About
I grew up in relatively rural southwestern Ontario, Canada, in an old farmhouse surrounded by corn fields. I started my scientific career at age 6, mucking around in the pond catching frogs and collecting "samples" from the forest floor in my egg carton "test tubes" for later analysis. After my first year of undergrad, I landed my first field technician position working with birds. Since then, each new experience doing research and fieldwork has made me fall more and more in love with ecology and, specifically, the ecology of birds. I was also fortunate to realize my love for teaching when I worked with community scientists in the Smithsonian's Neighbourhood Nestwatch program. It is thus my ambition to continue pursuing a career that combines research and education in the field of avian ecology, all the while pursuing my many varied hobbies (below)!
I enjoy birding. The diversity of avian life in the world is fascinating, and I find the diversity of avian behaviours and life history strategies to be even more incredible. Birding is a fantastic way to observe those behaviours with little more than a pair of binoculars, and is extremely relaxing, especially with friends.
I also enjoy banding whenever I get the opportunity. I have banded at Bon Portage Island (Nova Scotia), Long Point Bird Observatory (Ontario), and Tommy Thompson Park Bird Research Station (Ontario). It is such a privilege to be able to hold birds in the hand and appreciate (and learn about) their varied morphologies up-close.
I also like to create art, such as this linocut of a Hudsonian Godwit, one of the focal species of my MSc research. I occasionally draw in pen and pencil, make gyotaku, and paint in acrylic; but for me "art" also means playing music and writing poetry.
And of course I enjoy travelling and adventure as much as the next person. I'll try anything once, and I always enjoy going to new places and meeting new people.
This website is, of course, meant to showcase my research and CV from a professional academic standpoint. But if you share any of the more recreational interests that I've listed on this page and want to chat about them, I would love to hear from you.