Speaker: Jay Wright, Ph.D. Candidate at Ohio State
You know Blue Jays well, but did you know they’re vital seed dispersers for oaks and other nut-bearing trees? Their seed-caching behavior is re-shaping the distribution and composition of eastern forests. In his doctoral research at Ohio State University, Jay Wright is studying their seed selection and dispersal behavior, as well as the relationship between oak masting cycles and Blue Jay survival. He hopes to show how this mutualistic relationship will drive future forest change in the face of declining oaks and the imminent reintroduction of American chestnut. Join us for this free public program sponsored by Toledo Naturalists’ Association. The program will be on Zoom, and you need to reserve a spot to get the link to join the program. Click here to sign up. This program is free and open to the public. Please invite a friend! |
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Jay is currently a PhD candidate and Presidential Fellow at Ohio State University, studying the relationship between birds and nut-bearing trees in southeast Ohio. Originally from Rhode Island, Jay first began wildlife work as a Marine Fisheries Observer in the North Atlantic, where two chance encounters with rare Black-browed Albatrosses rekindled his dormant interest in birds. He went on to work as a seasonal wildlife technician for numerous research projects – including shorebird nesting in Alaska, endangered seabird monitoring in Hawaii, and Leopard Seal foraging ecology in Antarctica – before landing in Ohio for graduate school. Prior to his PhD work, he first received his Master’s degree at Ohio State, studying the migration ecology of declining Rusty Blackbirds nearby at Magee Marsh and Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. He has also been involved with whip-poor-will research at Oak Openings, so has grown to love the unique natural areas surrounding Toledo.
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