Hello!  My name is Shalyn Gordon and I will be traveling to the panda base in Gengda, China this fall as one of the interns working on the new weaning research.  In the past, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to intern at a marine mammal and sea turtle rescue and recovery center and look forward to gaining experience working with the pandas.

My path to where I am today was not a straight one.  I had initially planned on going to law school and pursuing a career in government and policy.  After four years of working towards a degree in Government and History, I took the time to figure out if that was really my passion or if I was just complacently following the path I chose to pursue when I was six.  I decided that there was something missing.  I have always been drawn to the natural world around me, especially wildlife, fascinated by both the simple and complex interactions that I could observe and the ones I knew were there but that I could not see.  I decided that if I did not at least try to pursue studies in the wildlife field I would regret it later, and I have not looked back since.

I received my B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Science and am currently working on my M.S. in Population and Conservation Biology.  I finished up my coursework this past spring, and hope (fingers crossed!) to be able to defend my thesis before I leave for China in the fall.  For my thesis research, I have been observing fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) in Central Texas and will analyze what, if any, effect reproductive status has on their foraging behavior.  I will also utilize GIS to determine if there is any correlation between surrounding landscape penetrability and foraging behavior at each of my study sites.

Restraining a seal – don’t worry I’m not really “sitting” on him!

I have realized that studying animal behavior is the passion that I was previously missing.  I am primarily interested in using observation to gain insight on innate behaviors and their plasticity, which have evolved within a species, especially those related to breeding, and how environmental pressures can affect those behaviors.  I believe that conservation efforts can be bolstered if we can begin to understand what a species needs to do to successfully be that species.  When I saw the internship posting and read about the work that PDXWildlife was doing with the pandas I immediately knew that I had to be part of it.

I really enjoy traveling and have been to 18 countries so far (China and my post-internship trip to Thailand will make 20!).  I am fortunate to have been able to experience so many other cultures and ecosystems and learn about them in person rather than just reading about them in books.  I am also a diver that that loves to see a side of our planet that few get to experience.  Whenever my travels allow you can find me in the ocean with a tank strapped to my back humming the song “Barracuda” to myself.  I have to admit, am a little nervous about the food during my stay, as I am what many would call a “picky” eater.  I will be experiencing many dishes I have never encountered before, but I have always managed in the past and am sure I will find some new favorites.

-Shalyn