Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Alex Del Rosario

Using Wildlife Cameras to Observe and Study Urban Carnivore Behavior

Urban carnivores can be found all across the Bay Area, but determining where they are (i.e., their spatial niche) and when they are found there (i.e., their temporal niche) is an outstanding question in urban ecology. Cameras allow our lab to observe urban carnivores without disturbing their normal activities. Our trail cameras are motion-activated, so they begin taking photos whenever movement is detected within their field of vision. As a summer scholar, I will be observing these animals through cameras and contributing to broader research focused on urban ecology, environmental justice, and built environments.

 

Message To Sponsor

I am so incredibly grateful to continue my research with the Schell Lab as a summer scholar. This in-depth research opportunity will help me prepare for graduate school, where I plan to pursue a master's in public health with a focus on historically disenfranchised communities. As a relative of immigrants and Indigenous people myself, I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the meaningful, impactful, and equity-driven work that the Schell lab is doing, and I wouldn't be able to do it without your support. Thank you!