Savanna Spy: Sound

This work is part of a larger project, The Prairie Project, a collaborative effort between Texas A&M University, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Nebraska, supported by a grant from the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Our research team investigates how prescribed fire and grazing promote livestock production and plant and wildlife diversity. We also engage in education and outreach, connecting with educators and the public to communicate the crucial importance of prairie ecosystem services and how they can be sustained for current and future generations.

This Zooniverse project is part of these research and outreach efforts and was created by students and researchers at Texas A&M University. Meet them below:

Carmen Reisdorf

Carmen is an undergraduate Ecology and Conservation Biology student at Texas A&M University and is a student research assistant under Dr. X. Ben Wu. She’s interested in avian ecology, behavior, and how we can use recorded sounds to explore the natural world. When she’s not at her desk or in the field, she’s watching birds or working on a fiber arts project.

Justin Wied

Justin is a research associate with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Ph.D. student in Ecology and Conservation Biology at Texas A&M University. He focuses on landscape ecology and rangeland ecology, with an emphasis on using remote sensing technologies. He's a recent convert to birding and enjoys botany, entomology, photography, and helping others find their love for nature.

Dr. Andrew Kasner

Dr. Kasner is a Research Assistant Professor with Texas A&M AgriLife Research in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management at Texas A&M University. His lab is based at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center - San Angelo, TX. He has been studying birds and other wildlife for >20 years and taught undergraduate field biology courses and mentored undergraduate and graduate research students studying birds, reptiles, fish and more. His research interests are focused on avian ecology and conservation, especially as it relates to management of working lands. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Biology from Angelo State University and his Ph.D. in Wildlife & Fisheries Science at Texas A&M University.

Dr. X. Ben Wu

Dr. X. Ben Wu is a professor of ecology, associate dean for faculty affairs, and Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence at Texas A&M University. He teaches a large-enrollment introductory ecology course and a graduate course on landscape analysis. His research interests include landscape ecology as well as ecology education. His lab group studies spatial ecology and pyric-herbivory in savanna landscapes and authentic scientific inquiries in introductory ecology courses and their effects on student learning. He received his Ph.D. in ecology from the University of Tennessee and did his postdoctoral training at the Ohio State University.