Michelle Stagl, RaMP Participant

Working with Page Klug at the USDA

What are you working on right now?

The project I work on is using acoustic recording systems to record the pre-migratory, mixed blackbird flocks. I recorded multiple sites between September and November and performed counts of the flocks in those sites. Now, I have to use these audio recordings and counts to see if amplitude can be used to estimate flock size. Currently, I am reading articles about various R codes to see if I can create a system to extract amplitude from the audio recordings at specific points in time. This will be more efficient than manually going through the recordings.

What is your favorite part of this experience?

I joined this program due to my indecision in what I wanted to do. This experience has given me a clearer understanding of what I want to do next through doing my own project and learning of the other mentees’ projects. We have a nice little community where we are all always working on different aspects of research, and I have learned a lot from my research fellows.

What do you enjoy most about Fargo?

I come from a small town that has very few things to do. Fargo is enormous compared to that small town, and, from my point of view, there are always things to do. If you pay attention, you can find musicals to go to, tons of different places to shop, and other events happening all around. It keeps me busy and gives me access to places where I can physically shop.