Madison McGroarty’s passion for wildlife and ecology stems from her childhood experiences growing up in mesic forests of rural North Carolina exploring rivers and lakes. Madison is fascinated by a plethora of research questions related to wildlife ecology, wetland conservation, and herpetology, which has transformed into research opportunities with the Santa Fe River Turtle project in Florida analyzing reptile isotopes and in the U.S. Virgin Islands studying coral reef and mangrove community resilience to climate change. She uses her Hawaiian indigenous knowledge with her formal education as tools to analyze and conceptualize the natural world around her. Madison is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in wildlife ecology and conservation at the University of Florida and loves herping, hiking, and bird watching.