Saturday, August 29, 2015

LTER All Scientists Meeting

It has been a busy summer! Two weeks after ESA we are headed to Estes Park, CO for the LTER- All Scientists Meeting.
We will have 3 more posters (totally different than our ESA posters!??!?!) at the LTER-ASM:
Science is happening at CPEL!
Stay tuned for photos and updates from the Rocky Mountains.

Friday, August 14, 2015

ESA100

This was a great year for CPEL at ESA!  We had 9 students (2 undergrad, 4 master's, and 3 PhD) in attendance along with 1 junior ecologist (our 1 1/2 year old).  In addition to our own talks and posters(photos below), we saw a lot of great research from students of Nathan Kraft, Debra PetersSteve Archer, Mendy Smith, and many, many others. 

One workshop that was particularly of interest was "Women in Ecology" organized by Andrea Thorpe.  It was very apparent that while there are many great resources for women available, many women are falling through the cracks and in need of support.  I have experienced this myself and seen it happen in other women in ecology.  There is a resource (which I have had difficulty accessing) in the Earth Science Women's Network.  However, we left the workshop with the idea of organizing a network through ESA.  In the meantime, I will be teaching a topic seminar on Women in Ecology and will have weekly blog posts highlighting the challenges and amazing research from a diverse group of women. 

Some memorable quotes from the workshop:
"We can help other women and provide resources by creating a network of women in ecology"

"This is not a male vs. female thing, it's an inclusive thing"

"We don't have a female version of a beard to make us more respected as young female ecologists"

"You don't need to change who you are to be a scientist"

"Have the confidence to represent yourself and what you bring to the table"

"There is no one way; there is no right way; there is what is best for you" (This one has been turned into a haiku from our twitter feed!)

In the short-term, @cpelvcu has created a women in ecology list.  Send us a tweet if you would like to be added.  Hopefully, there will be more to come. 

I almost forgot: our week started off with a unique synergism of ecology and my little pony.  CPEL embraced this and interacted with the Bronies. And now - lots of photos from the conference! 

April explains the functional traits of dune building grasses

Ashley with her poster on functional types and overwash disturbance

Audrey is engaged on the effect of salinity and drought in coastal grasses

Ben explains bistability in barrier islands

Endangered species condoms - don't ask

Joe is ready for the poster session

Swag!

Our usual suspects

Young ecologist in training

CPEL-BronyCon Synergism

Why not?

CPEL group photo

 Hog Island - VCR

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Visit us at ESA

If you are attending the Ecological Society of America meeting, come by and visit us  (if you are not, I encourage you to come):
  
Talks:
 
Physiological filters to vegetation establishment on contaminated soil
Tuesday, August 11, 2015: 11:10 AM
347, Baltimore Convention Center
Stephen Via, Julie Zinnert, and Donald Young
 
Linking vines to woody hosts: Untangling the biotic influences in a physically dominated environment
Tuesday, August 11, 2015: 2:50 PM
322, Baltimore Convention Center
Spencer Bissett, Julie Zinnert, and Donald Young
 
Posters:

Grassland species vary in tolerance to stressors associated with climate change
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Audrey Kirschner and Julie Zinnert
PS 23-22
 
Functional traits explain ecosystem engineering in dune building grasses
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Julie Zinnert, Joseph Brown, April Harris, Joseph Thompson, and Donald Young
PS 26-52
 
Shrub encroachment and persistence: A case of biofeedback leading to stability after state change
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Benjamin Dows, Julie Zinnert, and Donald Young
PS 26-66
 
Functional type changes over a disturbance gradient of overwash sites on a Virginia barrier island
Friday, August 14, 2015
Ashley Moulton and Julie Zinnert
PS 88-89