Member since: January 27, 2021

A little bit about myself and how I got interested in birds. I used to be the lead biologist in managing endangered and threatened shorebirds in NJ particularly federally-listed piping plovers for a decade (2006-2016) working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and also for a non-profit in NJ, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. My focus was conservation and management of shorebirds, but also education/outreach through for plovers and other shorebirds during my time with the non-profit. I was be part of a multiple year program bringing to light the importance of wintering sites for piping plovers in the Bahamas and Southeast U.S (part of which was coordinated with National Audubon, the International Program in DC). This included conducting wintering shorebird surveys during the International Piping Plover census and during non-census years, assisting with banding of plovers on the wintering grounds, school programs for elementary children on Abaco and Eleuthera in the Bahamas, and development of educational materials (interpretive signs, workbooks for students, and pamphlet type materials). I now work for NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service for marine mammals but actually hope to get back to a federal job for the protections of birds which is really my passion. I love birding in my teeny patio backyard in Philadelphia and do that every day, but also like to get out to natural areas local and wherever I may travel ( e.g. Wissahickon, Blackwater NWR, pretty much everywhere I go I'm looking for birds!).