Linda S. Hamilton "Conserving Colorado" Awards
The purpose of the Hamilton Award is to facilitate undergraduate research and discovery in the field of conservation biology. The award pays for a monthly stipend (typically for 2 months) for a student as they conduct field work to study a species or ecosystem in Colorado. The student works directly with a CNHP biologist to develop a project that addresses a species or ecosystem that CNHP has identified as needing conservation information. If the student is an honors student, this project can be used as the subject of his/her thesis. The student gets hands-on experience designing, executing, and analyzing a field-based research project on a rare plant, animal, or ecosystem in Colorado. CNHP obtains new data on a species or ecosystems that are poorly understood in Colorado. To see details for 2025 Linda Hamilton Award, follow this Link
- Click here to view 2025 Linda S. Hamilton “Conserving Colorado” Award details.
Student profiles
Hailee Nolan (2021)
Thesis/Research:
Phenology of hops blue flowering and the density of hops blue butterfly larvae.
Hailee’s research was to understand the relationship between phenology of male flower maturity to the densities of hops blue larvae. Hailee, graduate student Abbey Swift, and University of Colorado, Colorado Springs professor Emily Mooney presented their research at the Entomological Society of America Conference in 2021.
Abstract from poster presentation at Entomological Society of America Conference:
Conservation of rare species relies on understanding how biotic and abiotic factors shape abundance. The hops azure butterfly (Celastrina humulus, Family Lycaenidae) is ranked as a G2 Imperiled species by NatureServe.
Butterflies lay eggs on male flowers of native hops, Humulus lupulus neomexicanus. Larvae develop quickly feeding on the pollen-rich male inflorescences. Like other lycaenids, hops azure larvae can form associations with several species of ants, which walk over the caterpillars and drink nectar from specialized organs. Kubik and Schorr (2018) found hops azure larvae tended by ants in 10 of 15 sites along Monument Creek near Colorado Springs, CO. Given the well documented benefits of mutualism with ants, it is unclear why many larvae do not form associations with ants. Our objective was to assess which biotic and abiotic factors were associated with ant tending.
Tori Applehans (2020)
Thesis/Research:
Estimating density of Preble’s meadow jumping mice using spatial mark-recapture techniques
Tori used the spatial locations for Preble’s meadow jumping captures to estimate the density of this threatened species. Unfortunately, with Covid-19 Pandemic occurring during this time, conducting fieldwork became challenging, and research had to be postponed.
Emily Fitzjohn (2019)
Thesis/Research (Honors):
Estimating the detection probability and population size of Ipomopsis polyantha using Distance Sampling
Emily used a new methodology to monitor the endangered Pagosa skyrocket (Ipomopsis polyantha). The skyrocket is a rare gilia only found in southcentral Colorado. Emily conducted distance sampling to estimate the probability of detection and population size at one of the largest known populations for this rare plant.
Abstract from thesis:
Ipomopsis polyantha (Pagosa Skyrocket) is a rare plant endemic to outcrops of Upper Cretaceous Mancos Shale, making it one of the most endangered plant species in Colorado. It only grows in three known populations, with population estimates under 11,000 individuals. One population at the Pagosa Skyrocket Natural Area in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, has an estimated X number of individuals. Currently, plot sampling is used to sample I. polyantha populations on the Pagosa Skyrocket Natural Area. To test an alternate method of estimating I. polyantha density I use distance sampling. I used distance sampling methodology to estimate the detection probability and density of I. polyantha at the Pagosa Skyrocket Natural Area.
Emily will be graduating from CSU in 2022.
Publication: Fitzjohn, E., and R. A. Schorr. In prep. Population size and density of the endangered Pagosa skyrocket (Ipomopsis polyantha) using distance sampling. Natural Areas Journal.
Nina Phillips (2018)
Research/Thesis:
Habitat occupancy and composition of the Ovenbird at the U.S. Air Force Academy
Nina studied the habitat and occupancy of the Ovenbird, which is a warbler with a limited range in Colorado. The Ovenbird’s range is limited to a narrow band along the Front Range and is discontinuous with the rest of the Ovenbird’s range further north and east. She found Ovenbirds prefer mature forest with dense subcanopies of oak and dense ground cover. Her study is the first of habitat preferences for the Ovenbird in Colorado.
Abstract of draft publication:
The Ovenbird is a neotropical migratory warbler whose breeding distribution extends throughout much of eastern North America. Although Ovenbird habitat has been studied in eastern North America, there is limited understanding of breeding habitat in western forests. Because Ovenbird populations in Colorado are isolated, and wildfire and forest fragmentation threaten habitat along the Rocky Mountains, we conducted habitat occupancy and distribution surveys at the United States Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado. Areas occupied by Ovenbirds had greater canopy cover and trees with larger diameter than areas without Ovenbirds. Also, Ovenbird habitat had dense shrub cover, much leaf litter, and limited forb and grass cover. The probability of Ovenbird occupancy increased with shrub cover, but decreased as understory height increases.
Expanding mature coniferous forests with dense understory vegetation may provide more breeding habitat for Ovenbird in Colorado.
Publication:
Schorr, R. A., and N. Phillips. In review. Habitat characteristics and occupancy of the Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Southwestern Naturalist.
Toryn Walton (2018)
Thesis/Research (Honors):
Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) roost descriptions in the Yampa Valley of Colorado.
Toryn’s research was in collaboration with Kira Paik to conduct telemetry of little brown bats to identify and describe the maternity and day roosts of little brown bats in the Yampa Valley of Colorado. Toryn found little brown bats roosting in homes, barns, stables, utility sheds, snags, and logs. She found that most roosts were in close proximity to the primary maternity colony in the area.
Abstract of thesis:
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a fungal pathogen that has caused dramatic population declines of bats in North America. Only in Washington has WNS been documented in western states. If WNS were to spread to western states, it would be difficult to detect due to lack of data and few large hibernacula. The purpose of this study was to collect roost characteristic data to better monitor population trends of Myotis lucifugus (MYLU), a species of bat known to contract WNS. Telemeters were attached to 22 adult MYLU at two sites in the Yampa Valley of Colorado.
Radio telemetry was used to track MYLU to their day roost sites and collect data on roost characteristics.
Findings show that most bats roosted in old houses and old barns, and had higher fidelity to man-made structures than vegetation structures because these man-made structures may have a more stable micro-climate. Therefore, these types of structures should be actively sought to improve future population counts and monitoring to increase the chances of detecting any significant decline in populations.
Quote from Toryn:
“The skills I gained from the program have me craving for more research experiences and has instilled in me a desire to pursue graduate school. It was an unforgettable summer that has lead to other great opportunities.”
Toryn is working as a wildlife technician and as part of the NASA DEVELOP program.
Publication:
Schorr, R. A., K. Paik, T. Walton, and J. L. Siemers. In prep. Networks of little brown bat maternity and day roosts in the Yampa Valley of Colorado. Acta Chiropterologica
Recent publication:
Dennis, K. et al. 2020. Mapping wetland and riparian areas to support Rio Grande cutthroat trout habitat restoration. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2020.
Kira Paik (2017)
Thesis/Research (Honors):
Spatial distribution of little brown bat day and maternity roosts in the Yampa Valley of Colorado.
Kira’s research involved attaching radio-telemeters to little brown bats in the Yampa Valley of northwest Colorado near the towns of Steamboat Springs and Hayden. She and colleague Toryn Walton followed the radio-telemetry signals in cars and planes to locate day and maternity roosts. She identified the roost structures and conducted exit counts to understand the population sizes at the roosts. Her work is vital for understanding how little brown bats use temporary summer roosts for reproduction and day resting habitat.
Abstract from thesis:
Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) populations are threatened by the spread of White-nose Syndrome (WNS), a recently introduced fungal disease. Although WNS has not yet reached Colorado, it is important to have a good understanding of bat populations and their roosting habits to better inform management decisions in the future. This study mapped the day roosts of little brown bats at two areas in the Yampa Valley, Colorado using radiotelemetry to track 22 bats to their day roosts which included buildings, trees, and bat boxes. Roosting sites were mapped and, when possible, the relative population size at each roost was found. The little brown bats that were located more than once during the study demonstrated high fidelity to their roosts, spending at least 75% of their time at one roost. Estimated population sizes of roosts ranged from 5-272 bats at each roost.
Kira is a master’s student at Colorado State University’s Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Department developing rock ramp fishway criteria for fishes of conservation concern.
Quote from Kira:
“In my time at CSU I was able to conduct undergraduate research studying bats and their spatial distribution in the Yampa Valley. This experience was invaluable because it not only gave me useful skills for working in the field, but also taught me how to take the data I collected and analyze and write about it to better understand the study species. It was also super beneficial to have that experience when looking for jobs after graduating college.”
Publication:
Schorr, R. A., K. Paik, T. Walton, and J. L. Siemers. In prep. Networks of little brown bat maternity and day roosts in the Yampa Valley of Colorado. Acta Chiropterologica
Tristan Kubik (2016/2017)
Theses/Research (Honors):
(2016) Do ants tend the larvae of hops blue butterflies?
(2017) Firefly populations along the Front Range of Colorado
Tristan investigated the relationship between hops blue butterfly larvae and ants. Since a host of the members of the butterfly family Lycaenidae have mutualistic relationships with ants, Tristan found hops blue larvae on hops plants at the U.S. Air Force Academy and studied what species of ants tended them. His research was the first documenting a mutualistic relationship between hops blues and a host of ant species.
As a separate study, Tristan sampled firefly populations along the Front Range and Rocky Mountains of Colorado. He documented firefly flashing patterns and collected genetic tissue to delineated species distributions and overlap in Colorado.
Abstract 2018 publication:
The hops blue butterfly (Celastrina humulus) is a rare North American butterfly, found in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States in areas where its host plant, wild hops (Humulus lupulus), grows in abundance. As a member of the Lycaenidae we considered it likely that myrme- cophiles may exist with ants found in C. humulus habitats. to better understand the ecology of this species and guide conservation efforts, we investigated and documented myrmecophily with multiple ant species. We found seven ant species with close associations with C. humulus larvae.
Tristan is a PhD student at University of Texas’ Department of Integrated Biology studying leaf cutter ants.
Quote from Tristan:
“My association with the Linda Hamilton Award has easily been one of the most impactful experiences I have ever had, both in terms of my own career's progress and broader impacts.”
Publication:
Kubik, T. D., and R. A. Schorr. 2018. Facultative myrmecophily in the hops blue butterfly, Celastrina humulus. Entomological News 127:490-498.
Latest publication (Tristan has 6 publications to his credit) :
Aedes aegypti miRNA-33 modulates permethrin induced toxicity by regulating VGSC transcripts.
Scientific Reports 11:7301. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-86665-6
Blaise Newman (2016)
Thesis/Research (Honors):
Fluorescent powder tracking as a possible technique for Preble’s meadow jumping mice
Blaise conducted a study to understand how the threatened Preble’s meadow jumping mouse used microhabitat in riparian systems. Past efforts to understand Preble’s mouse habitat use attached radio transmitters to mice and followed them in dense riparian habitat. However, few would ever see how mice used the substructure (below the dense shrub cover) of these systems. Blaise captured Preble’s mice and dusted their fur with a fluorescent dye powder. After release she returned in the evening to track their movements to see what shrubs and grasses they were using. Unfortunately, there were few captures of Preble’s mice along South Boulder Creek and the results were inconclusive.
Abstract from thesis:
The Preble’s meadow jumping mouse (PMJM) Zapus hudsonius preblei is a federally listed subspecies that lives in dense herbaceous and shrub vegetation in riparian corridors.
Information is lacking for this species in regards to microhabitat use and how their use helps them meet their life requirements.
Fluorescent powder tracking is a possible method of understanding these fine-scale movement patterns. Using various fluorescent pigments, we mapped PMJM pathways through dense riparian vegetation. Though our study had low capture rates, I was able to assess movement patterns and microsite vegetation composition. Possible areas of future research to better interpret fluorescent powder tracking results include: the effects of mouse behavior and vegetation density on PMJM pathway length, time of release on behavior and vegetation selection, and possible activity alterations and biases associated with the dusting technique itself. Fluorescent powder tracking appears to currently be a promising technique for answering PMJM microhabitat use questions. Further research on PMJM using this technique may provide valuable information for future conservation efforts targeted at improving the status of this threatened species.
Blaise has earned her master’s degree from Clemson University where she studied the winter ecology of the tricolored bat. She is currently a PhD student at the University of Georgia studying white-tailed deer ecology (https://ugadeerresearch.org/blaise-newman/).
Publication:
Newman, B. A., S. C. Loeb, and D. S. Jachowski. 2021. Winter roosting ecology of tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) in trees and bridges. Journal of Mammalogy 102:1331-1341. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyab080
Latest publication:
Jensen, et al. 2021. Attracting diverse students to field experiences requires adequate pay, flexibility, and inclusion. BioScience 71:757-770. https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/71/7/757/6213241
Rachel Maison (2015)
Thesis/Research (Honors):
Second year occupancy surveys for the hops blue butterfly at the U.S. Air Force Academy
Rachel followed Callie’s work modeling occupancy of hops blue butterflies. Her project involved revisiting the randomly selecting segments of Monument Creek at the Academy to search for wild hops and the hops blue butterfly. She used this second year of data to model the probability of the butterflies persisting or going extinct at habitat patches along Monument Creek. She found that increases in wind speed and cloud cover reduce butterfly detection, and increasing area of wild hops and solar exposure increase detection of the butterfly. Persistence of the butterfly was driven by the amount of wild hops available. She published her work in Journal of Insect Conservation, and is now earning her PhD at Colorado State University’s Department of Biomedical Sciences studying anthrax in wild boar populations (podcast interview: https://tools.cdc.gov/medialibrary/index.aspx#/media/id/477930).
Abstract of 2020 publication:
The hops azure (Celastrina humulus) is a locally-abundant, rare butterfly in Colorado and Montana, that uses wild hops (Humulus lupulus) as a host plant.
Because of the patchy distribution of wild hops and current land use changes, the butterfly is a species of conservation concern. The hops azure is abundant along the riparian systems of the U.S. Air Force Academy (Academy) because wild hops is readily available and most land-use impacts have not reached much of the Academy. How- ever, the riparian systems of the Academy are experiencing increased flooding from off-base, hard-surface development, making it harder for riparian vegetation, like wild hops, to thrive. To describe the prevalence and persistence of the hops azure, we conducted multi-year occupancy sampling to understand habitat-patch occupancy changes, such as patch extinction and colonization, and to identify factors that impact detectability. Wind speed, the area of wild hops, and the amount of cloud cover and solar exposure influenced probability of hops azure detection. Patch occupancy and extinction are influenced by the area of wild hops, suggesting that as host plant patch sizes get smaller, patch extinction increases and occupancy decreases. Detectability and occupancy were higher than expected, and the probability of patch extinction and colonization within the hops azure’s range, increase continuity of wild hops expanses, and retain the hydrology that supports wild hops should increase the stability of azure populations.
Publication:
Schorr, R. A., R. M. Maison, and C. P. Puntenney. 2020. Multi-year occupancy of the hops blue butterfly (Celastrina humulus): habitat patch colonization and extinction. Journal of Insect Conservation 24:927-934. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-020-00264-w
Latest publication (Rachel currently has 18 publications to her name):
Maison, R. M., et al. 2021. Potential use of sersurveillance of feral swine to map risk of anthrax exposure, Texas, USA. Emerging Infectious Diseases 27:3103-3110. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8632180/
Callie Puntenney (2014)
Thesis/Research (Honors):
Occupancy modeling of the hops blue butterfly at the U.S. Air Force Academy
Callie was the first researcher to study population ecology of the rare hops blue butterfly. Her project involved randomly selecting segments of Monument Creek at the Academy to search for wild hops and the hops blue butterfly. She found that surveying during cloudy days reduced detectability, and the probability of a patch of habitat having hops blues was impacted by the areas of wild hops at the site. She is now earning her master’s in Biology at Boise State University studying ecological indicators of southern Idaho rangelands (https://www.boisestate.edu/hes/people/callie-puntenney/).
Abstract from 2016 publication:
The hops azure (Celastrina humulus) is a rare butterfly found along the Front Range of Colorado. Data on the prevalence of the butterfly and its preferred habitats are lacking.
To describe the habitat of C. humulus at the southern part of its range, explore what factors impact C. humulus detectability, and estimate C. humulus habitat use along a riparian area known to support it, we conducted an occupancy analysis along the largest riparian system at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado, USA. We used environmental and site-specific covariates to model the probability of detection and the probability of occupancy. Probability of detecting C. humulus was influenced by the amount of cloud cover during sampling, while the probability of occupancy was influenced by the total area of the host plant (wild hops) at the site. Probability of detection was higher during the first visit (69 %) than the second visit (64 %), and the probability of occupancy was higher (77 %) than assumed (30 %). Despite the host plant being patchily distributed throughout the butterfly’s range, the riparian areas at USAFA had a high prevalence of both wild hops and C. humulus. We use the project findings to develop future sampling efforts for the butterfly along tributaries at other locales within the butterfly’s range.
Quote from Callie:
“I developed leadership and critical thinking skills through the data collection and analysis process that I would not have been able to receive in any of my classes. I am proud of the work I did during my undergraduate research experience and I am grateful for the subsequent opportunities it presented me.
Publications:
Puntenney, C. P., and R. A. Schorr. 2016. Patch occupancy and habitat of the hops azure (Celastrina humulus), a rare North American endemic butterfly: insights for monitoring and conservation. Journal of Insect Conservation 20:215-222. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10841-016-9855-0
Schorr, R. A., R. M. Maison, and C. P. Puntenney. 2020. Multi-year occupancy of the hops blue butterfly (Celastrina humulus): habitat patch colonization and extinction. Journal of Insect Conservation 24:927-934. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-020-00264-w
