
Eli Bieri is a biology/ecology major from Grand Rapids, Michigan who will be graduating in August 2021.
How did you decide your major/minor?
As a kid, I spent summers wading through swamps and lakes in search of frogs, snakes, and turtles. When I realized how many species of amphibians are threatened with extinction, I decided to begin a career in amphibian conservation. The biology program at NMU has given me a great foundation to achieve that goal.
What's an example of a cool, interesting or helpful thing that you have done as a part of your major?
In the spring of 2019, Dr. Jill Leonard and I lead a study to quantify roadkill during the breeding migration of blue spotted salamanders at Presque Isle Park. We discovered that well over 400 salamanders were hit by cars, representing 10-20% of the migrating population. I teamed up with the Superior Watershed Partnership and petitioned the City of Marquette to close the stretch of Peter White Drive where the salamanders were crossing. The past two years, the road has been closed, and seeing salamanders safely cross the road has been so rewarding.
What are you involved in on- and off-campus and what has been the most rewarding experience?
Tell us your story
In the spring of 2019, Dr. Jill Leonard and I lead a study to quantify roadkill during the breeding migration of blue-spotted salamanders at Presque Isle Park. We discovered that well over 400 salamanders were hit by cars, representing 10-20% of the migrating population. I teamed up with the Superior Watershed Partnership and petitioned the City of Marquette to close the stretch of Peter White Drive where the salamanders were crossing. In April of the last two years, the road has been closed, and seeing salamanders safely cross the road has been rewarding (despite the fact that we can’t always drive to the local surf spot at Presque). I hope future students continue to study this incredible system, especially because we know this population of salamanders has unique genetic variants that deserve our attention.