Magic in the Mundane
Exploring the natural world with a curated interest in scientific storytelling
Celia Thaxter’s Garden, Appledore Island
Biography
Madeleine Wenger graduated in December 2023 from Cornell University earning her BA in archaeology with minors in marine biology, and Spanish. In her free time, she hones her skills as a field ecologist through drawing, painting, and photography.
Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Work Experience
Currently interning at The Ink Shop Printmaking Center, a not-for-profit community maker space for printmakers and artists.
— Spring 2024
Worked as a sailing instructor at Cornell University’s Merrill Family Sailing Center, teaching small boat sailing on Cayuga Lake.
— Fall 2023
Conducted independent undergraduate research using Baited Remote Underwater Videography (BRUV) at Shoals Marine Laboratory on Appledore Island in the Isles of Shoals. Built the foundations for a time series of Appledore’s underwater fisheries diversity and tested alternative bait sources on camera to pivot to abundant/invasive species and reduce dependence on expensive and overfished baits like the Atlantic Herring. The goal was to monitor species richness and abundance on a local scale, raise awareness about invasive species, and research how to support fishermen dealing with a dwindling bait fishery.
— Summer 2023
Worked as a research technician in the Cornell Lab of Dendrochronology preparing and measuring forest tree samples and archaeological timber. Contributing to projects working on provenancing archaeological samples using isotopic analysis and C-14 dating.
— Spring 2022-Present
Interned as a specimen photographer at the Paleontological Research Institute of Ithaca to build an archive of photos for public access. In service of two grants to digitize Eastern Seaboard marine diversity and Devonian Era fossils of New York State.
— Fall 2022
Contracted for Corning Museum of Glass to compose a watercolor artistic recreation of an archaeological assemblage of Roman-era burial goods excavated in 19th-century Germany. This piece is a visual aid on display in the temporary exhibit “Past|Present: Expanding the Stories of Glass” in the 35 Centuries of Glass Gallery. Also created digital profiles of ceramic vessels for accompanying publication.
— Spring 2022, on exhibit through Jan 8, 2023
Apprenticed at A&D Custom Framing where I practiced the craft of restoring historical oil paintings, designing matted and framed artwork, and learned the basics of oil painting, studio process, and field sketching.
— Summer 2020
Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary, Cornell Lab of Ornithology