Caretaker: Ellen Wohl
Email: n/a
About Naia: I am approximately 3 years old and have been trying to teach Ellen proper research techniques for nearly two years. This is a major undertaking, as her attention span is very short compared to mine. I can spend more than an hour following a single research object (see research interests below). I can also settle into a comfortable position and contemplate for hours at a time the relation of my research objects to the weighty questions of the universe, whereas Ellen seems to have trouble sitting still for more than two hours. This unseemly restlessness probably results from her unfortunate habits with regard to coffee and chocolate.
Research: My primary interests focus on (i) the role of smaller creatures (insects, rodents, birds, snakes are my specialties) in the backyard ecosystem and (ii) the nature of reflected light on indoor surfaces. My research is highly seasonal: most of my time is spent investigating the life of the smaller creatures during the warmer months, whereas my attention shifts toward investigating light reflecting from windows, watch faces, and other objects during the colder months. I have not yet begun publishing, but I have spent many hours contemplating a magnum opus that will summarize my numerous observations and inferences.