Hello! My name is Brandon Preston, a 2021 graduate from Murray State University with a degree in Wildlife and Conservation Biology. To start off, my childhood had a substantial impact on my major of choice. Simply put, I've always enjoyed being outside ever since I was young. There was always a fascination with the whole aspect of being in touch with the natural world. Around the time I was in middle school, I had already read a few books from the author Jean Craighead George. From her stories that involved a young boy running off into the mountains to live off the land where he raised a Peregrine Falcon in the My Side of the Mountain series, to another boy who raised a raven with the help of his grandfather who was a naturalist in Charlie's Raven, this fascination with nature was fueled all the more. This was also around the time were I was introduced to Alone in the Wilderness, starring Dick Proenneke, from my librarian who was a former park ranger. I thought it was so interesting that one could build a cabin while alone in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness. At the time, it was a dream of mine to do that. Moving on to the future, once I enrolled into community college near my hometown, I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do career wise. At this point, the fascination I've mentioned had somewhat faded by then - I simply wasn't fueling it. Although, I knew I wanted to end up with something I would be happy with. Two years had passed and I had to make the decision to choose a major. Thankfully, it happened to be Wildlife and Conservation Biology at Murray State - one of the best decisions I've made.
I remember my first semester where I attended a seminar from Dr. Howard Whiteman who is one of my professors, mentors, and was also my undergraduate advisor. Looking back at my notes from then, this seminar was basically about how he and his colleagues have been studying a degraded river in Colorado since 2011 and how it could be restored. To be honest, I didn't have a clue about many of the things he was talking about! Of course, this would eventually change. Fast forward to a few semesters later, I had him as a professor for one of my courses. At one point, he spoke about some of his research over salamanders and how he found one that he had marked thirty years before. This was insane to me and I wanted to be a part of something similar. I have always loved salamanders ever since I was a kid. I remember times where my father would take me outside to show me ones that he had found (he still does - photo to the right).
Salamanders and any type of amphibian or reptile are my obsessions. I go out to various areas, sometimes accompanied by my dog. From the melodic songs of the birds to the flowing water of a nearby creek, one will likely find that it can be quite therapeutic when they surround themselves in such an environment. Another one of my interests that I have picked up on is wildlife photography. I have found that I truly appreciate something much more, the more I spend time capturing it through the lens of a camera (see the slideshow below for some of my favorite photos I've taken so far). I think it is important that people try to pick up on hobbies that involve nature. It keeps you connected with the world that you entirely depend on. Ultimately, by reading this and engaging with this eMuseum, I hope I have inspired you to go out and spend time in the natural world. By doing so, you will form a deeper connection with nature and even desire to protect it, which it desperately needs. If you have any questions about myself or especially this eMuseum, my contact information can be found below!
Acknowledgements
I would first like to thank Dr. Howard Whiteman for his collaboration on this website and for incorporating it into his Vertebrate Natural History course. I would also like to thank the individuals that I heavily utilized photos from (John Hewlett, Clay Bliznick) as well as others who have given me permission to use some of theirs. I would also like to thank the photographers for their images that were published on Flickr. Without the help from all of these people, this eMuseum would not have been made possible.
I would first like to thank Dr. Howard Whiteman for his collaboration on this website and for incorporating it into his Vertebrate Natural History course. I would also like to thank the individuals that I heavily utilized photos from (John Hewlett, Clay Bliznick) as well as others who have given me permission to use some of theirs. I would also like to thank the photographers for their images that were published on Flickr. Without the help from all of these people, this eMuseum would not have been made possible.
Last updated: February 15, 2023