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Features

Where the Wild Things Are: Interview With Dr. Scullion-

ARC Amazon and a non-profit organiza~on enough funding to cover it all. So how does he

"to help acquire landin the Amazon that's work to develop framework to identify conservation

threatened." To do this, you need a drone. sites? "There's four steps," he explains. "Satellite

Dr. Scullion sat on the edge of his .seat imaging, corridor modeling approaches, future

and a described how this works. The drone is scenario modeling, and camera traps." The camera

made specificallyto track deforestation; "it has traps are utilized in the three micro-corridors to try

a six foot wingspan, and it takes a bit to figure and come,to a conclusion on which of the three is

out how to maneuver it in the Amazon when the most important. Dr. Scullion saysthat he has a

it needs too much room for flight take-off." field assistant currently in Peru working on this exact

The interesting thing about the drone Dr. conservation effort.

Scullion worked on though is that it produces I asked him what led him to Peru. What was so

high quality maps. These maps contain a interesting that he was able to vie for a Fulbright

geographical information system and provides Fellowship and later receive it by writing about Peru's

a baseline for what the surrounding area looks Amazon Frontier? "I did my Master's in Mexico," he

like. When the drone goes out a second time, said. But seeing how the people and the nature were

it creates a high resolution overlay of the together was less than ideal. "I was discouraged: Most

Dr. Scullion throws a drone .. individual trees in the area. Using these two of the forests were gone. I wanted to be part of the
scans together, one can look for discrepancies and efforts I thought would make the most difference."

HANNAH KROBOCK deforestation. He' emphasized this when tillring about Peru, Brazil,

Staff Reporter Another project he is currently working and Bolivia.These three countries had come together

Dr. Jason Scullion has only lived in Maryland for on is with one of the capstone students from , and built the first inter-coastal highway from one side

barely a month and he is already making big moves .. University of Washington. They set 100 camera of one country to the other, and it was named the

both in and out of the classroom. The Washington. traps in the Amazon and are trying to understand InterOceanic highway."My first interest was the new

state native is part of the Environmental Studies the distribution of cats. change and also the conservation in the region. It is
I asked about his dissertation and his focus on one of the last great wildernesses."
Department here at McDaniel, and in just a matter
of weeks here has infused new life into this area of Peru. He answered by explaining that the Amazon, So how does he get people interested? How does
.Conservation Association (located in DC) has he get people to care? "Convince them it matters to
study.
a sister program in Peru and that was his first them," he said. "There ate a million reasons why it
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, he's adamant step after his Master's degree. His first trip to
about the fact that the scenery there heavily . is important, but that doesn't mean that all million

influenced his decision to work in the field. Peru led him to Madre de Dios. "It's a beautiful reasons are good for you. We all have a stake in it.

"I grew up outside' a small town at the foothills area," hesaid, "but it's rapidly changing due to Meet them where they're at." Dr. Scullion explained

of the Cascade mountains on the river." He the illegal gold mining, and that's what I did my to me that)biodiversirv is the foundation of economy

explains that it was a former timber town which dissertation on." Another issue in this area was and society.You cannot have either without a healthy

the fact that it is so unprotected and therefore ecosystem. "It produces the goods and services we
had grown to be "economically depress, devoid of incredibly vulnerable. It is referenced as the
nature." He didn't understand how or why people depend on." The.harm of not taking care of the

could be so indifferent to the beauty in the area and MAT corridor, and contains "unprotected links" environment is something Dr. Scullion stresses.
between the national parks in Peru and Brazil. "When we degrade and start short-changing our
how it had gotten to that point. "I decided I was
The conservation of this area is vital because the ecosystem, we are immediately harming ourselves
going to do something about it." . . .
wildlife that live in the Amazon need to utilize it or other people's futures." He wants people to
I jumped right into asking him about his tnp
to get from, forest area to forest area. underst~nd that we actually can "have it all" if we pay
to Peru this summer. Visiting Peru has become
Dr. Scullion explains that right now it the environment the attention it needs. The weight of
almost a second home to him based on how
is used with mixed purposes. Farmers and his next COmmentcaught me by surprise. "They have
frequently he travels to and from. He explained
that this time, he took the trip with two University indigenous people also use room there. Because and inherent right to be here just like we do."
it is so unprotected, it is important to identify Read more at www.McDanielFreePress.cOtll
of Washington students who were working ontheir , conservation sites. The area is around 400,000

capstone projects. There project was working with hectars, or 1,544 miles in size and there is not