Smithsonian features Ruskin in article about saving the saltmarsh sparrow

Smithsonian interviewed Kate Ruskin, a University of Maine researcher and member of the Saltmarsh Habitat and Avian Research Program, about the efforts to save the saltmarsh sparrow, whose habitats are rapidly shrinking along the East Coast. Ruskin spoke about the saltmarsh sparrow’s tendency to breed with multiple partners. “There’s this whole ‘free love’ thing happening in the marsh. It’s a really interesting story about ecology, evolution and how creatures become specialized to their habitats,” Ruskin said.