This past Monday at a Center-wide meeting, Regional Biologist Suzette Kimball announced that Dave Bornholdt would temporarily step into the vacancy left by former Center Director Jim Kushlan. Dave's "real" job is the Assistant Regional Biologist but until the selection process for a new Patuxent Center Director is complete, Dave will serve as our Acting Center Director. The selection process could last as long as 4 to 6 months and with the exception of a short break in July, Dave will become a major presence on our Campus until our new Center Director is selected and is in place.

Because of his other duties, Dave will typically be at Patuxent Monday thru Wednesday of each week. While Dave has spent most of this week working with various groups and task forces and becoming acquainted with our Center, he wanted me to tell you that he is anxious to meet each one of the staff and scientists at Patuxent. So don't be surprised if Dave walks up, introduces himself, and chats with you about Patuxent and your work here. Throughout his tenure at Patuxent, Dave will maintain an "open door" policy for scientists and staff but in order to maximize his efficiency during the three days per week that he is on-center, he requests that you schedule appointments with Marilyn Whitehead.

Contact: BH_Powell@usgs.gov 

Interviews of Patuxent Scientists 

As some of you know, Jim Metzner, the host and director of the radio show "Pulse of the Planet" will be present at the IBOY meeting (June 15 -17 2001). Pulse of the Planet broadcasts a 2 minute story on science and the environment, every weekday, to over 1 million listeners on 300 public and commercial stations around the world, http://www.pulseplanet.com/ . The program has a high scientific reputation and won the 2001 Media Award from the American Institute of Biological Sciences. Jim will be interviewing several Patuxent scientists, notably Dr George Gee, Michael Haramis, and Sam Droege regarding their research.

Contact: Sam_Droege@usgs.gov 

Patuxent researcher Michael Haramis was interviewed by a Discovery Channel film crew while they were working with shorebirds at Slaughter Beach, Delaware. Tentatively the interview will air in June but other details were not available.

Contact: Michael_Haramis@usgs.gov 

Sparling and Cowman Test Pesticide Effects on Amphibian Populations in California

Biologists Don Sparling and newly hired Deborah Cowman of Patuxent Wildlife Research Center spent two weeks in May and early June in the Sierra Mountains of California setting up an experiment to determine if pesticides are having a measurable effect on amphibian populations there. Several species are experiencing population declines there and an earlier study showed that pesticides are entering amphibian larvae and adults and affecting their nervous systems. This study, which is jointly funded by US FWS and ARMI, will translocate eggs and larvae among reference and affected sites to see if the pesticides decrease survivorship or otherwise have population level effects on the Pacific treefrog, a useful and more abundant surrogate species. Deborah Cowman was recently hired under the Human Resources Initiative and will continue to work in the Sierras this summer.

Contact: Don_Sparling@usgs.gov 

Seginak to Give Telemetry Demonstration for FWS Region 4 in Atlanta

On Weds., June 13, John Seginak will be giving a Telemetry Demonstration at the FWS REGION 4 regional office in Atlanta. It is their annual family day, and is attended by hundreds, young and old alike. Anyone who cares to do so will be given a receiver set and allowed to find a hidden transmitter. John has secured a bunch of small "stuffed animals" (teddy bears, etc.) at his own expense and the children are allowed to keep the radio tagged animal they find!!! John has done similar demonstrations in the past and they are always a "big hit" as evidenced by the fact that this is the fourth year John has been asked to put on this demonstration.

Contact: John_Seginak@usgs.gov 

Roman Receives "Natural Resources Researcher of the Year" Award for 2000 from the National Park Service, Northeast Region

Charles T. Roman was recently presented the "Natural Resources Researcher of the Year" award, for the year 2000, by the National Park Service, Northeast Region. At the presentation ceremony, held on May 21, 2001, in Boston, Charles was praised for this dedication to research on coastal National Parks, with a focus on development of long-term monitoring protocols for estuarine habitats, salt marsh restoration research, and studies on vegetation dynamics of freshwater wetlands at Cape Cod National Seashore.

Contact: Charles_T_Roman@usgs.gov 

See Previous HiLites:

August 31, 2000
September 21, 2000
September 28, 2000
October 5, 2000
October 16, 2000
October 30, 2000
November 8, 2000
November 16, 2000
November 22, 2000

November 30, 2000
January 4, 2001
March 15, 2001
March 22, 2001
March 29, 2001
April 5, 2001
April 12, 2001
May 17, 2001
May 24, 2001