Mentor’s Name and Department: Dr. Kristen Malone, Environmental Science & Ecology
Major and Class Year: Environmental Science, Class of 2026
Long-Term Goals: Apply to graduate school with hopes of getting a masters in sustainability.
Project Description:
For this project we wanted to test the effectiveness of using a thermal imaging camera to find grassland bird nests. Our study was primarily focused on Savanna Sparrows, which are a species of grassland nesting birds. We monitored pairs of male and female birds for signs that they had a nest with eggs or chicks in it. We then attempted to find the nest by observing the parent birds’ behavior. The thermal camera was used to locate the nest after we had a probable location for the nest. We also attempted to locate nests without the camera to compare the two methods and assess the effectiveness of the thermal camera.
This project was made possible thanks to the generosity of the Sapienza Family Research Scholars Award.