Hook Fellows

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A generous fellowship for undergraduate or graduate research.

The Dr. Allan W. Hook Endowed Wild Basin Creative Research Fund is a generous fellowship that provides funding for student projects at Wild Basin or other lands in the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve system. 

Hook Fellows' projects can be research-based or creative endeavors, and they can be grounded in any major at any college or university. Recent Hook Fellows have investigated new technologies for censusing deer, researched microbial communities in the streams and soils of Wild Basin, and created nature-based art installations.

Now Accepting Applications

The application period for the Hook Endowed Wild Basin Creative Research Fund will open on January 15, 2026 (deadline to apply: March 6th at 11:59pm).  Fellowships up to $5,000 stipend per student plus $1,500 supplies and $1,500 mentor stipend are offered for research or creative works at Wild Basin or other areas of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. Guidelines and the application forms can be found below:

Applicants may be from any accredited college or university.

Hook Fellow Success Story 

Check out this video from Justin Stewart, a former Hook Fellow now doing graduate studies abroad. His research on soil microbial communities at Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve was published in the FEMS Microbiology Letters Journal (Oxford University Press, February 2021).

Research and Creative Projects by Hook Fellows

Environmental Filtering of Streams by Nature Preserves

Author: Logan Kirk
 
Mentor: Dr. Gabriella Pardee
 
Synopsis: It is no secret that Austin has grown a lot in the past few years. This increase in population and development can put stress on local ecosystems, particularly waterways. For example, urbanization can lead to runoff, which brings harmful contaminants into streams, negatively impacting the organisms that inhabit these waters and the overall health of the surrounding environment. However, green spaces within cities, such as wilderness preserves, can benefit plants and animals by improving habitat conditions, specifically through the environmental filtering of chemicals within waterways that flow through the preserves. In an effort to preserve our natural ecosystems, I propose to study whether nature preserves improve quality by sampling streams both before they enter the preserve (upstream) and as they exit the preserve (downstream). To do this, I will measure water quality indicators of streams and the macroinvertebrate community both upstream and downstream of eight creeks that flow through protected preserves. This study will provide greater insight into how preserves might mitigate the harmful effects that urbanization has on waterways. The results obtained through this study could be used to educate the community about water conservation, encourage greater watershed protection policies, and advocate for more designated green spaces within cities.

Monitoring and Managing Trees in the Wildland-Urban Interface for Climate Resilience

Authors: Analee Maharaj and Harsh Vibhuti
 
Mentor: Dr. Amy Concilio
 
Synopsis: Climate change has led to more frequent and intense droughts in Central Texas, with resulting increases in wildfire risk. Management for wildfire is especially crucial where urban areas border or intermix with natural preserves, known as the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), and fire can spread from neighborhoods to preserves or vice versa. The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP) is an assortment of 140 tracts of land set aside to protect seven endangered species, dominated by oak-juniper woodland habitat and with a lot of edge habitat in the WUI. Drought conditions increasingly threaten forest health in the region, and water-stressed trees can suffer reduced resilience to fire due to compromised bark and cambium tissues, as well as increased leaf and branch drop that raises fuel loads. This project will measure growth and water stress in the two dominant tree species of the BCP at Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve using high-resolution dendrometers. By correlating trunk-diameter fluctuations with microclimate and soil moisture data, we will identify thresholds at which trees transition from normal daily contraction cycles to dangerous water stress. We will also determine whether there are differences in tree response to drought in the WUI compared to interior forests. Our research aims to guide local land managers in developing targeted interventions–such as strategic mulching, soil amendments, or selective thinning–to alleviate tree stress and mitigate fire risk.

Leveraging Spanish Vocabulary Resources to Develop Science Competency in Bilingual Fourth Graders

Author: Ariana Marrero-Massa
 
Mentor: Dr. Emily Bernate
 
Synopsis: Research on bilingual education highlights academic and sociocultural benefits of using students’ home language in the classroom. Bilingual students who effectively utilize their home language at school often outperform their monolingual peers. However, the early exit model of bilingual education currently adopted in Texas public schools limits opportunities for students to develop cross-linguistic connections. In other words, students are rarely taught how to leverage vocabulary in their home language to acquire skills in their second language. This project supports bilingual fourth-grade students at Barbara Jordan Elementary in mastering the Texas science learning objectives by using their Spanish knowledge to acquire English vocabulary and skills. The intervention focuses on a structured vocabulary and skills lesson in Spanish, built upon Wild Basin’s existing arthropod lesson in English. The lesson will be translated, supplemented with vocabulary-building exercises, and reinforced through hands-on field experiences at Wild Basin. Students will be assessed using a pre- and post-test that measures mastery of science objectives, science vocabulary, and the value of using known words in Spanish to determine the meaning of unknown words in English. In addition to improving science test scores, the project will yield a published lesson in Spanish available to 4th grade
science teachers.

Land-Use and Land-Cover Change Analyses of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve: Assessing Impacts and Changes in Land Cover, Vegetation Density, and Watershed Boundaries from 1980 to 2025

Author: Annie Odom
 
Mentor: Dr. Eric Johnson
 
Synopsis: Rapid urbanization is a major driver of global environmental change over the last fifty years–and the development of cross-country highways and local transportation infrastructure has significantly impacted local ecosystems. Urban development and subsequent reduction in green spaces over time is indicated by land-use and land-cover (LULC) changes, such as grassland and shrub-land converting to impervious surfaces or barren land. Opening to the public in 1982, the Capital of Texas Highway facilitated population growth and urban sprawl surrounding Austin, Texas. The aim of this research is to use several spatial analyses to examine LULC changes across the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP) area, focusing on quantifying changes in vegetation density and watershed boundaries following the development of the highway. Using satellite images, GIS, and vegetation indices, I will first conduct a LULC analysis across the study area for every five years from 1980 to 2025, and then quantify changes in vegetation density from 1998 to 2025, based on the availability of this technology. Finally, I will collect field data to update the watershed maps for the BCP. The findings will give us insight into the habitat quality surrounding the BCP, and inform the preservation and management of these areas.

The Effects of Urbanization on Riparian Vegetation Communities in Austin, TX

Author: Corina Collard
 
Mentor: Dr. Amy Concilio
 
Synopsis: By 2030, 66% of the global population is projected to live in urban areas, a 57% increase from 1900. Urbanization can have significant impacts on native ecosystems by altering critical biogeochemical processes, fragmenting habitats, and decreasing biodiversity. Mitigating urbanization’s negative effects will require conserving natural landscapes with ecosystem services that moderate fundamental natural processes. Healthy riparian areas, for example, can prevent erosion, maintain water quality by filtering excess nutrients and sediments, and provide habitat for native species. Although understanding how the structure and function of riparian ecosystems vary within urban areas is essential for managing the health of urban water systems, there’s a lack of research on the subject. This project aims to understand how urbanization affects riparian vegetation community structure by counting individual trees, identifying native and non-native species, measuring tree diameter at breast height, estimating canopy height and cover, and measuring root biomass within riparian areas at five sites ranging in distance from downtown Austin. The results of this project can inform adaptive management strategies that will help conserve riparian areas in the Austin area for future generations.

Best practices for managing ornamental invasive species in the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve using community education and incentive programs

Author: Grace Hosek
 
Mentor: Dr. Amy Concilio
 
Synopsis: Urban sprawl has led to an increase in fragmented habitats and disturbed ecosystems, which are pathways for invasive species to infiltrate into protected areas - some of which come from ornamental plantings. Major changes to the horticultural industry and/or U.S. federal or state policy would be needed to address this issue. Given these challenges, community education to influence consumer choice could be the most effective way to prevent the spread of invasive ornamental species. This study aims to better understand what messaging tools and incentives work best to engage private landowners around the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP) in removing invasive species and planting native species on their property. I will conduct a survey with BCP neighbors to gain insight about what influences their decision-making about tree planting on their property. Secondly, I will conduct focus group interviews with smaller groups of neighbors, some of whom have participated in a native tree exchange program, to determine what types of messaging and incentive programs work best to garner participation in such programs. Results from this study should be of interest to both local land managers in Central Texas and more broadly to invasion biologists and land managers across the US.

A conundrum of conservation: Measuring the impact of European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) presence on wild bee populations and foraging patterns within the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve

Author: Willa Pabst
 
Mentor: Dr. Kaysee Arrowsmith
 
Synopsis: Bees and other pollinating insects play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity, both in natural and human-altered landscapes. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) have often been used to ensure reliable pollination services are provided to economically important food crops. However, these non-native insects may threaten native populations of wild bees. Wild bee populations are in decline, likely due in part to competition from honey bees. In this project, we will examine the effects of honey bee abundance on wild bees in the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. We will also examine the foraging patterns of co-existing wild bees and honey bees using the pollen collected by these insects. We expect that honey bee presence will negatively impact the richness and abundance of wild bees, and that these populations will generally visit different subsets of the floral resources present at a site. These findings will provide empirical evidence of the possible detrimental effects of honey bees on wild bees—a topic that has been frequently discussed by pollination biologists but only rarely explicitly studied. We will also identify plants used preferentially by wild bees, which could inform restoration and planting targets for ongoing management of these and other natural areas in the Austin metro area.

Seasonal Dynamics of Anuran Skin Microbiomes at Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve: A Longitudinal Metagenomic Study

Authors: Ava Perry and Amelia Valencia
 
Mentor: Dr. Elijah Wostl
 
Synopsis: The microbial community that inhabits the skin of frogs (the skin microbiome) has been demonstrated to be a critical component of their innate immune system. Disruption of this community (dysbiosis) is associated with susceptibility to pathogenic infection. Environmental stress in the form of prolonged periods of heat and drought can induce dysbiosis and weaken the immune system. Moreover, during hot/dry weather, frogs will congregate near remaining sources of surface water thus increasing the likelihood of pathogenic spread and contraction. During summers in the Texas Hill Country, anurans may be more susceptible to disease due to the coincidence of a weakened immune system, altered microbiome, and conditions that favor the spread of disease. We propose to sample the microbiome of anurans across the year to evaluate the relationships among richness, evenness, transience, and variability of the microbiome while also noting the sex, age, and health condition of each individual frog. Collectively, the interactions of these data will be assessed in the context of climate to determine the relationships between the skin microbiome, health of the individual, and seasonal variations in climate.

Effects of Advanced Footwear Technology in Trail Running Shoes on Running Economy and Biomechanics

Author: Jordan Sanders
 
Mentor: Dr. Dustin Joubert
 
Synopsis: Advanced Footwear Technology (AFT) in running shoes includes performance-enhancing elements such as resilient midsole foams and embedded carbon-fiber plates. Running economy (RE), a measure of a runner’s oxygen consumption or energy expenditure at a fixed speed, is an important endurance performance determinant. AFT previously incorporated into road racing shoes has been shown to improve RE. AFT features are now being utilized in trail running shoes, but the efficacy has not been determined. Purpose: Determine the effects of new trail running shoes with AFT elements on RE over trail and treadmill surfaces. Methods: 15-20 runners will complete 4 x ~5-minute running trials at self-selected 50k trail race pace in a control trail shoe and AFT trail shoe in an ABBA or BAAB sequence while running on a designated loop on the Wild Basin trails. RE will be measured via a portable metabolic cart to determine oxygen consumption. Following trail testing, subjects will complete the same protocol on a laboratory treadmill on a separate day. A two-way (shoe x surface) repeated measures ANOVA will be used to assess the RE effects of the AFT trail shoe compared to the control trail shoe on both the trail and treadmill surfaces.
 

Monitoring avian biodiversity with revegetation efforts in areas of the Balcones Canyonland Preserve

Authors: Wren Conner

Mentor: Darren Proppe

Synopsis: The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP) system was formed in 1996 to protect important habitat for endangered avian species which rely on mixed juniper-oak woodlands. The preserve system contains several tracts of woodland in different stages of succession, with some sites undergoing active revegetation. These sites are lacking critical information on avian biodiversity and community composition. This project aims to address this gap in knowledge by running avian biodiversity and vegetation surveys at several sites across the BCP to assess ongoing revegetation efforts and their impacts on avian biodiversity. The surveys and data collected by this project will inform land managers about the efficacy of certain revegetation efforts as well as provide information about the avian communities present at each site.

The Music of Nature: A Study of the Wild Basin Soundscape and the Intricate Web of Factors That Contribute to the Acoustic Environment

Authors: Susheel Palakurthi

Mentor: Yong Shin Park

Synopsis: Soundscapes are collections of anthrophonic, biophonic, and geophonic sounds which can be used to identify environmental processes and human activities in a landscape. As society continues to develop land for human use, anthropogenic sounds increase, which causes a shift in biological abundance and diversity. Prior research has explored the patterns of environmental sound levels in the continental United States, but no study has specifically investigated the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve (WBP) in Austin, Texas. In this project, we develop a soundscape model for the WBP, considering multiple variables: land cover, hydrology, climate, topography, human activity, and time of day and year. Using machine learning techniques, such as principal component analysis and random forests, we identify and explore the factors and spatiotemporal patterns that cause shifts to the sound levels in the WBP as anthropogenic growth occurs around the preserve. Comaps will also be developed to analyze multiple factors conditioned on time. This research will help stewards of the WBP formulate and implement solutions to reduce sound levels, improve fauna conservation, and provide the most enjoyable ‘soundwalks’ to WBP visitors.

Dark Sky, Loud Night – an electronic music composition based on the audio data sourced overnight at Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve.

Authors: Molly Leach and Will Hermanowski

Mentor: Christopher Dietz

Synopsis: Dark sky preservation is essential to the protection of wildlife native to Central Texas. This research will culminate in an electronic music composition installation based on audio recordings sourced overnight at Wild Basin preserve. This interdisciplinary project will feature a critical citizen science and community outreach component in which participants will have the opportunity to help document the late-night activities of Texas wildlife in audio recordings that will then be featured in the completed musical work. Direct collaboration with community members through interdisciplinary citizen science activities will create opportunities for educational outreach focused on Dark Sky initiatives that are critical to the protection of wildlife located within the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve. While this research will culminate in the completion of an electronic music composition based on the sounds of nocturnal wildlife, future interdisciplinary research may choose to further this work’s artistic scope through the addition of visual or performance arts. This research offers an opportunity for educational outreach that is engaging and accessible to patrons of all backgrounds and interests, from the arts to the outdoors.

Analysis of upland and riparian habitats as stopover sites for migratory songbirds in Central Texas

Authors: Dawn Romaine Houston

Mentor: Joseph Veech

Synopsis: Migration may be the most perilous and energetically expensive period for migratory birds and has profound effects on breeding success and survivorship. High-quality stopover sites, with abundant food resources, allow for rapid refueling of energy stores enabling a songbird to continue on the next portion of its journey. Riparian areas are recognized as important stopover habitats, particularly in the desert Southwest, whereas upland habitats provide adequate stopover sites in other regions of North America, such as the Midwest. Central Texas lies squarely in the Central Flyway, yet no research to date has investigated stopover habitat in this region. We propose to assess the relative stopover habitat quality of riparian and upland habitats by comparing refueling performance, physiological condition, and chronic stress of migratory songbirds. We will also compare fine-scale habitat characteristics using field and remote sensing methods between habitat types with regard to migratory songbird abundance. Finally, we will evaluate foraging activity and arthropod abundance to identify which habitat type may be more useful as a resource to migrating songbirds. Our goal is to acquire knowledge of stopover habitat ecology in Central Texas that could ultimately inform natural resource agencies and conservation stakeholders of priority habitat for migratory bird conservation.

Sensor-based monitoring of microclimates and soundscapes in Balcones Canyonlands Preserve

Authors: Annaclaire Kepple and Quynhmai Tran 

Mentors: Timothy Keitt, Brendan Allison, Suzanne Pierce, Je’amie Powell, Katherine Brown

Synopsis: The combined stressors of climate change and a growing population pose grave threats to our well-being within Texas and globally. A large body of research has demonstrated the value of biodiversity in providing ecosystem services to humanity. In addition to being self- sustaining, healthy, diverse ecosystems benefit people. Some even argue they are essential to our survival in the coming centuries. Yet from a policy standpoint, we are often flying blind with regard to tracking changes across ecosystems and landscapes. This project aims to establish a platform for continuous monitoring of environmental conditions and sounds using a variety of sensors that can capture information about temperature, precipitation, soil moisture and acoustics in the ecologically important habitats at Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP). We will build and deploy sensors in BCP and use the data collected to explore relationships between the local climate and ecological communities informed by acoustics – such as songs from bird species including the golden-cheek warbler and the black-capped vireo. These data have considerable potential to inform how this area can be managed effectively when challenged by stressors that can include extreme or unusual weather conditions and increased access by the public.

The effects of invasive Bothriochloa ischaemum on native grassland systems and their ability to sequester carbon in the Texas Hill Country

Authors: Meriam Elawad and Camille Dedeaux

Mentor: Amy Concilio

Synopsis: Prairies are an endangered ecosystem due to constant pressure from development and agriculture. Many of the remaining grasslands have become invaded by nonnative grasses, which in turn has altered the dominant plant life forms present in those ecosystems. Vegetation cover is known to directly influence the content, quality, and depth distribution of soil C, as it is directly responsible for organic matter input into the soil below. One way C is transported into deep soil pools is through root systems. As invasive species move into healthy prairie ecosystems, it is safe to assume that root structure and depth may change as well, potentially hindering prairies’ natural proclivity to store C in its soil. This would be detrimental because as it stands, in our climate’s current condition, we need to get more C stored in terrestrial ecosystems, and prairies are a promising place to do that. However, we don’t know much about C storage in the grasslands of central Texas. This study will fill that gap by quantifying carbon sequestration in soils of invaded versus native and restored prairies in the Texas Hill Country. We anticipate finding that carbon storage is significantly higher in grasslands where native species are present, in which case, our results could be used to help justify restoration efforts.

Kaitlyn Stark. Comparing Molecular markers of Gregarine Life Cycle Stages in Cockroaches Obtained from Wild Basin to Laboratory Raised Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches
Advisor: Dr. Daniel Gold

Jemima Ohwobete and Andrea Huriega. Quantitative Analysis of the Effect of Traffic Noise Levels on the Endangered Golden-Cheeked Warbler in Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve
Advisor: Dr. Darren Proppe

Colton Mitchell. The effects of Ligustrum sinense and L. japonicum on bird abundance and diversity in Travis County, TX
Advisor: Dr. Amy Concilio

Gracen Bivens. The Effects of Urbanization on Mesopredator Landscape Utilization and Dispersal Routes in the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, Vireo Nature Preserve, and Surrounding Urban Areas

Aaron Duran. Activity and Distribution Patterns of Mammals at Wild Basin Preserve

John Rippel. Inoculating Invasive Species Logs with Trametes versicolor (Turkey Tail) to Promote Lasting Soil Health and Improve Ecosystem Function

Taylor Kelly. Using Water and Adjacent Soil Reservoirs of Microbials to Characterize Antibiotic Resistance

Nicholas Barrett, Matthew Fenci. Comparing Biological Diversity in Gregarines from Wild-isolated and Grain Beetles Through Genomic Sequencing.

Alex Birch. Fluoride Toxicity in Freshwater Systems: Wild Basin.

Juan Diaz, Holcombe Huddleston. Organization and expansion of Wild Basin's photographic, video, and document archives.

Elayna Grove. Camera Trap Data Collection: The Effects of Urbanization on Austin's Wildlife.

Patrick Kelleher. Travis County Stream Assessment: Macroinvertebrate Indices and Water Composition Comparison.

I Gusti Ayu Larasati. Effect of Housing Development on Wildlife Movement Along and Through Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve Boundaries.

Adriana Lee. Evaluation of Ecosystem Function of a Restored 30-Year Old Dumpsite in Wild Basin Preserve.

Elizabeth Rodriquez, Cole Calderon. Using the Wild Nematode Microbiome as an Indicator of Soil Health.

Sarah Waddell. Composition, Recruitment, and Restoration of Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) in Riparian Zones of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve System.

Becky Woodward. Identification and Analysis of Microbial Communities Associated with Texas Milkweed, Asclepias texana, success in the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve.

Phillip Valdez. Mobile Plant Identification App for Wild Basin.

Chris Enders, Kristen Meisner, Winfred Mudong. Groundwater Dye Trace Analysis Through BCP/WQPL Tracts. 

Ashley Bussell, Nicolas Gonzalez, Leslie Roberts. Estimating Heavy Metal Runoff Concentrations from Bridge Decks.

John Gonzalez, Nicole Wile. Water Contamination Sourcing in Bee Creek and North Hollow in Wild Basin. 

Renee Cornue. You are Here: Earth Day Art Show.

Justin Stewart, Kizil Yusoof. Microbial Communities Relationship to Soil Characteristics. 

Elizabeth Ademski. Exploring the potential for plastic-eating microorganisms in Wild Basin soil communities.

Kelsey Emmons, Michelle Mendoza, and Lauren Schricker.  Determination of the economic value of ecosystem services provided by Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve.

Michael Horvath, Lexington Belyeu, and Danica Metlay. Utilizing UAVs to measure biodiversity and compare white-tailed deer survey techniques at the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve.

Abigail Kropf, Savannah Bryson, and Eric Johnson. Identifying successful methods for removal and management for three invasive plant species coexisting in a Central Texas riparian forest.

Jacqueline Ortuno. Mosquito activity comparison of adult Aedes aegypti between work and natural protected areas.

Maria Rodriguez. Using indicator microorganisms to determine the effects of urbanization on ecosystem services at Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve.