Nicolette L. Cagle
Ecology Ph.D.
About me:
I am a dedicated environmental educator, ecologist, and researcher who grew up in northern Illinois. As a child, my life-long fascination with the natural world was encouraged by loving parents and a local nature preserve, The Grove. As a teenager, I worked at The Grove as both a naturalist and educator. I graduated summa cum laude in three years with a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois in 2002. After completing my degree, I spent one year as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Knoxville, Tennessee teaching high school environmental science and monitoring local water quality. In the summer of 2003, I volunteered at a sea turtle hospital in Marathon, Florida before starting my doctoral studies in ecology at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. After moving to North Carolina, I also completed my North Carolina Environmental Education Certification and successfully defended my doctoral degree in ecology. My dissertation research explored snake species-habitat relationships in the tallgrass prairie of Illinois. I am an instructor at Duke University and I am also completing my certificate in Native Plant Studies (NCBG). I hope to continue a successful career as a naturalist and educator in Durham, North Carolina.
I am committed to community and global service-work. My latest projects have included teaching biology and English in a small town outside of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania and building a footbridge at Occoneechee Mountain State Park in Hillsborough, North Carolina. In my career, I seek to promote conservation and sustainable living. Eventually, I plan to open an environmental education center, a dream I have held since I was seven years old. In addition, I am fascinated by other cultures, history, and languages and have studied Italian, Spanish, French, Swahili, and Polish. I am also addicted to travel, having visited all 50 states and over 15 countries. On the weekends, I love hiking with my husband and beautiful son, visiting historical sites, and exploring local museums. You can learn more about my weekly nature excursions in and around the Triangle from my blog:
