WENDEE HOLTCAMP

SCIENTIST * WRITER * EDUCATOR

http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com ~ bohemian_AT_wendeeholtcamp.com

EDUCATION

MA/Ph.D. candidate, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Rice University May 2003-present (on leave of absence)

National Science Foundation NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Conservation Genetics Workshop, NCI Laboratory for Genomic Diversity Aug 2004

Led by LGD’s Dr Steve O’Brien, at Smithsonian Conservation & Research Center

Information Technology in Science (ITS) Certificate & Fellowship 2001-2003

ITS Center for Teaching and Learning, Texas A&M College of Education

M.S., Wildlife Ecology, Texas A&M University, 4.0/4.0 GPR 1993- 1995

B.S., Wildlife Ecology. Texas A&M University, Magna Cum Laude 1988-1993

School for Field Studies, Center for Rainforest Ecology semester abroad, Australia Fall 1990

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

· LOGOS Communications, LLC. Award-winning Freelance Science/Environment Writer. 1995-Present. Over 100 articles published in magazines including Scientific American, Nature, National Wildlife, Smithsonian, Audubon, OnEarth, Sierra, BioScience, and Discovery Channel /AnimalPlanet.com, among others.

v Animal Planet’s “Animals in the News” daily blogger, covering pets, wildlife, ocean conservation, food and other animal-related issues 2009-2010. http://blogs.discovery.com/animal_news/

v Contributing writer for Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine.

v Adventures in Climate Change The Wendee Holtcamp Report includes vlogs, blogs, photos & text -

http://adventures-in-climate-change.com/wendeeholtcamp

v Member Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ), American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA)

v Won two Gold and one Silver International Regional Magazine Assoc (IRMA) Awards.

v Production of Spring Creek Greenway video & website - http://springcreekgreenway.com/

v Developed 6-wk online writing course which I’ve taught independently for several years http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com/nature.htm

· Houston Advanced Research Center. Research Associate. March 2005-Oct 2005. Led the Houston Regional Urban Forestry Initiative, encouraging implementation of urban heat island measures in the Houston region to mitigate air pollution; encouraged by mass-scale tree planting and forest conservation by public education and outreach to citizens, and the development and business community. Worked on Houston Atlas of Biodiversity.

· Adjunct Biology Instructor, Kingwood College (Now Lonestar College). Jan 2000-Aug 2003. Teaching duties included lecture and laboratory, exam preparation, and directing students in stream monitoring and animal behavior research projects. In addition to classroom courses, I developed and taught the first internet (WebCT) Biology course for the North Harris Montgomery Community College District.

· Eco-Rating International. May 1995 -1997. Pasadena, CA. Ecological Consulting. Evaluated the ecological soundness of the production of consumer products. Interviewed scientists, conducted research, and wrote press releases.

· Teaching Assistant, Animal Ecology lab. 1994-1995. Texas A&M University. Dept. of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences. College Station, TX 77843-2258. Taught students how to design and conduct a small mammal field ecology experiment. Designed lab lectures & curriculum.

· Tutor for Biology and Wildlife & Fisheries courses to student athletes. Texas A&M University. College Station, TX 77843-2258.

· EG&G Environmental Sciences Dept. Summer 1992. Analyst, assessing impacts of DOE activities on flora & fauna of Mojave Desert ecosystem. Small mammal trapping, vegetation sampling, radio telemetry of desert tortoise, pitfall trapping of reptiles and macroinvertebrates, and data entry.

· LGL Ecological Research Associates. 1991-1992. Lab technician working on a study of secondary productivity in Alaskan wetlands. Identified and classified benthic invertebrates to Order using microscope.

· Griffith University, Dept. of Australian Environmental Studies. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Volunteer Research Assistant working on an ecological inventory of Wivenhoe Park. Duties included pitfall trapping of invertebrates and herps, small mammal trapping, spotlighting nocturnal mammals, mist netting birds, establishing sample plots, and laboratory identification of terrestrial invertebrates to Order. Dec 1990-Feb 1991. 25 hrs/week.

· Mon Repos Environmental Park. Queensland, Australia. Volunteer tour group leader working under Dr Colin Limpus. In addition to leading tourist groups, I took measurements on nesting and hatchling sea turtles, and relocated nests higher on the embankment. Feb. 1990.

· Do Invasive Fire Ants Affect Habitat Selection within a Small Mammal Community?Holtcamp, W. N., C. K. Williams, and W. E. Grant. 2010. Article ID 642412:1-7. International Journal of Ecology.

· Doctoral Research: Hybridization as a key to understanding speciation: Mechanisms of pre- and postmating reproductive isolation in sympatric frog and toad species from East Texas.

· Patch Use Under Predation Hazard: Effects of the Red Imported Fire Ant on Deer Mouse Foraging Behavior. Holtcamp, W. N., W. E. Grant, and S. B. Vinson. 1997. Ecology 78: 308-317.

· Grizzly Bears, Evolution, and Critical Thinking: Analyzing a Scaffolding IT for Teaching. Holtcamp, W.N., L. Griffing, L. and J. Packard. 2003. ITS Practitioner Research No. ITS-PR-2003-11. Symposium Proceedings of the SW meeting of Association for the Education of Teachers in Science (SWAETS). http://its.tamu.edu/downloads/ITS-PR-2003-11.pdf

· Internal forest fragmentation: effects of a logging road on small mammal movements in North Queensland rainforest. W.N. Holtcamp, M. Barton, and N. Wolfe. In prep.

· Multimedia: Have recorded vlogs (video blogs), podcasts/audio recordings from remote locales, used satellite phones and Skype for international reporting and recording, and shot video using a flip-cam.

· Software: Experience using spreadsheets, graphics software, word processing, use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), statistics software (SAS, GS-LIB)

· Web Page Design: Designed websites professionally for several years, including Spring Creek Greenway (www.springcreekgreenway.com) in 2006, Terra Folia Rainforest Preserve (www.terrafolia.com), Southern California Birth Provider's Directory (www.socalbirth.org), and others.

· Desktop publishing: Proficient with Microsoft Publisher & PowerPoint for newsletters and slideshows.

Ø Worked under the 501(c)3 status of the Gulf Coast Institute with David Crossley

Ø Got San Jacinto selected as American Rivers “Most Endangered” in 2006. Resulted in legislation passed in TX Senate. The bill did not pass the House but they plan to reintroduce it in 2009.

Ø Organized River Bottom Festival outdoor and environmental expo at Lake Houston State Park to raise awareness of the ecological value of bottomland hardwood forest. Held March 10, 2001, approximately 450 people attended, and we raised over $4500 for our organization.

Ø Successful letter-writing campaigns raised corporate awareness of smart growth issues in NE Houston. SJCC meetings with Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and HEB resulted in plans for forested buffer zones and more aesthetic planned future developments in our area.

Ø Managed the organization’s budget and finances, and supervised volunteer base

Ø Testified before TX State Board of Education about textbooks and science standards in 2003 & 2008 as a Christian who studies evolutionary biology and supports strong evolution education.

Ø Nov 11, 2003: Invited guest on Houston PBS TV show “The Connection” covering the evolution/intelligent design issues in Texas.

Ø Sep 24, 2003: Panelist and co-organizer of “Evolution: What it is, and what it isn’t” Symposium at Montgomery College with NCSE’s Alan Gishlick and others.

Ø Sep 10, 2003: Testified before the Texas State Board of Education as a Christian who studies evolutionary biology and supports strong evolution education.

Led by LGD’s Dr Steve O’Brien, at Smithsonian Conservation & Research Center

· Mimicking Mother Nature, National Wildlife Magazine Dec/Jan 2010, http://ow.ly/Fzm3

· Saving Big Bird, A cyclone forced Australia’s endangered cassowaries into the danger zone, Wildlife Conservation Mag, http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com/Cassowary.pdf

· Expedition Shark, Discovery Channel blog, 10 days diving with sharks during the filming of a Shark Week documentary http://blogs.discovery.com/expedition_shark/

· Dead Zone, Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. http://tpwmagazine.com/archive/2008/jul/ed_6/. Won 1^st place International Regional Mag Association Award for Public Issues, 2008.

· Many Bayous, One River. The San Jacinto is under attack by sand mines. http://ow.ly/FzrO

· Kissing Cousins. Breeding with their introduced relatives threatens to drive Guadalupe Bass to extinction. Texas Parks & Wildlife Mag. http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2006/oct/ed_5/

· Back to Nature: What is it about simplicity and solitude that inspires writers? E/The Environmental Magazine. http://www.emagazine.com/view/?2974

· Aquatic Islands in a Sea of Land. Texas landowners and biologists work toward the common goal of conserving springs — and the fragile species that call them home. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine.

· Save the Monkeyface! Despite their funny names, freshwater mussels are important indicators of a river's overall health. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. April 2005. IRMA Gold Award.

1. Holy Trinity Episcopal School - Presentations on Galapagos , Darwin and Evolution; Sand mining on the San Jacinto; Expedition Shark – my experience diving with sharks in Australia for Discovery Channel; Writing/Journaling/Photography given to schoolchildren ranging from pre-K to middle school. 2008-2009.

2. Changing the World One Story at a Time: Objectivity in Journalism. Invited presentation at the University of North Texas Nature Writing Symposium. April 2007

3. Houston Sierra Club General Meeting. Muddy Waters: Sand mining on the San Jacinto River. July 2006.

4. Multi-User Web-Based Video of Grizzlies and Pandas: the Nexus of Science and Science Education. Griffing, L., Sarah, S., N. Robertson, W.N. Holtcamp, and O. Gilad. Poster at the Ecological Integration Symposium, Texas A&M University, Feb 2004.

5. The Nexus of Science and Science Education: Using a Digital Information Technology of American Grizzly bears and Chinese Panda Bears to Engage Public Interest and Knowledge in Science. Griffing, L., W.N. Holtcamp, H. Crawford, and D. Zatz. Poster at the Conference on China-U.S. Trade, Diplomacy, and Research. Texas A&M University, Nov 2003.

6. Grizzly Bears, Evolution, and Critical Thinking: Analyzing a Scaffolding Tool for Teaching Biology. Holtcamp, W.N., L. Griffing, L. and J. Packard. Presentation at the Southwest regional meeting of AETS (SWAETS). Ft Worth, TX. Mar. 1, 2003.

7. The Use of Imaging to Promote Science Inquiry. Holtcamp, W.N., L. Griffing, and J. Packard. Presentation at the Educational Research Exchange (ERE) ITS Center Symposia Series. Texas A&M University, Feb 7, 2003.

8. Alphabet Soup (PBL, GIS, IT): Innovative Ideas for Teaching & Learning Science. Annual Conference of N. Harris Montgomery Community College District. Tomball College, Tomball, TX. March 2002. Holtcamp, W.N.

9. Tree Hugger’s Revenge: Or Why People Need Trees. Initial presentation of the San Jacinto Conservation Coalition, a nonprofit organization I founded that promoted smart growth and habitat conservation in NE Houston. Dec 7, 2000. http://www.sanjacinto.cc/speech.htm

10. The Importance of Scale in Assessing Fire Ant Impacts on Native Small Mammals. Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society, Albuquerque, NM. Oct 1993. W. E. Grant, and S. B. Vinson.

11. Fire Ant Impacts on Native Fauna: Invited guest lecturer in Animal Ecology class. Fall 94/Spring 95.