Conservation and Natural Resources Professional
PROJECTS
The projects listed below took place while I was employed by the company listed within the explanation. Some of the projects listed will include a photo gallery of the project as it took place to give you a visual of the project from start to finish.
Latest Projects
Self-Serve Credit Card Pay Station Installation Project at Gateway Natural Area:
This project was done to ease the parking fee collection process at Gateway Natural Area. This project, overall, took several months to finish as much of the waiting time was due to the assembly process timeframe once the order for the machine was placed. The machine, satellite internet dish, and electrical connections were completed by contractors. The trenching, placing of conduit, construction of the parking spaces, forming of the units cement base, fencing around the satellite dish, and many of the other items seen in the gallery were completed by myself and the Ranger.
Human and Wildlife Interactions
Presentation Project
The human and wildlife interactions presentation project took place in one of my courses while attending Colorado State University. While this was supposed to be a group project, due to an odd number of students in the class, I did this project solo. The project consisted of gathering information about historical and current human and wildlife interaction events, the pros and cons of these events, and possible solutions to manage and prepare for these events. The link to the right is the presentation I put together to present to the class once my project was finished. Once presented, the class and professor expressed approval and interest in my presentation. The end result of my project and presentation resulted with receiving an A for my project grade.
PROJECT PRESENTATION LINK:
http://prezi.com/xb1-ghibqfe2/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share
Impact on Growth Patterns of Triplefins (fish) and Kina (sea urchins) from Different Environmental Conditions
While working at Victoria University Coastal Ecology Lab in Wellington, New Zealand. I assisted with multiple experimental projects throughout my internship. I assisted with setting up experimental containment areas for both the control Triplefins and the experimental Triplefins. The experiment was to analyze the impact that water temperature had on the growth patterns of the Triplefins. The control was only influenced by the natural temperature of the inflowing water, while the experimental area used water heaters to increase water temperature. Once a week the fish were pulled and quickly weighed, measured, and a single scale was pulled to look at under a microscope to assess the growth pattern rings.
Assisted with additional data analysis by weighing, measuring, and documenting other Triplefins that were collected and euthanized to evaluate the growth patterns through removal of the Otolith. Documented location that the Triplefins were trapped, the date they were trapped, and all the measurements taken.
I also assisted with beginning a new experiment to evaluate the impact that higher levels of iron oxides have on spawning and developing Kina. The process began with chemically inducing the Kina to spawn. This was so we could collect samples to combine and begin the fertilization process once the experiment was setup and ready. Once all jars were filled with the same level of water, I placed a variety of iron oxide concentrations within each jar and then placed fertilized samples in each jar. After several days, I pulled a measured sample from every jar and under the microscope, counted all the developing Kina, utilizing a microscope slide with grids.
Testimonials
“ Steven has spent considerable time developing skills and completing coursework to pursue his passion in natural resources and wildlife management. I believe you will find that Steven’s job skills, customer service experience, and passion for natural resources and wildlife conservation is a winning combination.”
Kristin Powell (Natural Areas Lead Ranger)
"I would not hesitate to recommend Steven for jobs, assignments, projects, or research that he might show an interest in performing. He excels academically, is talented, and a persistent self-starter and would require little or no supervision once the assignment was given and understood. He is intelligent, can do the academic work, but is not afraid to get his hands dirty in the field, and can take physically demanding tasks that he might encounter."
John Bredehoft, Instructor, FRCC
Former Assistant Director and Chief of Law Enforcement, Colorado Division of Wildlife (retired)
“Steven’s outstanding qualities are his dedicated commitment to complete his Natural Resources degree while at the same time working full-time, his superior leadership skills, his endless hours of volunteering, his unwavering honesty, and his exceptional customer service skills with the general public.”
Karl Sanders (Natural Areas Ranger)