Hello, my name is Gwen! I’m a fourth year studying Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife and German. I am excited to learn about all topics within Botany this semester, but I am particularly interested in wildflower and pollinator interactions as well as houseplants. Other interests of mine outside botany include photography, music, camping and longboarding.

Pictured above is my Coat of Arms, which represents several aspects of my identity.

For my symbol, I chose a bumble bee pollinating a common milkweed plant. I am very interested in pollinator conservation and how we can improve Ohio’s landscape to better accommodate their populations. At Ohio State, I assist with research at the Strange Bumble Bee Lab in the entomology department. This experience has been life changing and forever altered my perceptions of conservation, giving me a better understanding of the importance of native pollinators. My motto, “one person can make a difference,” embodies my motivation for continuing wildlife conservation work. Though the world is facing a multitude of complex environmental problems, I hold onto the hope that I can make a difference by educating the public in these issues.

My hometown is Dayton, OH. I am very grateful for the experiences I had growing up there that fueled my passion for conservation. Dayton has an amazing metro parks system that I would not be the same person without. Finally, I am majoring in both Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife and German. Though I hope to mainly work in conservation, I highly value foreign language education as it gives us a global perspective on all issues. Though it may not seem like these two disciplines go together, I’ve continually learned about the sustainable practices Germany upholds through my education. Therefore, I hope to combine my two fields by further studying German conservation techniques and how we might adapt them to the United States. I am currently planning on writing a research thesis in Germany next summer and am considering pursing a master’s degree there upon graduation from Ohio State.