Kiersten Palanek
Gainesville,FL
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Assistant Biological Technician/Intern
Avian Research and Conservation Institute
Gainesville, FL
05.2023 - Current
- Assisted Biological Technicians with banding raptors, collecting morphometric data, and deploying tracking devices on captured individual raptors such as Crested Caracaras and American Kestrels.
- Assisted biologists with conducting and documenting direct field observations of raptor nests, foraging areas, and potential capture sites
Data Entry Clerk
Avian Research and Conservation Institute
Gainesville, FL
05.2023 - Current
- Compiling data from field research into Excel spreadsheets
- Review photographs from field sites
Waitstaff
Gold Coast University Hospital
Gulf Breeze, FL
06.2021 - 06.2022
- Catered food to customers
- Cleaned up after customers
- Set up ceremony and reception events
Stable Hand
Bay Haven Farms
Navarre , FL
08.2016 - 08.2022
- Cleaned and maintained the stable, including stalls, tack room, and feed storage area.
- Fed and watered horses according to individual dietary needs.
- Administered ointments, liniments, or other medications when necessary.
- Assisted veterinary visits as needed.
- Assisted ferrier as needed.
- Trained new/young horses.
- Gave riding lessons to students.
Crew Member
Tropical Smoothie Café
Navarre, FL
07.2020 - 07.2021
- Performed cashier duties such as taking orders, collecting payments and providing change.
- Restocked kitchen supplies including food products and utensils.
- Cleaned restaurant area by sweeping floors, wiping tables and emptying trash receptacles.
- Completed opening and closing tasks such as setting up workstations, cleaning surfaces and restocking supplies.
- Provided customers with merchandise (smoothies, sandwiches, cookies, etc)
Assistant Instructor
Precision Martial Arts
Navarre, FL
08.2019 - 03.2020
- Assisted Instructors in planning, organizing and delivering lessons to students.
- Provided guidance and support to students to help them understand course materials.
- Monitored student progress and provided feedback on their performance.
- Maintained student attendance records and submitted reports as required.
- Conducted individual or group tutorials for students who need additional assistance.
- Kept training and lobby area clean (vacuuming carpet, mopping mats, cleaning bathrooms, mirrors, etc.)
Education
Bachelor of Science - Wildlife Ecology And Conservation
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL08-2024
Skills
- Animal handling
- Data entry
- GIS (applicable after 6/2024)
- Florida plant identification
- Field research techniques (surveys, mist netting, bow traps, Dho-Gazza trap)
Training
Avian Field Research
A week-long immersive field course in avian ecology and conservation.
Skills learned:
- Basic birding skills, including field notes and habitat identification
- Mist netting, handling, and set-up for bird monitoring
- Bird censuses using point counts and line transects
- Research questions and design in field ecology and conservation
- Data collection, summary, analysis, and presentation
- Behavioral measurement principles and experimental design
- Independent project development, data collection, and troubleshooting
- Effective communicator, demonstrated through presentations and discussions on species conservation and research findings
Field Wildlife Techniques
A six-day immersive field course that delved into practical applications of wildlife management and research techniques, building upon the foundational knowledge acquired in the Wildlife Techniques lecture course.
Skills learned:
- Navigation using maps, compasses, pacing, and GPS
- Employing passive monitoring techniques in wildlife ecology
- Designing capture, handling, and marking protocols for birds, mammals, fish, and herpetofauna
- Metric measurements of vegetation and habitat used by wildlife, contributing to habitat management and conservation efforts
Wildlife Habitat Management
A two-week immersive field course at Tall Timbers near Tallahassee learning about habitat management and the techniques involved.
Yellowstone Research Trip
A week-long research trip to Yellowstone National Park with Ecology Project International focused on wildlife conservation and management.
Skills learned:
- Bison sex and age identification
- Set up bison grazing plots
- Amphibian pond survey
Affiliations
- Carson Springs Wildlife Foundation volunteer (09/2022-04/2024)
- Parkway Animal Hospital volunteer (month of 03/2022)
- Northwest Florida Animal Clinic volunteer (04-08/2022)
- Precision Martial Arts volunteer (2012-2019)
- Panhandle Animal Welfare Society volunteer (2018-2019)
Accomplishments
- Bright Futures Scholarship (2021-2024)
Certification
- Associate Wildlife Biologist Certificate (the Wildlife Society) expected August 2024
Research Presentation
Designed and conducted a personal research project and presented on the results to a group of peers.
https://uflorida-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/kpalanek_ufl_edu/EUcrPXeF_wRGsG5h-A1e-8AB15cnChiH0uXbSViIYL0tYw?e=SF3Z4i
References
Ken Meyers - Senior Research Ecologist at Avian Research and Conservation Institute - (352) 514-5606
Todd Martinson - Owner of Precision Martial Arts - (850) 936-8112
Melissa Johnen - Owner of Bay Haven Farms - (850) 259-3582
Timeline
Assistant Biological Technician/Intern
Avian Research and Conservation Institute
05.2023 - Current
Data Entry Clerk
Avian Research and Conservation Institute
05.2023 - Current
Waitstaff
Gold Coast University Hospital
06.2021 - 06.2022
Crew Member
Tropical Smoothie Café
07.2020 - 07.2021
Assistant Instructor
Precision Martial Arts
08.2019 - 03.2020
Stable Hand
Bay Haven Farms
08.2016 - 08.2022
Bachelor of Science - Wildlife Ecology And Conservation
University of Florida
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