Joe Uglialoro ’27, School of Public and International Affairs

Joe Uglialoro ’27

Major

School of Public and International Affairs

Project Title

Investigating Hummingbird Behavior, Wildflower Interactions and Climate Change in the Rocky Mountains

Presentation Link

View Joe's Presentation

Minor(s): Environmental Studies, History

I worked at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) to study broad-tailed hummingbird foraging patterns in a wildflower-rich meadow ecosystem. Alongside my research partners, I placed trail cameras on wildflower species pollinated by hummingbirds at sites around the valley. These timelapse cameras recorded hummingbird visits on a series of images, which we then processed to sort out frames with hummingbirds. These data, alongside floral abundance transect data we collected, contributes to the Stoddard Lab’s HummerFlowerWatch study, which documents year-to-year changes in wildflower phenology and hummingbird behavior. I also participated in RMBL’s undergraduate education program by writing a paper on the relationships between snowmelt, wildflower blooming times and hummingbird visitation rates. This internship gave me my first extensive field experience, a chance to hone my scientific writing and data analysis skills and a transformative summer surrounded by some of the most wonderful nature and people I’ve ever encountered.

* This internship is connected to the HMEI Climate and Energy Grand Challenges project, “Investigating the Effects of Climate Change on Hummingbird Sensory Landscapes.”