Environmental Internship Program - 2022 Booklet
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BIODIVERSITY AND<br />
CONSERVATION<br />
Anna Pinkerton ’24<br />
GEOSCIENCES<br />
Certificates: <strong>Environmental</strong> Studies, French<br />
Language and Culture<br />
PROJECT TITLE<br />
Seed Preferences,<br />
Predation, and Dispersal<br />
in Kenya by Messor<br />
Harvester Ants<br />
ORGANIZATION(S)<br />
Mpala Research Centre<br />
LOCATION(S)<br />
Nanyuki, Kenya<br />
MENTOR(S)<br />
Dino Martins, Chief<br />
Executive Officer, Turkana<br />
Basin Institute; Ivy Ng’iru,<br />
Project Manager and<br />
Scientific Researcher,<br />
Mpala Research Centre<br />
I worked with the Harvester Ant Project to<br />
examine the nest location and diet of the<br />
harvester ant Messor cephalotes. Our primary<br />
objectives were to determine whether Messor<br />
cephalotes show any preference for nest<br />
building in the three known soil types at Mpala<br />
Research Centre, to assess whether there is<br />
any relationship between nest longevity and<br />
soil type, and to observe the diet constituent<br />
of Messor cephalotes as a function of food<br />
availability. I collected GPS data of dozens of<br />
nests across Mpala’s diverse landscape, took<br />
measurements of the physical characteristics of<br />
the nests, and observed the collection behaviors<br />
of the ants. Through this experience, I have<br />
gained valuable insight into fieldwork and<br />
research. I learned how to collect, organize, and<br />
subsequently analyze data, as well as make maps<br />
using GPS coordinates. My time working on the<br />
Harvester Ant Project has taught me how to<br />
conduct fieldwork, which will be relevant to my<br />
geosciences concentration, as well as any future<br />
work in environmental science.<br />
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