Meet Wildlife in the West 2019

Get to know our latest class of Wildlife in the West and why each of them has chosen to spend a summer learning in the Swan!

TATUM

TATUM

Name: Tatum McConnell

School (Major) / Work:Columbia University, Environmental Biology

Where are you from?: Mercer Island, Washington

What attracted you to this program?:

I was attracted to this program through the potential of learning about the many different careers in environmental conservation, and am truly excited to begin delving into the world of naturalism.

What are you most excited about learning?:

I am excited to learn more about interspecies relationships, ecology, and animal behaviors, as well as how to preserve them.

How do you hope to apply what you learn here to whatever goals you have after finishing school/this program?:

I hope to leave this program able to appreciate the ecosystem as a whole, become a better naturalist, and narrow in on a suitable future career path.

What's a fun fact about you?:

This program will be the longest amount of time that I have spent off of an island!

ALEX

ALEX

Name: Alexander Mazarr

School (Major) / Work: Virginia Tech, Aerospace Engineering

Where are you from? Arlington, Virginia

What attracted you to this program?

I was attracted to this program by the idea of gaining new field experiences, being outdoors, and learning in a small group setting.

What are you most excited about learning?

I am excited to learn about how different local groups work in conjunction with one another towards the same ultimate goal of conservation.

How do you hope to apply what you learn here to whatever goals you have after finishing school/this program?

I want to have a job that allows me to be outdoors, so that I can use the experiences gained through this program in order to help the planet in a manner that is also conducive to my own happiness.

What's a fun fact about you?

I like trees



PEYTON

PEYTON

Name:Peyton Loss

School (Major) / Work: University of North Dakota, Fisheries & Wildlife Biology, Spanish

Where are you from? Brainerd, Minnesota

What attracted you to this program?

I was attracted to this program by the opportunity to have a hands on experiences and to learn from a myriad of perspectives and sources.

What are you most excited about learning?

I am excited to learn how each species that we address interacts with its environment and how it is viewed in the public eye and what is done in order to allow for things to work more cohesively.

How do you hope to apply what you learn here to whatever goals you have after finishing school/this program?

Hopefully, interdisciplinary knowledge will persist and continue to influence how I approach and interact when faced with a complex issue, understanding that a comprehensive solution is only possible by considering a multitude of different viewpoints.

What's a fun fact about you?

My favorite Disney movie and soundtrack is the Lion King.

AARON

AARON

Name: Aaron Altier

School (Major) / Work: CSU Chico (Ecological, Evolutionary, and Organismal Biology)

Where are you from? Chico, California

What attracted you to this program?

I was attracted to this program because of my interests in landscape ecology, and environmental policy and conservation. Atop this, I will gain educational experience through field work.

What are you most excited about learning?

I am excited to learn about sustainable resource management, policy, and wildlife.

How do you hope to apply what you learn here to whatever goals you have after finishing school/this program?

I hope to be able to apply the knowledge that I gain on the multidisciplinary approaches of conservation to the many aspects of environmental, and societal problem solving.

What's a fun fact about you?

The only thing I like more than a pair of Chacos is an old fashioned commune.



BRUCE

BRUCE

Name:Bruce Montgomery

School (Major) / Work: MSU Denver, Ecology

Where are you from? Denver, Colorado

What attracted you to this program?

I was attracted to this program by the opportunity to learn more about the process of mitigating wildlife-human conflict, specifically relating to grizzly bear encounters in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).

What are you most excited about learning?

I am excited to learn more about the processes relating to conflict mitigation in the west.

How do you hope to apply what you learn here to whatever goals you have after finishing school/this program?

I would like to end up working for a federal agency towards mitigating conflicts between grizzly bear and humans.

What's a fun fact about you?

I love to work on my land cruiser.

EMMA

EMMA

Name: Emma Ciafone

School (Major) / Work: CU Boulder (Major: Environmental Studies, Minors: Evolutionary Biology, Geography, Space)

Where are you from? Castle Rock, Colorado

What attracted you to this program?

I was attracted to this program through the idea of working in a group setting, investigating wildlife conservation and being in the beautiful landscape of Montana. I want to work with animals in the future, and thought that this program would provide a hands on experience that may give me a head start in that direction.

What are you most excited about learning?

I am excited to gain a better understanding of conservation, and the steps that need to be taken within community settings to achieve the goals that we set.

How do you hope to apply what you learn here to whatever goals you have after finishing school/this program?

I hope that my field experiences will give me a closer relationship and understanding of conservation and wildlife, which I will be able to apply in my chosen career path.

What's a fun fact about you?

I enjoy playing the game “Would you Rather.”