UNIFORM | Wolverine 1000 Mile Collection by Samanta Pleet

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I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that it's taken me the better part of a year to blog about the Samantha Pleet for Wolverine collection. It's been on my list since last Spring, but it wasn't until this weekend at the Echo Park boutique Myrtle that I actually saw the boots in person, held them, and tried them on. I knew I'd be a fan from the photos and all I read, but now I can say confidentially that these boots are a good buy. They're comfortable, great-looking, versatile, made in the USA, and each style is named after a famous adventuress—what else do you want from a pair of boots!? Because Myrtle owner Whitney Bickers is a true blue friend of Tomboy Style, she's offering readers 30% off of Samantha Pleet clothing, like this blazer and shorts combo through Friday 12/14 (prices already marked down on website). You can also purchase Samantha Pleet X Wolverine's Bonny Boot (named for 18th century treasure hunter Anne Bonny) and The Blixen Boot (named for Danish explorer Karen Blixen, made famous by Meryl Streep's portrayal in Out of Africa) through Myrtle and get free shipping with the code VERYMERRY.

SCENE | Wool and Whiskey

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A magazine assignment has taken me to Jackson, Wyoming for a few days, and as I was walking around this afternoon I found Wool and Whiskey, a men's clothing store with a whisk(e)y bar in the back. I had only been in Wyoming for a few hours and like a moth to a flame, I found myself chatting it up with the men's store buyer (and bartender), Alexis Alley, who is as versed in bourbon and scotch as she is in Pendleton, Penfield and Filson. The Teton Village store has been open for just over a year and has quickly won over whiskey-loving shoppers across town. If you get to Jackson it's definitely a place to go and cozy up to a vintage Big Horn Sheep throw and sip some rye.

SciFund y'all!

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In anticipation of the impending SciFund launch at midnight tonight, I am preparing to kindly badger all of my family/friends/colleagues with requests to check out my project (found here) and spread the word.
In the meantime, I am welcoming any questions about my project that I will answer here and link to the SciFund page.
While waiting, here are some pretty pictures of amphibians:







 Check out my flickr page for more photos I've taken in the field!  

Southwest Dreamin'

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Greetings all!

Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) about to say something important.

I haven't posted on this blog for close to a month due to general busyness and time spent traveling. The purpose of my recent traveling has been to make it out to Portal, AZ to help out with the field herpetology class taught at the American Museum of Natural History's Southwest Research Station. This has been my first time west of Yellowstone National Park, and oh boy I have had a fantastic time so far.

My labmate Matt Holding demonstrating how to safely handle venomous snakes for research purposes.

We have students from all over the U.S. from all walks of life here to learn about the Southwest's herptofauna. So far they have traversed some gnarly habitat, caught some incredible creatures, and memorized scientific names like it was their job.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)

I've been very fortunate to help out with the course this year not only for the reptiles and amphibians, but also to connect with some great scientists that are here to teach and share their research. Unfortunately (fortunately), I have been very busy and don't have much time to update this blog. For now I will drop some photos for your enjoyment and wonder.

Mountain Patchnose Snake (Salvadora grahamiae) showing off its wonderful rostrum

The threatened Twin Spotted Rattlesnake (Crotalus priceii) only habits talus slopes that promote me falling down a lot.

People think I'm dumb, but my favorite desert herp is the Sonoran Desert Toad (Incilius alvarius)

A juvenile Green Rat Snake (Senticolis triaspis) makes for an extremely photgenetic animal

From here, I'll be heading up to California briefly before flying to Vancouver, Canada for the World Congress of Herpetology. After that , it is back to the (relatively) real world. Being a scientist is fun.

Look for more pictures and (maybe) stories to come!

SciFund Round 3: Jenn Hellmann

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The SciFund challenge, a crowd funding experiment for science, is once again going strong this year. Since this blog started with my own SciFund campaign, it is only fitting that I use it to promote some of the fascinating research done by other students.

This funding cycle, there are three other students in my department at Ohio State who are sharing their science with the world and looking for members of the public to participate with them. One of these students in Jenn Hellman. 

Jenn looking for fish in all the wrong places.

Jenn's research centers around social networks in animals. Particularly, she observes the behavior of African Cichlid fish to better understand the interactions between individuals and groups. Why is this important? These relationships are complex, and the effects of how animals interact in a social network has massive influences on their evolution and ecology. 

Jenn is planning to use donation to fund an expedition to Lake Tanganyika, in East Africa, where she will be able to observe these animals in the wild. 


As part of her campaign, Jenn answered some questions about what she does, why she does it, and what makes her tick:

Tell us about yourself, where you are from, and where you see yourself going.
I'm a second year graduate student at The Ohio State University. I'm originally from Philadelphia, and I did my undergraduate at Messiah College. I took a year off before graduate school to work with kids and to travel, but I came to graduate school last year and I love it. I love being paid to do research and teach, and working in an environment where everyone is here to learn. Because of that, I would love to be able to work as a faculty member at a university eventually. 

Graduate student multitasking at its best.

How did you get involved in your research project?
I came to graduate school knowing that I wanted to do fish behavior, but I didn't know much more than that. I actually got into social networking by reading some of primate literature for a class. The article talked about how certain individuals in the group are responsible for maintaining group stability, and when you remove those individuals, the group gets really aggressive. Later, I was reading some articles about intergroup movement in colonies, and it just struck me that social networking is probably really important in this species too. Since some individuals have many more opportunities to interact with their peers than others, that probably has pretty significant effects on the decisions that they make. 

Why is your research important to you? Why should others fund it?
I think that sociality in general is fascinating and relevant. So many different species, from ants to humans, have evolved extremely complex social systems. Exploring the benefits of social networking can help us compare social systems between species and help us understand why they are so different. Why do ants live in huge colonies with one queen and many helpers, versus fish that cooperatively breed, versus primates that raise their offspring in groups? In all of these types of organisms, their social system is key to their survival and without it, they would not be successful in their environment. 


Exploring social networking is one of the best ways to understand social systems.  It tells us a lot about species: how they find mates, how they maintain social stability, and which individuals are most important in a group. It helps us understand how evolutionary pressures have caused species to adapt a certain way of living, and we can use this information for many things, such as improving conservation plans, anticipating how species will react to disturbances, and tracking the spread of diseases.

Do you have a favorite story that came from working on your research project? I've had to learn how to SCUBA dive for this trip. The first practice dive that we took as a research group, I was using someone else's equipment and so my BCD (the vest that controls your buoyancy) was too big and the weights around my waist were too heavy. I spent about twenty minutes bobbing up and down between the surface and the bottom of the lake before I got out and fixed it. It was not my best practice dive! 

Why did you decide to particpate in the SciFund Challenge?The purpose of SciFund is two-fold. First and most importantly, I want people to understand how science applies to their lives. There are all types of research happening that people don't know about and may not care about. I hope that SciFund can at least show people what type of research is out there, and make people interested in it. I think a lot of people see science as this unapproachable and hard-to-understand topic, but it's not if it presented in an understandable way. Second, I want to raise money to help fund my field season to Africa. My research is much more suited for field work than laboratory work (because of space constraints in the lab), but it's expensive to travel to Africa and I need some help!
What was the most difficult aspect of building your SciFund Proposal? What was your favorite? The most difficult was definitely the video. I also had to sit outside in 30 degree weather filming without a coat for about an hour, and then couldn't use the footage because of all the background noise. I've never done a video before (ironically, my brother was a film and sound production major), and I'm just lucky that there are programs out there that can help anyone make a movie. The best part was figuring out how to explain my project to the more general population, because it gave me the opportunity to really think about how it is so related to what we see in human society, even though they are 'just' fish. 


Tell us something random. Something funny. Something borrowed. Something blue.Something random... okay, well a 'Philly cheesesteak' is not actually a Philly cheesesteak unless you are in Philly. You can call it a cheesesteak, but they are definitely not the same and not as good. Anyone from Philly will tell you that!
If you would like to donate to Jenn's SciFund campaign (I did!), go here.

Dolphin Watching in Kiawah

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One of the local wildlife treasures in the Charleston area are the dolphins that can be spotted swimming the Atlantic coastline. It is pretty common to view these amazing creatures up close whether sailing the Charleston harbor, taking a ferry to Fort Sumter, or even walking the beaches of Kiawah and Seabrook. One ideal location to try and spot dolphins is over in the Captain Sam’s Inlet area. This inlet is at the beginning of the island where the Kiawah River feeds into the Atlantic. One can get access to the inlet area at Beachwalker County Park which is just before the Kiawah security gate. It is this location that is teeming with abundance of fish, birds, and of course dolphins. For those that want to dedicate a few hours to really seek out dolphins, there are a few local guides that will take you on a dolphin watching cruise . These cruises are a great way to explore the salt water community and see numerous animals besides dolphins, and view some really pretty homes that are situated along this vibrant inter-coastal waterway.

Usually when you see one dolphin walking along the beach, you will surely see a few more. Dolphin pods are sometimes mistaken for sharks until you get a closer look at the fins. Here is a fun video of dolphins beaching or “stranding” themselves along the Kiawah River. Dolphin or whales stranding typically means the mammal has beached itself with intent to die due to disease or orientation complications with sonar. These critters seem to be just acting playful perhaps in pursuit of a mid day lunch of small fish swimming along the shoreline.

December 2012 Events in Charleston Low country

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'Tis the season to be in the low country. Many fun things are going to be happening in downtown Charleston as well as neighboring James Island and Kiawah Island. One of the highlights of the season is the annual Holiday Festival of Lights that runs from early November through end of the year in James Island County Park. Local fitness enthusiasts will also be participating in the 35^th annual Kiawah Island Golf Resort Marathon (and half marathon). This event brings numerous participants to the island and volunteers are always needed. With numerous Christmas celebrations happening, don’t forget to make your New Year’s Eve plans.  November 9^th – December 31^stHoliday Festival of Lights 2012Where: James Island County ParkTime: 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. (Sun – Thurs) & 5:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. (Fri – Sat)Things to do: Three mile stretch of twinkling holiday lights that can be observed by car or train ride (Admission charged for either). Concessions, gift shop, and other entertainment on site.Contact: (843) 795 – 7275November 30^th & December 1stCharleston Symphony Orchestra – Rejoice! A Spiritual and Gospel Holiday CelebrationWhere: Sottile Theatre – Downtown Charleston (44 George Street)Time: 7:30 p.m. (Friday and Saturday)Things to Do: Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Choir and Ensemble usher in the holidays by telling the Christmas story spiritual music. General Admission applies.Contact: www.charlestonsymphony.org December 1stReindeer RunWhere: 161 East Bay StreetTime: 9 am Things to Do: 5K Holiday Run/Walk to benefit MUSC Children’s Hospital. Race is open to Adults and Children. Registration fees apply.Contact: racedirector@reindeerrun.orgDecember 1stCharleston Parade of Boats Where: Charleston HarborTime: Approximately 7:30 p.m. Things to do: Illuminated and festive boats will set out from Mount Pleasant and work their way along Cooper River before ending the sail parade route at the Ashley River. Contact: (843) 724 – 7305 for more information.December 8^thKiawah Island Golf Resort Marathon Where: Kiawah IslandTime: 8 a.m. Things to do: Island race includes full and half marathon race. Advanced registration required.Contact: (843) 768-2780 or visit kiawah_marathon@kiawahresort.comDecember 15^thThe NutcrackerWhere: North Charleston Performing Arts CenterTime: Showtimes are 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Things to do: Classical Christmas ballet show comes to Charleston.  Contact: (843) 723 – 7334December 31stWinter Carnival – Holiday Festival of LightsWhere: James Island County ParkTime: 5:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Things to do: The long running holiday festival of lights finally concludes with a fun winter celebration on New Year’s Eve. Festival includes rides, inflatables, and fireworks later in the evening for the pre-New Year countdown (approximately 9 p.m.)  Contact: www.holidayfestivaloflights.com December 31stKiawah Island Golf Resort – New Year’s Family CelebrationWhere: Night Heron ParkTime: 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Things to do: Come out and celebrate New Year’s Eve with family and friends for a night of food, live entertainment and numerous games and activities for the younger crowd. Activities include train rides, inflatables, and much more. The event will be capped off with fireworks display at the end of the evening.