FLIGHT OF THE CHIMNEY SWIFT: STUDENT BRINGS AWARENESS TO THREATENED SPECIES
The Kent State seal features a soaring chimney swift, yet few people are aware of the bird’s importance to the local ecosystem and the threat humans pose to its survival. 
“Humans have actually destroyed their habitat,” said Caitlyn Skilton, a senior zoology major. “They're going to become extinct eventually if we keep destroying their habitats.”
Skilton, who has a photojournalism minor, wanted to help others gain an appreciation for the chimney swift and its role in the environment. So, she decided to create an immersive experience in the Design Innovation Hub’s Blank_Lab. 
She worked on this project for credit as a course for an Individual Project in Mass Communications with the guidance and support of David Foster, associate professor in the School of Media and Journalism. Additionally, Catalina Palacios, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biological Sciences, shared her knowledge and expertise in birds, which helped Skilton conduct research for the project.

Photo by Caitlyn Skilton

The chimney swift gets its name from its preferred nesting place – chimneys – and speed of flight. However, the birds originally lived in caves and tree cavities. As urbanization expanded, the species ventured into chimneys for roosting. Now, its last chance for a habitat is also threatened. As homeowners cap chimneys, particularly out of the belief that chimney swifts are a pest, the species’ population continues to decline.
“They're very important for the ecosystem,” Skilton said. “For humans, they help control insect populations, and they're also just an overall good indicator of habitat health.”
Because Ohio is a major migration center for the birds, Skilton gathered all of the video for the project on her own – at one point scaling the Kent Stage chimney. When viewers entered the room, they found themselves surrounded by the image and song of the chimney swift in flight.
The exhibition also builds upon the research of the late Ralph Dexter, a former biology professor at Kent State who spent decades researching the species. His research led to the inclusion of the chimney swift on the university’s seal and the construction of purpose-built chimneys for roosting in Kent.
Skilton said she hopes her project can continue Dexter’s legacy of advocating for chimney swift’s distinct role on campus.
“I want people to have a greater appreciation for not only chimney swifts, but just the environment in general,” Skilton said.
Photojournalism as a tool to advocate for conservation
Skilton cites her own personal love for photojournalism as the driving force behind her artistic choices when it came to the display of “Flight of the Chimney Swift.”
“I want to help inform others and appreciate birds in the same way that I do, so I thought that providing this immersive experience could really help spark that interest,” Skilton said.
This desire to communicate effectively with the public is what sparked Skilton’s interest in photojournalism as a method of exhibition in the first place.
“I originally tried out photojournalism because I loved both writing and taking photos,” Skilton said, “I thought I could use photos and videos to help articulate science matters to the general public, to get others interested in nature and to advocate for conservation.”
Skilton went on a few excursions while she conducted her field research and prepared her visual aid. This involved photographing the chimney swifts on the roof of the Kent Stage and even exploring the Kent State Library top-floor archives.
For Skilton, presenting “Flight of the Chimney Swift” was unplanned, but an exciting opportunity that she knew she had to seize.
“I hadn’t originally planned to do my (chimney swift) video in the DI Blank Lab,” Skilton said. “As a DI Fellow I happened to make the connection to find the Blank Lab,” Skilton said.
To learn more about Caitlyn's work, visit her online portfolio https://caitlynskilton.myportfolio.com/home
Source: https://www.kent.edu/cas/news/student-video-exhibit-features-chimney-swifts-kent
Source: https://www.kent.edu/designinnovation/news/flight-chimney-swift-student-brings-awareness-threatened-species
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