Dr. Kimberly Babbitt, Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology, received the 2003-2004 Center for International Education Faculty International Travel Grant for research in New Zealand. The grant is funded by the vice president for academic affairs (VPAA). She returned from New Zealand in December 2003; the following is her report.

Summary Report of Activities and
Accomplishments Related to CIE Grant

Kimberly J. Babbitt
Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology
Department of Natural Resources

My main goal for sabbatical was to begin the process of establishing a research program in New Zealand. This would serve both to enhance my role as EcoQuest-UNH Academic Program Coordinator as well as to broaden the scope of my research program overall. As outlined in my proposal, I planned to establish a research study at a place called Maungatautari. Maungatautari is an old volcanic ridge that is located on North Island. Is it is also a site for a very exciting conservation endeavor. This site is the location for a planned 3200 hectare "mainland island". The plan is to erect a predator-proof fence, engage in significant predator-removal, and reintroduce native species that have been extirpated - including lizards! The first phase of my research, which I began as part of my sabbatical, involves collection of baseline data that can be used as a gauge for changes following species introduction. With the help of Jillana Robertson and Elizabeth Jones, both former UNH students and EcoQuest alumni living in New Zealand, I was able to document the presence of forest geckos (Hoplodactylus granulatus) on the mountain. This was an exciting find, as it was widely believed that no geckos remained on the mountain. No one had documented their presence in decades, and our find made the local newspaper! Our endeavors to locate skinks were not successful. After many days of searching the most suitable locations for skinks (e.g., downed logs), and monitoring using baited ink-pad funnel traps in which skinks attracted to bait would walk across an ink pad leaving foot prints on paper, we came up empty. Skinks, therefore, are likely candidates for reintroduction. By getting in at the baseline collection phase, I have positioned myself to be a key researcher during the reintroduction phase. In fact, I have already submitted a pre-proposal with my post-doc (who is a native of New Zealand) to the Marsden Fund in New Zealand (equivalent to NSF) to examine the functional role of lizards on the forest-floor insect fauna. The work would be conducted at Maungatautari as part of reintroduction efforts.

I also proposed to begin looking at effects of forest management practices on natural legacies (snags and coarse woody debris) as these structural components can be particularly important for skinks and geckos. After discussions with the colleague with whom I would conduct this research over the long-term (Dr. Mark Ducey), we decided to post-pone this research until his sabbatical leave this coming fall.

I used some of my time to establish new contacts in New Zealand with appropriate agencies and university faculty. This effort turned out to be the most fruitful of all! While in New Zealand I was invited to an island off the east coast of North Island, New Zealand to work with a group of faculty on establishing a research program on the ecology, behavior and management of the northern brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli). The kiwi is the icon of New Zealand and is the most primitive bird alive today. It has many unique features and, like so many species in New Zealand, it is threatened by exotic mammals. This species is listed as endangered in New Zealand. Although this was an unanticipated project, I returned to the island in the spring and have firmly established a collaboration with Dr. Isabel Castro of Massey University. I have just accepted a master's student who will begin a field project this June. The project will examine causes of egg hatch failure in the kiwi. Dr. Castro and I are actively writing grants for this project as well as other research questions we wish to examine, and I have recently been made an honorary faculty member at Massey University (equivalent to our adjunct status).

Finally, I was able to accomplish a significant amount of work on the EcoQuest program. In addition to giving four lectures, running a field exercise, and assisting with the development of a Directed Research Project, and together with staff at EcoQuest, I was able to update and improve the old student handbook. We now have an academic handbook and a center handbook. The former addresses pedagogic and related topics and the latter contains the nuts and bolts of procedures (e.g., getting a visa, what to pack).

In closing, I want to thank CIE for the support provided. It really did help to initiate my new international research program. I am excited about future prospects for more research in New Zealand and to continuing my work with EcoQuest.