Sarah Rovang has joined the fRI Caribou Program as an NRCan Intern.
Sarah first started with fRI in 2010 as an undergraduate research assistant with the Grizzly Bear Program. In collaboration with fRI, Sarah went on to pursue a Master of Science degree in Conservation Biology, which she completed in 2013. Her research investigated local factors affecting the detectability of grizzly bears using fixed hair snag DNA sites in foothill habitats, as well as regional factors affecting the eastern distribution of grizzly bears in Alberta.
Recently, Sarah has joined the Caribou Program thanks to an NRCan Science and Technology Internship; the internship provides an opportunity to recent graduates in science or engineering to gain relevant and meaningful work experience in their field of studies.
The focus of her current research project is to identify calving locations of boreal woodland caribou from GPS collar movement data. Annual calving locations and annual disturbance data will then be used to explore the relationship between calving site fidelity and landscape change.
Sarah also continues to keep one foot in the Grizzly Bear Program and is currently working on a project with the Government of Alberta to demonstrate the value of parks and protected areas to grizzly bear recovery.
