Cody Arenz, Associate Professor of Biology, is on sabbatical for a year in Devon, England.
Arenz teaches Biology of Animals, Animal Behavior, and Conservation Biology. This year he is involved in several research projects. During the summer of 2012, he investigated the effects of biofuel crops on native pollinator diversity. Now, he is involved in a long-term study of the foraging behavior of the semi-feral Dartmoor ponies. The Dartmoor ponies have been part of the moorland ecosystem for several thousand years. They are currently used in parts of Dartmoor National Park to increase native biodiversity through their actions as grazers, but their exact impact upon the landscape is unknown. Hence, studies like the one being undertaken by Arenz are very useful to the conservation biologists managing the national park.
Nebraska Wesleyan University’s sabbatical program enables faculty to break from teaching for a semester or year to research, travel, and update their courses.