Summer 2012 Field Technicians
Tom Batter: graduated from University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May 2012 with a BS in Environmental Science and a BS in Fisheries and Wildlife. After the 2012 field season, he used this experience to springboard himself into his current position at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in the Wildlife Investigations Lab. His future career goal is to gain a Master's degree in Wildlife Ecology, preferably focusing on mountain lion ecology, human-mountain lion conflict mitigation, or another closely related mountain lion research inquiry. "When I'm in the field you can often hear me belting out a Disney song to the delight of everyone around me."
Cody Griffin: graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Natural Resource Ecology and Management in 2012. "I'm living in Utah working as a Greater-Sage Grouse technician and I plan to get my masters and work as a wildlife biologist." In 2013, Cody began working on his MS at Texas Tech University in the Grisham Climate Response Lab. http://integratedclimatettunrm.blogspot.com/p/people.html?m=0
Elden Holdorf: graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in December 2011 and worked primarily in a disease ecology lab throughout his undergrad examining the effects of parasites and pathogens on amphibian declines in the western US. After graduating Elden joined the 2012 Field Crew and "was fortunate enough to collect data and establish first-year camera sites all over the Bay Area for use in this research." Currently he is working for the USGS on Guam studying population dynamics of the invasive Brown Treesnake. Elden also works for a private environmental consulting firm based in Micronesia.
Tucker Volk: earned a Bachelors degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from University of Colorado at Boulder in 2010. He gained experience in biological research and scientific sampling by working for government agencies, universities, and privet companies. After his graduation he worked in a varity of fields such as wildlife management/research, forestry, education and construction. Tucker has a passion for sustainability and conservation. He is intrigued by many aspects of environmental science such as; Land Management, Wildlife Protection, Clean Energy, and Conservation of Water and Natural Resource. Tucker also loves hiking, extreme sports, traveling, and experiencing new and exciting things.
Leanna Lucore: Graduated in 2009 with a BS in Environmental Science with a concentration in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Prior to joining Michelle’s 2012 field crew, she had 2 years of field work experience including two SCA internships with the National Park Service and working with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to observe the Opilio catch. She is currently working with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board as a Water Quality Programs Specialist, helping to start up the new Groundwater Monitoring and Assessment Program collecting groundwater samples though out the state, and coordinating all field activities related to GPS field data collection and post processing.
Morgan Gray: After the 2012 field season, Morgan Gray became a PhD student at UC Berkeley, in the department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management. Her research focus is on landscape-scale ecology, with an emphasis on how habitat disturbance influences mammalian carnivores. http://morgangray.weebly.com/
Sarah Espinosa: graduated from Bowdoin College in 2010 with a BS in Biology. After graduating, she wanted to do field work while exploring new places. She has monitored and tagged loggerhead sea turtles on nesting beaches in Greece, photo identified minke whales and white beaked dolphins in Iceland, and tracked sea otters along the coast of California. "Michelle’s project was a great opportunity to explore the parks around the bay area while capturing photos of mt. lions and bears!" Sarah is currently tracking otters in CA for USGS.
Jacob Humm
2013 Technicians
Audrey Nickles: graduated in 2011 with a BS in Biology, concentration in Zoology from San Francisco State University. She is currently studying the subterranean activity of Aplodontia burrow use in the Point Reyes National Seashore with the use of trail cameras. She is continuing her education at the Santa Rosa Junior College, working on an AS degree in the GIS program.
Nick Gengler: graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2013 with a BS in Biology and certificate in Wildlife Ecology and Management. He has worked in Saguaro National Park monitoring/tracking Gila monster populations, and volunteered in the Helena Wildlife Rehabilitation Center caring for injured wildlife. He will be volunteering and working seasonally for a few years, starting with working on an ACE trail crew in Flagstaff, before pursuing a graduate degree in Conservation Biology.
Kate Galbreath: graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2012 with a BS in Biology. She has previously worked for the USGS examining brood movement and habitat use of American and Pacific Golden Plovers. While at her undergraduate institution she has also helped with a carnivore ecology project in Madagascar using remote camera traps. Following the 2013 field season she will start her MS in Ecology at Utah State University with her research focus on mountain lion foraging ecology in the Sierra Nevada.
Kayla Lauger: received a BS in Biology and a certificate in Wildlife Management and Ecology from Northern Arizona University in 2013. She has assisted in behavioral studies of Nicrophorus burying beetles, as well as their population dynamics in relation to small rodents at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. In addition, she has volunteered with the Interpretive Animal Collection at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum caring for animals used in educational programs. After the 2013 field season, she plans to work on seasonal wildlife projects to gain experience in the field before pursuing a graduate degree.
Ally Coconis: graduated from the University of Utah in 2012 with a B.S. in Biology. Prior to graduation she interned with the National Park Service for Wildlife Management, radio collaring and tracking Black bears in Yosemite National Park. In the summer of 2012, she worked as a wildlife technician assisting with high alpine chipmunk research for the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley. She plans on pursuing a graduate degree in wildlife conservation while continuing to work in the field as a technician.
Vanessa Lane-Miller (Crew Leader): graduated
from Colorado State University in 2007 with a BS in Natural Resources Parks and
Protected Areas Management. She has worked with Boulder County Parks and Open
Space doing fire ecology vegetation studies, developing forestry management
policies, and assisting with mountain lion tracking and capture. She has also
worked with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game performing bat and marbled
murrelet research and assisting with brown bear tracking and capture. Prior to
this project she worked with Colorado Division of Wildlife to study the effects
of resource extraction and habitat restoration efforts on sage grouse.
Greg Pfau: graduated from the University of California Berkeley in 2012 with a B.S. in Molecular Environmental Biology. He has assisted with research involving population estimates and habitat usage of Giant Kangaroo Rats in the Carrizo Plains National Monument as well as the impact of climate change on altitudinal distribution of Alpine Chipmunks in Yosemite National Park. Over the past year he has worked off-and-on as an environmental monitor, observing construction projects and reducing impact on special-status species such as San Francisco Dusky-footed Woodrats, San Francisco Garter Snakes and California Red-legged Frogs. After the 2013 field season Greg plans on applying to M.S. programs in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in pursuit of a career in wildlife research.
Canyon Miller:
2014 Field Technicians
Nick Gengler: Crew Leader for the Southern Crew
Tom Batter: Crew Leader for the Northern Crew
Caitlyn Cooper: Graduated from Indiana University Bloomington in May 2014 with a BS in Environmental Science with a concentration in Conservation Ecology. During her undergrad she worked in an ecotoxicology lab to see if crayfish could be used as an indicator species for wetland integrity. After working as a Wildlife Field Technician she plans to find a position in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and care. She volunteers with IU’s Chemistry Department to promote interest in the sciences for children of all ages. She also volunteers with wildlife rescue centers and plans to get a graduate degree in Wildlife Conservation.
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Kayla Lauger:
Meghan Sutton:
Brianna Halliwell: