blue-winged Warbler’s future survival.

And this issue isn’t new. Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers have increasingly been hybridizing, thanks in part to a steep decline in their populations stemming from habitat loss in their wintering grounds—Venezuela and Central America.

“It’s maybe rarity of mates that caused this hybridization because the mother just couldn’t find another Blue-winged or Golden-winged to breed with, so she bred with a Chestnut-sided,” commented Taylor.

Toews agreed in a comment to Cornell: "That this hybridization occurred within a population of Golden-winged Warblers in significant decline suggests that females may be making the best of a bad situation.”

Toews and Taylor will continue monitoring this three-species hybrid going forward to see if it will try and find a mate next year, and then, if so, whether the hybrid is sterile or fertile.

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Interactive website immerses viewers in the world of barn swallows

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 20:35:29 +0000

Interactive website immerses viewers in the world of barn swallows Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/19/2021 - 14:35

Avani Fachon, a CU undergraduate with a major in ecology and evolutionary biology and a minor in media production, has created an honors thesis project as a multimedia, interactive website titled Rituals of this Good Earth: An Exploration of Barn Swallow-Human Interconnections. She is a National Science Foundation Post Baccalaureate Fellow in Rebecca Safran’s lab group.

For hundreds of years, barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) have built mud nests almost exclusively on human-made structures, such as bridges, barns, porches, doorways, sheds and culverts. This shared environment has led to a kinship between barn swallows and humans. Through this immersive website experience, Fachon explores the variety of connections which exist between the two species globally.

Why did you select barn swallows for your honors project?

I became interested in barn swallows when I reached out to Rebecca Safran during the summer of 2020 inquiring about doing an honors thesis in her lab. She showed me that a project combining art and science was a possibility and ceaselessly supported me in pursuing this interest. As I learned more about barn swallows from Dr. Safran, as well as the undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral researchers in the Safran Lab, one characteristic that stood out to me was the swallows’ close association with human settlement and expansion patterns. Barn swallows and humans share a story of expansion and home.

From their attachments to anthropogenic structures, barn swallows and humans are deeply interconnected through geographical, cultural, historical and ecological landscapes. I became fascinated by how barn swallows are ever-present in our everyday worlds and are perceived and valued differently as they cross through our invisible human boundaries.

What were you like growing up?

When I was younger, much of my world revolved around observing and learning about the natural world. I loved counting spots on ladybugs to “tell their age,” conducting my own research expeditions to uncover dinosaur bones, crouching in Boulder Creek to search for colorful stones and peering at crows and squirrels squabbling in crab apple trees through a set of tiny green toy binoculars. I used to tell people I wanted to be a paleontologist-doctor-veterinarian-artist when I grew up. I see this over-ambitiousness as the first signs I was interested in interdisciplinary endeavors.

How did you get the idea for telling a story about barn swallows using a multimedia approach?

I am interested in combining my deep fascination with the natural world with media-making to tell stories which motivate environmental conservation actions. In a 2018 article published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, writer Ella Saltmarshe describes stories as “light, as glue, and as web.” Stories have the ability to educate, build community and prompt an audience to re-evaluate their narratives and beliefs. These are exactly the ways in which I hoped to use story to foster a deeper understanding of our incredible avian neighbors. By highlighting the stories of the 23 interviewees through a multimedia approach combining audio stories, animation, illustration, and found videos and photos, I hoped to create an immersive and engaging community outreach tool.

Given the project’s focus on global connectivity, choosing a format allowing for a high level of accessibility was key. Viewers from anywhere in the world can view the project, if they are able to access the internet and a computer. And Rituals of this Good Earth presents the content in five categories: language, art, culture, ecology and nesting. The interactive website format allows for the material to be categorized in a way that accounts for the viewer's interests and preferences, thus allowing for greater intellectual accessibility.

Why is the barn swallows’ story an important one to tell?

Community outreach projects such as Rituals of this Good Earth are critical at this point in time, as many birds, including barn swallows, have been declining at a rapid rate over the past few decades. Since 1970, there are 2.9 billion fewer breeding birds in North America, which is equal to a 29% loss of the breeding bird population. There has been a 32% loss in aerial insectivores since 1970, and an estimated two in five barn swallows have disappeared since this time. By presenting the many connections which we hold with the swallows, I hope the public will better understand the immense value of this species in our communities and take action to conserve them.

I feel that it is important to share the impact the barn swallows have had on people globally; I had no idea about this influence until I began conducting research and interviews for this project. Many people feel an immense sense of responsibility and caring for the birds. This species’ friendship is so special and worthy of being highlighted.

What do you want people to take away from your project?

Through highlighting these stories of barn swallow-human interconnections, I hope to remind people of the importance of interspecies friendships, as well as of our place within the vast web of life, rather than outside of it. We are a part of the barn swallows’ story, and they are a part of ours; this is something worth celebrating and conserving.

What are your plans after the NSF fellowship?

I hope to continue working on more projects combining research on ecology with media-making. I’m excited to see where the future takes me!

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News Feature Dr. Rebecca Safran honored during National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week, September 20-24

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 21:20:35 +0000

News Feature Dr. Rebecca Safran honored during National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week, September 20-24 Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 09/27/2021 - 15:20

NPAW is sponsored by the National Postdoctoral Association, of which all CU Boulder postdocs are members, to highlight the research, scholarly and creative contributions of postdocs.

Outstanding Postdoc Awards

This year’s Outstanding Postdoc Awards, reserved for postdocs excelling in research productivity, innovation, communication and leadership, are awarded to Drs. Constance Crozier (Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering) and Omkar Supekar (Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering).

Crozier was nominated by Kyri Baker, assistant professor of civil, environmental & architectural engineering, who praised Crozier’s leadership on a Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E) grid optimization project—work that garnered national recognition and a $140,000 prize. Baker also highlighted Crozier’s mentoring support offered to students and her involvement with the CU Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) program. Characterizing Crozier as “easy-going, collaborative, and naturally a leader,” Baker emphasized that Crozier has exceeded her expectations during her short tenure as a CU Boulder postdoc for under one year. “I have no doubt in my mind that she will be a leader in the fight against climate change, and a role model for many to come.” Crozier secured her PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Oxford in 2019.

Supekar is a postdoctoral associate in Juliet Gopinath’s Optics and Photonics Research Group, which focuses on electrowetting devices. Describing him as an “excellent researcher (with) incredible dedication, innovation and productivity,” Gopinath underscored Supekar’s contributions to her lab, specifically around Raman spectroscopy. Supekar has published 13 peer-reviewed papers in top scientific journals, participated in eight conference proceedings and delivered three conference presentations. Supekar has also been active in mentoring younger researchers with lasers and microscopy. Supekar secured his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from CU Boulder in 2019.

Outstanding Postdoc Mentor Awards

The Outstanding Postdoc Mentor Awards, recognizing exemplary faculty mentors who regularly engage postdocs, are presented to Rebecca Safran (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology), Graeme Smith (Physics/JILA) and Tom Perkins (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology/JILA).

Zach Laubach, a postdoc fellow in the Safran Lab, offered a glowing account of his experience working with Safran: “Becca matches or exceeds the efforts of her mentees, prioritizing their work as if it were her own.” He went on to say, “Taking time to be attentive and to carefully listen to mentees does not receive the kind of recognition that propels one’s career forward. Yet Becca engages in such mentorship activities routinely and without a second thought.” Laubach also highlighted Safran’s efforts to improve the climate of inclusivity and community with her lab and department. Safran’s research group investigates the intersection of individual variation and population pattern in evolutionary and behavioral ecology.

Graeme Smith was jointly nominated by current CU Boulder postdoc Vikesh Siddhu and former CU Boulder postdoc, Felix Leditzky. Embodying the understanding that a postdoc is a temporary, short-term position, Siddhu shared Smith’s career advice to him at the outset of his postdoc “your top job as a postdoc is to find the next job you like.” Leditzky, attesting to his recent hire as Assistant Professor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said Smith “played an integral part in guiding me through the process and helping me achieve this career goal. I aim to pay forward the trust and support that I received from him.” Smith’s lab studies quantum information and computing.

David Reid Jacobson of JILA and the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) nominated Tom Perkins, a JILA fellow and professor in the Molecular, Developmental and Cellular Biology (MCDB) department. The Perkins Group examines and applies single-molecule techniques to answer biological questions. Speaking to the level of autonomy he has in his postdoc, Jacobson said, “Professor Perkins does a good job of balancing his communication with postdocs, maintaining a level of interested engagement while also allowing us enough space to build the habits needed for professional independence.” Perkins strongly encouraged Jacobson and other postdocs to pursue career transition awards, resulting in Jacobson winning an NIH K99 “Pathway to Independence” Award, designed to help postdocs secure independent, tenure-track positions.

To learn more about the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, visit colorado.edu/postdoctoralaffairs/ or email opa@colorado.edu.

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