Warren County native and state crayfish expert Parker Hildreth will speak Wednesday as part of the state’s first Tennessee Biodiversity Summit.
Hildreth said he will present an overview of state crayfish, covering basic biodiversity, research and conservation actions taken by the state in a broad summary of the species. The Tennessee Tech graduate said he hopes to help other researchers better understand crayfish and inspire others to learn more about the species.
“You know, those fiery crimson red, and the saffire colored ones, to completely white ones that live in caves to ones that are colored like a leopard that are on the bottom of the Kingston Tennessee River that never ever get spoke about or taught or shown to people,” Hildreth said. “So being able to show people what I see on a daily basis to really appreciate what’s out there is a really important part of why I’m presenting this stuff at the conference, or the summit I should say.”
Hildreth said he spent his early years, playing in creeks and streams. Hildreth said his fascination with crayfish took root once he was old enough to wonder about the species he observed in the water.
Hildreth said he spent years volunteering with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Hildreth said many agency biologists attended Tech and recommended the University if he was looking to work for the agency.
Hildreth said early at Tennessee Tech, a professor helped him apply for grants and allowed him to work on genetic based crayfish projects. Hildreth said he was able to publish papers, which improved his academic career. Hildreth said he considers himself fortunate to be able to continue that research.
“There’s always a ton of interest, a ton of new things to learn everyday,” Hildreth said. “And that’s just a really exciting part of and reason why I study crayfish. The excitement is really never ending.”
Hildreth said Tech offered access to scientific literature, which furthered his interest in crayfish. Hildreth said crayfish interested him partly because they stay understudied and many attributes remain a mystery. He said crayfish are a diverse species, especially in the southeast.
“Some of the things just will be for people that join, they can just get this quick snapshot on crayfish and use some of the information I present, and carry that with them if they want to learn more about crayfish,” Hildreth said. “Really just a stepping stone into the crayfish world is what I’m trying to provide people.”
The Biodiversity Summit will take place Wednesday at MTSU.
