Elaina Hancock


Author Archive

Swallowtail butterfly on a buttonbush blossom. (Getty Images)

Changing the Landscape – Invasive Plants

Plant science professor Jessica Lubell on invasive plant species and her work to identify native species as alternatives for landscaping purposes.

Doing fieldwork can be stressful, but also involves some great moments. (Photo from Dimitris Xygalatas)

Snapshot: Dimitris Xygalatas in Mauritius

UConn anthropologist Dimitris Xygalatas shares his photos from the field.

A view from the survey boats, while waiting for the tide to come in and allow travel to the next location, Gulf of Mottama. (Chris Elphick/UConn Photo)

Snapshot: Chris Elphick in Myanmar

Researcher Chris Elphick shares photos from Myanmar, where he helped survey species of waterbirds, including a critically endangered sandpiper.

A gray tree frog calling. (Kurt Schwenk/UConn Photo)

Nature and Knowledge at Our Doorstep

Students exposed to nature, some for the first time, soon become fascinated and eager to learn more.

Percentages of Connecticut's land surface in 2015. (Graphic by Maxine Marcy for UConn)

Preserving Green Spaces in Connecticut’s Changing Landscape

Smart land use management is critical in order to preserve open space, says extension educator Chester Arnold. 'It isn’t something we can go back and fix later on.'

Researcher John Volin discusses the history of the state’s forests, and current threats from climate change, blights, and invasive species. (Yesenia Carrero/UConn Illustration)

Connecticut’s Forests Today a Far Cry from Towering Giants of Old

'We tend to look at deforestation in areas like the tropics, but we should also look at what is happening in our own backyard,' says researcher John Volin.

A female deer and her fawn are captured on camera by UConn researchers, part of a project to gather abundance data on the state's deer population. (Jennifer Kilburn/UConn Photo)

Camera Traps, Citizen Science, Help Track State’s Animal Populations

In order to conserve the species that are here, we have to know more about what we have. UConn researchers are collecting data on animals and birds in the state.

South America, by Guillaume de l'Isle, Paris, 1700. Engraving. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

From Cradle to Grave: Model Identifies Factors that Shaped Evolution

The study, published today in Science, brings us closer to knowing the complex interactions between topography and climate change, and how these factors influence the evolutionary histories.

John Volin, vice provost for academic affairs and professor of natural resources and the environment, stands near a bioretention swale outside behind McHugh Hall on July 11, 2018. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

Working Toward Sustainable Solutions

Introducing a new series about UConn environmental research, vice provost John Volin says the political focus on climate change often overshadows important issues of environment and sustainability.

Researchers looking into why seals don't experience damage to their lungs when they take a deep-sea dive found the answer in their blood serum. (Neil Smith Illustration, reproduced with permission from Journal of Experimental Biology doi:10.1242/jeb.178491)

Seal Serum Offers Protection from Inflammation

A new study explains why seals don't experience damage to their lungs when they take a deep-sea dive.