Conservation – TINA CHIARELLI, PHD, FRGS

Bahundangi Village, Nepal: A Landscape-level Elephant Conservation Success Story

December 23rd, 2024tinalc0 Comments

Earlier this year, in April, I returned to Nepal to continue my work with Human-elephant conflict (HEC) mitigation. The trip would give me the opportunity to visit field sites considered hot spots for HEC and serve as a proof-of-concept for a much bigger expedition wherein I would travel the entire historic elephant range in the Chure Terai Madesh Landscape (CTML). To get a better understanding of the history and magnitude of HEC, I met with the Director of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for Nepal, Dr. Narendra Pradesh, in Kathmandu. Narendra explained that since the eradication …

Biomarkers of Reproductive Health in Wildlife and Techniques for their Assessment

August 9th, 2024tinalc0 Comments

One of the coolest things I get to do is serve as a Board Member and Treasurer for the International Society of Wildlife Endocrinology (ISWE). I’ve been a member since the group’s inception in 2010. At the time, I was a Doctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute working under the mentorship of elephant expert and reproductive physiologist, Dr. Janine Brown. I was lucky enough to attend the brainstorming meeting that brought together the world’s best wildlife endocrinologists. It should be noted, I was not one of them. Nevertheless, from that incredible gathering, ISWE was born. After more than …

You Never Forget Your First ECAD

July 3rd, 2024tinalc0 Comments

It all began in early 2022 when a good friend and fellow WKPP exploration cave diver asked me if I was a member of the world-renowned Explorers Club. He noticed I frequently comment on the groups social media posts and was a regular attendee of their monthly talks livestreamed to the masses via YouTube. My response “I wish.” Matt was shocked. He reminded me of my diving credentials, research expeditions around the world, and publications, stating, “… We need to fix that.” Within the next few weeks, I found myself filling out the application. I had hoped for admittance at …

Conservation Challenges in the Wake of a Global Pandemic

January 28th, 2023tinalc0 Comments

This past year, I got the opportunity to interview some incredible conservation organizations regarding their work before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic. During such trying times, they continued to support wildlife and communities in range countries despite new challenges. You can read the article in its entirety at JEMA 2022v33i3.

Featured: Members on the Move for Conservation

January 28th, 2023tinalc0 Comments

As promised, I am starting to update my website. To say that, since 2020, life has thrown it’s very best and worst at us would be a huge understatement. One of my grounding points has always been my work with elephants. Thankfully, they continue to be a guiding light. I was delighted to be interviewed by Gray Matters for their Members on the Move for Conservation” segment. “An interview with EMA Conservation Committee member Tina Dow, PhD. – This year, the Conservation Committee is highlighting EMA members that are making a difference for elephant conservation. For this issue of Gray …

South Africa: I’m Finally Here

November 2nd, 2019tinalc0 Comments

At 08:03 local time, the plane touched down in Johannesburg. Although the last flight was a whopping 15-hours total air time, the South African Airlines flight crew did an amazing job making sure we were as comfortable as possible. After a trip through customs to get my passport stamped, and several laps around terminals A and B, I found my shuttle and was off for the 7-hour land trek to Skukuza Rest Camp in Kruger National Park. The only hiccup being I was the only one without cellphone service. Having prepared a week in advance, I had added the AT&T …

A Hopeful New Year for the Florida Manatee

January 21st, 2019tinalc0 Comments

A few weeks ago, I had the honor of sharing space with a manatee while cave diving. No, it wasn’t in the cave. The manatee was enjoying the constant 72 F spring water to warm up during the chilly day. I, on the other hand, was using the run to get to and from the Devil’s Cave system at Ginnie Springs. This isn’t the first time I have had the opportunity to observe these magnificent creatures in their underwater world. Earlier in 2018, I snorkeled with manatees in the Crystal River. Yet another perk of living in Florida. Regardless, their …

Reemergence of New World Screwworm in Endangered Florida Key Deer

January 6th, 2018tinalc0 Comments

It feels like forever and a day since I’ve posted. Nevertheless, I wanted to share this article that I wrote for the International Animal Health Journal (IAHJ) in Spring of 2017 (Dow, T.L., 2017. Reemergence of New World Screwworm in Endangered Florida Key Deer. IAHJ. 4(1):38-41). You can read the paper at the journal home page at New World Screwworm Reemergence or below. Note: a follow-up article is planned for the Spring 2018.

Wildlife of the Bunya Mountains

February 23rd, 2017tinalc0 Comments

Nestled in the most westerly region of southern Queensland is the Bunya Mountains. Home to 600 year-old pines and close to 400 documented species of marsupials, amphibians and reptiles, including birds, Bunya is an incredible place treasured by generations of Australians. A few years ago, we were fortunate enough to visit the Bunya Mountains National Park. Traveling from Toowoomba up the A2 to the Bunya Mountains Road, the trip through the Great Dividing Range was simply beautiful. We were only just within the park boundaries when we met our first local, a gorgeous carpet python. Stretched across the bitumen …

A Year in Review: Let 2017 be the Year of Action

December 14th, 2016tinalc0 Comments

As 2016 draws to a close, it’s important to reflect upon the last 365 days. Just like the preceding years, 2016 had triumphs and failures in wildlife and habitat protection. Although we still have a lot of battles before us in the field of conservation, I feel that 2016 was the year of awareness. Global issues were brought to the forefront to be openly discussed. I have to hope that is a great start for things to come in 2017. With each passing year, I am often asked how one person can make a difference. I completely understand how easy …