Projects
North Rainier Elk Project
Role:
Research Scientist
Responsibilities:
In collaboration with the Tulalip Tribes and Washington State Department of Natural Resources, researched elk responses to recreation and other species (e.g., predators) throughout the North Rainier Elk Herd range, including study design, maintenance of a camera trap grid, hiring and supervising assistants, processing camera trap photos with artificial intelligence, extracting environmental data in GIS, streamlining data management/analysis with code (program R), and technical write-ups.
Duration:
May 2022 – Present
Deliverables:
- TBD, but likely to include a technical report which will eventually be developed into a publishable manuscript.
Golden Ears Camera Trap Monitoring
Role:
Project Lead
Responsibilities:
Researched mammal community responses to recreation and forest harvest in protected areas and adjacent landscapes, including study design, maintenance of a camera trap grid, supervising and hiring assistants, processing camera trap photos with artificial intelligence, extracting environmental data in GIS, streamlining data management/analysis with code (program R), and technical write-ups.
Duration:
May 2019 – May 2022
Deliverables:
- M.Sc. Thesis
- 2 manuscripts (1 accepted; 1 in progress)
Echo Conservation: Mountain Lion Inititative
Role:
Scientific Advisor
Responsibilities:
Assisting with project design and grant acquisition for an upcoming project on human-cougar conflict mitigation and public education of neighborhoods along an urban-wildland boundary with respect to coexisting with cougars.
Duration:
Oct. 2021 – Jan. 2022
Deliverables:
https://echoconservation.org/mountain-lion-project
Mammal Behavioral Responses to Landscape Modification
Role:
Project Collaborator
Responsibilities:
Assisted with analyses regarding predator-prey interactions (wolves, caribou, white-tailed deer, moose) and behavioral responses to heavily modified (oil & gas, seismic line) landscapes; resulted in manuscript publication.
Duration:
Feb. 2020 – Feb. 2022
Deliverables:
WildCAM (Cameras for Adaptive Management): Western Canada Protected Area Recreation Ecology
Role:
Project Collaborator
Responsibilities:
Assisted with analyses regarding wildlife responses to recreation throughout multiple provincial and national parks across western Canada; resulted in manuscript submission which is currently pending review.
Duration:
Mar. 2020 – Jan. 2022
Deliverables:
- Manuscript (pending review)
BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (BC Parks)
Role:
Conservation Intern
Responsibilities:
Increased data access between university and government wildlife researchers through creation of an online interface (ArcGIS Online StoryMap; link in deliverables) for data sharing, advised on park management strategies, and provided a technical report (to the right) outlining statistical approaches park managers can use to identify thresholds of recreational disturbance on wildlife.
Duration:
May 2021 – July 2021
Deliverables:
- Website
- Technical report outlining methods of investigating thresholds of recreational activity at which wildlife may become displaced
Nature Conservancy Canada: Canadian Protected Areas Analysis
Role:
Project Collaborator
Responsibilities:
Assisted with nationwide analysis of Canadian protected areas (public vs. private) with respect to biodiversity conservation; resulted in manuscript publication.
Duration:
January 2020 – May 2020
Deliverables:
- Technical report, which was eventually developed into a published manuscript
Wolf Population Viability Analyses
Role:
Project Lead
Responsibilities:
Analysis of population viability of wolves in Yellowstone National Park following the delisting of wolves from the tri-state area surrounding the park.
Duration:
August 2017 – May 2018
Deliverables:
Michael Procko 