Category: Entomology and Wildlife Ecology
Wildlife and Ecology Students compete in their first Wildlife Society Quiz Bowl
December 04, 2024 Written by Molly Schafer | Courtesy of Kyle McCarthy and Katie Young
Anxiety was high, and the lights were bright as wildlife ecology and conservation students from the University of Delaware took to the stage in Baltimore. Selona Baker, Madeline Brown, Jack Geraghty and Aidan Short, members of the UD student chapter of The Wildlife Society, competed in The Wildlife Society’s 25th Annual Quiz Bowl, held during the society’s annual conference.
The small team from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, which formed only a month before the competition, faced long-standing teams from other universities. The odds were not in their favor.
But the crowd was. A flock of fellow Blue Hens, including alumni, faculty, staff, and students, gathered to cheer for the UD team. Seeing so many friendly faces helped the students out of their shells and into the spotlight.
“We were the only team with a cheering section!” said Liz Tymkiw, UD alumna and research associate in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology.
After happening upon a meeting about the Quiz Bowl, Tymkiw ended up as the team’s coach.
“I sort of weaseled my way in,” Tymkiw laughed. “I love trivia, so I offered to help coach the team!”
Tymkiw’s enthusiasm for trivia and her team is palpable. She regularly attends local trivia events and was in the studio audience when her mother was a contestant on Jeopardy.
“The Quiz Bowl focuses primarily on North American wildlife,” said Angela Holland, assistant professor of wildlife ecology, who serves as a faculty advisor for the club. “Questions can include taxonomy, ecology, habitat, statistics, policy, and important dates.”
Students relied on their coursework from Wildlife Techniques (ENWC 315), Wildlife Conservation and Ecology (ENWC 201) and Wildlife Policy (ENWC 413).
“Our taxonomy courses were essential for the Quiz Bowl,” said senior Madeline Brown. “In Mammalogy (ENWC 425), we study the college’s collection of skins. In Ornithology (ENWC 418), we learned to identify bird sounds and that helped us to answer questions.”
However, success with randomized quiz bowl questions can depend on the luck of the draw.
“Another team was asked to identify a mouse, and it was the exact mouse I worked with,” Brown exclaimed.
She was hoping for a chance to share what she knew about the mouse. Instead, she was asked about a federal policy.
Brown didn’t know the answer.
“I know what the larval stage of an eel is called, but did they ask that? No, they did not,” she laughed.
After a strong start, the team struggled to beat their opponents to the buzzer. Unable to move on to the next round, they stayed to cheer on their former opponents.
“I just wanted to play more,” Brown said. “I think that was my biggest regret. I hyped myself up, I was ready, I enjoyed pressing the buzzer, and then it was over.”
Although they were out of the competition the team’s winning attitude had not gone unnoticed.
“Our team had really good vibes,” Brown said. “People noticed, and told us afterward that they loved our attitude.”
“We threw this team together at the last minute, which was exciting, and we had such good fun with it,” Short said. “We are a new team, and as we develop, we’re not going to win. That’s okay.”
Their advisors and coaches agreed that the team had a fantastic first showing, and their involvement helped raise the department's profile.
“They did a great job,” Holland said. “The event can get kind of intense, but they did not get overwhelmed. They were professional, and they made friends with the other teams. I was really proud of them.”
The added bonus of attending the professional conference was not lost on the teammates. They attended as many presentations as they could, lending their support to UD graduate students and alumni presenting at the conference.
“Because [wildlife ecology and conservation] is a small major, this is a small world,” Short said. “The people who you meet at conferences are the people you’re going to work with. You never know if one of them will be on a research team that you’re part of in the future.”
Short said the conference was an eye-opening experience.
“It was huge, it pushed me in a lot of directions, got a lot of ideas flowing,” Short said. “It really helped quantify what life after graduation could look like.”
For Baker, seeing a research project about spotted owl and barred owl habitat in the Pacific Northwest was a hoot.
“Watching presentations and seeing current research on subjects we learned about in class was really exciting,” she said.
“The conference was a unique opportunity to interact with people in the wildlife field,” Baker continued. “I definitely feel more confident interacting with wildlife professionals now.”
Brown enjoyed being part of a larger herd.
“We were all wildlife people,” Brown exclaimed. “There's never a bigger congregation of people who love the same things I do!”
In February, the quiz team will compete at the Wildlife Society’s Northeast Student Conclave.
“We’re already training!” Tymkiw said.