I Can Do This Myself? An Open-Source Hardware GPS Data Logger for Wildlife Movement Studies
We will showcase the use of Arduino in developing a low-cost, customizable, open-source hardware GPS logger for use in animal movement studies. We will also present the results of field tests with box turtles and highlight customization options.
Makers
Matt Cross
Matt is a Conservation Biologist at the Toledo Zoo and Aquarium where his work includes surveys of reptiles and amphibians, spatial studies of turtles and snakes, and captive-rearing Lake Sturgeon. Matt received a B.S. in Biology and M.S. degrees in Conservation Biology and GIS from Central Michigan University, and his Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University. Matt serves as the co-chair for the Ohio Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (OHPARC) group and has been involved in a number of local conservation efforts.
Pat Cain
Pat is a lecturer of biology at Georgia Gwinnett College with a B.S. in Biology from Central Michigan University, M.S. in Conservation Biology from Towson University, and pending Ph.D. from Indiana State University. Pat’s work has included assessing territory size in salamanders, investigating the effects of commercial harvest on snapping turtles in Maryland, the evolution of signaling traits in lizards, and using antlions as a teaching tool for introductory biology students. More recently, Pat has dedicated himself to applying his passion for technology to developing low-cost tools for fellow researchers including a moonlight sensor for bats, robotic lizard models, IR trackers, GPS loggers, and VHF transmitters.