Charissa V. Jones, MS Candidate

Charissa “Charzy” Jones, MS Candidate Environmental Education
Email Charzy
Personal Website
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Research Interests

Combining my passions for and experience in education, conservation, and research, my professional goal is to use research to inform participatory conservation program development. Also, to provide technical assistance in translating research into collaborative conservation practice and education within the United States and abroad.

My primary research interests are in the areas of tropical ecology, collaborative-based conservation, biocultural diversity, and community education and uutreach. Because it is imperative, in my opinion, to involve communities in the conservation research surrounding them, I am interested in focusing not only the social and ecological perspectives of conservation but also on the interface of these natural and cultural environments. I believe that focusing on these aspects will help increase environmental awareness and interest in land stewardship and the importance of biodiversity. I am committed to collaborating with tribal and indigenous, local, regional, federal, and international communtities, researchers, and stakeholders as part of achieving this goal.

Education

Antioch University New England, Keene NH
MS Candidate in Environmental Studies, Environmental Education
Augist 2010 – May 2012 (anticipated)

New College of Florida, Sarasota FL
B.A. Environmental Studies
Concentration: Environmental Education and Conservation
August 2003 – May 2008

Teaching/Research/Field Experience

Misty Forest Enrichment Center Assistant Teacher
2008 – 2009

Created hands-on environmentally focused curricula for 1st -3rd graders

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Research
Water Bear, Water Bear, what do you see?: The Implementation of Tardigrades as a means towards a more inclusive science experience
2008

Created curricula to investigate whether or not tardigrades, also known as Water Bears, can be used to engage elementary school children into appreciating, exploring, and investigating local ecosystems.
Worked closely with both a 3rd and a 5th grade teacher and their classes as well as Tardigradologist, Colleen Mitchell, to ensure the students would be able to understand the lessons and learn real scientific sampling methods. http://canopymeg.com/wp/2008/06/16/charissa-explains-it-all-video/

Emerson Pointe Preserve BioBlitz
April 2007
Project Leader

First annual biodiversity blitz (BioBlitz) at one of Manatee County’s twelve preserves.
Advertised, recruited volunteers, community members, undergraduate students,
Event also served to introduce local citizens to the preserve.

Environmental Education and Volunteer Intern with the Manatee County Conservation Lands Management Department
Jan. 2007 – Jan. 2008

Responsible for presentation of nature-based curriculum to children and parents as well as organizing volunteer events at the nature preserves.
Created curricula and public programming.
Aided in program marketing, attending outreach events (such as festivals and other public events) and creating promotional materials.
The implementation of a BioBlitz at Emerson Point was my personal project.

Field Guide
2005 – 2008

Lead tours on Hammock Ecology and Tree Canopy Studies at Myakka River State Park for local and international high school students, doctoral level scientists and non- academic visitors.
Lead tours through Red Bug Slough Nature Preserve.

Research Assistant to Dr. Margaret Lowman
2005 – Present

Responsible for creating and presenting environmental education to the K-12 community and general public.
Lead nature tours through Red Bug Slough, Myakka Rivers State Park, and the Carlton Reserve.
Presented conservation information dealing with rainforest and canopy ecology at schools and various fairs.
Collected data by administering surveys, interviews, or running research protocols.
Assist in preparing submissions for local or regional conferences and, if accepted, work on poster or oral presentations for professional conferences.
Various other research and tasks as directed.

Science Outreach for Students (SOS) program at New College
2004 – 2008
Student Teacher

Created science and environmental education-focused lesson plans for K-12 students and taught in middle and high school classrooms.
Took on all teacher responsibilities with an average, 10 hours weekly in preparation and classroom time.
Taught various classrooms of elementary and middles school students.
Participated in a daylong K-12 teacher workshop, which included student presentations and canoe tour at Myakka River State Park in Sarasota.
Presented as a poster at the 2006 ESA national conference in Memphis, Tennessee.

BioBlitz Volunteer and Event Organizer
2004 – 2005

A Bioblitz is a daylong cumulative survey of species by scientists and volunteers.
Member of Entomology Team in 12 hour bio-specimen survey at Myakka River State Park (2005).
Member of Entomology Team in 12 hour Organism Survey at Crosley Estate, Sarasota, Fl (2004).
The Crosley Estate blitz was used to catalogue the different organisms in the area before University of South Florida built their commuter campus in the area.

“Pedagogy in Environmental Education in Sarasota, FL”
Jan. 2005

Four week independent research project served as a continuation of the Science Outreach of Students (SOS) Program.
Taught courses in environmental education to seventh and eighth grade students (one group was gifted and the other was regular) at Booker Middle School.
The lessons varied from Insect-Plant Interactions to Fisheries Policies to General Marine Biology.

Independent Study Project: “Population Dynamics of Leatherback Sea Turtles in Galibi, Suriname”
June – Aug. 2004

6 week independent volunteer research experience in Galibi, Suriname, South America.
The research project was a shared venture between IUCN, WWF, STINASU, and a group of Amerindians, Caribs, from Galibi working towards sea turtle conservation, specifically, Leatherbacks.
Conducted daily and nightly walks on the beach to find and tag sea turtles. as well as checking the shorelines in the morning for nests, and excavating nests. "http://www.seaturtle.org/gforum/gforum.cgi? do=post_attachment;postatt_id=348;guest=2647132

Honors, Awards, Fellowships, & Grants

SEEDS* Travel Grant Recipient to ESA Annual Meeting (Milwaukee, WI)
April 2008
Washington, DC

Travel Grant for Consortium for Innovative Environments in Learning (CIEL) Symposium
April 2008
Bellingham, WA

SEEDS* Travel Grant Recipient to SEEDS Leadership Meeting – Hosted by Dr. Nom Christensen
Feb. 2008
Durham, NC

SEEDS* Travel Grant Recipient to ESA Annual Meeting (San Jose, CA)
April 2007
Washington, DC

SEEDS* Travel Grant Recipient to Coweeta, LTER (Otto, NC)
2006

SEEDS* Travel Grant Recipient to ESA Annual Meeting (Memphis, TN)
April 2006
Washington, DC

National Science Foundation Grant Recipient: Out On A Limb – Forest Canopies
2006
Sarasota, FL

An ecology education canopy exhibit (http://outonalimb-forestcanopies.com/)

Sarasota County Conservation Award for Outstanding Environmental Education
April 2006
Sarasota, FL

Science Outreach for Students program

Certificate of Appreciation Presented to New College SOS Students
April 2005
Sarasota, Florida

By the 13th Annual Sarasota County Conservation Awards for efforts in conserving natural resources

SEEDS* Travel Grant Recipient to Sevilleta LTER (Albuquerque, NM)
2005

Community Foundation of Sarasota Grant
2005

Co-authored a successful $10,000 grant to create a base of operations for Science Outreach at New College and an outdoor, interactive teachers; workshop.

New College Foundation Scholarship
Aug. 2003 – May 2007
New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL

Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
Aug. 2003 – Dec. 2007
New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL

International Baccalaureate Diploma
June 2003
University High School Orlando, FL

*SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology, Education, Development, and Sustainability) is the student organization of the Ecological Society of America, which recently won the U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring

Organized Sessions, Workshops & Fieldtrips

Ecological Outreach Opportunity (ECO) – Pittsburgh, PA
2009 – 2010
Co-Organizer

Coordinated an educational field trip for the 95th Annual Ecological Society of America (ESA) Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA.
Conducted a bioblitz within a schoolyard in Pittsburgh.

“Revolutionary Ecology: Multidisciplinary and Multimedia Approaches to Cooling the Planet”
2009 – 2010
Co-Organizer

Forum for creating action-oriented solutions by in ecology.
Integrated panel of ecologists, environmental activists, and artists working towards the goal of enhanced communication and application of local and traditional ecological concepts in public policy, conservation, education, and community outreach by thinking globally but acting locally.
The overall purpose of this session is to explore alternative links between ecology, outreach, and community efforts.

Ecological Outreach Opportunity (ECO) – BioBlitz at the Albuquerque Bosque Ecosystem 2008 – 2009
Co-Organizer

The overall aims of the trip are to: (1) allow ESA members to connect with the local host community of the annual meeting; (2) use the expertise of ESA to aid a local conservation organization in the planning stages of a restoration project; (3) leave that community with surveying skills taught by ESA members; and (4) build and/or strengthen connections between local schools and the Albuquerque environmental groups, so that similar educational activities can continue beyond this fieldtrip.

Educational field trip for the 94th Annual Ecological Society of America (ESA) Meeting in Albuquerque, NM.
Responsible for the marketing and advertisement of the program to ESA members, and the K-12 community, and tribal members in the Albuquerque area.
Aided in planing the biobliz activities and schedule.

Ecological Outreach Opportunity (ECO) – High School Educators’ Ecological Literacy and Research Day
2007 – 2008
Co-Organizer

Component of ECO BioBlitz fieldtrip.
Entire day focused on how high school educators can integrate ecological literacy and research into their teaching practice and answer the question: Just was is ESA doing to link the ecological literacy, research, and the high school educator?
http://www.esa.org/milwaukee/highschool_educators.php

Ecological Outreach Opportunity (ECO) – Bioblitz at the Proposed Milwaukee Central Park Riparian Corridor
2007 – 2008
Co-Organizer

The overall aims of the trip are to: (1) allow ESA members to connect with the local host community of the annual meeting; (2) use the expertise of ESA to aid a local conservation organization in the planning stages of a restoration project; (3) leave that community with surveying skills taught by ESA members; and (4) build and/or strengthen connections between local schools and the Milwaukee environmental groups, so that similar educational activities can continue beyond this fieldtrip.

One of five SEOI (SEEDS Education and Outreach Initiative) coordinators.
Educational field trip held in conjunction with the 93rd Annual Ecological Society of America (ESA) Meeting in Milwaukee, WI.
Advertised the fieldtrip to local Milwaukee K-12 teachers and their students.
Visited local Milwaukee area teachers and students late April 2008 to give presentations about the meeting, ESA in general and a new high school section we were starting.
Aided my fellow coordinators with location logistics and planning, food selection, curriculum development and the evaluation assessment of the fieldtrip.

Presentations and Published Abstracts

Jones, Charissa. (2008, August). Water Bear, Water Bear, What do you see?: The Implementation of Tardigrades Towards a More Inclusive Science Experience. Poster presented at the Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, WI.

Jones, Charissa, Dyer, Jennifer, Lowman, Margaret, Miller, Erika Anne, Evers, Zachary I., Miller, Evan (2008, August). Science Outreach for Students: Connecting Outreach and Ecology. Poster presented at the Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, WI.

Jones, Charissa, Lowman, Margaret, Evers, Zach (2008, April). Science Outreach for Students: Connecting Local Schools to Ecology. Oral and Powerpoint presentation at the Consortium for Innovative Environments in Learning (CIEL) Student Symposium entitled Festival of Scholarship: Celebrating Collaborative Inquiry in Bellingham, WA.

Jessica Wheeler1, Margaret Lowman1, Fabiana Silva1, Charissa Jones1, Colleen Mitchell2, and Evan Miller1. (1) New College of Florida, (2) TREE Foundation (2007, August). Science outreach for students: Initiatives to connect local schools to ecology. Poster presented at the Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting in San Jose, CA.

Margaret Lowman, New College of Florida, Zachary I. Evers, New College of Florida, Colleen Mitchell, TREE Foundation, and Charissa Jones, New College of Florida. (2007, August). Out on a Limb: Forest Canopies. Poster presented at the Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting in San Jose, CA.

Jones, Charissa, Lowman, Meg, Wheeler, Jessica, Miller, Evan, Silva, Fabiana, Mitchell, Colleen, (2006, August). Out on a Limb - Forest Canopies, an informal science education exhibit. Poster presented at the Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting in Memphis, TN.

Silva, Fabiana, Lowman, Margaret, Wheeler, Jessica, Jones, Charissa, Mitchell, Colleen, Miller, Evan (2006, August). Science Outreach for Students: new initiatives to connect local schools to ecology. Poster presented at the Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting in Memphis, TN.

Travel and Language Experience

Fluent in English
Beginning proficiency in Dutch (speaking & writing)
Suriname, South America: Travel and stays, including volunteering and environmental field work

Professional Organizations and Memberships

Present -
Center for Tropical Ecology and Conservation (CTEC)

2005 - Present
Ecological Society of America (ESA)

2005, Present
Comparative Cognition Society (CCS)

2004-2005
The Wildlife Society (TWS)

Interests

(leatherback) sea turtles, tropical ecology and conservation, suriname, indigenous ecological knowledge, local ecological knowledge, environmental anthropology, ecoliteracy, listening to pop songs played on a ukulele, reading, dancing in the rain, exploring.