Students

Milène Weibe

PhD Candidate
Co-supervised with Dr. Stephanie Green, University of Alberta

My research focuses on the invasion ecology of European green crabs (Carcinus maenas). In particular, I am focusing on management strategies and the impacts of C. maenas within intertidal communities. My research mainly takes place within the traditional territory of the Haíɫzaqv Nation on the central coast of British Columbia in collaboration with the Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department. Previously, I gained experience with invasive species with Parks Canada, working to stop the spread of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in Manitoba. My honours thesis at the University of Manitoba focused on determining if proximate body condition could be used as a predictor for fecundity in sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) within the Great Lakes. I am passionate about conservation and wildlife management, making science accessible, the outdoors, and dogs.

Ryan Masayesva

MS Student

Project: Supporting development of Haíɫzaqv conservation planning

I am an MPS student in Environmental Biology, and a Sloan Indigenous Scholar with the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. I did my undergraduate at Arizona State University with a major in Conservation Biology and Ecology. The past few years I have primarily worked in the west, and have primarily focused my work on carnivore ecology in response to anthropological changes to habitat. My thesis is supporting Haíɫzaqv conservation planning, including integrating recreation use, wolf ecology and conservation, and broader stewardship principles. Hobbies of mine include hunting, fishing, and hiking, and I particularly enjoy upland bird hunting.

Kiara Kattler

PhD Student
Co-supervised with Dr. Stephanie Green, University of Alberta

Project: Native predators as biological controls of the invasive European green crab

My research interests are in invasive marine ecology, with aims to gain understanding on how invasive species impact ecological communities and how these impacts can be mitigated. I am conducting my Master’s degree with Dr. Kyle Artelle and Dr. Stephanie Green (University of Alberta) in collaboration with the Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department (HIRMD). We are exploring what predators may be consuming invasive European green crabs (Carcinus maenas) and if the extent of their predation can help act as a biological control to reduce populations of green crabs. Previously, I worked with Dr. Isabelle Côté at Simon Fraser University researching marine invasions (specifically with European green crabs and Japanese False Cerith snails), noise pollution, and animal-mediated nutrient dynamics.

Christian Sarro

MS Student
Co-supervised with Dr. Karin Limburg, SUNY ESF

Project: Microchemistry of spawning Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii)

My research focuses on the effects of traditional spawn-on-kelp transplants of Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) as a method of spawning ground restoration. Specifically, I am analyzing water and otolith microchemistry using laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) to understand regional variation in trace element chemistry across Haíɫzaqv First Nation territory working in collaboration with the Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department in Bella Bella, BC. Using chemical signatures from this analysis, I am looking to understand natal origin of adult herring spawners at previously restored sites. I had previously worked in fisheries biology with the Maine Sea Grant and Department of Marine Resources in Downeast Maine on sea-run Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) population and habitat restoration, as well as with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute on otolith and genetic archives of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) landings in Boston.

Rachelle Ketelhohn

MS Student

My research focuses on using minimally-invasive techniques to study wolves in the Heiltsuk Nation in collaboration with the Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department. I am specifically interested in using camera trapping to identify individuals to obtain a population estimate. My previous work as a field technician focused on threatened species management and utilizing minimally-invasive techniques to monitor birds and mammals. My hobbies include running, reading, and birding.

Seanna Jobe

PhD Student
Co-supervised with Dr. Robert Long, Woodland Park Zoo

I am a PhD student in the Environmental Biology department at SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry. My research will focus on wolf (Canis lupus) populations, with a particular focus on the territory of the Haíɫzaqv Nation on the central coast of British Columbia in collaboration with the Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department and Woodland Park Zoo. I am using a variety of minimally invasive tools to assess the ecology of wolves in a local and continental context. Before coming to SUNY ESF, I worked as an Outreach Manager at the environmental nonprofit, Cape Fear River Watch, and as a Shorebird Technician managing American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliates) for the North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve. My master’s project at University of North Carolina Wilmington looked at predator exclusion cages as visual attractants to Coyotes (Canis latrans), and while receiving my bachelor’s at Houghton University I studied Combined Effects of Experimentally Elevated CORT and Predation Threat on Exploratory and Foraging Behavior of Allegany Dusky salamanders (Desmognathus ochrophaeus). In my free time I love going to concerts, longboarding, reading, making good food, and hanging out with my friends, my partner, and my cat, Suki.

Cyrus Farner

MS Student
Co-supervised with Dr. Michael Schummer, SUNY ESF

Bio coming soon.

Lauren Hahn

MS Student
Co-supervised with Dr. Vanessa Rojas, SUNY ESF

My research interests center around conservation efforts for imperiled bats in the Eastern US. I am working alongside Dr. Kyle Artelle and Dr. Vanessa Rojas to study bat usage of forested and edge habitats in collaboration with the Tonawanda Seneca Nation. Before beginning my master’s at SUNY ESF, I traveled throughout the Midwestern and Eastern U.S. as a part of various field teams, each with a focus on tracking tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus). In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with my rat and caring for my carnivorous plants.

Amy Owens

PhD Candidate
Co-supervised with Dr. Jamie Shinn, SUNY ESF

My research focuses on human-wildlife coexistence and conflict mitigation tactics in order to promote wildlife conservation and human wellbeing. My PhD dissertation research centers around the focal species of wolves, bears, and Steller sea lions in the Haíɫzaqv Territory using mixed methods approaches. For my master’s degree (in Biology) I conducted and assisted with research in Belize, Namibia, and the Galapagos archipelago on a variety of projects including cheetah conservation and microchipping Galapagos Giant tortoises. My hobbies include crocheting, hiking, and spending time with my fiancé, our two dogs (Luna and Willow), and our two cats (Schrödinger and Binx).