Conservation

"Conservation begins with careful observation: understanding how animals live, how ecosystems function, and how human actions affect both. Throughout my career as a conservation biologist, educator, and wildlife artist, I have worked to turn that understanding into action through research, citizen science, public outreach, policy guidance, environmental legal work, and art. I am especially committed to reptiles, amphibians, and other overlooked wildlife, and to protecting the habitats and ecological processes on which they depend. "

Commitment to Conservation

My conservation work is grounded in more than three decades of research, education, public engagement, and applied environmental science. My primary commitment is to reptiles and amphibians—animals that are ecologically important, frequently misunderstood, and often especially vulnerable to habitat loss, environmental change, and human persecution.

Current Conservation Interests

My continuing conservation interests include:
- protecting wetlands, streams, coastal marshes, forests, and other habitats essential to wildlife;
- understanding the effects of urbanization, habitat fragmentation, roads, altered waterways, and land-use change;
- conserving turtles, snakes, salamanders, frogs, and other overlooked wildlife;
- improving monitoring methods for rare, secretive, and difficult-to-detect species;
- addressing invasive-species impacts, especially those associated with Burmese Pythons in the Greater Everglades;
- using citizen science, education, and art to strengthen public understanding of wildlife.

Research and Applied Conservation

My colleagues, students, and I have studied Diamondback Terrapins, Eastern Box Turtles, Bog Turtles, stream salamanders, frogs, rattlesnakes, invasive pythons, and many other species. This work has addressed habitat use, survival, movement, urbanization, road mortality, crab-trap bycatch, restoration, invasive-species impacts, environmental DNA, telemetry, and long-term population monitoring.

I have authored more than 140 peer-reviewed scientific publications and eight books and secured more than $2.2 million in research support from organizations including the National Science Foundation, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Department of Defense, state wildlife agencies, utilities, and conservation organizations.

Citizen Science and Education

I believe conservation is most effective when people understand and participate in the science behind it. I helped develop the Carolina Herp Atlas, an online citizen-science project documenting amphibian and reptile occurrences, and directed or contributed to regional wildlife-monitoring and outreach programs involving students, volunteers, educators, landowners, and community members.

I have also written field guides and natural-history books for broad audiences, delivered more than 160 scientific presentations and 60 invited seminars, and mentored more than 70 student researchers. Many of those students became coauthors of peer-reviewed conservation studies.

Leadership, Policy, and Environmental Law

My professional service has included leadership roles with the North Carolina Scientific Council for Amphibians and Reptiles, the Diamondback Terrapin Working Group, the Brown Treesnake Technical Working Group, Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Davidson Lands Conservancy, and Project Bog Turtle.

I have worked with government agencies, wildlife refuges, museums, land trusts, utilities, conservation organizations, and private stakeholders to evaluate ecological evidence and address practical conservation questions. I have also served as an expert witness and scientific consultant in environmental court cases, helping attorneys and courts understand wildlife impacts, habitat issues, and the scientific basis for environmental decisions.

Conservation Through Art

My wildlife art is another expression of the same commitment. Many of the animals I draw are species I have studied, encountered during field research, or taught others to appreciate. Through careful observation and biological accuracy, I hope to encourage people to look more closely at wildlife—especially reptiles, amphibians, and other animals that are often overlooked or misunderstood.

Through Artists for Conservation, I also pledge a portion of qualifying artwork sales to organizations supporting wildlife and habitat conservation.