Brittany Wilburn
Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science
Research Interests:
Biogeochemistry, Climate Change Mitigation, Habitat Restoration, Land Use Change, Water Quality
Bio:
In a broad sense, I am interested in mitigation of global climate change through restoration of coastal estuarine marshes. Growing up in South Carolina, I was surrounded by beautiful landscapes, instilling a love for the outdoors early in my life. To pursue this love, I went to Clemson University, where I obtained my Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences and studied evolutionary changes in limb morphology of semi-aquatic turtles as an undergraduate researcher. I then moved to Philadelphia to get my Masters of Environmental Science with a focus in Environmental Biology at the University of Pennsylvania. The topic of my thesis research examines the potential of using wetland bird communities as biological indicators of the habitat health of John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge as a reference for future wetland restoration efforts. Currently, I am studying wetlands at a finer scale, looking at the viability of using biochar (a carbon-based soil amendment) in restoration efforts in coastal marshes and how this material may shift the carbon cycle of both the landscape and the local atmosphere.