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1981 -
Amber grew up in the valley of rural Northern California, where the landscape is dominated by almond orchards and rice fields. As a child, she developed a fascination for tiny creatures such as insects and tree frogs, which kept her entertained aside from working on the farm. As she became older, her interest in plant and insect interactions increased and her desire to have some part in conservation of our natural world grew. Amber was the first in her family to attend a four-year university and to move away from home. Having been landlocked Amber was drawn to the sea, where she earned her undergraduate education at University of California at Santa Cruz. There, Amber began a Bachelor of Science majoring in marine biology, but ironically, a ten week SCUBA course anchored her feet to the ground above water and she switched her major to Ecology & Evolution with a focus on entomology and botany.
Amber caught the travel bug when a fellow volunteer at the Seymour Discovery Centre in Santa Cruz showed her pictures from her recent visit to New Zealand. Amber decided then, that was where she wanted to continue her education. A past project had piqued her interest in carnivorous plants and she secured a Master’s position at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), where she began to research pollination ecology of the carnivorous sundews, Drosera. Amber spent a year at VUW, when she was offered a position as an ecology tutor at Lincoln University. Amber moved to Christchurch, transferred into the Ph.D. program and continued her research on the South Island.
Balancing teaching and a Ph.D. has proved difficult, but Amber love the challenge. Luckily her work with Drosera is very exciting for her and anyone with whom Amber have shared it. Amber also find immense satisfaction teaching about the wonders New Zealand biodiversity has to offer. The flora and fauna in this country is unlike anything she had previously seen, and Amber feel there is a great awareness of the role humans have played to shape New Zealand’s current landscape.
Amber think it is vital for people, of all ages and backgrounds to be educated about current issues in bio security, conservation and restoration in all aspects of our environment from native biodiversity to urban agriculture. Amber looks forward to finishing her degree, to continuing to examine new facets of these topics and share what she can with the general public. And Amber plan to remain involved with organisations that support and encourage education in science, particularly for women.
www.bushtelly.org.nz - NZ Native Carnivorous Plants, recorded 14 March 2009 at Ellerslie International Flower Show 2009. 26:27 minutes
Amber Sciligo talks to Simon Johnson about her PhD research into New Zealand's native carnivorous plant and what people can do to help conserve them.
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Research Grant, Brian Mason Scientific & Technical Trust |
| 2008 | Postgraduate Research Grant, Canterbury Botanical Society |
| 2007 | Bledisloe Award, Canterbury Botanical Society |
| 2007 | Postgraduate Research Grant, Canterbury Botanical Society |
| 2007 | Australasian Student Assistance Grant, Allan Wilson Centre |
| 2005 | Graduate Research Grant, Wellington |
| 2004 | Honours for Senior Research, University of California at Santa Cruz |
| 2002 | Crown College Student Research Award, University of California at Santa Cruz |
| 2007 - | National Executive Committee member - Association for Women in Science (AWIS) |
| 2007 - | Subscribed member - Society for the study of Evolution (SSE) |
| 2007 - | Subscribed member - Ecological Society of America (ESA) |
| Postal Address | Bio-Protection & Ecology Division PO Box 94 Lincoln University Lincoln 7647 Canterbury, New Zealand |
|---|---|
| sciligoa@lincoln.ac.nz |
Amber Scilligo
How to cite this page: Amber Scilligo. 'Amber Scilligo', bushWiki - The encyclopedia of ecological restoration in New Zealand, updated 10-Oct-2008
URL: http://www.bushwiki.org.nz/en/amber-scilligo.html
