Wendy Walsh
Conservation Biologist
phone: 301-577-8025
OBJECTIVES
EDUCATION
VOLUNTEER AND WORK EXPERIENCE
WEB SITE GALLERY
OBJECTIVES
Objective 1:
Permanent or short-term, full-time employment in the field of ecological conservation in the mid-Atlantic region, beginning July 1999. New Jersey or Washington, D.C. area preferred.
Objective 2: Part-time, contractual web site development work from my home.
EDUCATION
The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia
Bachelor of Science, Summa Cum Laude, in Environmental Science, minor in Biology, May, 1995
Phi Beta Kappa, Golden Key National Honor Society, Alpha Lambda Delta, Phi Eta Sigma
GPA: 3.89
University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
Master of Science in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology, August, 1997
Recipient of a University of Maryland Graduate Fellowship, Phi Kappa Phi
GPA: 4.00
- ecology: theoretical, terrestrial, aquatic, plant
- organismal biology: ornithology, entomology, vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, botany
- conservation biology: theory, current issues
- wetlands: ecology, hydrology, policy
- geology: general, historical, environmental
- economics: general, environmental, ecological
- public policy and administration
Worked in a problem solving team of ten students on the following projects:
- Review of middle school-level biodiversity education materials.
Client: World Wildlife Fund - Critical analysis of the United States' protection of wild American ginseng as an Appendix II species under CITES.
Client: World Wildlfife Fund - Development of new methodologies to eveluate the Parks in Peril program.
Client: The Nature Conservancy - Investigation into the frequency and success of projects to re-introduce captive bred animals into the wild.
Client: Chairperson of the Reintroduction Advisory Group of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association - Development of a management plan for the Butternut tree in the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
Client: National Park Service
- Foraging preferences of the red-bellied woodpecker
- Distribution of the stonefly Eccoptura xanthenes in two small woodland streams in Williamsburg, Virginia
- Measurement of intercepted precipitation in Greenbelt National Park, Greenbelt, Maryland
- Population viability analysis of the piping plover
- Analysis of piping plover conservation policy
- Comparison of a natural and a restored freshwater marsh in the Washington, D.C. area
- MS-DOS, Windows 3.11, Windows 95, MacIntosh
- WordPerfect, MS Word
- QuattroPro, MS Excell, Lotus 1-2-3, MS Works, ClarisWorks
- PowerPoint
- web browsers and e-mail
- Vortex population modeling program
- ArcView GIS software
- graphics design and editing
- web page design and editing (HTML)
- telnet and dial-up networking
- Audubon Naturalist Society: short courses on various natural history topics including insects, wildflowers, and mushrooms
- USDA Graduate School: six-week course in herpetology
- Office of Personel Management: two-week training course in watershed parterships
- U.S. EPA: in-house training in wetlands and time-management
VOLUNTEER AND WORK EXPERIENCE
The Environmental Protection Agency, National Estuary Program, Washington, D.C.
Intern/Contractor. June, 1997 through July, 1999. (current).
- Coordinate two National Estuary Programs, Maryland Coastal Bays and Barataria-Terrebonne Estuaries (Louisiana).
- Provide GIS support to the Coastal Management Branch. Worked with a GIS specialist to digitally map marine and coastal protected area boundaries.
- Renovated and maintain the National Estuary Program and other web sites.
- Created a multi-media presentation about estuaries and the National Estuary Program for use a conferences and public venues.
- Developed fact sheets, a web site and other outreach materials on Pfiesteria piscicida, a harmful algal bloom responsible for fish kills and possible human health effects in Maryland and North Carolina.
- Participate in Branch and Office-wide teams.
- Serve as lead or co-lead on various projects, including renovation of the National Estuary Program (NEP) conference display, development an NEP brochure, and update of a primer on coastal watershed management.
- Initiated and coordinate a series of in-house training seminars on technology-related topics including computers and Internet.
- Review and comment on pending ocean and coastal legislation.
- Serve as liason to the National Marine Fisheries Service for Essential Fish Habitat.
- Participate in Partners in Flight activities.
- Represent U.S. EPA at national meetings and conferences.
The Nature Conservancy, Maryland/D.C. Field Office, Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Volunteer/Masters Project. January through September, 1997.
- Worked independently to update the Site Conservation Plan for Battle Creek Cypress Sanctuary,
Battle Creek, Maryland. - Conducted interviews, research, and reviews of scientific literature in order to gather and integrate available information on all aspects of the sanctuary including ecology, manamement, and threats.
- Formulated recommendations about the future management of the sanctuary, and about The Nature Conservancy's mangement agreement with Calvert County, Maryland.
Graduate Assistant for the Biological Sciences Program. 1996-1997.
- Investigated undergraduate research opportunities in the life sciences and created informational materials
for student use. - Edited a monthly electronic newsletter for undergraduate biology students.
- Orchestrated student elections to the campus Senate.
- Assisted biology students in person and by telephone.
- Initiated new procedures for disseminating information to students about research and internship positions.
- Independently conducted a number of projects using the university's computerized databases to collect data and calculate summary statistics for use by the administration of the College of Life Sciences.
Graduate Intern. Summer, 1996.
- Compiled the findings of Taxonomic Advisory Groups into a database for distribution to member institutions.
- Cataloged and reorganized the North American archive of zoo studbooks and other documents.
Graduate Assistant for the Program in Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics (BEES). Spring, 1996.
- Helped to establish and organize an office for this new program.
- Created computerized mailing lists and organized a bulk mailing of BEES materials to universities worldwide.
Volunteer Interpreter in the Aviary. 1994-1995.
- Assisted museum visitors with bird identification.
- Provided educational information about birds and bird conservation.
- Made presentations to school groups about bird bill morphology and bat pollination activities.
Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge Intern. Summer, 1994.
- Monitored piping plovers and least terns, endangered beach-nesting birds.
- Recorded nesting success and worked to protect the birds from predators and human interference.
- Enhanced public education as a nature walk guide and as an on-site source of information about beach-nesting birds.
- Independently conducted wildflower and insect surveys, mosquito monitoring, and salinity sampling.
- Interacted effectively with the staffs of the Army Corps of Engineers, the NJ Endangered and Non-Game Species Program, the Cape May County Mosquito Commission, Cape May Point State Park, Cape May Bird Observatory, and local police.
- Coordinated and supervised volunteer piping plover wardens.
- Responsible for grounds maintenance, including preserve boundary demarkation.
- Documented land-use history through deed research and interviews with local residents.
Active Member. 1993-1995.
- Performed over 100 hours of volunteer work per semester.
- Headed the Adopt-a-Highway and York River State Park service projects.
- Organized a fund-raiser for The Nature Conservancy1s Virginia Field Office.
WEB SITE GALLERY
Please follow the links below to web sites I have developed:
-
Personal Web Sites:
- Diversity of Life Web Index
- Conservation Homepage
Professional Web Sites for U.S. EPA:
- National Estuary Program
- Oceans and Coastal Protection
- Air Pollution and Water Quality
- Coral Reef Protection
- Pfiesteria piscicida
