My name is Holly (Ilex) and I’m a Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife student half-way through her junior year. Throughout high school, I enjoyed learning about foraging and liked to think I could live alone in the forest one day. Despite this, I cannot honestly claim any previous interest in studying flora. I am excited to learn all about botany this semester, with both woody plants and Ohio plants classes at once! Vegetation surveys are something that I anticipate in my future and, though I know precious little about plants at the moment, I look forward to being capable in the field.
I am primarily training to become an ornithologist and birds are my passion. I go bird banding every Saturday during the school year and have been flitting from site to site this past summer for work, career development, and research. I am the Research Coordinator (and VP) of the OSU Ornithology Club and am leading window-strike work under the guidance of Mr. Matthew Shumar. I am also working on research on Prothonotary Warblers with Dr. Tonra for my thesis. Plants have important roles in ecosystems and in relation to birds, which adds to the excitement of learning something new.
My coat-of-arms is made out of a bird’s outstretched wing divided into the primaries, secondaries, primary coverts, and secondary coverts. My motto, “I like… Birds” comes from a song of the same name by Eels, which is all but a theme-song for birding. It sums me up nicely. The symbol I used was the silhouette of a Magnificent Frigate bird because, firstly, it is a bird, which is important in identifying me, and secondly, they are shaped like a cross, which is fitting because I am a Christian. My current home is in Milford, OH, but home is a temporary location. I am interested in all facets of ornithology. Outside of academia, I enjoy birding/chasing rarities, drawing/painting, a little bit of animating, making/playing/listening to music, reading, watching movies, writing, hiking, messing around in the kitchen, skating, and socializing. I hope to add IDing plants to that list of hobbies!
