Natalie Lund

  • Research Assistant Intern
Natalie Lund
Research area

I am part of the Evolving Meta-Ecosystems (EVOME) Institute, which explores the impacts of climate change on ecosystems. My role in the team is focused on the influence of insect availability and vegetation structure on white-crowned sparrow populations in riparian and upland habitats. For this research I band birds, set up insect pitfall traps, look for nests, and analyze shrub density.

I am a current biology major, and have enjoyed learning about the intricate balance of ecosystems through courses like Ornithology and Ecology and the Environment. My role with EVOME allows me to apply what I’ve learned in class to hands-on ecological research in the field. I also love exploring the outdoors—I’ve backpacked in the Beartooth Mountains and canoed in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

As global warming actively reshapes the world around us, I’m passionate about contributing to research that deepens our understanding of these environmental changes. I hope to gain more experience in the environmental side of biology, and explore career opportunities in studying ecosystems and wildlife.

Projects

richly colored arctic landscape with orange grasses, a few tents in the foreground, and a light blue lake reflecting clouds of a dynamic array of greys

Evolving Meta-Ecosystems Institute

Investigating the resilience of Arctic organisms and ecosystems to rapid climate change