My Watson project took a sharp turn from public education with insects at the Siam Insect Zoo in Chiang Mai, Thailand to academic research and lab work at Monash University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Although I was still in Southeast Asia, migrating closer to the equator not only took me to a more biodiverse area,… Continue reading Migrating through Malaysia: Palm Oil and Aquatic Insects
Migrating around the world over the past few months has set me in places I previously only fantasized about and has allowed me to meet people whose passion for insects has developed into successful businesses. One such business and my personal dream job was found just outside Brisbane where I helped raise millions of parasitoid wasps… Continue reading Raising Millions of Wasps
Just this past spring, when winter’s biting edge started to offer us some relief and the final weeks of college began to threaten us with adulthood, I and several other Hendrix students travelled to Fayetteville, Arkansas to attend the Arkansas Academy of Sciences conference. This was my first scientific conference and my last chance to… Continue reading From Camper to Scientist: The Halberg Audubon Ecology Camp
I’ve commonly encountered the belief while here in Malaysia that the forest is full of ghosts and I saw something tonight close to inspiration for such a belief. I went night hiking finally after previously being prevented from fear. Since arriving in Malaysia, I have been warned about the forest as a scary place… Continue reading Ghosts of the Rainforest
Just north of Chiang Mai, in the more rural province of Mae Rim, you can find a peculiar, but wonderful place: The Siam Insect Zoo. This insect zoo and museum was started by local entomologist, Pisuth Ek-Annuay. Out of his passion for studying insects, Annuay made a large museum of pinned insects from around the world, which… Continue reading Volunteering at the Siam Insect Zoo
When I had to leave for Thailand, I was shaking with nerves. My instincts told me to not leave something good when I had found it, and I had found several good things in Australia. I was surrounded by people who felt like family and in an environment where I was finally raising wasps for… Continue reading Baby Bug in Thailand
For the insect enthusiast or general admirer who wants to put a name to the beauties they’ve been seeing: I present a modest collection of photographs and the most accurate identifications I can provide here of butterflies I have found or helped raise in Thailand and Malaysia. As one of the most admired insect groups,… Continue reading Southeast Asian Butterflies
Global climate change constantly haunts the minds of scientists, especially here in Australia. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR), which cradles the coast of tropical North Queensland, exhibits one of the most famous examples of the impacts of climate change. Increasing temperatures and ocean acidification have caused the edges of the reef to die off in large… Continue reading Drought in the Daintree
The Sigastus weevil has recently become a major pest of macadamia farms in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. This pest threatens the industry as it currently has no biological control agent to combat it. Previous pests like the lace bug and fruit spotting bug have come under control with the use of the biological… Continue reading Weevil of all evils
For the first two months of my Watson year, I surveyed a cocoa farm for its insect diversity! Here i share insights about the unique growth of cocoa for chocolate and the insects which may save it.
From Extermination to Appreciation 