The Wonder of Western Wildlife
Kinsi Peterson observing boreal chorus frog tadpoles on a recent Boreal Toad Project survey. Photo by Sierra Hastings.
We’re excited to introduce our July Volunteer of the Month, Kinsi Peterson! Kinsi has been spending her summer break getting involved in all things wildlife that Utah has to offer. From monitoring Utah’s wetlands for cryptic amphibian species through the Boreal Toad Project to supporting our Wildlife Watch work as a guest student in University of Utah’s Human-Wildlife Coexistence Lab, we are beyond grateful for Kinsi’s dedication this summer.
Get to know Kinsi (and the wildlife she loves!) in our interview below.
Kinsi Peterson and Gabe Brown on a Wildlife Watch field day. Photo by Jimena Santana De Niz
What is your background in? Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi! Yes! I'm a transfer student up at UC Berkeley currently studying the biological sciences with an interest in genomics and conservation. In my free time, I'm often either reading, animating, or in the lab.
Do you have a favorite story you'd like to share from volunteering on these projects?
While on an overnight camping trip at Strawberry Reservoir, we were working through the willows during the night survey. At one point, I crouched down to marvel at a grasshopper and without thinking much of it, said, "Cool, but not a toad." From the other side of the willows, I heard Keilani call back, asking if there was a toad. Unfortunately... it was not a toad. Only a cool grasshopper. I told her as much... only for a toad to immediately hop out of the grasses! I leapt forward to grab it, calling out, "A toad!" but I had missed and it jumped off the little ledge I had been on and into the river below. I jumped down after it, one of my boots immediately flooding, but it was worth it. I had caught the toad.
What are your thoughts on conservation in the West? Why is it important to you?
As I've lived most of my life in the West, I think it’s only natural that I’ve inherited a natural sense of awe and wonder about it. There’s just something special about how there are thousands of plants and animals living right next to us, all with their own special adaptations and behaviors. It feels like I’ll never get tired of learning new things about Western wildlife.
What would you say to others thinking of volunteering?
It's fun and a lovely way to meet people who are just as interested in conservation as you! It doesn't have to be a massive commitment and if there's a place you'd be interested in volunteering at, you can always test the waters and volunteer for a day or two to see how you feel.
Kinsi and Wildlife Watch lead, Austin Green, setting up a trail camera in the Red Butte Canyon Research Natural Area. Photo shared by Austin Green.
Our Wildlife Watch teams set up and check on trail cameras across the Wasatch throughout the summer to monitor how wildlife utilizes these landscapes. Photo by Jimena Santana De Niz.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
For a fun treat to brighten up your day, please look up the frog Boophis bottae (or Boophis ankarafensis if you so desire--they're morphologically indistinct!). It's an adorable little guy that's endemic to Madagascar and my favorite frog, dare I say.
Get involved in community science like this by volunteering or donating today!
Article by Sierra Hastings. Photos (unless otherwise noted) shared by Kinsi Peterson