Red River Wildlife Refuge Biotechs, In Action!
Biotechs Create and Maintain Wildlife Habitat and Monitor Endangered and Threatened Species
At our April Friends of Red River membership meeting, Biotechs Lillian Self and Justin Talley gave the community a glimpse into the world class science work that they do at Red River NWR, at Barksdale AFB and at federal facilities around the Southeast Region of the US. You may have asked, "What are Biology Technicians? What do they do?"
Lillian with an Alligator Snapping Turtle, one of the species her team is focused on helping.
Lillian had the following to say about her work:
Justin and I are entry level biologists for the refuge system. As a part of the refuge system we work with others to create and maintain viable habitat for a variety of different organisms. On top of this we also monitor threatened and endangered species on Air Force Bases within the Southeastern U.S.. Species such as the Alligator Snapping Turtle, the Tricolored Bat, the Little Brown Bat, and the Bald Eagle are our main focal points on base. Many of these species are federally listed as threatened/endangered, but some of them could be shortly. Our main approach is to determine presence of these species; however, once presence is determined we continue to monitor health and survivorship.
Being a part of this Department of Defense project as well as members of the Red River NWR team, we have been able to learn important skills through hands on experience and training that will help us become higher level biologists.
Take a look at the slide show and consider what Lillian Self had to say about the opportunity to gain experience working with Red River NWR staff and other federal staff in her first USFWS posting. Many thanks to Lillian and Justin for letting us know about the important work they are doing to monitor endangered and threatened species that few of us will ever see.
