So it seems like I neglected to post the introduction blogs for the two interns that arrived with Zack in February (I know! Sorry guys!). They’re awesome so I’d like you to meet Amber first and we’ll get to Connor soon!! Here’s Amber:

“My name is Amber Sample, and I graduated in December from Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) with a BA in Pre-Professional Zoology with minors in Environmental Studies and Psychology- Research Focused. During my time at OWU, I was on the Women’s Varsity Tennis team and was the president of the OWU Equestrian Club team.

I was born in China and adopted by a family in the United States. This will be my first trip back to China and I am excited for the opportunity to visit my homeland, experience Chinese culture, and study Giant Pandas!

I have been involved in several research projects such as assisting my professor gather data on male American Woodcocks to study the effects light pollution has on their breeding behavior spring semester of junior year. I also had the opportunity to travel to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands as part of the Island Biology course that I took where I was able see the results conservation efforts have made.

My sophomore year I has a week-long internship at the Peabody Museum at Yale University to work on their wildlife exhibits. While I was there, I learned how to complete study skins of birds. I was able to continue making study skins while OWU for the Brant Museum of Zoology. Another internship I had was spending a week with Welch’s in Concord, MA, learning about food science and research and development of new products. My junior fall semester, I had an apprenticeship at Stratford Ecological Center to study the benefit, if any, of raising chickens in apple orchards. While there I completed planting a new chicken orchard along with educational material to inform visitors of the relationship shared between the environment and chickens.

In my free time I like to hike, play tennis, ride horses, and listen to music. In the future, I hope to attend graduate school and eventually work in wildlife and environmental conservation.

-Amber”