Mikaela is M.Sc. student studying moose calving behaviour in the Cree territory of Eeyou Istchee in Northern Quebec. In this region, moose are a key subsistence species and impacts of forestry-related and natural disturbances on moose behaviour led to a collaborative co-knowledge production project named “Moose habitat quality in Eeyou Istchee Under the Adapted Forestry Regime”. Camera and GPS collars were attached to moose located via helicopter and are being used to record 20-second videos and GPS locations of cow-moose which help describe calving behaviours, including date-of-calving, space use and habitat selection.
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Mikaela's previous research endeavors include an honour's thesis and an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA). Her honour's thesis, conducted during her final year of undergraduate studies from September 2022 to April 2023, investigated moose calving behaviour. Using camera-collars, she identified the calving date of five moose and analyzed video footage to examine cow-calf interactions and classify habitats seen in videos during the calving season. Mikaela undertook her NSERC USRA during the summer of 2023, earning the NSERC USRA poster award. Her research focused on cow-moose calving behaviour, particularly space use and habitat selection, based on data collected from four moose equipped with camera-collars in the region of Eeyou Istchee in 2018.
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