Science Communication

radioIQ | wvtf public radio interview link
From the story:
"Gorman is analyzing audio recordings of northern flying squirrels from the areas that were impacted by [Hurricane] Helene, comparing that with data from previous years. That information will help conservationists better understand the impacts Helene had for these squirrels. Which can in turn help them better understand how to focus their efforts to preserve the last remaining spruce-fir forests in Appalachia."
-Roxy Todd, Radio IQ's New River Valley Bureau Chief

Preserving the ecosystem of flying squirrels in AppalachiaKatie Gorman and Mark Ford with the College of Natural Resources and Environment are collecting data atop Whitetop Mountain in Virginia. For the last two years they have been setting acoustic detectors in the high-elevation red spruce forests to monitor populations of Carolina northern flying squirrels.

Virginia Tech News story: Video link

"Carolina northern flying squirrels depend on a very specific kind of habitat: the red spruce and Fraser fir forests found only in high elevations of the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina. For the past two years, we have been placing acoustic detectors throughout these forests to monitor flying squirrel populations.

These forests are rare, cool, and mossy, and they feel more like the Pacific Northwest than the Southeastern United States. Because they only occur at high elevations and have been heavily logged, they are now fragmented and isolated from one another. That isolation puts pressure on species that rely on them to survive.

We are using the data we collect, along with nearly 30 years of monitoring by other research groups, to understand how these squirrels are doing, especially after major events like Hurricane Helene. Our goal is to help protect and conserve this unique habitat both now and in the years to come."

National Park Service: Gone in the Night: Conservation Efforts of the Northern Long-eared Bat video link

Outreach and science communication are key elements to wildlife conservation and research.

If the intent is to apply our results to real-world conservation scenarios, it is critical to increase the accessibility and tangibility of our advice to non-scientists (stakeholders, the public, and land managers).

To support this goal, I believe there needs to be a purposeful effort to support collaboration across disciplines, to welcome diversity, and to elevate voices that are underrepresented within the research community.

I have organized and supported many outreach events both as a Curatorial Assistant and the co-chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech. My primary intentions have been encouraging the next generation of ecologists and increasing public awareness/support for our projects (and saving the reputation of bats!).

In addition to in-person outreach, I have been interviewed by several radio stations, magazines, authors of books, and have been the keynote speaker for fundraisers.

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