Get to know Spencer
Please describe the INR-funded or affiliated project(s) you are currently working on or have worked on in the past?
I'm currently developing a Python tool to export and filter iNaturalist observations of rare species for bulk import into Biotics.
Who is your INR supervisor?
Eleanor Gaines
What are your primary responsibilities/roles of your research position?
Assisting Lindsey Wise with data management tasks and working with Biotics.
What have you learned or hope to learn from this experience? Have you gained any new skills?
I've learned a lot about how rare species data is collected, stored, shared, and aggregated. My data cleaning and engineering skills, as well as my general programming knowledge, are consistently improving as I work on various projects.
What aspects of your project have you enjoyed the most?
One of my favorite parts of sifting through species observation data is every now and again finding a charming observation comment, whether it's from an iNaturalist user or a USDA botanist. I also really enjoy researching all of the species whose data I work with.
What are your academic and/or career aspirations after graduation?
I want to either continue working in data engineering for ecology research and management, or conduct my own research on possible improvements to how natural resource data is collected, stored, shared, and used.
What's your favorite way to use or interact with the natural world?
I'm a huge animal lover, so one of my favorite things to do when I'm camping is to go out on a hike just before sunrise, moving as quietly as I can with the hope of seeing some cool critters. Taking in the quiet morning, listening to every layer of sound and feeling the cool air, and just letting myself melt into the moment as I look out for fellow creatures.