Kaggie Orrick

I’ve worked across a number of different landscapes, including but not limited to: small mammal occurrence along a habitat and elevation gradient on a geographically-isolated mountain; feeding ecology and energetics of large carnivores, including cheetah; community-based monitoring of herbivore communities across the the Okavango Delta; human-wildlife interactions near the Central Kalahari desert; and the natural recolonization of wolves in California.

Education

Theoretical Ecology and Social Science

While I am driven and fueled by field-based research and collaboration across multiple stakeholders, I also have a strong interest in ecological and social theory, particularly how we can use theoretical ecological and social science and individual-based modeling to help bridge the gap between theoretical and applied science.

Applied Social-Ecological Systems

Broadly, I am interested in social-ecological systems. Using ecological and anthropological theories and expand them to examine social-ecological landscapes; thus my work spans across qualitative and quantitative disciplines and methodologies. I am focused on the multi-species and multi-predator interactions and space use in a human-dominated (and livestock-dominated) landscape.

Human-Wildlife Interactions

Inclusively-driven conservation is at the center for my work. In particular, I am interested in how to develop conservation projects which are scientifically rigorous and fit the needs and desires of local communities. Using this approach, I am interested in human-wildlife interactions, which include conflicts.

I received a MA in Conservation Biology at Columbia University in 2015 with a thesis focused on anthropogenic features that influence elephant movement. During that time I also developed my spatial analysis skills and love for Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing. I was also a graduate student researcher for Professor Don Melnick conducting preliminary analysis of forest loss using remote sensing and GIS for the Rainforest Standard, a carbon credit program, to determine appropriate protected areas for forest loss evaluation.

Since graduating from Columbia University, I have been affiliated with Round River Conservation Studies’s work in Botswana. From 2015-2018 I managed and led the RRCS US-student abroad program and the development of community-based wildlife monitoring project. This work included herbivore and bird monitoring, community escort guide training and assisting with the Northern Botswana Ecological Assessment and Decision Support Tool. I simultaneously ran the research program while also working with 5 – 9 American undergraduates as part of their abroad program with RRCS. We lived in tents in the field for three months at a time while working with community members, teaching five college-level courses, conducting research and cooking over an open fire.

From 2018-2024, I was responsible for the design and implementation of research and conservation efforts of RRCS in the Makgadikgadi region of Botswana. I maintained partnerships with the University of Botswana’s Okavango Research Institute and Department of Wildlife and National Parks, assisted with grant applications, while also being the main project coordinator on the ground. Much of my work and my motivation comes from the experiences and knowledge I gained in Botswana.