Tell us a bit about your background - where are you from and where did you study?

I am from Kernersville, North Carolina and currently attend Appalachian State University where I am a rising senior. I am pursuing a degree in Biology with a concentration in ecology, evolution, and environmental studies.

What got you interested in birds?

I have been interested in birds since I was a child, but I think I have to give a lot of credit to each of my grandmothers for really getting me interested in them. Any time I was at either of their houses, we would sit out and watch the birds at their feeders and I would read every bird identification book they had. My interest only grew as I got older, and has stuck with me ever since.

Do you have a spark bird story?

For me it is hard to think of a true "spark moment" that really got me into birds, as I have had a big interest in them for as long as I can remember. I would just say that reading a lot of books on local birds and drawing lots of pictures as a kid definitely helped me grow my interest, which has only gone up since then.

What have you done so far working at Beidler?

So far, I have worked primarily with Jennifer Tyrell in a variety of projects, such as capturing and banding birds for MAPS, gathering data on Prothonotary Warblers for Project PROTHO, serving with the coastal team doing seabird stewardship, and so much more. I have absolutely loved my time here so far and am very excited for what the rest of the summer holds.

Is there anything about this position that you are looking forward to in the upcoming future?

As far as the rest of the summer goes, I am very excited to keep doing what we have been doing. Working in this position I have done a variety of different jobs, and no two days have ever been the exact same. I always wake up excited to get out in the field, and the work never disappoints me.