Sam Berk

MSc student with @DocHPJones | Conducting prairie research | Chronic plant nerd | #WomenInSTEM

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

A lifelong goal of mine is to succeed in spaces where women were once told they did not belong.
#WomenInSTEM

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

@WaubonsieGreen @ILplants I did! I went to school in Algonquin if that rings a bell?

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

Thank you to @ILplants for having me this weekend at the annual gathering! I enjoyed giving my talk, meeting new botanist friends, and exploring some beautiful prairie remnants.

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

Something about @indfnsofplnts podcast puts me in a proper headspace that helps me develop my research during my drive to work. The episode doesn't even need to be related to my field for it to positively jog my brain!

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

I need to constantly remind myself that a lack of knowledge is not a lack of intellect, it is simply a lack of experience. It is a skill to practice, something to gain and train over time. Progress should be celebrated and effort should be rewarded.

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

My article recapping my graminoid research is now published in the INPS summer 2023 newsletter, The Harbinger! See what I found and why it's important:

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

It's crazy to think that I started this project on a whim, taking a shot in dark for a grant usually given to grad students and professionals. It wasn't a smooth ride, but it was a good ride and I'm happy that I got so much out of the experience.

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

Officially wrapped up my first professional research project! I was dragging my feet trying to tie up loose ends, but it feels so good to be done.
✅️Data collection
✅️Data analysis
✅️Interpretation
✅️Reporting
✅️Sci comm (public, manager (soon), professional (soon))

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

I'm so giddy that my mom agreed to grow a prairie in our front yard where our spruce tree used to be. I'm shopping on prairie moon nursery like a kid in a candy store!

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

It's not every day that you get to meet Ron Panzer and have him personally show you his collection of photographs and tell you about his research. What a pleasure!

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

We fought so hard, I'm so proud. But I cannot help but bawl my eyes out for this devastating loss.

[#SaveBellBowlPrairie @BellBowlPrairie]

We are devastated to say that at 6:00 this morning, the Chicago Rockford International Airport proceeded with their destruction of Bell Bowl Prairie. We are so grateful for all the love and support she has received over the last two years. I'm so sorry.

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

My brain is operating at the speed of a cheeto on a hamster wheel at a time when I need it to be working at the speed of light. Deadlines are looming and here I am, trying to start up that hamster wheel like a prop on a plane.

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

Bison are magnificent ecosystem engineers. I'm just a little 🤏 bit (a lotta bit) obsessed with Nachusa's herd. Will trade bison photos for related academic resources and researcher contacts 🤝

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

I've been doing data cleaning on and off for a few weeks, but I was so focused on one part of it that I forgot to clean and join the other half of my data 🧍‍♀️. I fully thought I was almost done. Welp.

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

Me after successfully creating an R script that took an unnecessarily long time and stole my sanity, only to produce a meager four column output

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

I am successfully using Rstudio to clean and manipulate a massive dataset but at the cost of breaking my brain

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

In late fall, Baptisia is the tumbleweed of the prairie. If you disagree then you simply have not spent enough time out there to understand the absolute annoyance they are this time of year 😅

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

@jessethenerdy1 The plants be like:

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

I have a lot of questions about our CAPER plots. Most of them start with Why. For instance, why for the love of God are you growing along the GROUND???

[Ecology @ESAEcology]

Now out in @ESAEcology:

Reintroduced megaherbivores indirectly shape small-mammal responses to moonlight

https://t.co/E4l0SqtxqA

With #OpenData in @figshare & @visualcrossing

#SmallMammals #RestorationEcology @Pete_Guiden @DocHPJones @ErinGRowland @ObservantJess @Nachusa

[Sam Berk @samberk_12]

Doing sci comm while simultaneously processing mammals is a hard task, but you did it so well. Congrats, Erin!