Featured – Page 3 – TINA CHIARELLI, PHD, FRGS

The Internet Influence on Wildlife Conservation

April 22nd, 2013tinalc0 Comments

Dissemination of information has never been easier then at this very moment. The Internet, specifically social media sites, allows us to share concerns regarding wildlife and bring attention to important conservation issues instantly with people around the world. Case in point, you are reading this blog. Unfortunately, along with the potential good this kind of technology brings there is also the bad. With millions of daily tweets, Facebook status updates, Youtube videos, Instagram pictures, Flickr uploads, and blog posts one cannot help but ask if this actually helps or hinders wildlife conservation. There are not too many wildlife conservation …

Can CITES Regulations Help Protect Wildlife?

March 13th, 2013tinalc0 Comments

From 3-14 March, the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is holding their Conference of Parties 16 (CoP16) in Bangkok, Thailand. While some species will get the protection they so desperately need to survive in the wild, others seem to fall by the wayside. What constitutes a species being placed on the coveted Appendix I list? Is a down listing to Appendix II or III, or a delisting a death sentence for species? Do CITES regulations really help protect endangered species or simply pay lip service to the angry mob? A great deal of confusion surrounds what CITES …

Love is in the Air . . . and Babies on the Way

February 11th, 2013tinalc0 Comments

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought it only fitting to take a closer look at baby making, and rearing, in the animal kingdom. Being a reproductive physiologist by training, I am always very fascinated by the ways wildlife have adapted to ensure species survival. How animals have evolved to overcome harsh environments, predators, and lack of resources, to name a few, to reproduce and raise young is incredible to say the very least. Thanks to the children’s animated feature, Happy Feet, most of us have at least a basic understanding of the yearly mating and egg laying drama of …

Poaching: New Year, New Problems

January 17th, 2013tinalc0 Comments

The last 365 days have proved to be one of the worst years for poaching since the 1980s. In 2012, it is estimated that over 17,000 elephants and 700 rhino were lost during this ongoing global war against wildlife poaching. Keep in mind these are but two out of hundreds of species that were affected. The last year has been filled with both triumphs and failures as conservationists fight to conserve these magnificent creatures. Unfortunately, as we are only 14 days into a new year, the killing continues. Already reports out of Kenya reports an entire African elephant family has …

Human-Wildlife Conflict Redefined

December 7th, 2012tinalc0 Comments

Five years ago, if you heard the words “human-wildlife conflict” (or HWC) the first thing that probably came to mind was the challenges agriculturalists in range countries face coexisting with native fauna. Maybe you thought about the struggle between Namibian goat herders and cheetahs or East African farmers protecting their crops from raiding elephants. In short, humans had what animals wanted. No doubt those types of incidences still exist, but the overall dynamic of human-wildlife conflicts have changed, and therefore need redefined. Perhaps the first thing we should change is our way of thinking; how we view conflict between man …

Dr. Tina Dow Featured in University Graduate Catalog

November 7th, 2012tinalc0 Comments

The 2012-2013 West Virginia University Graduate Catalog has featured Dr. Tina Dow as a mentor for prospective students. While attending University, Dr. Dow was awarded a Graduate Teaching Fellowship and Tuition waiver. She was the first person in her family to attend college.

Dispelling Wildlife Myths- Halloween Edition

October 23rd, 2012tinalc0 Comments

With Halloween right around the corner, I thought it the perfect time to address some common misunderstandings about wildlife. We have all heard them. Whether they are called myths or Old Wives Tales most false accusations conjure up fear that sometimes result in the persecution and death of many innocent species. How many times have you heard someone say that toads give people warts? I myself have been told this on more occasions then I care to remember. The idea that touching or just looking at a toad can cause a skin malady is simply not true. Although some species, …

Sea Otters: A Species Under Threat

September 29th, 2012tinalc0 Comments

With the new challenges wildlife faces daily, it is no longer enough just to survive. To ensure species longevity, individuals must learn to quickly adapt. Although a lot of attention is given to the conservation of the large, iconic creatures of land and sea, it is often those species that reside in the middle of the food chain that play the most vital rolls in ecosystem balance that are overlooked. One particular animal that fits into this category is the sea otter. Like all otters, the sea otter is a member of the weasel family. The three subspecies of Enhydra …

Let’s Hear it for Arthropods!

September 11th, 2012tinalc0 Comments

Like a lot of you, I used to be quite fearful of a number of arthropod species. That was until one chance encounter with an Argiope aurantia named Matilda and a visit to the Cockrell Butterfly Center in Houston. The biggest problem with fear is that it clouds our understanding. Although a lot of arthropods have the potential to act as disease vectors, the vast majority actually helps rather than harms humans. A big misconception is that arthropods are just insects. The word insect simply implies six legs. Regardless of leg number, there are over 1,000,000 species of arthropods. This …

Vultures: Ecosystem Guardians

August 31st, 2012tinalc0 Comments

1 September marks International Vulture Awareness Day. Although sometimes regarded as ugly and gross, vultures play a most important role in keeping ecosystems healthy. They serve both a biological and cultural significance. Unfortunately, several species are under threat of extinction due to humans. And please believe me when I say, this is not a species that we can live without. Collectively, there are 23 species of vultures that are classified into two groups: Old World Vultures and New World Vultures. Although all species are similar, these two groups actually belong to different families. There are 16 species of Old World …