My name is Mia Craig. I am a senior at Alabama A&M majoring in Forestry with a concentration in Wildlife. My group specialty for this research project is wildlife where we will be working with bats. I chose wildlife because I’ve always loved animals and watching Animal Planet. There was always something special about the vast beauty of wildlife and how they are beneficial for humanity. I wanted to be a wildlife vet since I can remember, but I became discouraged and settled for less. I volunteered at a veterinary office, which wasn’t for me seeing as I preferred wildlife. Then I was informed that I could be a Wildlife Biologist under Forestry and thus work with conservation efforts for endangered and threatened species.

With a degree in Forestry with a background in wildlife, I want to concentrate my efforts on figuring out efficient ways to manage habitat for wildlife. I want to work with endangered and threatened species to help repopulate communities that were once thriving.

The REEU will help me achieve these goals by giving me a chance to experience firsthand how to conduct my own research relative to wildlife. This program will help me become more familiar with the process of research seeing as I’ve had minimal experience. This is also a chanced for me to reinforce my love for nature and the wildlife in the area. Under REEU I believe I can learn the principle of independence when it comes to conducting experiments and research.