Science and Nature Program

Moths, Mayflies, and Molecules: Using DNA to understand the insect-based diets of birds and fish
Brandon Hoenig is a biology PhD student at Duquesne University where he uses modern techniques to answer age-old questions in stream ecology. Brandon studies fish and birds at Powdermill Nature Reserve. He will talk to us about a DNA-based method to determine the diets of migratory songbirds and the brook, brown, and rainbow trout species found in the Laurel Highlands. After our chat, we’ll navigate the woods and streams at Powdermill in search of some of the insect species that both birds and fish rely on for nutrients.