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News & Resources
Keep up to date on what's new and exciting in the Chatfield Lab!
Graduate student Kara SantaLucia receives MS degree
April 2025
Chatfield lab member and Ecology & Environmental Science MS student Kara SantaLucia successfully defended her thesis, titled Exploring Concentrations, Exposure Routes, and Trophic Transfer of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Wood Turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) in an Impacted Area of Maine. Congratulations Kara!
Chatfield Lab receives grant to study PFAS in Maine ecosystems
March 2025
In collaboration with the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, the Chatfield Lab received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and UMaine to study the presence and trophic transfer of PFAS, so-called 'forever chemicals' in Maine ecosystems.
Maine Big Night dataset part of global roadkill review
March 2025
Maine Big Night has contributed its substantial amphibian roadkill dataset to a new review paper published by Grilo et al. in Nature: Scientific Reports. This work expands our understanding of the impact of roads on wildlife populations around the globe.
New publication by recent PhD graduate Greg LeClair
March 2025
Former PhD student and Chatfield Lab member, Dr. Greg LeClair, has published the first chapter of his dissertation titled "Environmental DNA as a tool for detecting illegal wildlife trade" in the journal Forensic Science International.
Great work, Greg!
Chatfield Lab receives grant to develop law enforcement tool
January 2025
In collaboration with researchers at the Center for Wildlife Studies in Maine, we received a grant from the Sarah K. de Coizart Perpetual Charitable Trust to develop a tool that will help conservation law enforcement officers combat illegal wildlife laundering.
Chatfield Lab receives grant to study PFAS
January 2025
In collaboration with the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions we received a grant from the U/S Environmental Protection Agency an UMaine to study the presence of PFAS (so called "forever chemicals") in wild-crafted foods and invertebrates commonly eaten by chickens and wild turkeys.
Graduate student Trina Wantman receives MS degree
December 2024
Chatfield lab member and Ecology & Environmental Science MS student Trina Wantman successfully defended her thesis, titled Nest Site Selection and Nest Success of Wood Turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) in Central Maine. Congratulations Trina!
Graduate student Greg LeClair receives PhD
December 2024
Chatfield lab member and Ecology & Environmental Science PhD candidate Greg LeClair successfully defended his dissertation, titled Application of Environmental DNA in the Conservation of Threatened Species. Congratulations Greg!
Undergraduate student Maple Waltner receives fellowships
November 2024
For her work on Wood Turtle behavior, Maple Waltner received two research awards from UMaine: the Barbara A. Ouellette Honors Thesis Fellowship and a fellowship through the Center for Undergraduate Research.
Graduate student Kara SantaLucia wins award
July 2024
Graduate student Kara SantaLucia won the Best Graduate Student Poster Award at this year's Northeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation meeting in Winter Harbor, Maine for her MS work on PFAS (so-called "forever chemicals") in Wood Turtles.
New publication on Wood Turtle home ranges & movements
June 2024
Our newest publication on home range and movement patterns in Wood Turtles has just been released in the journal Northeastern Naturalist. This article is part of the journal's special issue on the Biology and Conservation of Emydine Turtles. You can view the article here.
Undergraduate student Maple Waltner joins the lab
June 2024
UMaine Biology major, Maple Waltner, joins the lab as a summer intern. Maple will be studying Wood Turtle ecology for her Honors thesis, and assisting with radio-telemetry and collecting habitat data.
Undergraduate student Olivia Marsanskis joins the lab
May 2024
UMaine Biology major, Olivia Marsanskis, joins the lab as a summer field technician studying the presence and dietary sources of PFAS (so-called "forever chemicals") on Wood Turtles in Maine.
Recent work by the Chatfield Lab discussed in popular press article
May 2024
Our recently initiated study on the presence and trophic transfer PFAS (so-called "forever chemicals") was mentioned in a recent article in the Portland Press Herald.
Undergraduate student Courtney White joins the lab
May 2024
UMaine Wildlife Ecology major, Courtney White, joins the lab as a summer field technician studying the impacts of forestry on Wood Turtle populations in northern Maine.
The Chatfield Lab joins the Cooperative Forestry Research Unit
April 2024
Graduate student Sequoia Dixson and PI Matthew Chatfield received a CFRU research grant to explore the impacts of forestry operations on Wood Turtle populations in northern Maine.
New publication on handedness in turtles
March 2024
A short communication by former student Caroline Honan, colleague Jack Hopkins, and Matthew Chatfield was published in Ecosphere. We document cerebral lateralization—that is, handedness—in wild Wood Turtles. You can read the paper here.
New publication from the Chatfield Lab
March 2024
A short communication by graduate student Greg LeClair and Matthew Chatfield was just published. We document a new population containing a high frequency of erythristic (scarlet-morph) Red-Backed Salamanders in Maine. Check out the paper here.
Graduate students receive UMaine grants
March 2024
MS students Trina Wantman, Sequoia Dixson, and Kara SantaLucia were awarded research grants from the Graduate Student Government for their research projects on the ecology and conservation of Wood Turtles.
Maine Big Night is now a 501(c)(3) non-profit
January 2024
​ Maine Big Night, a community science project dedicated to studying and protecting amphibians during their spring migration, has officially become a non-profit. Visit the webpage to get involved.
Science Dogs of New England and Maine Wood Turtle Project featured in BioME video
November 2023
​ Collaborator Lindsay Ware of Science Dogs of New England discusses her work with dog Chili and the Wood Turtle Project in a new Bioscience Association of Maine video.
Graduate students Trina Wantman, Kara SantaLucia & Sequoia Dixson receive UMaine grants
October 2023
​All three lab members were awarded research grants from UMaine's Graduate Student Government for their research projects on the ecology and conservation of Wood Turtles.
The Chatfield Lab publishes paper on law enforcement tool
September 2023
​In a second method development study, we published a paper on the use of of chemical analyses to distinguish between legally bred captive turtles and illegally captured wild-caught turtles. Our paper can be downloaded here.
New graduate student Kara SantaLucia joins the Lab
August 2023
​Kara's undergraduate work at the College of William & Mary focused on environmental correlates of salamander diversity. Her thesis work will focus on the presence and dietary sources of PFAS—so called 'forever chemicals'—in Wood Turtle tissue.
New graduate student Sequoia Dixson joins the Lab
August 2023
​Sequoia joins us from the Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife where she worked as a wildlife technician after graduating from the University of Maine in 2022. Her thesis work will focus on Wood Turtle movement patterns and habitat selection.
New publication from the Chatfield Lab
July 2023
​Our work on Wood Turtle population demography and viability has been published in the peer-reviewed journal Chelonian Conservation & Biology. You can download the article here.
Graduate student Greg LeClair receives Young Leader Award
June 2023
​The National Wildlife Federation awarded graduate student Greg LeClair with their prestigious National Conservation Young Leader Award.
Maine Wood Turtle Project kicks off new working lands study
May 2023
Using funds awarded by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service's Conservation Innovation Grant, we are exploring the way Maine's agricultural working land use practices may influence wood turtle movements and behavior.
Maine Wood Turtle Project receives forestry grant
May 2023
Funds were awarded by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Wildlife Conservation Initiative in cooperation with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, the National Council for Air & Stream Improvement, Inc. and the National Alliance of Forest Owners.
Scent detection dog collaboration highlighted in Down East Magazine
April 2023
Our partnership with Science Dogs of New England is featured in the April 2023 special animal issue of Down East Magazine.
Maine Big Night featured in Down East Magazine
April 2023
Graduate student Greg LeClair's work on amphibian conservation and the Maine Big Night community science project appears in the April 2023 issue of Down East Magazine.
New lab member, Lilia Membrino, awarded BioME Summer Internship Award
March 2023
Undergraduate student Lilia Membrino, who will be joining our team this field season as a summer field technician, was awarded a Summer Internship Award from the Bioscience Association of Maine.
Wood Turtle element study featured in The Wildlife Professional magazine
March 2023
Our work on developing conservation law enforcement tools using stable isotopes and trace elements has been featured in the March/April 2023 issue of The Wildlife Professional magazine.
Conservation dog project featured in Wildlife Society publication
March 2023
Our conservation scent detection dog project, which is being conducted in collaboration with Lindsay Ware of Science Dogs of New England is featured in the March/April 2023 issue of The Wildlife Professional.
Graduate students awarded UMaine research grants
March 2023
PhD student Greg LeClair and MS student Trina Wantman received awards from the Graduate Student Government Grants Program to aid in their projects.
New publication on long-distance wood turtle movement
December 2022
The Chatfield Lab published a natural history note in the December issue of Herpetological Review on the unusually long distance movement of male wood turtle 7273.
Graduate student Greg LeClair awarded foundation research grant
December 2022
Greg received a grant from the Davis Conservation Foundation for his work on Canada lynx eDNA. This study forms part of Greg's dissertation project exploring the application of eDNA to detect rare and cryptic species.
New publication on the use of stable isotopes as a turtle conservation tool
November 2022
The Chatfield Lab is piloting the use of stable isotopes as a conservation law enforcement tool to combat illegal turtle trafficking. You can read the publication here.
Graduate student Trina Wantman awarded IBERA research grant
May 2022
Trina was awarded the Inez Boyd Environmental Research Award by the Penobscot Valley Chapter of Maine Audubon Society to continue her thesis work on Wood Turtle nesting success.
Graduate student Greg LeClair wins Outstanding Service Award
April 2022
Greg received the Outstanding Service Award from the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture largely for his work on the Maine Big Night amphibian monitoring community science project.
Undergraduate student Hunter Praul joins the lab
April 2022
Hunter is a Maine Top Scholar majoring in Biology in the School of Biology & Ecology. He will be helping with research in the lab, as well as conducting his Capstone project.
Wood Turtle Project featured on Maine Science Podcast
August 2022
Collaborator Lindsay Ware of Science Dogs of New England discussed her scent detection work and our ongoing partnership on the August 11th episode of the Maine Science Podcast.
NSF REU student Dartagnan Mullins joins the Lab
June 2022
Dartagnan, a senior at the University of North Carolina in Asheville, is completing his summer project on Wood Turtle nest predation as part of the One Health Research Experience for Undergraduates.
Graduate student Greg LeClair wins NRCM Brookie Award
May 2022
Greg received the prestigious Brookie Award from the Natural Resources Council of Maine for his work on Maine Big Night.
Graduate student Trina Wantman awarded BioME research grant
March 2022
Trina has been awarded a Seed Grant from the Bioscience Association of Maine for her MS project on Wood Turtle nesting success.
Graduate student Greg LeClair becomes PhD student
February 2022
Greg has transitioned from the MS to the PhD program in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. His expanded thesis project will now include the application of eDNA to Canada lynx snow tracks.
Graduate student Trina Wantman joins the lab
January 2022
Trina started this semester on her MS degree in the Ecology and Environmental Sciences program at UMaine. She will be studying Wood Turtle nesting ecology and conservation.
Maine Big Night joins research group on new publication
November 2021
Data on amphibian road mortality became part of a large-scale review on the impacts of COVID-19 on wildlife. You can read the paper here.
Graduate student Greg LeClair featured on NPR
October 2021
An interview with graduate student Greg LeClair can be heard on NPR's All Things Considered for his work on Maine Big Night. You can listen to the interview here.
New publication on Maine Big Night
September 2021
Graduate student Greg LeClair is lead author on a new paper exploring the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on amphibian road mortality. You can read the paper here.
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