Finding Flying Squirrels in Appalachia with behavioral ecologist Dr. Michelle Gilley.

“Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings.”
                                John Gillespie Magee Jr. (1941)

When you think of flight, you might envision eagles soaring, untethered and unbothered, across an endless sky. You might, if you’re in to engineering, ponder the ornithopter, Davinci’s well-designed but never-built flying machine. Perhaps you contemplate asteroids, those celestial spectacles combusting with the sheer delight of taunting gravity. It would be unusual, however, for one to think of squirrels. Mostly because, well, they’re squirrels (no offense).

Most squirrel species (Family: Sciuridae) are content with scrambling up and down tree trunks, occasionally stopping to twitch and chatter irritably at a neighbor. A few, however, aspire to a loftier locomotion mode. Though “flying” might be a somewhat generous characterization of their kite-like gliding, the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) is a remarkable rodent. And … we have them right here in Appalachia! Unfortunately, their populations are distressingly small and, being nocturnal, exceptionally difficult to find. So … how does one find them?

At the March salon, behavioral ecologist Dr. Michelle Gilley will share the ins-and-outs of playing squirrel glide and seek. A wildlife behavior and communication scientist, Michelle has spent more than three decades applying her expertise to looking (and listening) for endangered species and implementing conservation initiatives. She specializes in using the ultrasonic (i.e., super high pitched) vocalizations of bats and other squeaky critters to locate and diagnose hidden populations. Michelle is Mars Hill University’s Dean of Natural Sciences as well as Associate Professor of Biology, and (as if that weren’t enough) she co-founded and manages Borealis Biological, an environmental consulting company focused on best management practices for endangered species in the eastern US.