I run Gold Country Avian Studies, a small organization focusing on bird conservation and education in the Sierra Foothills. We operate a year-round bird banding station at Empire Mine State Historic Park. Much of my research has focused on hermit thrushes of the west coast, especially at Big Basin Redwoods State Park. I am interested in flowers, shrubs, and trees for their own sake (and beauty), and also how they might serve as a resource in bird habitats. I received my MS in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology from San Francisco State University.