California Department of Fish and Wildlife

I was very fortunate to work out of the Wildlife Resources Branch in Sacramento, CA as a scientific aide for four engaging, challenging and enjoyable years.

During the summer of 2009 I volunteered to assist the first field season of the Mendocino Black-tailed Deer Project, primarily capturing and tracking fawns. I was thoroughly enamored of the location and the research, and was hired on as a Scientific Aide for the rest of the project. Every year the study increased in complexity, and I was able to gain experience with deer and mountain lion captures, mortality and kill site investigation, extensive telemetry, trail camera work, and the numerous behind the scenes tasks required to keep such a large project up and running.

Beyond the engaging and meaningful work, I am grateful for those long summers living in tents with a pickle barrel of bath water, the winter field work adventures, my truly unforgettable coworkers and each of the study animals that contributed to our research.

Fisher Research

The fall and winter of 2009/2010, after my first season on the Mendocino project, I interned with the forest service on the Kings River Fisher Project. Working to trap, collar and track fishers, plus seasonal work assisting the scat detection dog teams, was incredible. I jumped on a chance to return to a sister study for a short stint during summer 2013, in which I was able to fine tune my aerial telemetry skill and set baited trail cameras to capture some of the fantastic diversity of animals in the Sierras.

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