Conservation planning is most effective when it is grounded both in ecological evidence and in ethical relationships with the living world. The Rights of Nature Bass Connections project brings those commitments together through a real-world case study focused on Duke Forest, Triangle Land Conservancy properties, and the broader Triangle Connectivity Collaborative (TCC) plan. Our team is using amphibians and reptiles as focal taxa for understanding how conservation corridors function on the ground and how connectivity planning might be strengthened through both empirical ecological data and a Rights of Nature framework.
At the heart of the project is a simple but important question: How well does an existing regional connectivity plan align with the needs of species moving through real landscapes, and how might that plan change when viewed through a relational, rights-based lens? To explore that question, students and faculty are working across GIS, field ecology, and ethics. Together, we are evaluating the ecological validity of the TCC framework, identifying priority habitat connections near Duke Forest and Triangle Land Conservancy boundaries, and developing a comparative evaluation of the TCC plan through a Rights of Nature approach grounded in the 7 Directions of Service and other Indigenous paradigms.
Our ecological work centers on two focal species: the Eastern Box Turtle and the Four-toed Salamander. Using field surveys, spatial analysis, and occurrence records from sources including iNaturalist, HerpMapper, Duke Forest, and Triangle Land Conservancy, the team is developing updated species distribution maps, identifying priority wildlife crossings, and assessing how well current connectivity planning reflects species movement and habitat use. Starting in the Fall 2026, the project emphasizes box turtle tracking and movement-informed mapping. In Spring 2027, the work expands to Four-toed Salamander surveys and integrated analyses that combine field and GIS data into a fuller ecological evaluation of the TCC plan.
Just as important, this project asks conservation organizations to think beyond conventional planning models. The ethics subteam hopes to work in partnership with 7 Directions of Service leadership and other rights-holders to explore what a Rights of Nature approach might contribute to local conservation practice. This includes active engagement, comparative evaluation, and training-oriented work designed to support conservation organizations and local stewards in thinking more deeply about ecological ethics, relational accountability, and alternative frameworks for decision-making.
By integrating ecology, spatial analysis, and ethical inquiry, this Bass Connections team is building a more holistic approach to conservation. Our aim is not only to improve corridor planning for amphibians and reptiles in the Triangle region, but also to model what it can look like when conservation is informed by both science and responsibility to the more-than-human world.
Current Team
This project is led by Nicki Cagle, Sara Childs, and Shannan Hayes, with support from Clay Noss and with Caroline Rowley serving as TA and project co-coordinator. Community organization liaisons include Julie Tuttle of the Triangle Connectivity Collaborative, Hannah Royal of Triangle Land Conservancy, and Crystal Cavalier-Keck of 7 Directions of Service.
The GIS subteam is led by Victoria Thompson. The Field subteam is led by Sally Watanabe, with Claire Clampett, McAllister Robinson, and David Mann contributing to field-based work and cross-team support. The Ethics subteam is led by Kendall Carpenter, with Adi Baliga serving as a bridge to the Field subteam. Additional GIS team members currently include Kevin Halimman.
Student Bios
Aditya Baliga is majoring in Biology and minoring in Environmental Sciences and Policy. He works in the Lipshutz Lab, where he studies the impact of light and noise pollution by photographing and cataloguing invertebrate samples. He is interested in human–wildlife interactions within urban ecosystems, with broader implications for conservation biology. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, playing soccer, and rescuing and fostering wildlife.
Kendall Carpenter is a Sophomore from Laurel, Maryland. She is an avid animal lover and pet keeper to her dog, Sonics, and her bearded dragon, Prometheus. In high school, Kendall earned a certification as a Junior Master Herpetologist and she served as a teen volunteer for the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore for three years where she had the opportunity to work as a field researcher, collecting data on Eastern Box Turtles. As an environmentalist, Kendall understands that our ecosystems are dependent upon the health of all wildlife–and so she is really invested in finding ways that she can help combat the stigmas surrounding cold-blooded creatures while also promoting their conservation and care. While at Duke, Kendall hopes to merge her passion for animals and conservation with her other interest in law and philosophy by studying both Political Science and Environmental Policy.
Kevin Halimman is an undergraduate majoring in Biomedical Engineering and minoring in Math and Computer Science. His current interests lie at the intersection of engineering design, high-dimensional data analysis, and machine learning, with a focus on applying quantitative modeling to problems in health and environmental systems. More recently, he has been exploring geospatial predictive modeling, integrating large-scale datasets to identify patterns and inform decision-making. Through Bass Connections, he is excited to contribute technical and analytical skills toward improving connectivity and conservation outcomes for amphibians and reptiles.
David Mann is a senior studying Marine Science and Economics. A herpetology enthusiast, he spends his free time searching for reptiles and amphibians and participates in multiple amphibian research projects at Duke. In addition to herpetology, his primary research area is coral ecology, focusing on bleaching processes. In his spare time, David also enjoys fishing and running.
Victoria Thompson is a third-year Master of Forestry and Master of Environmental Management dual-degree student at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, with concentrations in Terrestrial & Freshwater Ecosystems and Environmental Analytics & Modeling. She has completed the Geospatial Information Systems certificate, and also holds a Conservation Specialization certificate from her undergraduate institution, the University of Virginia. Victoria has extensive research experience, most recently serving as a Research Assistant on a project studying factors of reforestation success in the Global South. She has interned in the land trust space with the Conservation Trust for North Carolina and in the private sector with Aurora Sustainable Lands. Victoria serves as a Co-President for the Duke Chapter of the Society of American Foresters.
Sally Watanabe (they/she) is a Master of Environmental Management candidate with concentrations in environmental justice and ecology. With a previous degree in Psychology, they are passionate about connecting people to nature and engaging communities in local stewardship. Sally has been an environmental educator on urban farms, outdoor adventures, and in multimedia communications. She practices storytelling in the intersection of science and arts and is spending this summer in Asheville working with the Defenders of Wildlife.