Meet The Team

 Kirsten is a community ecologist interested in how invasions, climate change, and land-use change impact diversity, species interactions, and ecosystem functions in insect communities. She also works on solutions for managing interactions and tasks in impacted ecosystems. Her fieldwork takes place in several ecosystems, including oak savannas and temperate forests. Kirsten is passionate about public education and community involvement in science, especially about spreading the word about the importance of the "little things that run the world!" (or insects!).

Christina is an ecologist who studies how human-caused changes like climate change, pollution, and introduced species influence how plants, insects, and other animals interact with each other and the environment. Through the First-year Research Immersion Program, she teaches new college students how to do ecology research, and a lot of their projects are based in the Nature Preserve.

Christina spends a lot of time on iNaturalist helping people identify caterpillars and is coordinating the EcoBlitz on iNaturalist. To contact her on iNaturalist, use @bugbaer. 

Kyra is a PhD candidate at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Her research focuses on the influence of informal environmental science education on audience knowledge and perceptions of science. Kyra has worked alongside Binghamton University researchers to develop various outreach events like the EcoBlitz and has helped to create two educational children's picture books: "Amphibian Adventurers: Beyond the Vernal Pool," and "Pheobe's First Forage: Ant-Plant Mutualisms Along the Forest Floor"

Stephen is a senior majoring in environmental studies and geography, with minors in education and digital and data studies. He is the President of Zero Hour Binghamton, an environmental justice organization on campus that works for a just and greener world. He enjoys motivating other students to explore their passions and encouraging them to become engaged on campus. Stephen's speciality lies in bringing sustainability-focused programming to students and uniting Binghamton's students and the local community to come together in the fight against climate change.

Aly is a PhD candidate at Binghamton University. She is a community ecologist interested in the effects of anthropogenic change on species interaction. Specifically Aly looks at how multi-tropic plant-insect interactions are altered under poleward range expansions.

Julian is a junior at Binghamton University majoring in Biology, with a minor in chemistry. He is the president of Binghamton University's chapter of the national Audubon Society, a student organization focused on the study and conservation of birds. Julian often spends his time wandering the nature preserve, and is looking forward to the opportunity to teach others about nature.

Angie is a freshman majoring in  environmental science, with an ecosystems concentration. She is the PR Director of Zero Hour Binghamton, an environmental justice organization on campus that works for a just and greener world.