Scholarship student

Thursday, September 13, 2023

This past week we met with our most recent CalPoly Scholarship student, Eva Moylan. We’d like to introduce her to you. All of your donations made this possible! THANK YOU!

Eva told us this bit of information:

“I am currently going into my fourth year in Biological Science at Cal Poly and for the past few years I have been part of the Francis Ecology Lab, which focuses on evolutionary ecology, community ecology and conservation. Since 2021, I have been involved in the Black Oystercatcher Monitoring Project in SLO County. This project was originally a 10-year, Audubon funded, citizen science study with the goal of collecting nest monitoring data on Black Oystercatcher reproductive success along the West Coast. Locally, the project was taken over from California State Parks by Cal Poly in 2022, and we are continuing breeding season monitoring efforts. Additionally, we have begun incorporating telephoto imaging of Black Oystercatcher eyes to discern if pupil irregularities can be used to identify individuals since our local population isn’t banded. 

Another ongoing project in this lab involves visiting museum skeleton collections to take orbital, sclerotic ring, and tarsus measurements to calculate light-gathering ability of the eye. These data are used to determine how different species may be evolving over time in response to increasing light pollution. Two other students and I visited Berkeley’s Museum of Invertebrate Zoology this August to get measurements for species not currently in the dataset and we are looking forward to visiting the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles later next week.

This summer through the Frost Summer Undergraduate Research Program, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a project using MAPS banding station data with Dr. Clinton Francis and Dr. Sarah Jennings. This dataset currently includes North American bird capture data spanning from 1989-2018 and our goal is to determine if species-specific productivity and abundance trends can be connected to environmental change across the continent. I’m excited to continue working on this project as a senior project! Additionally, this summer I was able to volunteer the Powell II MAPS banding station in Los Osos. I gained experience using mist nets and handling birds as well as learning what and how data are taken during this process. I loved being involved in a bird banding station and will definitely be looking into internships in this field after graduation to gain more experience!

From a young age, scientific illustration has played a large role in my interest in birds so I hope to incorporate it into my future career as well. When I began my undergraduate degree in 2020, I was interested in pursuing scientific illustration after graduating with a B.S. in biology. As I have become involved in ornithological research within the past couple of years, I have developed a love for scientific inquiry and the process of investigating new questions so my main goal for the future is to pursue a research career in avian behavior and conservation. However, I am inspired by the connection between science and art and I would love to find a way to incorporate research, illustration and science communication where I can also continuously learn from others. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have been given through Cal Poly and the Francis Ecology Lab to discover my interests and gain experience in this field, and also to organizations that support biological science students like the Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch!”

Come see us out at Morro Rock, Morro Bay, CA , USA. Bob is there between 10AM and 2PM every day.

Happy trails, Bob and Heather