Charismatic microfauna and big, bad megafauna - Ecology of invaded island systems

Like many young children, I admired “charismatic megafauna,” especially of the large and furry persuasion. I grew up in Micronesia, which is comprised of small oceanic islands. Characteristic of oceanic islands, our only native terrestrial mammals are bats. I dreamed of working with monkeys or lions, or conserving giant pandas. This is a story of how I came to appreciate my home islands, and in the process, came to appreciate our "charismatic microfauna.” My early love for large mammals led me to studying invasive ungulates and to becoming an advocate for the native plants and invertebrates that they impact.