Gabby Burk

Undergraduate Fellow

I asked your PI, Natalie Mueller, if she was more of a historian or an ecologist and she said she was a “historical ecologist.” Could you elaborate on the connection between these two fields of study?

“It’s interesting because I have definitely been more of an ecologist in the past. But she looks at things from the perspective of a paleo-ethnobotanist … I had to look up what that means so many times but it’s studying ancient plants and their relationship to ancient peoples. I think the best way to describe it is that she looks at ecology as a way to understand people in the past.”

What would you say is the best, and worst, part of a standard day of working at home for Tyson?

“It’s hard to say because it’s a lot of monotonous work with how things are this summer. I think that the best part of my day is when we have a team meeting or Tyson meeting because I get to see other people. I also like that we’ve been doing iNaturalist stuff because it gives me an excuse to go outside and find something to record. It gives me a break from being cooped up inside on my computer.”

Can you see any positives from having to complete this research from home?

“I feel a lot more comfortable on Zoom. I’m also gaining a lot of experience with this particular program and with doing work on a computer. Up until now, all of my experience has been with field work. One of the things I was nervous about this summer was doing more lab work or research work instead. This is getting me very comfortable with that.

Despite everything and despite all the changes, I’m still just really grateful we’re able to participate in whatever capacity we can. We still have the technology available to do this. Even if it’s not like what we expected or what anybody had planned, I’m glad that we’re still able to do the work and get the experience.”

Gabby worked with Natalie Mueller's De-Extinction/Re-Domestication team during summer 2020. Learn more about their experimental cultivation of lost crops research here.