Manuela Arango
Environmental Science | Wildlife Management
About Me!
I am a Stockton University graduate with a B.S. in Environmental Science with a concentration in Wildlife Management. My goal is to be able to work with animals on a personal level and care for them in a way that promotes environmental sustainability.​
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As a daughter of Colombian immigrants, I spent my childhood surrounded by animals and nature on my parents' coffee and dairy farms in the mountains of the Eje Cafetero in Risaralda. My home country instilled a love of nature in me at a young age, teaching me to understand and appreciate all of the delicate intricacies involved in the ecological web of life. I have also had the incredible opportunity to broaden my global perspective of the natural world by visiting magical cities of Mexico and exploring natural wonders in Switzerland, Italy, and France, expanding my worldview and shaping my commitment to promoting understanding and collaboration across borders. Every new place I visited granted me the opportunity to look at the world through a fresh lens and garner a deeper appreciation for the natural world around us. Growing up experiencing both developed and developing societies, I've gained a unique perspective of the world that allows me to make informed and thoughtful decisions regarding environmental issues.
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Furthermore, I have always been drawn to spending time with animals and have prided myself on being able to create connections with animals while taking care of them. I've worked with everything from domestic dogs and cats, to livestock like chickens, ducks, pigs, cows, goats, and horses, to "exotic" mammals and birds like kangaroos, wallabies, capybaras, toucans, and emus. Working in both rural farm and zoo settings, I have had the opportunity to experience what exactly goes into animal care and husbandry from two very different perspectives.
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Conservation and sustainability form the core of my identity and purpose. With an enduring passion for protecting our planet, I remain steadfast in my commitment to preserve nature's beauty, safeguard its resources, and inspire others to join me in this vital mission. I have dedicated my efforts to preserving biodiversity, promoting sustainable practices, and advocating for a better future.
Relevant Coursework
Stockton University - B.S. Environmental Science and Wildlife Management
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Certificate received in 2022
Introductory and advanced courses related to Geographic Information Systems including LiDAR and Remote Sensing, Global Positioning Systems for GIS, Geodatabase Design and Management, and GIS independent studies and projects. Learned to navigate geoprocessing functions and produce well developed maps in ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro as well as create web based mapping applications using ArcGIS Online and its related products and services.
Environmental Issues
Fall 2022
Analyzed, individually and in teams, a series of current environmental issues at the global, national and local events. Issues were examined from the viewpoints of ecology, geography, economics and ethics. Included biodiversity, toxic and hazardous waste, land use decisions, economic development and environmental justice topics. Discussed key readings in environmental philosophy and ethics and prepared briefs on several topics.
Wildlife Management
Spring 2022
Explored the basic principles of wildlife management and their application to wildlife management scenarios in New Jersey and the United States as well as the history of wildlife management in the U.S., the interdisciplinary foundations of wildlife management, primary threats to wildlife populations, and strategies for managing both small (threatened and endangered) and large (game) populations of wildlife. Developed specific lab skills, like trapping and tagging, competencies, and points of view needed by professionals in the wildlife field.
Mammalogy
Fall 2021
Included a detailed look at the form, function, adaptation and conservation of mammals across the globe. Examined the evolution, systematics and phylogeny of mammals, mammalian behavior and physiology and application of mammalian biology to conservation and research needs.
Statistical Analysis of Ecological Principles
Spring 2021
SAS Enterprise and RStudio was used in labs to learn the most prevalent parametric and non-parametric techniques to analyze real ecological datasets including but not limited to regression analysis, transformation of data, assessment of normality and other statistical assumptions, ANOVA, one and two sample T-tests, Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-squared tests, etc.