Nicolette L. Cagle
Ecology Ph.D.
About me:
I am a dedicated ecologist and environmental educator, with a passion for science writing. I work as a Lecturing Fellow in the Thompson Writing Program and as an Instructor at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. My training in ecology began in 1994 at The Grove, a local nature preserve in northern Illinois, where I worked at as both a naturalist and educator. In 2002, I graduated summa cum laude in three years from the University of Illinois - Urbana with a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences and completed the competitive Environmental Fellows Program.
After completing my undergraduate degree, I spent one year as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Knoxville, TN working at the interface of policy and science. My work included meeting regularly with the Knox County Department of Stormwater Management, while monitoring the biological, chemical, and physical quality of local waterways. In the summer of 2003, I volunteered at The Sea Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida before starting my doctoral studies in Duke University’s Program in Ecology, rated as one of the top three programs in the nation by the National Research Council in 1993. My dissertation research explored the multi-scale distributions and conservation status of snakes in the North American tallgrass prairie and integrated the quantitatively intense methods of landscape ecology with the more traditional field-based approach of conservation biology. (For more information please see my 2008 paper published in Biological Conservation.)
My commitment to environmental education, both locally and globally, has led me to complete projects such as building a footbridge at Occoneechee Mountain State Park and teaching biology and English in a small town in Tanzania. In 2007, I completed my North Carolina Environmental Education Certification. I also write a monthly natural history newsletter for the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association. Additionally, I have an avid interest in foreign culture and language that compelled me to study a number of languages (e.g., Italian, Spanish, French, Swahili, and Polish) and travel to all 50 states and over fifteen countries. On the weekends, I love hiking with my husband and remarkable son, visiting historical sites, and exploring local museums.
You can learn more about my weekly nature excursions in and around the Triangle from my blog:
