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Bird Conservancy of the Rockies Staff

Most of the Bird Conservancy’s regular staff members are based in Colorado and western Nebraska, although they can be found across the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains working to conserve birds and their habitats. Staff members are associated with our Science, Education, Stewardship, International or Administration teams, as indicated following their position titles. If you are interested in participating in our bird conservation work, please visit our employment, internships or volunteer pages.

To email a staff member, simply click on their name.

Tammy VerCauteren, Executive Director (Fort Collins, CO)
Originally from Michigan, Tammy earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Management in 1995 from Michigan State University and a Master’s Degree in 1998 from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she studied Sandhill Cranes. She began working for Bird Conservancy (then Colorado Bird Observatory) in 1999 as a specialist in GIS and landowner outreach for the Prairie Partners program. She has been Bird Conservancy’s prairie partners coordinator and outreach director and has served as executive director since 2008. Tammy serves as the NABCI Human Dimensions Subcommittee Chair, as well as Chair of the Playa Lakes Joint Venture Management Board and Co-Chair of the Northern Great Plains Joint Venture Management Board. She enjoys working with partners and encouraging proactive voluntary efforts for species conservation, and she believes it is relationships with people that will make a positive difference for conservation now and in the future.

Xitlaly Avitia, Bilingual Environmental Educator (Brighton, CO)
Xitlaly was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. Since an early age she has had a love for all things outdoors. For three years she worked with Environmental Learning for Kids and has been a part of the organization as a student and now volunteer for almost ten years. Working with youth outdoors, Xitlaly has found a passion for inspiring her community to get outside. She knows the importance of diversity in the outdoors and will continue trying to inspire everyone, everywhere that they belong in the outdoors. She has been advocating for environmental justice and hopes to reach more communities. In her free time she enjoys going to concerts, hiking, watching really long movies, and spending time with her loved ones.

Codi Backen, Wildlife Habitat Biologist (Alamosa, CO)
Codi grew up in a small farming town in Nebraska, and earned her bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University. After graduating, Codi worked a plethora of seasonal technician jobs, including guiding visitors on black bear tours in Alaska, as a state park ranger in Northern Colorado, as a wildlife consultant in eastern Utah, before spending a few years as a field lead for a sea turtle conservation project in Hawaii. She received a Master’s degree in Wildlife Biology from Utah State University, studying Greater Sage-grouse survival and rangeland management. When Codi is not working, you can find her crocheting, fly fishing, or camping in the mountains with her dog, Birdie.

Rachel Belouin, Program Manager, Southern Plains (Fort Collins, CO)
Rachel received a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a master’s degree in Non-Fiction Writing from Antioch University, Los Angeles, and a master’s in Natural Resource Stewardship with a concentration in grasslands and ecological restoration from Colorado State University. Rachel has experience working and living on a third-generation cattle ranch and enjoys riding her horse, trail running with her son, and a great book.
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Jacy Bernath-Plaisted, Applied Conservation Scientist (Fort Collins, CO)
Jacy grew up in rural Michigan where he developed an early appreciation and respect for the natural world. Throughout his early career, Jacy worked on a diversity of ecological research projects spending time in the sagebrush of Wyoming, the backcountry of Sierra Nevada, the endangered Florida Scrub, and Long Point Bird Observatory on the shores of Lake Erie. In 2015, Jacy completed his master’s degree at the University of Manitoba where he studied the effects of energy development on grassland birds. After completing his doctoral degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2024, Jacy came to Bird Conservancy as an Applied Conservation Scientist—a position that has given him the opportunity to blend his scientific background with his strong interest in the conservation of grasslands and the wildlife and ecosystem services that they support. Jacy likes to spend his free time outdoors and enjoys hiking, camping, birding, running, and cycling.
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Jenny Berven, Senior Program Manager (Fort Collins, CO)
Jenny earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Biology in 2003 and a master’s in biomedical sciences in 2007, both from Colorado State University. Since moving to Colorado she has worked and volunteered for a variety of agencies researching multiple avian species including raptors, waterfowl and upland game birds. Most of her research experiences have concentrated on how diseases like West Nile virus and avian influenza affect individual birds and avian populations. As a hobby, Jenny has volunteered for the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program for several years and values the opportunity to interact with birds of prey requiring rehabilitation. Jenny joined Bird Conservancy in 2009.
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Reece Billing, Wildlife Habitat Biologist (Jordan, MT)
Reece is a 4th generation Montana sheep producer (born and raised in Jordan). Reece has worn many hats including as a heavy equipment operator, in a processing plant and as a wildland firefighter, he is currently on the volunteer fire crew in Jordan. In his spare time he enjoys hunting, fishing and spending time with his wife and 3 kids. He has always had an interest in wildlife and is excited for this new chapter.

Josh Borchers, Staff Accountant (Brighton, CO)
Josh joined Bird Conservancy in 2023 and has hit the ground running taking over our Grant Accounting duties. He is originally from Colorado and has always appreciated the outdoors.
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Nellie Boyd-Owens, Environmental Educator (Brighton, CO)
Nellie grew up in the hills of Western Massachusetts, climbing trees, listening for birds, and rock-hopping along the banks of the Deerfield River. Her own deep-rooted connection to the land spurred the formal study of human/nature relationships and eco-poetry at Sewanee: The University of the South, where she earned a B.A. in Environmental Arts and Humanities. During a semester abroad, Nellie conducted ethno-ornithological research in Extremadura, Spain, a region known for its avian diversity and birdwatching tourism. It was here her childhood curiosity for birdlife was reawakened. Since joining Bird Conservancy’s education team, — first as an AmeriCorps member in January of 2023 — she’s discovered a passion for teaching the young, trading knowledge with fellow birders, and helping connect the community to the natural world. Outside of work, you might find Nellie hiking in the mountains, writing creatively, laughing with friends, or in the kitchen cooking a massive pot of soup!

Delanie Bruce, Education Manager (Scottsbluff, NE)
Originally from eastern Nebraska, Delanie received a Bachelor’s Degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Education from Goshen College. Delanie’s experience as an environmental educator has taken her from state parks in eastern Nebraska and Indiana to schools in the Bahamas to an outdoors camp in Michigan to a sustainability non-profit in Nevada, to now with the Bird Conservancy in western Nebraska. As an avid outdoor enthusiast, Delanie loves to share her passion for hiking, traveling, reptiles, amphibians, and birds with friends, family, and anyone else she encounters. When not working, she enjoys reading, skydiving, searching for rattlesnakes, and snuggling with her cat, Bentley.
(308) 633-1013

Emma Califf, Wildlife Habitat Biologist (Rocky Ford, CO)
Emma is relocating to Rocky Ford from Southern Arizona, where she spent much of her time hiking and camping in the Sky Islands of the Sonoran Desert. In her previous role as a reptile and invertebrate keeper, she was dedicated to educating the public about the importance of respecting and cohabitating alongside groups of animals who are often feared or stigmatized. Emma holds a B.S. of Science from Iowa State University, where she studied biology with a focus on insect science, along with French language and culture. She intends to continue fostering her passion for wildlife in both her private and professional life as she directs her focus to conserving the diverse ecosystems of Colorado.

Rita Campbell, Accounting Manager (Brighton, CO)
Rita received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Metropolitan State University in Denver, CO. Since graduating in 2012 she has gained experience in multiple types of industries focusing in on nonprofits in 2015 because she enjoys working for companies that have a larger picture in mind for the greater purpose. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and 4 dogs, trying to master the art of fishing and seeing more of the countryside.
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Tyler Cash, Digital Engagement Manager (Fort Collins, CO)
Tyler grew up in sunny southern California where he spent most of his time outside and in the ocean. He graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies, where he gained extensive knowledge in natural history. After college Tyler worked at several different Outdoor Education facilities where he held several different roles ranging from Teaching Naturalist to Education Coordinator to Camp Manager. Through his time at Bird Conservancy Tyler has gained knowledge in communications and social media and is excited to share Bird Conservancy’s story through different digital platforms. In his free time you can find him hiking, rock climbing, traveling & exploring the mountains with his wife and two Australian Shepherds.

Emily Chavez, Stewardship Director (Fort Collins, CO)
Emily holds a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Management from Colorado State University and a Master’s degree in Ecology from Utah State University. Between 2018 and 2021, she served as a Private Lands Wildlife Biologist in the San Luis Valley with Bird Conservancy. Additionally, Emily has worked in grassland and hydrology labs at CSU, worked for the Forest Service, and served as a National Science Foundation Climate Adaptation Science Fellow, during which she interned for USGS. In her leisure time, Emily enjoys walking her dog, soaking up the sun at her local crag, or immersed in a good book.

Marion Clément, Senior Avian Ecologist – Mexican Spotted Owl Coordinator (Fort Collins, CO)
Marion Clément joined Bird Conservancy in 2022 as the Mexican Spotted Owl Coordinator. She first moved to Colorado in 2020 to work for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on Threatened and Endangered Species, where she investigated population trends and threats to a petitioned bumble bee, Bombus occidentalis. She is particularly fond of doing research on owls; for her Master’s Degree, Marion studied differential resource selection of Barred Owls along a development gradient. On her own time, Marion started a Northern Saw-Whet Owl banding station near her home in Fort Collins, Colorado. After work, Marion enjoys all kinds of outdoor sports, including biking, skiing, and rafting. In addition, Marion has a penchant for salsa dancing and painting.
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Katherine Crawley, Wildlife Habitat Biologist (Chadron, NE)
Originally from Missouri, Katherine and has had a love for all things wildlife from an early age. Katherine earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from Northwest Missouri State University in 2015. Her first experience working with various bird species and wildlife came in 2012 as an intern with United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as an intern at Baca National Wildlife Refuge. She continued working with game and non-game birds throughout her career with United States Geological Survey (USGS) in eastern Nebraska, working as an Assistant Scientist for a private consulting company, and with Nebraska Game and Parks Commission as a Private Lands Biologist in the Southern Panhandle of western Nebraska. Katherine’s favorite past times include hunting, hiking, shed hunting, and a strong passion for books and reading.
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Payson Cronen Smith, Environmental Educator (Brighton, CO)
Payson grew up in Fort Collins, CO with a family that enjoyed the outdoors, going camping, hiking, skiing and more. Payson attended Colorado State University, earning a Bachelor’s in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. While initially interested in fisheries, he discovered bird conservation to be far more enjoyable, joining birding clubs and volunteering with hawk monitoring or restoration projects along the way. After graduating, Payson started at Bird Conservancy as a Seasonal Avian Field Technician performing bird point counts in the Great Plains and Northern Colorado. He then transitioned to the Environmental Educator role, looking to inspire his same passion for birds in all members of our community. When outside of work, Payson is usually spending time with friends and family, attempting to photograph birds, listening to music, overcomplicating drinking coffee, or playing competitive card games.

Adrienne Cunningham, Avian Ecologist (Fort Collins, CO)
Adrienne grew up on a farm in rural Missouri, earning her B.S. from the University of Missouri – Columbia and attending graduate school at Northwest Missouri State University. She led a two year study on a threatened rattlesnake species in Missouri before moving out west to the mountains. Adrienne spent several years traveling around the mountain west as a field biologist in Montana, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming on a variety of projects concerning threatened and endangered species from plants to nesting raptor species. Most recently, she has worked on the Bird Conservancy’s Mexican Spotted Owl Monitoring Project as a seasonal field crew leader in New Mexico and will continue to work on that project in a greater capacity as the Mexican Spotted Owl Biologist. Adrienne has volunteered with the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program since 2016, working to rehabilitate sick and injured birds of prey. Her favorite part is the opportunity to release a raptor back into the wild. In her spare time, Adrienne can usually be found outdoors hiking with her dog, Oso, rock climbing, rafting, snowboarding, or listening to live music. She also enjoys reading and baking on rainy days.
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Kyle Deschenes, Wildlife Habitat Biologist (Woodland Park, CO)
Kyle is originally from Florida where he grew up fishing, hiking, snorkeling, and watching wildlife. He earned his B.S. in Forest Resources & Conservation from the University of Florida with a minor in Wildlife Ecology & Conservation and a specialization in Environmental Law. Upon graduation, he moved to Colorado and began working as a naturalist with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. After a year of working in the state parks, he had the opportunity to become a wildlife technician working with mule deer, elk, and mountain lions. Kyle is extremely passionate about restoring wildlife habitat to its historical structure and function. In his free time, Kyle enjoys fly fishing and hiking with his dog.
(719) 472-3675

Elinda Dennis, Chief Administrative Officer (Brighton, CO)
Elinda earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business/Accounting from the University of Phoenix.  Elinda has over 30 years of experience in accounting/finance with 16 years as a senior finance executive in the Senior Living and Hospitality Industries.  She is originally from Missouri where she grew up on a small cattle ranch.  Elinda loves the outdoors and in her spare time enjoys hiking mountain trails and spending time with her husband in their mountain retreat in Estes Park, Colorado.
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Sarah Doxon, Education Manager (Brighton, CO)
Growing up as a free-range child in the wilds of rural Iowa, Sarah’s connection with nature was fostered from an early age. This connection prompted her to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University (2011) and then a Master’s Degree in Conservation Biology from Miami University (2017). Realizing that most children no longer have the opportunity to connect with nature in safe, meaningful ways, and that these early experiences help to shape conservation-minded adults, she has made it her mission to innovate ways to bring children and nature back together. When not teaching, Sarah can be found hiking, reading, or cooking with her husband.
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Angela Dwyer, Program Manager, Northern Great Plains (Fort Collins, CO)
Originally from Nebraska and raised in Texas, Angela moved to Colorado in 2010 and worked for Audubon Rockies on habitat restoration and at Colorado State University on several GIS vegetation mapping projects before joining Bird Conservancy in 2012. She studied waterbirds and received a Master’s Degree in Wildlife Management at Stephen F. Austin State University in 2006 and has been working with birds ever since. Prior to moving to Colorado, she was the conservation biologist for Audubon North Carolina from 2007 to 2010, chasing shorebirds on the beach. She loves exploring Colorado through birding, hiking, and skiing.
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Taylor Dziedzina, Development Associate (Brighton, CO)
Taylor has a Bachelor’s Degree in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from Colorado State University. After college, she worked at Colorado Parks and Wildlife as the Statewide Volunteer Program Assistant. For the past three years Taylor has been a field biologist leading surveys in the Intermountain West for threatened and endangered species. In her spare time Taylor can be found hiking and backpacking with her dog, Delilah, birdwatching, or curled up with a good book.
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Jackson Ebbers, Wildlife Habitat Biologist (Trenton, NE)
Jackson is originally from Cambridge, Nebraska, where he developed a passion for the outdoors at a young age spending many hours fishing and exploring the lake near his hometown. Jackson attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he earned his B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife. Jackson has gained experience working with wildlife and habitat management by working as a Conservation Technician for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission on public lands. He is currently working to finish his master’s degree in Agronomy specializing in Great Plains Studies. His work in graduate school focuses on examining roadside wildflower seeding and mowing regimes for the benefit of pollinating insects. In his free time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time at the lake. Jackson is excited to move back to Southwest Nebraska as a Private Lands Wildlife Biologist so he can help preserve the grasslands that helped spark his interest in conservation.

Anna Greenberg, Wetland Program Manager (Alamosa, CO)
Growing up in Chicago, IL, Anna spent her early days searching for worms, frogs, and ducks. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, where she worked on campus sustainability advocacy projects. After working as an outdoor educator in California and a member of the Aspen Skiing Company sustainability team in Colorado, Anna earned Master’s degrees in Ecosystem Science and Management, and Environmental Policy and Planning from the University of Michigan. Anna is excited that her work with the Bird Conservancy operates in the overlap between “doing” science and communicating science, as she is very interested in how land and wildlife conservation issues are addressed from a management standpoint and understood by surrounding communities. You can likely find Anna climbing or snowboarding while she waits for the climbing weather to return.
(719) 992-3672

Noelle Grunwald, Environmental Educator (Scottsbluff, NE)
Growing up in Wisconsin, Noelle’s parents instilled in her a deep sense of wonder and appreciation for the natural world. Her love of the outdoors would ultimately lead her to pursue and attain a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resource Management with an emphasis in Environmental Education/Interpretation from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point as well as a Master’s Degree in Environmental Education from the University of Minnesota Duluth. Noelle has worked throughout the United States educating individuals of all ages about the beauty and importance of the natural world around them. Her favorite topics to teach about are animal adaptations and, of course, birds! In her spare time, Noelle enjoys adventures of all kinds with her park ranger husband, daughter, and their “prairie dog” Rosie. After these adventures she enjoys crocheting, reading, or obsessing over a puzzle.

Nick Haddad, Motus Biologist (Fort Collins, CO)
Nick grew up in southeastern Michigan and completed a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Science at Oakland University. After graduating, he moved to Colorado with a desire to join the wildlife conservation world. At Bird Conservancy, he will be installing Motus Wildlife Tracking stations throughout the Great Plains Region to aid in aerial wildlife tracking efforts. Nick loves hiking, playing hockey, and riding motorcycles.

Maggie Hanna, Central Grasslands Roadmap Director (Fountain, Colorado)
Maggie joins the Central Grasslands Roadmap Initiative team from the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT). Most recently, Maggie served CCALT as the Director of External Relations. In her time at CCALT she facilitated conservation easements, supported annual conservation easement monitoring, fundraised and managed the Leopold Conservation Award. Prior to pursuing work in the conservation space, Maggie was a member of El Pomar Foundation’s Fellowship Program, and spent a year in central Oregon as an Americorps volunteer working alongside the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District to develop and implement the Agora Platform, a project sourcing mechanism designed to better connect funders with rural community projects and needs.

Chandler Haut, Wildlife Habitat Biologist (Wheatland, WY)
Originally from North Dakota and U.S. Marine Veteran, Chandler was raised with a passion for wildlife and agriculture through hunting with his family and helping out on his grandfather’s farm. He received his bachelors in Integrated Studies with an empahsis in Wildlife Biology from Utah Valley University. He worked three seasons at Camp Williams, UT, where he accquired a love for working with bats and other small mammals. When not at work, Chandler loves to hunt, fish, and spend time with his wife and daughter.

Becky Heath, Camp Manager (Brighton, CO)
Becky grew up in upstate New York before moving to mid-coastal Maine, where she earned her degree in Marine Biology from Unity College. Summers were spent there working as a Camp Counselor & Day Camp Coordinator and fostered a love of experiential education in the camp setting. After graduation, she made the move to the greater Houston area where she worked in several camp roles from Discovery Instructor to Camp Director. It was in these years of outdoor education, working with captive birds of prey that she developed an appreciation for and excitement teaching about birds. Becky’s deep love of camp and sharing the natural world with others is what led here to Bird Conservancy’s camp programs! In her free time, you’ll find Becky hiking and camping with her pup, Hagrid, or enjoying a cozy knitting project with a good cup of coffee.
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Stephen Howland, Informatics Program Manager (Fort Collins, CO)
Stephen comes to us with extensive experience as a data engineer. He has created numerous innovative programming solutions through his work with finance, construction and oil and gas. He has proven success in making fully integrated and automated solutions using the most up to date technologies platforms especially  Python and SQL databases. In his free time Stephen is a skilled glass blower and loves doing all outdoor activities.

Jacob Job, Communications Director (Fort Collins, CO)
Jacob spent much of his youth in Michigan and Tennessee in the outdoors, building an passion for everything natural under the sun. After completing his PhD in Ecology at Western Michigan University, he quickly realized he had a passion for conservation through the lens of communication. Jacob comes to the Bird Conservancy in 2024 as Communications Director, looking to utilize his background in science and diverse communication skills to help the team at BCR protect birds and their habitats. Outside of work, Jacob enjoys tending to his pepper garden, exploring outdoors spaces with his family, growing his passion for monitoring migratory birds via nocturnal flight calls, and creating nature-based podcasts.
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Kylie Lamoree, Avian Ecologist (Fort Collins, CO)
Kylie grew up in rural eastern Nebraska and earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Zoology from the University of Wyoming. She has always had a deep passion and curiosity for the natural world and has experience ranging from multiple species surveys in Eastern Australia and the U.S., to leading conservation crews around Wyoming. She enjoys being outside, being too invested in sports, grossing out family and friends with odd biology facts, and most of all, winning bingo games.

Edward Landi, Avian Ecologist (Fort Collins, CO)
Edward grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, halfway between the Appalachian Mountains and the Outer Banks. In early high school, he began taking an interest in birds while volunteering at a local banding station. Chasing birds from the mountains to the coast became a frequent endeavour for teenage Edward. Once he got his driver’s license, he never hit the brakes on his new found hobby. This led him to pursue a career in bird research and earn his B.S. in Wildlife Biology from NC State University . While completing his degree, he  worked field jobs across the country, spent a semester abroad in Ecuador exploring the country’s diverse avifauna, and banding birds at sites across NC with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. Later, Edward moved to Colorado to pursue his M.S. in Biology at CSU Pueblo. For his thesis, he studied the Spatial Ecology of Cassin’s Sparrows using a remote telemetry system and solar-powered tags.

Quresh Latif, Research Scientist (Fort Collins, CO)
Quresh earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife, Fisheries, & Conservation Biology from U.C. Davis, and his Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology from U.C. Riverside. He collaborated with Point Blue’s Eastern Sierra Riparian Songbird Monitoring Program for his Ph.D. research. He worked as a post-doc with the Center for Conservation Biology for two years and with the Rocky Mountain Research Station for six years. He joined Bird Conservancy in 2018 as a biometrician with a focus on forest birds and working with forest management partners. He is relishing the opportunity to work with a large monitoring dataset (IMBCR) and Bird Conservancy’s science team to inform conservation and land management.
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Chris Latimer, Research Director (Fort Collins, CO) 
Chris grew up in Virginia where he received his B.S. & M.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Science at Virginia Tech. Chris completed his doctorate in Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison and then spent 4 years as a Landscape Ecologist at TNC, Colorado. Chris has a strong interest in quantitative ecology and leveraging data to inform conservation delivery. In his spare time, Chris enjoys getting outdoors with his family hiking, camping, fly-fishing and skiing, and brewing beer.
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Olivia Laws, Wildlife Habitat Biologist (Sterling, CO)
Olivia earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Biology in 2016 from Cal Poly Humboldt. She has always loved wild animals, and has actively worked in natural resource research, education and outreach across the country for the past several years. However, when she took a position working with wetlands there was no looking back. Since moving to Colorado she has worked with wetlands across the state. Passionate about stewardship and working with the public, Olivia has found the best of all worlds with the Bird Conservancy in Sterling. She enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, video games and spending time with her cat.
(970) 425-6491

Brittany Leslie, Program Manager (Fort Collins, CO)
Originally from Northern Michigan, Brittany earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography, Environmental Analysis & Resource Management from Western Michigan University (2006). From there, she worked for the National Park Service in Yosemite, where she used geospatial techniques to monitor visitor use and grazing impacts to the park’s meadows and riverbanks. It was there that she discovered the world of birding and spent most weekends exploring Yosemite and the Sierra foothills. She has been with Bird Conservancy since 2012, contributing to the Science Team’s GIS and IMBCR programs and now assists the Stewardship Team with grant and budget management. Brittany loves being outside with her family and in her spare time enjoys gardening, hunting, camping, and sewing.
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Aaron Lewis, Wildlife Habitat Biologist (Fort Morgan, CO)
Aaron grew up on a farm in Missouri, where his childhood adventures in the Ozarks, swamps, and grasslands of Missouri searching for snakes and turtles sparked a lifelong passion for conservation. This early interest paved the way for a career dedicated to protecting wildlife and natural habitats. Aaron earned an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Management from Northwest Missouri State University and a Master’s in Environmental Management. While in graduate school, Aaron worked on a National Science Foundation research project studying thawing permafrost and forest fires in Siberia and their impacts on the global climate. This experience led him to explore science communication, resulting in the creation of documentaries and podcasts, and engaging in educational initiatives.
(970) 482-1707

Kristin May, Wildlife Habitat Biologist (Sturgis, SD)
Originally from South Dakota, Kristin has a love and passion for everything outdoors related. Whether that is spending every weekend camping or spending many hours in the backcountry hiking. Kristin earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Rangeland Wildlife Management and Rangeland Ecology from Chadron State College in 2022. She is currently working on her Master of Agriculture in Agricultural Sciences: Integrated Resource Management Specialization. She also has studied and researched various large and small game wildlife with the Forest Service, through species such as grouse, various bat species, and bumblebees. She is excited to work directly with producers and the community to help enhance conservation efforts, along with restoring native grasslands and wildlife habitat.
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Meredith McBurney, Bander and Volunteer Coordinator (Brighton, CO)
Meredith made her decision to make conserving birds and their habitats her second career in 1997 when she held a warbler in the hand for the first time while volunteering for Earthwatch in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Returning to Colorado, she took Hugh and Urling Kingery’s beginning birder class, obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Zoology from Colorado State University, and learned her banding skills from the many excellent banders who preceded her as the bander at the Barr Lake station. She has worked for the Bird Conservancy since 2004, and bands in the spring at Chatfield and the fall at Barr Lake. She loves the hands-on experience of banding, and she loves sharing that experience with the hundreds of kids and adults who visit the banding stations every year.

Matthew McLaren, Senior Avian Ecologist/ IMBCR Coordinator (Fort Collins, CO)
Originally from Colorado, Matthew graduated from the University of Colorado with Bachelor’s Degrees in Biology and Environmental Science. After graduation he moved to Alaska and spent 5 years exploring the state and working in fisheries management. While in Alaska Matthew became particularly interested in birds and upon moving back to Colorado spent several years researching Mountain Plover nest success and habitat use. He joined Bird Conservancy of the Rockies as a point count technician for the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions program (IMBCR) in 2011 and became the IMBCR Coordinator in 2016. In his free time Matthew enjoys camping with his family, nature photography, gardening, and exploring the outdoors in any way possible.
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Ashley Mertz, Senior Wildlife Habitat Biologist (Greeley, CO)
Ashley was raised in Kansas and received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Wildlife Biology from Fort Hays State University (KS). After a brief internship in Kenya doing marine and terrestrial ecology, and providing sustainability workshops, she worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a biologist at both Aransas (TX) and Bosque del Apache (NM) National Wildlife Refuges. Hiking and exploring nature with her kids and husband fill most of her spare time, and she relishes a good podcast while running with her dog.
(970) 534-2296

Zoë Moffett, Wildlife Habitat Biologist (Walsenburg, CO)
Zoë moved from Connecticut to Colorado to earn her B.A. in Ecology at Colorado College (2017) where she worked with a crew of biologists studying Flammulated Owls near Woodland Park, CO. In the spring of 2020, Zoë worked as a bird bander and educator in Bandelier National Monument in Los Alamos, NM. In 2023, she finished her M.S. degree in Wildlife Biology at Utah State University where she studied Greater Sage-grouse nest depredation by the Common Raven. Now, she is thrilled to be back in Colorado working with private landowners to accomplish their forestry goals. In the outdoors, Zoë enjoys hiking and birding with her dog; indoors, she enjoys writing and running Dungeons & Dragons campaigns for her friends and family.

Lauren Newman, Stewardship Program Assistant (Fort Collins, CO)
Originally from the desert, Lauren earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona in the Sonoran Desert of Tucson. She has worked as an avian field technician since graduating, including the 2021, 2022 and 2023 field seasons with the Bird Conservancy’s Mountains to Plains project. Her interest in avian evolution, behavior, ecology and conservation has been a life-long affair. In her free time she cooks locally sourced meals, reads Stephen King novels, and spoils her dog and husband.

Sherry Nickolaus, Education Director (Brighton, CO)
Sherry grew up with a love for all things wild, leading her to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Science from the University of Washington and a Master’s Degree in Conservation Biology from Miami University. Working with animals and children has always been a passion and she firmly believes children are our future and our hope. Sherry thrives on sharing her enthusiasm and helping the community make a personal connection with birds and the natural world. When not working, she spends her time with her family playing, gardening, mini-farming, and enjoying the outdoors.
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Bryan Nuse, Research Scientist (Athens, GA)
Bryan grew up in Atlanta, and is a quantitative ecologist with an interest in bridging the gap between statistical modeling and practical applications such as conservation management. He received his PhD in 2014 from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia, then worked as a postdoc in the Georgia Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit. Although his dissertation work involved bird surveys in river corridors and coastal wetlands, Bryan’s recent focus has been on building integrated population models for herps: gopher tortoises, loggerhead sea turtles. As his goal was always to return to bird work, his most recent project (Adaptive Management for Red Knots and horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay) has been a welcome change. And he is excited now to be coming back around to the kind of songbirds that led him toward ecology and conservation in the first place.

Arvind Panjabi, Senior Research Scientist (Fort Collins, CO)
Before coming to the Bird Conservancy in 2000, Arvind worked on bird conservation projects from Alaska to Panama. He managed Bird Conservancy’s Black Hills bird monitoring project through 2005 and published several informative reports on the avifauna of this unique region. He works closely with Partners in Flight, manages the PIF Species Assessment Database, and was instrumental in applying the PIF assessment process to the Mexican avifauna, in conjunction with federal and NGO partners in Mexico. In 2005, he launched the Bird Conservancy’s International program to build a permanent bridge for bird conservation throughout the Americas. He is involved in several cooperative projects in Mexico in Chihuahuan grasslands, western Mexico and the Sierra Madre Oriental. Arvind has a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Vermont (1993) and a Master’s Degree in Wildlife Biology from Louisiana State University (1999).
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David Pavlacky, Biometrician (Fort Collins, CO)
Originally from Colorado, David received a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University (1995) and a Master’s Degree in Zoology and Physiology from the University of Wyoming (2000). He earned a doctorate in Zoology from the University of Queensland, Australia (2008), where he studied landscape genetics and ecology of rainforest birds. David first worked for the Bird Conservancy as a field technician in 1995, and he rejoined the Bird Conservancy in April 2008 to work on the spatial ecology of playa wetlands in eastern Colorado and western Nebraska. His research interests include quantitative methods for the distribution and abundance of wildlife and landscape ecology of forest birds.
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Brandt Ryder, Chief Conservation Scientist (Fort Collins, CO)
Brandt earned a Bachelors of Wildlife Biology from Unity College in (1999) and then went on to get a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in (2008). Brandt’s dissertation focused on the demography and social behavior of tropical lekking birds. Prior to joining Bird Conservancy, Brandt worked for a decade as a research scientist for the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center focusing on the conservation and behavior of birds across their annual cycle. Brandt has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers on a diversity of topics including urban ecology, migration ecology, landscape ecology and behavioral ecology. Brandt enjoys the outdoors in his free time through hiking, running, and doing landscape and astrophotography.
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Jessie Reese, Research Scientist (Fort Collins, CO)
Jessie grew up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and earned a B.S. in Biology from James Madison University and an M.S. in Biology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has studied birds and their habitats since 2011, including several seasons with The Institute for Bird Populations. During her M.S., she developed conservation partnerships in Latin America while studying migratory connectivity. After graduating in 2017, she worked to restore healthy forests for priority bird species with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Prior to joining Bird Conservancy, she worked with the Human Dimensions Branch of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Fort Collins, where she has enjoyed exploring Colorado’s mountains and plains through birding, backpacking, and climbing.
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Nilanjana Saha, Forest Program Manager (Denver, CO)
Nilanjana grew up in Maryland and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Behavior and English from Bucknell University and a Master’s Degree in Conservation Biology from Columbia University before moving to Colorado in 2015. She has spent nearly a decade as an urban forester helping to build greener, healthier and more resilient communities. Nilanjana is passionate about fostering stewardship through collaboration and communication and is thrilled to join the Bird Conservancy to support the restoration and management of forest habitats. In her free time, Nilanjana loves to hike and camp with her toddler, husband and two dogs.

Allison Shaw, Ecologist – Data Specialist (Fort Collins, CO)
Allison is originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan. She obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Grinnell College and a Master’s Degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Iowa State University. She has worked on forest and wetland conservation projects across the United States and Central America for The Nature Conservancy, National Park Service, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Peace Corps Guatemala and others. Allison joined Bird Conservancy in the fall of 2014 to assist the International team with data and project management.
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Matt Smith, Avian Ecologist (Fort Collins, CO)
Matt earned his Bachelor’s Degree in environmental science from the University of South Florida, and began work as a seasonal field technician with Audubon Florida while still in school. During that time he assisted with a variety of research and conservation projects focused mainly on colonial waterbirds and shorebirds, such as the reddish egret and American Oystercatcher. He spent the summer of 2011 as whitewater guide on the Arkansas River, and has been plotting to return to Colorado ever since. Prior to joining the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Matt was managing a bald eagle nest monitoring program for the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey. Matt is an avid outdoorsman and a licensed falconer.
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Rob Sparks, Senior Spatial Ecologist- Spatial Analysis Coordinator (Fort Collins, CO)
Rob found an appreciation for nature at a young age growing up in the forests of Africa and South America. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Botany from Miami University and a Geo-Spatial Science certificate from Colorado State University. After college, he hiked the Appalachian Trail and traveled to Costa Rica to work on conservation projects. His research focuses on developing hierarchical models to estimate species habitat relationships and predict distribution. Rob also has an interest in understanding bird migration routes and has analyzed Black Swift, Western Tanager and Swainson’s Thrush geolocator datasets. He’s currently working with Chestnut-collared Longspur geolocators. In addition, he leads the Eastern-Screech Owl community science program to estimate occupancy dynamics.
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Marcella Tarantino, Senior Wildlife Biologist (Gunnison, CO)
Marcella grew up in Golden, Colorado and did her undergraduate at Western State College in Gunnison in 2011. She worked for Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Forest Service in Gunnison, as well as Oregon State University on a variety of projects. Marcella then studied sage-grouse diet and habitat use at Boise State University for her Master’s Degree. She enjoys gardening, skiing, backpacking, fishing, and living in the west!
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Jennifer Timmer, Senior Avian Ecologist – Science Delivery Lead (Fort Collins, CO)
Originally from Michigan, Jennifer (Jen) graduated from Michigan State University in 2006 with a Bachelor’s Degree and then worked on a variety of wildlife projects in several states to gain field experience and a better understanding of wildlife management and research. These projects led her to southern Iowa to track bobcats and to southwestern Colorado to track mountain lions. Jen returned to school to earn her Master’s in Wildlife Science at Texas Tech University where she estimated the population of Lesser Prairie-Chicken in Texas and created spatially explicit habitat models. She completed her PhD in Ecology at Colorado State University and incorporated sage-grouse and songbirds into range management models with input from a variety of stakeholders. Jen joined Bird Conservancy’s Science team in 2017.  Her work focuses on engaging partners, developing tools and resources, and disseminating scientific information to IMBCR partners.
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Megan Wallace, Accounting Specialist (Brighton, CO)
At the age of six Megan received a bird feeder for Christmas and that was the beginning of a life long love affair with birds. Later on she began volunteering with a group that cared for injured birds of prey. She worked closely with the raptors, providing daily care for them, as well as delivering public education programs on the importance of conservation and environmental literacy. Now when she’s not working, she enjoys combining her love of birds with her other passion of art; creating pieces featuring the songbirds and raptors she loves so much.
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TC Walker, Avian Ecologist (Fort Collins, CO)
TC earned a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology (2020) from Colorado State University where he focused on GIS and avian ecology. Well before he even started school, however, TC took his love for birds and the outdoors on the road as a field technician. Since 2014, he has spent summers conducting breeding bird surveys for Bird Conservancy and the rest of the year monitoring raptors and sage-grouse throughout the western United States. TC went on to lead the southwest IMBCR survey effort in 2021 and later joined the Science team full-time to provide GIS support within the IMBCR program. TC can often be found in the forest four-wheeling to the best spots for fishing, camping and birding.
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Matt Webb, Senior Avian Ecologist – Motus Wildlife Tracking System Coordinator (Fort Collins, CO)
Matt was born and raised in Salida, CO. Around age 10, at odds with his preferences, his family moved to the ‘dull’ plains of Northern Colorado. To Matt’s surprise, he fell in love with the endless roll and incredible diversity of the shortgrass prairies. He later spent some time in Pittsburgh, PA, working at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the American Bird Conservancy, and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Biology and a Master’s in Conservation Leadership, both received from Colorado State University. When not building automated radio telemetry stations, Matt enjoys mothing, photographing beetles, riding and fixing bicycles, turning over stones, and dragging his family outside at night to watch the International Space Station go by.
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Stephanie Wheeler, Education Manager (Fort Collins, CO)
Stephanie grew up in the Chicago suburbs where she learned to appreciate the outdoors and wildlife. While pursuing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she took an ornithology course and fell in love with birds. Following her bachelor’s degree, she had opportunities to work with birds in a number of locations including Illinois, Hawaii, Trinidad and Tobago, and Louisiana. Wanting to find a way to work more with people in conservation, Stephanie spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea, West Africa. There she partnered with communities in search of sustainable solutions to farming and gardening. After completing her service she returned to school and earned her doctorate in Biology at the University of Florida where she studied the ecology and behavior of Vitelline Masked Weavers in Kenya with focus on anthropogenic affects. This was also an opportunity for Stephanie to teach courses and develop public outreach activities. She found joy in sharing her excitement about birds and is passionate about helping communities to embrace stewardship of their local wildlife through education.

Chris White, Director of Science Operations (Fort Collins, CO)
Chris graduated from Arizona State University in 2002 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. While volunteering at an avian rehabilitation facility in Scottsdale, AZ, Chris was smitten with birds. He conducted field work for the next few years, moving to Fort Collins, Colorado along the way. Chris was initially hired to work for Bird Conservancy as a data entry technician in the fall of 2006. Since then, Chris has worked his way up through the ranks, serving as a biologist, then IMBCR Coordinator, and finally to his current position where he plays a key role in science operations for the organization.
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Cassie Wolfanger, Wildlife Habitat Biologist (Montrose, CO)
Originally from rural western New York, Cassie received a master’s degree in Environmental Science and Ecology from SUNY Brockport, where her research focused on land use and restoration influences on coastal wetlands of the Great Lakes. Previously, Cassie worked for the Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit with USGS on juvenile lake sturgeon and then Audubon Vermont as a conservation fellow/biologist, where her love and passion for birds took flight and never slowed. She’s most interested in conservation of threatened species and finding the best ways we can partner to steward the land for their survival, even in human-dominated landscapes, to coexist with wildlife and support agricultural sustainability at the same time. With a love of all animals, domestic and wild, Cassie enjoys spending her free time hiking with her dogs, riding horses, camping, paddling, hunting, fishing, and skiing.

Colin Woolley, Banding Manager (Brighton, CO)
Colin grew up in Oregon and fell in love with birds on family trips to Malhuer National Wildlife Refuge. He took his first field job in 2004 studying sagebrush shrub-steppe birds and has been working in avian monitoring and research ever since. This work has taken him across the U.S., Canada, and Central America. He received his Bachelor’s in Conservation Biology from Prescott College and his Master’s in Biology from University of Colorado, Denver. He partnered with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies for his Master’s thesis studying breeding ecology and habitat use of Mountain Plovers. He has been banding birds for over 10 years and loves to share this experience with others. He has a borderline-obsessive affinity for Spizella sparrows and Toxostoma thrashers. His other interests include hiking, traveling, auto mechanics, and starting (and occasionally finishing) overly-complicated board-games.
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Qing Zhao, Research Scientist (Fort Collins, CO)
Qing is a quantitative ecologist with strong interests in modeling wildlife populations, communities, and movement under regional to global environmental alterations to inform conservation decision-making. Qing received a BS in Ecology and Environmental Biology and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Peking University in 2000 and 2009, respectively, and a MS in Statistics from the University of Toledo in 2010. Qing’s current work focuses on developing population models to understand grassland bird population declines. Qing has worked on numerous bird species (mallards, northern pintails, snowy plovers, barn swallows, boreal birds) as well as wild monkeys.
(419) 508-5347