Achievements

Barbara Clucas, Janelle Chojnacki, Alon Averbuj

Wildlife

Protecting California’s threatened western snowy plover starts with understanding one of its primary predators: the common raven. Cal Poly Humboldt researchers tracked ravens along the Humboldt coast using GPS technology and behavioral surveys to identify where they forage and how human resources influence their movements. Ravens were attracted to developed areas and locations with accessible food resources, including agricultural lands and roads. The project also produced public outreach materials to raise awareness of how human actions affect wildlife and how to support future conservation. Learn more about graduate student Janelle Chojnacki’s thesis here and Alon Averbuj’s thesis here.

Matt Johnson

Wildlife

Dr. Matt Johnson has received funding to support long-term bird monitoring, undergraduate training opportunities, and the launch of the Humboldt Ornithology Collective (HOC), a partnership involving Cal Poly Humboldt, the Humboldt Area Foundation, the Integral Ecology Research Center, and the Klamath Bird Observatory. The project will sustain bird banding operations at the Wright Refuge in Eureka while expanding hands-on ornithology training for undergraduate students with little or no prior research experience. The effort also supports revival of the Humboldt Bay Bird Observatory near Lanphere Dunes.

Funding comes from the Humboldt Area Foundation.

Cort Glosli, Andre Giraldi, Silvia Pavan, Pedro Peloso, Karen Kiemnec-Tyburczy

Biological Sciences

Wildlife undergraduate students Cort Glosli and Andre Giraldi, together with Biological Sciences faculty Karen Kiemnec-Tyburczy, Silvia Pavan, and Pedro Peloso, recently published a research article in the journal Herpetology Notes documenting the rediscovery and species identification of a previously unassigned population of Black Salamanders (Aneides). The population they report, from Glenn County, California, had not been documented since the early 1970s and occurs in a region that has long represented a major gap in our understanding of the distribution of the Black Salamander complex. Using a combination of field surveys, morphology, and genetic analyses, the team identified the population as the Speckled Black Salamander (Aneides flavipunctatus), extending the known range of the species and helping clarify the biogeography of this complex group of California salamanders. The study highlights the important contributions of Humboldt students and faculty to biodiversity discovery, systematics, and conservation research in California.

The paper is available from the publisher’s website: https://herpetologynotes.org/index.php/hn/article/view/382/186

Darren Ward, Allison Bronson, and Matthew Hurst

Fisheries Biology

Drs. Darren Ward, Allison Bronson, and Matthew Hurst have received funding to study how copper from fungicides used in lily bulb farming near the Smith River may run off into waterways and affect salmon and other aquatic species. The project will examine whether dissolved copper affects salmon sensory function, behavior, and tissue health through water quality monitoring, laboratory toxicity testing, and fish behavior studies. Findings will help improve tools used to predict pollution impacts and support the protection of salmon habitat in one of California’s most ecologically important salmon habitats.

Funding comes from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

Pascal Biwole

School of Engineering

Dr. Pascal Biwole has received funding through the Research and Creative Projects for Equity and Justice (RCPEJ) program to study cooling needs in the Hoopa Valley. Through surveys and building energy audits, the project will identify the needs for building and HVAC upgrades to support cooling, and explore strategies to reduce energy costs during extreme summer heat. The work will also identify pathways for future funding to support infrastructure improvements.

Garrett Leonard (ESM), Christa Dagley (FFRM), and Pascal Berrill (FFRM)

Environmental Science & Management

Undergraduate student Garrett Leonard published research on a novel approach to forest restoration being tested at Cal Poly Humboldt's L.W. Schatz Demonstration Tree Farm. This is one of the few studies on redwood planted outside its native range, with the involvement of hundreds of students in forestry classes since 2014. Citation: Leonard GB, Dagley CM, and Berrill J-P (2026) Coast redwood planted outside its range outperforms the native Douglas-fir beneath an overstory of varying density. Front. For. Glob. Change 9:1805175. https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2026.1805175

Pedro Peloso

Biological Sciences

Dr. Pedro Peloso, along with collaborators, recently published a research article in Diseases of Aquatic Organisms examining infection dynamics of the deadly amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) based on field studies conducted at multiple sites in Alabama, USA. The study integrates ecological, environmental, and host-specific factors to better understand patterns of disease prevalence and intensity, contributing to broader efforts in amphibian conservation. The paper highlights how temperature and host ecological traits influence Bd infection dynamics, advancing our understanding of host–pathogen interactions in a region of high amphibian diversity. This research is part of the PhD work of Camila Moser, conducted under Dr. Peloso’s supervision through his Adjunct Faculty appointment at the Universidade Federal do Pará (Brazil), reflecting ongoing international collaboration and mentorship connected to his research program at Cal Poly Humboldt. The paper is available from the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03911

Angela Soto

Environmental Science & Management

Angela Soto, graduate student in the Byrne Applied Ecology Lab, has been awarded a $24,000 ARI NextGen fellowship by the CSU Agricultural Research Institute for the 2026 - 2027 Academic Year. For her master's research, she is assessing the impacts of different management strategies on the endangered Applegate's milkvetch (Astragalus applegatei) and its soil microbiome.

Astra Mattingly, Kyra Kranyak-Schwartz

Environmental Science & Management

Geospatial Science and Technology majors Astra Mattingly and Kyra Kranyak-Schwartz won first place in the Undergraduate Digital Map Design Contest at the California Geographical Society annual conference in Huntington Beach, CA, for their interactive map of campus accessibility at Cal Poly Humboldt. The map depicts a visual ranking of campus pathway accessibility, highlighting areas of the campus that are not equally accessible. View their interactive web map here.

Oscar Vargas

Biological Sciences

Dr. Oscar M. Vargas, along with collaborators, published a paper in the Journal of Biogeography about the geographical history of the Brazil Nut family of plants (Lecythidaceae) in the tropical Americas. The study was led by Diana Medellin, a collaborator of Dr. Vargas, from the University of Michigan. The paper can be freely downloaded from the following link: https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.70225