Jennifer Sevin
This month's Sustainability Champion is Visiting Lecturer of Biology Dr. Jennifer Sevin. Jennifer is a conservation biologist who has been at University of Richmond since 2017. Read about how Jennifer's classes use campus as a living lab and how she works to protect wildlife in and out of the classroom in the full interview below.
What led you to your interest in conservation biology?
I was always interested, ever since I was a little kid. Growing up in Miami Beach, there wasn't a ton of wildlife around, but I would see frogs, lizards, birds, even squirrels and I would find myself watching them and writing down notes about their behavior. I also like helping, whether it's people or nature. So conservation biology combines my interest in wildlife, helping, and solving problems.
Can you describe the career path that led you to teaching Biology here at UR?
I completed my undergraduate degree in environmental science at Florida International University and then I went to NC State where I got my master's in zoology. At the time, I didn't want to get a PhD, but I had always wanted to live in DC. Working for the Smithsonian was my dream job, and I got a job there working with the monitoring and assessing biodiversity program. In that role, I got to work with a lot of different species, there was lots of international travel, and I coordinated courses for resource managers all over the world. Eventually, the role changed and became more managerial. I loved the research and education side of things, but not the managerial side as much, and I decided to go back and get my PhD. When I left that job, I did a couple years of contract work, including instructing online courses at Virginia Tech, but I missed the experience of interacting with people and getting them outside. I moved to Williamsburg in 2017 and a job opened up at UR- I love it here.
What classes do you teach and how does sustainability play a role?
Every semester I teach an Introduction to Ecology class for non-majors. I've also taught a Wildlife Ecology class, Integrated Biological Principles, and Introduction to Biological Thinking with a Biodiversity and Conservation Biology focus. Across all of those, you really can't teach about nature and the outdoors without bringing sustainability into the mix. Instead of just talking about threats to the natural world, these courses provide an opportunity to talk about what we can do to prevent and minimize issues. Sustainability involves advocacy, and with conservation, science and advocacy go hand in hand.
How have you been able to incorporate living lab experiences into your classes?
We've done all sorts of things, from planting pollinator gardens to tracking mammal species at the University's Pagebrook Property. Some of my classes have also done macro-invertebrate studies in Little Westham Creek and the James River, invasive species removal and native species planting with the James River Association, and salamander research with Kristine Grayson. To me, the most important thing is that students get to engage in something useful.
A lot of what my students work on provides data that can be used by other classes or organizations. Many topics that we have access to on campus are relevant for larger citizen science projects. The turtle tracking that my students participate in here is part of a long-term data set, monarch butterfly tagging and tree phenology are part of a national databases, and this semester we'll be taking part in the Smithsonian's nationwide Snapshot USA program that uses camera trapping to track wildlife. We've got camera traps in a few different wooded areas around campus, at the Pagebrook property, and we'll be working with Henrico County parks. These traps are motion-activated cameras that take pictures so we can see what wildlife is around. Next semester, similar to what we did with our work on pollinators last year, my courses will partner with schools to share about the data that we collect and teach lessons on wildlife.
What is something you're excited about for this upcoming year?
I'm really excited to see the progress on the Eco-Corridor, and I hope my students can be involved with the pollinator meadow. We'll also be working on a class project related to butterflies. There's been a lot of discussion about captive breeding being harmful to the wild butterfly population. So we are going to look at things like weights, measurement, and coloration of captive-bred butterflies, then compare the data to wild populations. Once we bring scientific evidence into the conversation, we can talk about whether captive butterfly breeding is something we should be doing on campus. I also hope we can help inform the university Biodiversity Plan that's part of the Sustainability Plan as well.
What's one thing you hope students leave your class understanding about the natural world?
I hope they get a greater appreciation for the complexity and beauty of the natural world. I want my students to understand how important it is for natural systems to function and how those systems contribute to people so that students can make more informed decisions in the future. Whether they're thinking about adopting a sustainable habit or voting for a particular candidate, I want my students to consider the natural environment in a new way. No matter what field students go into, ecology plays a role, and there's room for them to be involved and things they can do to protect the environment.
What sorts of conservation efforts are you involved in outside of UR?
I'm still a Smithsonian Research Associate. I am also part of the IUCN Sloth Bear Specialist Group, which focuses on collecting research and educational materials for conserving sloth bears, and minimizing human-wildlife conflict in India. Beyond that, I work with a group focused on fighting illegal wildlife trafficking in the US. The United States has a lot of illegal wildlife trade, but many states don't really have much data as far as which species are threatened most, how many animals have been confiscated, who's been fined or arrested, or what happens to confiscated animals. The group involves people from 13 states, the National Park Service, a couple universities, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Our focus is on collecting data, training conservation officers, working with judges and prosecutors, creating unified messaging across various states, and ultimately conserving the species we have here.
If someone wanted to get more involved in conservation but wasn't sure where to start, what advice would you give them?
Get involved in your local community. There are groups everywhere for every level of interest. Whether you want to know what to plant in your garden or become a master gardener, there are opportunities from grassroots neighborhood groups to larger organizations. You can even get involved from your own home analyzing pictures and data. Start by reaching out to groups in your county and state.
Thank you, Jennifer, for all you do to support sustainability here at University of Richmond! Do you know someone who should be featured as a Sustainability Champion? Let us know at sustainability@richmond.edu.