At U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, alum combines conservation, stewardship
Without milkweed, there are no monarch butterflies. The species depends on this plain green plant. It’s where the butterflies lay their eggs. Later, the leaves serve as the feeding ground for monarch caterpillars. Wildlife biologist Rebecca (Kern) Longenecker ’07 and her team monitor this critical habitat.
“We try to decide the most strategic ways to improve conditions for monarchs in the Northeast,” she explained, “planting milkweeds and also native plants that are beneficial food sources for monarchs.”
Through her job at the Northeast U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office in Hadley, Massachusetts, Longenecker works with a team of biologists on a variety of projects to protect and restore native habitats.
In addition to protecting the monarchs, she’s also keeping an eye on another migratory group: shorebirds such as the red knot, an endangered species. Because these birds forage for food on the beach, humans can disrupt the delicate balance.
“On some of our refuges,” she said, “we don’t allow sunbathing and swimming, but we do allow walks on the beach.”
Growing up in Reading, Pa., she developed a love for the outdoors as a child. That childhood interest led her to major in biology at Messiah, where she witnessed how conservation and environmental stewardship were connected with her Christian life. She credits Messiah with a rigorous science program that emphasized ecology, field labs and taxonomy.
“Those disciplines are rapidly disappearing from the curricula at many colleges and universities, yet they are essential for helping students to be environmentally literate,” said Longenecker.
As an undergraduate, Longenecker worked with Erik Lindquist, professor of biology and environmental science, on the research of woodland pool ecology in Pennsylvania, toad behavior and the Panamanian golden frog.
“I remember instructing her in many biology courses,” said Lindquist, “but the most memorable was watching the spark of field work and research become a fire on our travel course to the Patagonia region of Argentina and Chile [during a J-term cross-cultural]. Becky seized every course and research opportunity available to her.”
Longenecker attributes these experiences with preparing her for graduate school. She received a master’s and Ph.D.—both in wildlife ecology—from the University of Delaware.
Her fascination with the natural world remains tied to her faith.
“A desire to bring glory to God by studying and conserving his creation has been a big motivation for me,” she said. “Conserving the environment so that it maintains all its components, processes and functions is also a tangible way to love my neighbor, who depends on it for food, water, air and a livelihood.”
— Myriam Pedercini ’17