UC Davis Grad Students Set 'Animal Behavior' Program at Davis Library on Aug. 19

A poster relates many of the activities planned. (Click to enlarge)

Nine members of the UC Davis Animal Behavior Graduate Group (ABGG) who are active in The Ethogram will present a special outreach program, "Animal Behavior for Young Explorers," from 2:30 to 4 p.m., Monday, Aug. 19 in the Blanchard Room of the Mary L. Stephens branch of the Davis Library, 315 E. 14th Street, Davis.

It's a free, hands-on, science-communication event intended for the age group of kindergarten through eighth grade. As young explorers, they will learn why animals behave the way they do. 

“There will be living and pinned animal specimens (including insects), trivia games with winners receiving small prizes, arts and crafts, and books to peruse on animal behavior," said Nicole Keough (formerly Korzeniecki), a PhD candidate in the Brian Johnson lab, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. She is a member of ABGG and an editor of The Ethogram, which is ABGG's official blog. Graduate students founded The Ethogram in 2014.

Attendees at the Aug. 19th event can ask scientists questions about animal behavior research. A scientist-led bird walk around the Community Park is planned, weather permitting. Keough said the displays will range from her live termites to kittens. As a doctoral candidate in the Johnson bee lab, she is interested in eusociality, host-microbe symbiosis, and social behavior. Her research focuses on "exploring the relationship between termites and their gut microbiome in the context of termite social hygienic behaviors such as allogrooming and cannibalism." Using genetic sequencing, she investigates this symbiotic relationship and identify endosymbionts with overlapping roles in termite nutrition.

The group also will show insect specimens from the Bohart Museum of Entomology, as well as live insects, including Madagascar hissing cockroaches and walking sticks, from the Bohart petting zoo. 

Hosts at the Aug. 19th event will include:

• Isabelle McDonald-Gilmartin, PhD candidate and editor-in-chief of The Ethogram 
• Nicole Keough, PhD candidate and editor for The Ethogram 
• Siobhan Calhoun, PhD student and editor for The Ethogram 
• Nicole Rodrigues, PhD candidate and editor for The Ethogram 
• Sabrina Mederos, PhD candidate and editor for The Ethogram 
• Jessica Schaefer, PhD candidate and editor for The Ethogram 
• Kirsten Sheehy, PhD candidate and editor emeritus of The Ethogram
• Dr. Josephine Hubbard, editor emeritus of The Ethogram
• Hee Jin Chung, PhD candidate and co-chair of the Animal Behavior Graduate Group's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

This is a one-time event but plans may call for more outreach programs, depending on the interest, Keough said.

What is an ethogram? "Ethogram is a list or catalogue of behaviors that are being studied in animal behavior research (also known as ethology)," according to The Ethogram website. "The aim is to make scientific topics and findings more accessible to non-scientists through articles, videos, and other multimedia communication."

"The Ethogram encourages interaction between scientists and non-scientists in order to spark curiosity and passion for the study of animal behavior and general scientific research," the message continues.  "Our mission is to create a platform that allows scientists to disseminate their research in approachable and exciting ways. In doing so, we also aim to train the next generation of science communicators. Using diverse narratives of animals and those who study them, we provide accessible scientific information through a variety of media types, from text to sketch to video."

Meanwhile, explore the writings and illustrations on The Ethogram blog. 

Here are two of the insect sketches:

• The Honey Bee, by Nicole Rodrigues, a PhD candidate in the Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology program. 
• The Bumble Bee, by Danielle Rutkowski of the Rachel Vannette and Rick Karban labs, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. She received her doctorate in June.

Also, Ethogram maintains an Instagram account.