Spatial scale of Habitat Selection of White-tailed Deer

presented by Jenna Knight. Jenna has been looking at the spatial scale of habitat selection of white-tailed deer in the Peterborough Crown Game Preserve in Apsley using GPS collared deer within the game preserve.

A Look Into the Diversity and Dispersal of Stinkbugs in the Trent Nature Areas 

presented by Olivia Bettencourt. Olivia is working on an entomology thesis. Her talk will look at the ecological importance of studying various orders of insects and the impacts collecting baseline data can have on conservation efforts.

Detect or Inflect: Exploring the Function of Ultrasonic Vocalizations in Flying Squirrels

Sasha Newar is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate at Trent University who is
passionate about animal behaviour, particularly in mammals. I
converted from a master’s to a Ph.D. after 1.5 years of studying
because I couldn’t get enough of the squirrels and this project.
Outside of my science, I am pursuing a call towards Science
Communication – I’ve recently started a podcast with another lab
member where we interview other Trent grad students about what they
are studying in their thesis work. I’ve also worked on several film
sets as a flying squirrel wrangler, including a recent show on
Disney+! Flying squirrels produce ultrasonic vocalizations, similar to
bats. Unlike their flying cousins, the function of these
high-frequency vocalizations in flying squirrels and other gliding
mammals remains unclear. Through various recording conditions and
experiments, together, we will explore the potential functions of
these calls in these unique Ontario rodents.

PLEASE NOTE – Change from original meeting plan – unfortunately Maela
Kaminski, one of the PFN Grant recipients, will not be able to attend
the meeting. She will present at the May members meeting instead.
Sasha Newar, a PHD Candidate at Trent University, has graciously
offered to join in as the third presenter.

Variations in the Brood Sex Ratios of Tree Swallows in Response to Environmental Quality presented by Maela Kaminski. Maela’s project compares the nestling sexes of tree swallow broods to the environmental quality pre and post laying by using long-term data from unmanipulated nests from past field seasons alongside data collected during her 2022 field season.

Doors open 7 p.m. Meeting starts 7:30p.m Hybrid meeting: Zoom + in-person at Camp Kawartha Environment Centre 2505 Pioneer Road Maximum 45 attendees – Members Only