As you head outdoors during the spring and summer, bask in the beauty of the Ozarks. In the local area we are surrounded by many opportunities to get in touch with nature, by hiking, canoeing, camping and a myriad of other activities.
This is the second in a two part series looking at animals that surround us here in southwest Missouri. Dr. Janice Greene, biologist at Missouri State University, explains her interest in environmental education and birds.
The Bull Shoals Field Station is a great location for faculty, students and visiting scientists to conduct research and educational programs that increase public understanding of southwest Missouri ecosystems. Greene elaborates on another annual bird monitoring project they conduct at this location.
From these studies, Greene, her students and collaborators have learned a lot about bird behaviors. One thing she thinks is most interesting: more than half of Missouri birds are neo-tropical migrants. She explains.
The banding on the birds allows the researchers to recognize birds they’ve seen before and gives each bird a unique identifier. By recognizing migratory patterns of specific bird species, they’ve been surprised by how many travel such a long distance to come back to the Ozarks.
Greene is passionate about the subject of birds and thinks they are a great research subject – especially to teach us more about our local environment and ecosystem.
