# @princetonspia on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/B6CCyc2BAQh
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/20742524-princetonspia-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/e93f078737.jpg
- **Posted:** 2019-12-13T23:59:57.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Princeton SPIA (@princetonspia) — https://gondola.cc/princetonspia

## Caption

#WooWho: “I grew up very interested in wildlife, captivated by how the natural world works and amazed at its diversity. Exploring my Michigan backyard, watching Bill Nye and Kratts’ Creatures, and going to zoos and natural history museums introduced me to more species and ecosystems, transporting me to other worlds. Learning about endangered species, and that humans were driving some extinct, had a massive impact on me. This mixture of curiosity and a profound sense of loss pushed me towards wildlife conservation. I got interested in agriculture and land use after realizing the primary reason species become endangered is habitat loss, and the primary driver of habitat loss is agricultural expansion. My dad works in agricultural economics, so I understood the importance of agriculture, but I didn’t quite realize the tradeoffs. We need to eat, but we should be thoughtful about where and how we farm. I narrowed in on trying to understand how where we farm is changing, and what that means for #biodiversity. In some places, agriculture is being abandoned as people move from rural areas into cities and as environments change. With my advisor, David Wilcove, I’m working on understanding the implications of agricultural abandonment and what it may mean for threatened and endangered species. David’s career path and research interests really resonate with me. Before becoming a professor, he applied his expertise by working at #conservation NGOs like the one I worked at before coming to Wilson_School. I found this so inspiring — it expanded beyond what people typically think you can do with a #PhD, showing you could learn and then take action, at the highest level. I want future generations to feel some of the same wonder and curiosity for the natural world, even though things are changing fast. Being thoughtful about farming is one area where we can create positive opportunities as things change, especially by trying to restore or create new habitats for wildlife.” Chris Crawford, Ph.D. candidate in Science, Technology, & Environmental Policy (dude_imchris) ** (📷: EganJimenez) #WooWho is a WWS series featuring our community. Want to be featured? DM us! #Princetagram

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 91
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- **Comments:** 1

## Tags

biodiversity, princetagram, conservation, woowho, phd

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