A more recent Update February 2013!
I thought I would do a quick update just to say I am now a year and a half into my PhD research and am still loving every minute of it! I will be off to Peru again in June this year and will spend the next few months arranging my second field season but also starting to analyze my data I have collected so far. I always find it very exciting figuring out what it all means and getting results which are new and interesting! Watch this space for more blog updates on my many adventures 🙂
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I thought I should start with a section about me… My name is Katy Upton, I have recently (September 2011) started a PhD at the University of Kent with the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE).
I have always had a love for frogs, I don’t know where this stemmed from. It could be trips to the local pond with my cousin to catch British frogs, toads, as well as lizards and on one occasion an adder (I don’t think my mum was to happy to find these all in the garden when she got home). It may also be down to wildlife programs on tv highlighting these amazing colourful tropical frogs whatever the reason its had a big impact on me, I always knew I wanted to study frogs in the jungle and well here I am!
I undertook my undergraduate degree at DICE in wildlife conservation, through this course I was presented with an amazing opportunity to complete my final year dissertation in the Peruvian Amazon on tropical frogs. This opportunity sparked a love for research and gave me the drive and determination to apply for and successfully receive a PhD place and scholarship! During my time at DICE I have been presented with many opportunities to expand my love for all things amphibians. Ive had some great times knee deep in farmland ponds setting great crested newt traps. Great crested newts are amazing amphibians, they totally look like dinosaurs!
So here I am about to embark on one of the most exciting parts of my life and I thought a blog would be a great way to pass on information about my research to colleagues / friends / family and anyone else who is interested!
Finally I would like to thank anyone who has very kindly donated to the university. I have been awarded the University Alumni Scholarship, without which I would be unable to do this research so thank you!! (For those of you who would like to donate to the university scholarships please go to the following link: www.kent.ac.uk/giving) This has opened an amazing opportunity to me and will hopefully contribute greatly to the field of herpetology which is the study of amphibians and reptiles.
Here is a photo of me at the Eden project (almost the rainforest)
