Small Grants Program

• Comparing cloacal mycobiomes of migratory and residential passerine birds at RCFS using next-generation sequencing. Casey Hiller and Zane Hiller (students), Kaitlin Fisher (advisor). Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• Amphibian disease tracking in local populations of Oswego County. Grace Cordone and Joy Zientara (students), Jennifer Olori, Nicholas Sard, and Susan Hammerly (advisors). Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego 
• Assessing the response of wildlife to the 2024 total solar eclipse in Oswego, NY using remote biological monitoring methods. Kristen Haynes, Daniel Baldassarre, Jennifer Olori, and Maria Sagot. Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• Status of Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) in low-maintenance hayfields on the SUNY Oswego campus. Nikki Knecht (student), Daniel Baldassarre (advisor). Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• Using robots to teach animal food chains and computer
  programming to early learners. Vanessa Maike. Dept. of Computer Science, SUNY Oswego

A recording of the 2023 program is available on YouTube.

• Establishing a long-term bird banding station for research on bird populations and outreach at Rice Creek. Fishel Connors (student), Dr. Daniel Baldassarre (advisor). Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• Crochet representatives of insect diversity at Rice Creek Field Station. Stephanie Dickert (student), Karen Sime (advisor). Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• Survey of introduced parasitoid wasp dispersal, and Emerald Ash Borer infested ash trees, in Oswego, NY. Danielle Marichal (student), Karen Sime (advisor). Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego

A recording of the 2022 program is available on YouTube.

• Winter foraging ecology of birds and mammals on staghorn sumac in the Central New York and Finger Lakes Regions. Samuel Krebs (student). Dept. of Environmental Biology, SUNY ESF
• The prevalence and intensity of helminth parasites in wild and domestic canids from fecal samples at Rice Creek. Jordan Meeker (student). Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• Characterization of fungal pathogens threatening snapping turtles. Dr. Poongodi Geetha-Loganathan. Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego

A recording of the 2021 program is available on YouTube.

• The impact of beaver dams, spillway regulation and flow variability on sedimentation at Rice Creek. Dr. Paul Agle. Dept. of Atmospheric and Geological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• Biological Regionalism: Oswego River and Lake Ontario. Michael Flanagan, MFA, Miranda Traudt, MA, and Alberto Rey, MFA. Art Department, SUNY Oswego & SUNY Fredonia
• Rates of parasitism by Ophryocystis elektroscirrha within two sample populations of eastern Danaus plexippus (monarch butterfly) in New York State. Gabrielle Waters (student), Dr. Karen Sime (advisor). Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego

A recording of the 2020 program is available on YouTube.

• A continuation of a long term survey of Rice Creek amphibians for the prevalence of two global pathogens. Drs. Jennifer Olori, Nicholas Sard, and Susan Hammerly, Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• Bioaccumulation of atrazine in freshwater mussels (Elliptio complanata). Miryam Makutonin (student), Dr. Poongodi Geetha-Loganathan (advisor), Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• Determination of the rate of infection of Ophryocystis elektroscirrha upon Danaus plexippus in Oswego County, NY. Lucas Deland (student), Dr. Karen Sime (advisor), Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• Feeder color preference in Black-capped Chickadees. Emily Cieplik (student), Dr. Daniel Baldassarre (advisor), Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• The Flora and Fauna of Rice Creek: a coloring book. Ola Kraszpulska, Theatre Dept., SUNY Oswego
• Quantifying the relative contributions of intracellular and extracellular DNA to River Otter (Lontra canadensis) detection rates during summer and winter sampling events. Sydney Waloven (student), Dr. Nicholas Sard (advisor), Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• SUNY Oswego Counseling ecotherapy outreach workshop series. Cory Brosch, Kyle Dzintars, and Ellen Gooch, Counseling Services Center, SUNY Oswego

• Understanding compositions and origins of the glacial sediments at the Rice Creek Field Station, Dr. Nick DiFrancesco and Dr. Justin Stroup, Dept. of Atmospheric and Geological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• Zoonotic parasites carried by domestic dogs infecting wildlife at Rice Creek Field Station, Jordyn Dala, Student - Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• Establishing an environmental DNA sampling program for the Rice Creek Watershed: A model system to train students how to apply molecular sampling techniques, Dr. Nicolas Sard, Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• A comparative study of eggshells of Passeriformes birds,Dr. Poongodi Geetha-Loganathan, Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• Examining how variation in habitat characteristics and human disturbance affect nest box use, breeding success, and behavior of three bird species: Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis), Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), and House Wren (Troglodytes aedon), Dr. Daniel Baldassarre, Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• Characterization of the microbiota of freshwater snails and assessment of its association with infection by trematode parasites, Rebecca Wolff, Student - Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego
• Examining how urbanization affects breeding success, behavior, and physiology in the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), Dr. Daniel Baldassarre, Dept. of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego

• Effects of temperature and day length on daily movements and home range of the Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans), Kervans Lerouge and Maria Sagot, SUNY Oswego
• Effects of Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) on the Painted Lady Butterfly (Vanessa cardui) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Joseph McCarthy SUNY Oswego
• Establishing the Rice Creek hydrological monitoring array, Justin Stroup, SUNY Oswego

View past research supported by our small grants program.