{"id":25629,"date":"2025-10-27T14:40:02","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T18:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/?post_type=story&p=25629"},"modified":"2025-10-28T09:51:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T13:51:26","slug":"i-just-love-getting-my-hands-in-the-dirt","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/27\/i-just-love-getting-my-hands-in-the-dirt\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I just love getting my hands in the dirt\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

From Massachusetts to Australia, Beatrice Altopp \u201925, M.S. \u201926, wants to protect local species<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Beatrice Altopp \u201925, M.S. \u201926, feels at home working with the earth. Throughout her time as a Clarkie, she\u2019s searched the forest floor for dung beetles, surveyed marine ecosystems on the coast, and contributed to an ecological restoration project right here on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Altopp began her college career thinking she was most interested in animal sciences \u2014 at 16, her first job was working as a hospital assistant at an animal clinic \u2014 but Clark ignited a passion for the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It’s been easy to fall in love with this work.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cClark really fostered that because a lot of the classes here are focused on conservation and plant ecology,\u201d says Altopp, who majored in biology<\/a> and global environmental studies<\/a> as an undergraduate. \u201cI just love getting my hands in the dirt. Working around Worcester has been really cool, and it’s taught me that people are doing this sort of work everywhere, including in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Altopp has spent copious hours studying dung beetles in the lab of Biology Professor Erin McCullough<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI took a class with her sophomore year and loved the way she taught,\u201d says Altopp. \u201cI\u2019ve always been fascinated by bugs, and it’s been easy to fall in love with this work, especially because [Professor McCullough] is so passionate about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Beatrice Altopp ’25, M.S. ’26, Professor Erin McCullough, and Luna Pagan ’27 go on an excursion to trap dung beetles. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Beatrice Altopp ’25, M.S. ’26, examines dung beetles in the lab.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Altopp spent this past summer doing research supported by a Geller Award<\/a> for her 4+1 Accelerated Master\u2019s Degree<\/a> in biology<\/a>, characterizing the diversity, abundance, and distribution of dung beetles in Worcester, while examining the effect urbanization has on the population. She collected 10 species over the summer, providing better insight into which dung beetles are in Central Massachusetts. Altopp plans to create a zine or pamphlet to share her findings with the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n