Changemaker
John Crawford
TL;DR
Principal Scientist and Terrestrial Wildlife Ecologist at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center. He runs its wildlife ecology program and manages the Wetlands Collaborative.
John Crawford earned his doctorate at the University of Missouri-Columbia and did postdoctoral work at Indiana University. He holds affiliate positions at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, in the Prairie Research Institute and in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. His own site gives his interests as amphibian and reptile ecology and conservation.
Crawford's research looks at what habitat alteration and a changing climate do to amphibian populations, with attention to forested wetlands that dry out each year. He was one of four authors on the 2021 Outdoor Illinois Journal report about the bird-voiced treefrog field season. In August 2024 he said the Wetlands Collaborative was aiming at wetland quality on public and private land across Illinois.
Why OGSP Recommends It
One Good Story Project recommends Dr. John Crawford because his research helps answer practical questions about protecting wetlands and the wildlife that depend on them. As a principal scientist at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, he manages the Wetlands Collaborative and oversees its wildlife ecology research program.
His work focuses on amphibians, reptiles, and the effects of habitat changes on their survival. The Wetlands Collaborative’s early success in attracting outside funding also shows that this research is gaining support beyond the center itself.
Related Resources
Key Takeaways
- Crawford took his doctorate at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
- He works from East Alton, Illinois, and holds two affiliate posts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Four people signed the 2021 Outdoor Illinois Journal field report, and he was one of them.
- Forested wetlands that fill and dry again each year are a particular interest of his.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is John Crawford?
A wildlife ecologist whose work is on amphibians and reptiles. He took his doctorate at the University of Missouri-Columbia and now leads research at a center in East Alton, Illinois.
What does John Crawford research?
Amphibians and reptiles, and in particular how changes to forested wetlands affect frog populations.
What is John Crawford’s role in the Wetlands Collaborative?
He manages it. In August 2024 he described its early funding success as aimed at evaluating wetland quality on public and private lands across Illinois.
Where can I follow John Crawford?
His own site at crawfordlab.weebly.com, which the center's researcher listing links, publishes one social profile and it is linked on this page.