Just one month after taking up birding, Pine Bluff ninth-grader Katlynne Johnson spotted a Vermilion flycatcher, a species rarely seen in Arkansas, at her home and documented it with photos and video.
Katlynne, a student at the Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative’s Virtual Academy at the River, began birding on Feb. 13 after Anissa Evans, Ph.D., chair and professor of the Biology Department at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, invited her to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. She also received encouragement from Traci Hudson, Ph.D., associate professor of biology at UAPB.
“Their mentorship reflects how women scientists can inspire young girls to explore biology, birding and other scientific fields,” Katlynne’s mother, Celeste Henry Johnson, said…