A.I. and eDNA (sorted by presentation order) | |
DATA-DRIVEN RESTORATION: LEVERAGING EDNA, GEOSPATIAL DATA, AND MODELING TO MEASURE, TRACK, AND ACCELERATE HABITAT RECOVERY | | Julie G Stanford; eDNA Explorer; julie@ednaexplorer.com; Rachel Meyer, Gabrielle Scheffer | We spend huge amounts of time and resources on habitat restoration, but it’s often difficult and expensive to understand the baseline of what's there, monitor the wildlife that is actually coming back, and understand the drivers of differences in community composition. This talk shares case studies of eDNA-based methods for measuring and understanding restoration impact using a combination of eDNA and geospatial data. We will discuss how these two data streams, when analyzed together, create a non-invasive and highly detailed way to assess ecological recovery and inform ongoing management practices. Using real-world examples from Western habitats, we'll demonstrate how an eDNA-integrated approach provides evidence to justify future funding, streamline reporting, and make fast, effective decisions about how to manage a recovered landscape. | A.I. and eDNA Friday 8:05 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Julie Stanford is the CEO of eDNA Explorer, a platform for consultants, researchers and land managers to process, analyze and collaborate on eDNA and geospatial data. She is also a human computer interaction lecturer at the Stanford Computer Science department and Stanford d.school where she teaches students and industry practitioners how to design technology for greater impact and ease of use. | CHARACTERIZING THE SAN FRANCISCO COYOTE POPULATION USING NONINVASIVE GENETIC SAMPLING. | | Monica G Serrano-Renteria; UC Davis; mgserrano@ucdavis.edu; Tali Caspi, Stevi Vanderzwan, Ben Sacks | Wildlife are increasingly expanding their ranges into urban ecosystems, which presents both challenges associated with conflict and opportunities for nature appreciation. Coyotes (Canis latrans) are one of the most conspicuous and controversial wildlife species to utilize urban habitats across North America. After their extirpation from San Francisco in the 1920s, re-colonization by coyotes was first documented in the early 2000s. Since then, they have become increasingly visible in the public eye, garnering both excitement and annoyance. Despite their notoriety, little is known about basic population parameters, such as the distribution and number of family groups. We used genetic analyses of non-invasively collected scat samples along with opportunistically collected tissue samples from road-kills and other sources from 2015-2024 to identify 199 distinct individuals. From these individual genotypes, we built a pedigree, identified family groups, and located territories on the landscape. During 2020-2021, we used intensive scat surveys to estimate abundances and reproductive success of males and females. We additionally describe intra-city movements, pair formation, and inferences of immigration. Together, these findings provide a comprehensive portrait into the genetic structure and family dynamics of an extremely urbanized population. | A.I. and eDNA Friday 8:25 AM | | Student Paper |
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Monica Serrano is a PhD candidate in the Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit, at UC Davis. Her research focuses on the population genetics of urban coyotes, but she has a wide breadth of wildlife experience from her days at DWR and SCC's Field Ecology program. Today she'll be sharing some results from her dissertation research. | UTILIZING EDNA, WILDLIFE CAMERAS, AND ACOUSTIC RECORDING UNITS TO DETECT WILDLIFE AT THE TULE ELK STATE NATURAL RESERVE | | Anna Talken; atalken@riverpartners.org; Emma Havstad, Sarah Gaffney | Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a powerful, non-invasive tool for detecting wildlife, including rare and sensitive species. In 2025, River Partners performed eDNA sampling at 19 sites across more than 3000 acres in the San Joaquin Valley, capturing 1200 samples as part of our baseline monitoring effort to evaluate biodiversity on sites before and after restoration. eDNA offers key advantages, including the ability to detect cryptic or non-vocal species. However, it also presents limitations, such as a lack of genetic data for certain species and sensitivity to environmental conditions. One site of particular interest was the Tule Elk State Natural Reserve in California, where over 20 sensitive species have historically been detected. At this site, we conducted baseline monitoring using eDNA, wildlife camera traps, and acoustic recording units (ARUs). We collected soil-based eDNA samples from 12 transect locations, sampled twice per year, resulting in a total of 288 samples, and deployed 10 camera traps and 10 ARUs between April and July 2025. We will present data from each method and discuss the species that were detected, offering a more comprehensive understanding of the effectiveness of different monitoring techniques. | A.I. and eDNA Friday 8:45 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Anna holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Management and brings over eight years of experience working with environmental non-profits to advance conservation and restoration efforts. Her background includes wildlife monitoring, project development, geospatial analysis, and science communication. She has led and contributed to research on various topics, including mountain lion habitat connectivity in California. Since joining River Partners in 2022, Anna has led the planning, implementation, and monitoring of riparian and upland restoration projects in California’s southern San Joaquin Valley. She specializes in designing site-specific, scalable restoration projects informed by scientific field trials. | INTRODUCING AUDIODASH: A WEB-BASED TOOL FOR ORGANIZING, AUTOMATICALLY CLASSIFYING, AND VERIFYING AUDIO RECORDINGS OF WILDLIFE | | Jerry S Cole; The Insitute for Bird Populations; jcole@birdpop.org; Mary Clapp, Keke Ray, Joe Weiss, Tungite Labs | The field of bioacoustics has rapidly evolved in the last decade in terms of hardware, statistical methods, and automatic classification of sounds. Despite this, wildlife professionals are increasingly faced with large volumes of audio and limited options for scaling up the processing and review of sound data that do not require technical expertise. Our solution to this problem is AudioDash, an open-source, cloud-hosted, platform that enables users to leverage the power of well-known audio classification models such as BirdNET and Perch, through a browser-based graphical interface that requires no programming knowledge. Current features include the ability to: process audio through BirdNET or Perch classifiers, generate audio selections for manual review based on classifier output, and build and refine custom Perch classifiers tailored to species of interest. To demonstrate the capacity of AudioDash we provide three project examples: a multi-species bird study, a study of a single endangered bird species, and a custom classifier for vehicle sounds. We aim to bridge the gap between the technical innovations taking place in bioacoustics, such as cutting-edge machine learning models, and practicing wildlife professionals who may not have the time or technical expertise to implement these new technologies at scale. | A.I. and eDNA Friday 9:05 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Jerry has a M.S. in Biology from the University of North Dakota where he studied the effects of grassland management on birds in tallgrass prairie. He has worked on various avian projects throughout the West, ranging from tracking Clark's Nutcrackers to helping capture California Condors in southern California. Jerry works on analyzing bird point count and acoustic survey data collected within California, Colorado, and other western states. He is also interested in the development of automated methods for classification of species on audio recordings. He enjoys exploring new places throughout California, but especially in the Sierra Nevada. | AI-SUPPORTED, THERMAL WILDLIFE DETECTION AND CLASSIFICATION AT WILDLIFE CROSSINGS | | Vedant Srinivas; Stanford University; vedants8@stanford.edu; Fraser Shilling, Mark Norman, Joshua Zylstra | Wildlife monitoring is crucial for informing conservation efforts, providing valuable insights into use of wildlife infrastructure, movement patterns, and population dynamics. Traditional monitoring methods that include motion activated cameras and manual analysis are time-consuming and costly. Large-scale wildlife monitoring projects, such as the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project studied here, involve extensive networks of motion-activated thermal cameras that generate millions of images and videos annually. We propose and demonstrate a novel solution: a morphing workflow to convert large datasets of annotated optical imagery to equivalently-annotated thermal-analog imagery. This synthetic thermal data enables training of a high-precision detection model without access to real thermal data. The detection model achieved over 99% accuracy across three animal groups (deer/elk, bobcat, and coyote) and successfully filtered 98.63% of false positives in real-world thermal videos collected at the 61.5 Overcrossing South on the I-90 corridor. The filtered detections were passed to a lightweight classification model trained on real thermal imagery, which achieved species-level classification accuracies of 93% (bobcat and coyote) and 97% (deer/elk). This two-stage system substantially reduces manual review while maintaining high identification performance. By combining scalable synthetic data with targeted real-world training, this approach removes key barriers to large-scale, automated wildlife monitoring using thermal sensors. | A.I. and eDNA Friday 9:25 AM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
Vedant Srinivas is a sophomore at Stanford University studying Computer Science and co-founder of IyarkAI with Dr. Fraser Shilling. At IyarkAI, he develops computer-vision systems for large-scale wildlife monitoring, collaborating with the Washington State Department of Transportation and UC Davis Road Ecology Center to deploy detection models along critical wildlife corridors. Beyond conservation, Vedant works on satellite collision prevention with the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and previously contributed to AI Research at Salesforce, focusing on optimizing agentic workflows. He hopes to continue bridging AI and ecology to create scalable, data-driven tools for wildlife protection and environmental sustainability. | PASSIVE ACOUSTIC DATA AS PHENOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTIONS: UNCOVERING SIGNALS OF TEMPORAL ECOLOGY | | Mary K Clapp; The Institute for Bird Populations; mclapp@birdpop.org; Morgan W Tingley, Damon B Lesmeister, Jason I Ransom, Scott A Gremel, Mandy L Holmgren, Rodney B Siegel | Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) is an increasingly common method for monitoring birds and other sound-producing organisms at scale, but methods that digest these data streams into ecological insight remain underdeveloped. PAM and classification algorithms powered by artificial intelligence (AI) provide a promising avenue to describe the phenology of vocal animals, but standardized methods with verified connections to biological phenomena are lacking. Here, we articulate hypotheses regarding the relationship between avian vocal activity and phenological events, and present a workflow for quantifying avian vocal phenology from PAM data. We applied our workflow to 18,568 hours of audio from 185 sites across Olympic National Park. Using expert-verified BirdNET data and hierarchical generalized additive models, we estimated daily vocal activity probabilities for 25 bird species, from which we derived standardized “phenometrics” describing the timing, duration, and shape of vocal patterns. Estimated phenometrics generally supported hypotheses: residents exhibited earlier, longer vocal periods than migrants, and vocal activity was delayed and shortened in mid-elevations relative to lower elevations. Late-season vocal activity, particularly in resident and irruptive species, underscored PAM’s potential to capture ecological dynamics beyond breeding. We highlight opportunities for methodological advancement and the need to integrate PAM with field observations to strengthen biological interpretation. | A.I. and eDNA Friday 9:45 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Dr. Mary Clapp is an avian ecologist with The Institute for Bird Populations. Her research to date has focused on how wild birds– from individuals to communities– respond to environmental disturbances such as non-native species introductions, prescribed fire, and climate change. She has 12 years of experience integrating acoustic techniques into research on birds, including field implementation, data management, and statistical development. She received a BA in Biology and English from St. Mary's College of Maryland (2009) and earned her PhD in Ecology from UC-Davis (2021). |
Ecology and Conservation of Bats I (sorted by presentation order) | |
BAT FORAGING ECOLOGY: SEASONAL VARIATION IN THE DIETS OF THE BRAZILIAN FREE-TAILED BAT (TADARIDA BRASILIENSIS) | | Lucas C Vanderkar; vanderkarluke@yahoo.com; Donald Miller, Shahroukh Mistry, David Keller | The Brazilian free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) is the most abundant mammal in North America. Despite their abundance, little research has been done on their diets and ecological impact on the edges of their range in California. Recent advancements in DNA metabarcoding techniques in the last two decades have provided huge leaps in dietary studies providing a more comprehensive and ethical approach to this important avenue in bat research. This project employed a multi-faceted approach to studying the diets of T. brasiliensis in California and reveals unprecedented information about their dynamics across seasons, locations, and after a large wildfire disturbance. Bat fecal samples were collected at Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve (BCCER) and the Chico State University Farm (CSUF). A metabarcoding analysis performed by the Species from Feces lab at Northern Arizona University (NAU) revealed significant differences in the diet profiles depending on location, season, and after fire disturbance. Dietary patterns showed connections towards seasonal insect abundance patterns, pest species at CSUF, and opportunistic insects that colonize following large wildfire disturbances. These results contribute crucial insights to how this species changes its diet depending on environmental factors and provides practical information useful for applications in bat conservation and sustainable agriculture. | Ecology and Conservation of Bats I Wednesday 1:05 PM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
My name is Lucas Vanderkar. I am originally from Galt, CA and received my B.S. in Biology from Sonoma State University in 2021 and am finishing up my M.S. in Biological Sciences at Chico State University. My research interests lie in behavioral ecology specifically in mammals. I am excited to present my intriguing results from my comprehensive study on an ecologically vital species in many areas and how they respond to changes in their environment. | APHIDS AND BEETLES AND FLIES, OH MY! WHAT BRAZILIAN FREE-TAILED BATS EAT IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA | | Shahroukh Mistry; Butte College; mistrysh@butte.edu; Alissa Cox | Insectivorous bats feed on a wide range of arthropods and play an important role in agriculture by reducing pest populations. Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) are known to typically consume moths and beetles, but little is known about how their diet changes across seasons or towards the edge of their range. To investigate these questions, we analyzed guano from 20 bat houses in Butte County, California, collected from December 2023 to November 2024. DNA sequencing identified prey and confirmed that nearly all samples belonged to T. brasiliensis. Unlike previous studies, in Northern California their diet consisted of less than 5% moths (Lepidoptera). Flies (Diptera) dominated, representing over two-thirds of all prey, followed by beetles (Coleoptera) at roughly fifteen percent. Diet varied significantly between seasons. Winter was dominated by Diptera (93%). Spring also showed a dominance of Diptera but a notable rise in Hemiptera (24%), likely due to increasing aphid abundance. Summer had almost equal proportions of Diptera and Coleoptera (43% and 44%) with the highest Lepidoptera of the year (10%). Fall was primarily Diptera (79%). These results indicate that T. brasiliensis likely switches prey with seasons, relying on available insect groups when preferred prey are scarce. | Ecology and Conservation of Bats I Wednesday 1:25 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Shahroukh Mistry is a professor at Butte College in Oroville. California and Adjunct Professor at California State University Chico. His interests are in ecology and evolution of vertebrates, particularly bats and birds. | NOTHING GOOD TO EAT IN THE CITY? WHEN URBAN-ADAPTED BATS DON'T SEEM URBAN-ADAPTED | | Jill M Carpenter; LSA / UCLA Dept of Ecology and Evol Biology; jillcarpenter@g.ucla.edu; Daniel T. Blumstein, UCLA Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Bio, Ann E. Holmes, UC Davis Genomic Variation Lab | Although big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) occur throughout North America and are considered to be well adapted to urban environments, this species has been declining for over two decades in Southern California. Various studies indicate that big brown bats are scarce in areas more than a few kilometers from large contiguous undeveloped areas and suggest that this species is highly intolerant of habitat fragmentation. While the protection of roosts is often the focus of bat conservation efforts, protection of foraging habitat and prey base are often overlooked despite their importance. We hypothesized that big brown bats may have limited dietary flexibility in this region relative to other parts of their range, and that those roosting at the urban-wildland interface in Southern California consume insect prey that are associated with native vegetation and that are not abundant in urban environments. We collected guano samples from maternity roosts at the urban-wildland interface in Southern California and used DNA metabarcoding to analyze insect prey consumed by these colonies. We will present the first known description of diet for this species in a Mediterranean ecosystem, and also discuss the landscape associations of their prey in context with conservation recommendations for this declining species. | Ecology and Conservation of Bats I Wednesday 1:45 PM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
Jill Carpenter is interested in the roosting and foraging ecology of bats, especially with regard to how various species navigate and utilize the human-altered landscapes of Southern California as well as what traits allow some species to persist while others decline. She’s particularly interested in behavioral responses to anthropogenic noise, light, and other disturbances associated with urban and peri-urban environments. As a nontraditional student she hopes to combine her background in management with the rigor of academia to bridge these disciplines and contribute to evidence-based conservation and management of bats. | SEA OR SHORE? BAT ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE CALIFORNIA COAST AND OFFSHORE ENVIRONMENT | | Bethany C Schulze; US Geological Survey; bethany.c.schulze@gmail.com; Gabriel Reyes, Austin Waag, Brian Halstead | Bats are a concern for proposed offshore wind energy development due to significant bat mortality occurring on terrestrial wind farms and documented observations of migratory bats offshore. This concern is further amplified by our limited understanding of bat populations, species distributions, migration behavior, and habitat use, particularly in the offshore environment. We sought to establish baseline information about bat migration along the California coast and offshore rocks and islands, creating the first systematic study on the West Coast. We established 20 sites, 10 coastal onshore sites and 10 sites on offshore rocks and islands spanning nearly the entire California coastline where we deployed acoustic bat detectors. We processed, auto-classified, and manually vetted the data to confirm species presence and activity. Both migratory and resident species are active in coastal and offshore environments throughout the year, with peaks in activity during spring and fall. Activity at offshore and island sites is significantly lower than coastal sites and northern sites have substantially higher activity than southern sites for most seasons and species. This research demonstrates coastal and offshore environments are frequently used by bats, which has implications for management of offshore wind energy development. | Ecology and Conservation of Bats I Wednesday 2:05 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Bethany Schulze is the field and analysis lead for the Pacific Offshore Bat Project for U.S. Geological Survey - Western Ecological Research Center, along with a small team of dedicated bat ecologists. Her team’s research aims to answer questions about bat migration and roosting ecology of bats in the Western US. Bethany began studying bats in 2016, transforming her childhood curiosity of bats and ecology into passion for a career in research. She recently completed a master’s thesis on hoary bat and western red bat foraging activity across urban-natural habitat gradients through California State University, Monterey Bay. | NIGHT WINGS OF SOUTHERN ALAMEDA COUNTY | | David L Riensche; driensche@ebparks.org; | Bats perform substantial ecological services, including insect consumption, pollination, seed dispersal, and nutrient cycling. Their low reproductive rates, and sensitivity to human disturbance makes bats vulnerable to a variety of threats including habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, pesticides, toxic wastewater, wind farm development, and the fungal disease white-nose syndrome. With the help of the “Bat Brigade” wildlife volunteer group, the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) conducted a 9-year study (2017 to 2025) of bat distribution, abundance, and calls per hour at three locations in Southern Alameda County. A total of 58 bat exit and acoustic surveys were conducted periodically between April and July at Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve, Lake Del Valle at Del Valle Regional Park and Camp Arroyo Regional Recreation Area. The study confirmed the presence of 7 genera and 9 species of bats, including three California Species of Special Concern, the Pallid Bat (Antrozous pallidus), Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii), and Western Red Bat (Lasiurus blossevilli). Additionally, the acoustic sampling detected the following species in order of abundance: Yuma Myotis (Myotis yumanensis), Mexican Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis), and California Myotis (Myotis californicus). Lastly, this effort demonstrates the tremendous energy that more than 1,000 volunteers can bring to a wildlife conservation program as community scientists contributing more than 5,000 hours of supervised service annually. | Ecology and Conservation of Bats I Wednesday 2:25 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
David (AKA “DOC QUACK”) Riensche, a Certified Wildlife Biologist, and a Certified Senior Ecologist, is a Wildlife Biologist II for the East Bay Regional Park District where he has worked for over 37 years. For 28 years he has been a member of the Biology Department faculty at Las Positas College, where he teaches courses in biology, ecology, and vertebrate natural history. He is a recipient of The National Association for Interpretation (Region 9) – Outstanding Field Naturalist Award. David holds advanced degrees in both Natural Resource Management and Environmental Education, and an undergraduate degree in Biology (Wildlife). His current wildlife research and habitat restoration efforts are diverse, focusing on the following species and groups: California Least Tern, Western Snowy Plover, Black Skimmer, Forster’s Tern, Western and Clark’s Grebes, Bald Eagle, Ridgway’s Rail, California Black Rail, Burrowing Owl, California Red-legged Frog, California Tiger Salamander, Western Pond Turtle, Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse, San Francisco Dusky-footed Woodrat, Bats, Fairly Shrimp, Central California grassland lizards and small mammals, riparian and oak woodland breeding bird community structure, shorebird nesting population studies, upland gamebirds and waterfowl management | MONITORING BAT POPULATIONS THROUGH ROOST EXIT SURVEYS WITH CONSISTENT SPECIES-SPECIFIC METHODS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS | | Patricia Brown; patbobbat@aol.com; | Bats face threats from many sources: the loss of roosting and foraging habitat from development (urban expansion, habitat conversion, timber removal, active mining and solar and wind development); toxic contaminants; public health policies and white nose syndrome (WNS). Different bat species may be impacted by several of these factors. Colonial bats present an opportunity to monitor the effects through standardized annual evening exit counts during a time when the population is stable, such as a maternity colony before any of the pups have fledged. Equipment might vary and evolve over time, but the environmental cues that the bats use to time their nightly emergence remain the same: weather (temperature, rain and wind) and moon phase. The latter factor may affect different colonies and species in different ways and must be calibrated by counting the exodus twice: during the week before the full moon and again within the same week after the full moon. | Ecology and Conservation of Bats I Wednesday 2:45 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Patricia Brown received her PhD from UCLA in 1973 studying the ontogeny of echolocation and communication in pallid bats. She was a Research Associate at UCLA until retirement in 2010. She has consulted with government agencies and private entities on surveys, threats and conservation of bats, especially colonies roosting in mines. |
Ecology and Conservation of Bats II (sorted by presentation order) | |
EFFECTS OF PUBLIC LAND CANNABIS CULTIVATION ON BAT ACTIVITY AND RICHNESS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA | | Jenna Hatfield; jhatfield@iercecology.org; Ivan Medel, Vitek Jirinec, Mourad Gabriel, Greta Wengert | Illicit cannabis cultivation on public lands in Northern California is widespread and poses a significant threat to wildlife due to habitat modification, water diversions, heavy pesticide use, and refuse dumping. Though many wildlife species are known to be impacted by this activity, to date, no assessment of bat use of public‑land cannabis cultivation sites (PLCCS) has been conducted. This study used passive acoustic monitors to compare bat assemblages at seven PLCCS and paired controls in similar undisturbed habitats, from September through November, for four consecutive nights per site in 2024. We quantified nightly bat passes, foraging activity, and acoustic diversity. The three most frequently detected species included California myotis (Myotis californicus), little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), and silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans). Preliminary analysis suggests higher bat activity at PLCCS, while we found no difference in species richness. We hypothesize that this is due to habitat modifications within PLCCS that increase forest edges and canopy gaps, thereby providing more foraging habitat for species adapted to feeding in open environments. This study provides the first documentation of bats utilizing PLCCS. Such usage increases risk of exposure to pesticide-contaminated prey, potentially causing sublethal effects on thermoregulation, immune function, and overall population fitness. | Ecology and Conservation of Bats II Wednesday 3:30 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Jenna Hatfield is an Environmental Project Specialist with Integral Ecology Research Center, based in Humboldt County, Northern California. She holds a bachelor's degree in Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation and has dedicated the past two years to investigating the ecological impacts of public land disturbances. Jenna's work focuses on understanding and mitigating human-driven environmental pressures to support the restoration and resilience of natural ecosystems across the western United States. | LANDSCAPE SCALE ROOSTING HABITS OF MALE SILVER-HAIRED BATS IN NORTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA | | Alexander Lewis; Independent researcher; acl431@humboldt.edu; Ted Weller, Dr. Ho Yi Wan | Silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) are one of the most widely distributed forest bats in North America. Although wildfires have been increasing across their range, how they respond to wildfire is understudied. Previous studies on silver-haired bats and fire focused on roosting behavior in low-severity controlled burns or used acoustics to understand activity levels post-wildfire. Quantifying how silver-haired bats use the physical structures created by high-severity wildfires and the landscape features in which they occur is critical in the face of rapidly shifting fire regimes. During the summers of 2023-2025 I radio-tracked male silver-haired bats to 58 roosts on the Lassen National Forest. I found that with increasing diameter at breast height and decreasing bark remaining trees had higher odds of being used as a roost than random trees. Little work has been done on how landscape composition and configuration affect habitat use by bats. With fire frequency and severity forecasted to increase, we must understand how fire impacted areas are used by bats at both the roost and landscape scales to inform post-fire management efforts. | Ecology and Conservation of Bats II Wednesday 3:50 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Alex is a recent graduate of the Cal poly Humboldt wildlife graduate program. He has over 9 years of experience working with bats and use this expertise and his enthusiasm to help better conserve our cryptic nocturnal friends. | SWARMING BEHAVIOR BY THE SOLITARY TREE-ROOSTING HOARY BAT | | Theodore J Weller; USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station; theodore.weller@usda.gov; | Swarming is a behavior exhibited by temperate zone bat species in the autumn in which bats congregate and engage in chaotic flight, often chasing conspecifics. To date, swarming has been associated with species that hibernate in caves with proposed explanations including mating, investigation of potential hibernation sites, and information sharing. Male bats tend to predominate at swarming sites. Hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus) roost solitarily in trees throughout the year and males and females are segregated during parturition and pup-rearing during the summer. Hence, they do not have conventional aggregation sites, such as caves or human-made structures, to concentrate their populations. Using year-round capture data collected during 2009- 2025 at Humboldt Redwoods State Park in northwestern California in combination with movement information and behavioral observations I demonstrate that behaviors exhibited by hoary bats are consistent with swarming behavior. Capture rates are much higher during autumn and are predominantly males, chasing behavior is observed, and intra- and inter-annual fidelity to specific capture sites occurs. Because mating in bats occurs during autumn through spring, I further propose that the primary drivers of observed swarming behavior are associated with mating. | Ecology and Conservation of Bats II Wednesday 4:10 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Ted Weller is an ecologist with the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. He has been working with bats since 1996. Ted is the Forest Service liaison to the North American Bat Working Group and is on the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative. Much of his work focuses on the ecology and behavior of migratory bats and, in particular, how their movements interface with wind energy development. In 2009, he discovered the best-known place in the world to encounter hoary bats and has used this as a natural laboratory to study this species. | A 25-YEAR HISTORY OF TADARIDA BRASILIENSIS OCCUPYING THE FRANKLIN BOULEVARD BRIDGE IN CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL VALLEY | | Dave S Johnston; H. T. Harvey & Associates; djohnston@harveyecology.com; | Mexican free-tailed bats provide enormous economic and agricultural value to the Central Valley of California. Monitoring these populations is crucial to understanding their role in pest control services and their overall health. Additionally, the results of conservation efforts can be measured by monitoring specific bat populations. We periodically counted roosting bats under the Franklin Boulevard Bridge and Causeway from the summer of 2004 to the summer of 2025. Bats were excluded from a bridge in 2000 with about 40,000 bats. For the ensuing 4 years between 500 and 2,000 bats roosted among 7 bat condominiums. Sixty days after the replacement Franklin Blvd Bridge was completed, 15,600 bats moved into the bridge’s roosting habitat. A year later the population had increased to over 20,000. The population continued to increase by an average of 8,500 bats/year until 2019 at 141,000 bats. The two summer counts since then suggest that the population has stabilized at about at about 140,000. Our data suggest that new habitat enabled the bat population to increase for about 20 years. These data also demonstrate that replacement roosting habitat can be very successful. | Ecology and Conservation of Bats II Wednesday 4:50 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Dr. Dave Johnston is an Adjunct Associate Wildlife Ecologist and Bat Biologist at H. T. Harvey & Associates. Dave is a vertebrate ecologist who specializes in the foraging ecology and conservation biology of bats. He has studied bats for over 30 years and for the past 15 years he has focused on renewable energy and transportation projects in California and Hawaii. He also has ongoing research projects involving the foraging ecology of bats in California, Mexico, Belize, and more recently, in Costa Rica where he lived for one year. Dr. Johnston is a hobby winemaker who started making wine as a student at CalPoly, San Luis Obispo. | BATS AND WILDFIRE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: HOW BAT SPECIES PRESENCE AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE SHIFTED POST-DIXIE FIRE | | Amelia A Tauber; California State University - Sacramento; ameliatauber@gmail.com; Dr. Ronald Coleman, Dr. Anna Doty, Dr. Scott Osborn | The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Bats and White-nose Syndrome Project established long-term acoustic monitoring stations in Plumas and Tehama counties in spring 2021. Three months later, the Dixie Fire - California’s largest recorded wildfire - burned through or near all sites, providing a unique opportunity to examine how bat assemblages respond to large-scale disturbance. My thesis analyzes acoustic detections collected before (April-July 2021) and after the fire (April-July 2022) to evaluate shifts in species composition and activity patterns across burned and unburned landscapes. Over two million echolocation files representing 17 species were processed in SonoBat 4.4.5 and verified with a custom EchoClean ruleset. Using both multivariate ordination (CCA) and species-specific generalized linear models (GLMs), I assessed how burn status, elevation, and temperature shaped post-fire activity patterns. The results indicate that most species detected before the fire persisted post-fire, but site-level turnover occurred, with some species appearing or declining locally. CCA showed that temperature and elevation jointly structured post-fire community composition, while GLM outputs highlighted species-level differences in how activity changed in burned versus unburned areas. Together, these findings suggest that environmental gradients and burn severity interact to influence how bat communities reorganize following wildfire. This study contributes to a growing body of work on bat resilience to fire and helps inform management of forested ecosystems under increasing fire frequency. | Ecology and Conservation of Bats II Wednesday 5:10 PM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
Amelia Tauber is a graduate student at California State University, Sacramento, studying how wildfire influences bat communities in Northern California. They work with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Bats and White-nose Syndrome Project, where they focus on long-term acoustic monitoring, disease surveillance, data analysis, and bat conservation statewide. |
Ecology and Conservation of Birds I (sorted by presentation order) | |
REGIONAL COMPARISON OF URBAN VERSUS RURAL PEREGRINE FALCON (FALCO PEREGRINUS ANATUM) NESTING HABITAT QUALITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA | | Prabha Venu; San Jose State University; pvenu@pobox.com; Lynne A. Trulio, Douglas A. Bell | Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) are adapting to urban settings around the world. How urban settings compare to rural conditions at nest sites in a region has not been investigated. We compared eight Peregrine Falcon nest site parameters at 25 urban and 20 rural nests in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, a region with diverse nesting opportunities and an abundance of prey, including waterbirds. We suspected that conditions at urban sites would diverge from rural ones, exposing urban Peregrines to increased threats. Using GIS and statistical comparisons, we found urban and rural nests did not differ with respect to some parameters, including solar radiation, wind speed, or distances to water. But, urban nests experienced less precipitation, which may positively affect reproductive success, and were much closer to populations of two rare waterbird species. Comparable distances to water indicate that Peregrines at urban and rural nests have similar access to waterbirds which may increase exposure risk to diseases such as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. In addition, the proximity to rare waterbirds brings Peregrines into direct conflict with management of those species. Managers may use these findings to help develop multi-species plans that can maintain Peregrine Falcons and recover rare prey species. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds I Thursday 8:05 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
I am an environmental scientist specializing in the use of GIS to help managers conserve species, especially birds, in California. I received my Master of Science degree in 2018 from the Department of Environmental Studies at San Jose State University. Since then, I have been working as a GIS specialist for PG&E and the East Bay Regional Park district mapping and analyzing species distributions to protect them from urban impacts. | IT TAKES THREE TO TANGO: COOPERATIVE BREEDING IN CALIFORNIA CONDORS | | Danae Mouton; Ventana Wildlife Society; danaemouton@ventanaws.org; Joe Burnett, Kelly Sorenson, Alacia Welch, Erin Lehnert, Estelle Sandhaus, Arianna Punzalan, Catalina Porras, Nadya Seal Faith, Evan McWreath, Kara Fadden, Darren Gross | Since their reintroduction to the wild in 1992, endangered California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) populations have increased due to releases of captive-bred individuals and natural reproduction. Condors now nest across four subpopulations: Central and Southern California, Arizona/Utah, and Baja, Mexico. Most nests involve a male and female who share incubation and chick-rearing duties, but both polyandrous and polygynous nesting trios have been observed in the California and Baja populations, with all three adults contributing to incubation and chick rearing. From 2001-2024, 21 nest attempts by 13 trios were recorded, and 14 of these attempts occurred in the Central CA subpopulation. In Central CA, trios accounted for 9.2% of all nest attempts from 2011-2024. Despite perceived advantages in having an extra caregiver, nest success of trios was not significantly different than that of pairs. Individuals in trios were not closely genetically related, suggesting familial attachments may factor less in trio formation than indirect fitness benefits such as increased ability to maintain social status or increased breeding opportunities. Further research is needed to determine potential drivers of cooperative breeding in condors and to investigate reasons trios occur more frequently in certain populations. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds I Thursday 8:25 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Danaé first fell in love with California Condors when she began working at Pinnacles National Park in 2019, and joined the Ventana Wildlife Society Condor Crew as a Biologist in 2021. Danaé began her wildlife career working with carnivores in Arizona and Idaho, and became fascinated by birds after spending a season bird banding in Nova Scotia, Canada. Since then, she has been involved in several endangered species monitoring projects including Snail Kites in Florida and Northern Spotted Owls and California Condors in California. | A JOURNEY OF RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE: HOW VENTANA WILDLIFE SOCIETY BROUGHT CALIFORNIA CONDORS BACK TO THE CENTRAL COAST | | Joe Burnett; Ventana Wildlife Society; joeburnett@ventanaws.org; Kelly Sorenson, Darren Gross, Kara Fadden, Danae Mouton, Tim Huntington, Mike Stake | Ventana Wildlife Society, a key partner in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Condor Recovery Program, has played an instrumental role in reintroducing endangered California condors (Gymnogyps californianus) to the central coast since 1997. Through its own efforts and successful, longstanding partnerships with the Pinnacles National Park and the Oakland Zoo, the organization facilitated the growth of the region's wild population to more than 105 individuals. Despite this progress, the wild population has not yet achieved a status of self-sustainability, due to continued exposure to lead poisoning. Ventana Wildlife Society has been tackling this issue head-on with an innovative outreach program that provides grant-funded, free non-lead ammunition to hunters, prioritizing recipients using GPS condor tracking data. This initiative complements other ongoing conservation efforts, including nest monitoring, GPS tracking, releasing captive-bred condors, and providing emergency medical care to sick or injured birds. Through their unwavering dedication and resilience, the Ventana Wildlife Society and its partners serve as a powerful example of what is needed for successful species recovery today. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds I Thursday 8:45 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
As Senior Wildlife Biologist and Manager for the Ventana Wildlife Society's California Condor Recovery Program, Joe Burnett has dedicated his career to the conservation of endangered species in central California. Since 1996, his work has primarily focused on the successful reintroduction of California Condors to the wild, though his experience also includes captive propagation. His wildlife expertise began earlier with Bald Eagle recovery efforts in 1993 and 1994. Joe holds a bachelor's degree in Wildlife and Fisheries from West Virginia University and is currently serving his third term on the Monterey County Fish and Game Advisory Commission. | WHOLE-GENOME DATA FOR THE GOLDEN EAGLE (AQUILA CHRYSAETOS CANADENSIS) ELUCIDATE REGIONAL GENETIC STRUCTURE THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA AND ADJACENT STATES | | Samantha LR Capel; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; Samantha.Capel@wildlife.ca.gov; Robert N. Fisher, Merly Escalona, Peter H. Bloom, Noravit Chumchim, Colin W. Fairbairn, Oanh H. Nguyen, Ruta M. Sahasrabudhe, William E. Seligmann, Todd E. Katzner, H. Bradley Shaffer, Michael R. Buchalski | The golden eagle is an apex predator found across the northern hemisphere, with a diverse range expanding throughout California. Despite its ubiquity, little is known regarding genetic diversity, population structure, and environmental influences on genetic variation. Here, we present a whole-genome resequencing dataset of 146 North American golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos canadensis) alongside a new reference assembly to evaluate patterns of genetic variation across California and adjacent states. Our assembly improves upon previous versions, rivaling other high-quality Accipitridae reference genomes. We identified ~5 million SNPs after quality filtering, resulting in the most robust genomic dataset for this subspecies to date. Principle components analysis revealed population structure east and west of the Sierra Nevada Range suggesting its importance as a partial barrier to gene flow or potential philopatry to ecoregion. Further, genotypes from the south coast were broadly distributed throughout PC space, consistent with frequent immigration from other populations and suggesting this region may represent an ecological sink. Future analyses will assess patterns of inbreeding and environmental influences on genomic variation. With growing concern for golden eagle viability in California, understanding how genomic variation is geographically partitioned will aid management efforts. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds I Thursday 9:05 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
I'm a postdoctoral research associate for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Genetics Research Unit. I work on a variety of systems including bats, large carnivores, and birds of prey. I specialize in utilizing genomic sequencing to assess population structure, genetic health, signatures of selection, and local adaptation. My current main project is using whole-genome resequencing of golden eagles across California and neighboring states to evaluate population structure, patterns of inbreeding, and local adaptation. | BARRED OWL SPACE USE REVEALS COMPETITIVE EXCLUSION AND FUNCTIONAL LOSS OF NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL HABITAT | | Vitek Jirinec; Integral Ecology Research Center (IERC); vjirinec@iercecology.org; Mourad Gabriel, Mark Higley, Raymond Davis, Julianna Jenkins, Jonathan Tenberge, Danny Hofstadter, Zach Peery, Alan Franklin, Greta Wengert | Invasive Barred Owls (Strix varia; BO) have become the dominant threat to Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina; NSO), yet the mechanisms driving this threat remain unclear. We used GPS telemetry to quantify BO space use relative to mapped NSO habitat across northwestern California in areas with concurrent BO removals. We tracked 55 BOs and estimated mean home ranges of 6.7 km². Resource selection functions showed that BOs used NSO habitat 1.38× more intensively than non-habitat, with selection increasing monotonically across NSO nesting and roosting (N/R) suitability classes and peaking 1.50× higher in the highest-quality N/R forest. On average, 71% of each BO home range overlapped mapped NSO habitat, and 39% overlapped highly suitable N/R forest. Each BO home range encompassed an average of 4.2 km² of NSO habitat, indicating that removals can directly restore functionally available habitat. Across 619 male BO removals in our project, this equates to ~2,600 km² (~141 NSO pairs) of potential NSO habitat recovered. Spatial projections revealed the strongest BO selection in northern and coastal portions of California, identifying priority areas for BO management. Our findings demonstrate that BOs disproportionately occupy forests most valuable to NSOs and that removals can yield quantifiable conservation gains. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds I Thursday 9:25 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Vitek Jirinec is a Research Scientist at the Integral Ecology Research Center (IERC) in Blue Lake, California. His work bridges field ecology, spatial modeling, and conservation biology to understand how wildlife responds to environmental change. He has authored numerous scientific papers on avian ecology from California to the Amazon, emphasizing how applied science can guide conservation action. Vitek earned a B.S. in Wildlife from Humboldt State University, an M.S. in Biology from the College of William & Mary, and a Ph.D. in Renewable Natural Resources from Louisiana State University. | WINTERING BURROWING OWL STATUS IN ORANGE COUNTY, CA | | Barry Nerhus; bnerhus@endemicenvironmental.net; Alexandra Eagleton, Peter Bloom | Western Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) have undergone substantial long-term declines in coastal Southern California, and breeding populations are now considered ecologically extirpated in Orange County. In October 2024, the California Fish and Game Commission advanced the subspecies to candidate status under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), reflecting heightened concern over statewide trends and threats. Against this backdrop, we report eight years of winter monitoring at Fairview Park (Costa Mesa, CA) documenting recurring use by non-breeding Burrowing Owls. Color-banding and resight data indicate winter site fidelity by at least one individual across successive winters, consistent with local observations and agency communications about the park’s overwintering owls. In 2024 we deployed GSM transmitters on two overwintering owls; one individual’s northbound movement was tracked to a summer residency near Brogan, Oregon, providing a concrete link between Orange County wintering habitat and interior Northwest breeding grounds. These findings clarify the functional role of Fairview Park as winter habitat in a county without a resident breeding population, and they highlight management priorities: protect and enhance winter roost/foraging structure, integrate cultural stewardship and trail management, and coordinate across jurisdictions to conserve connected breeding landscapes. We discuss monitoring design (band-resight, GSM duty cycles), data limitations, and policy implications under CESA candidacy for conserving a small but persistent winter assemblage. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds I Thursday 9:45 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Barry Nerhus is a wildlife biologist and restoration ecologist with 20 years’ experience. Founder & CEO of Endemic Environmental Services for 17 years, he also founded Cambriate (field workshops/training) in 2025. Barry leads multi-year habitat restoration at Fairview Park (City of Costa Mesa) and R&D through the Institute for Conservation Research & Education. His current work tracks wintering Burrowing Owls in Orange County via band-resight and GSM telemetry. His research spans birds, herpetofauna, native plants, and applied ecosystem ecology. Barry’s vision is scaling conservation: turning rigorous field data and practical design into reproducible models agencies and communities can use. |
Ecology and Conservation of Birds II (sorted by presentation order) | |
NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL MIGRATION: RESULTS OF 7 YEARS OF DATA COLLECTION IN THE BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA | | Julie M Woodruff; Aspen Environemental Group; juliewoodruff15@gmail.com; | Northern saw-whet owls (Aegolius acadicus) are one of the most commonly banded bird species in North America. However, little is understood about their local ecology in western North America. Efforts to study saw-whet owls are skewed towards eastern North America, where dozens of banding stations can closely collaborate and study large numbers of migrant owls. In an attempt to bridge the research gap between eastern and western northern saw-whet owl populations, fall migration banding stations were operated in the East Bay of California from 2018-2024, and in northern Sonoma County in 2024. A total of 116 owls were captured over seven seasons, with capture rates relatively low, but skewed towards hatch-year and females. Peak capture dates were difficult to predict and likely vary based on inter-annual regional weather patterns, abundance of prey. The number of outings to capture migrant owls varied between years and likely contributes to the paucity of data. Preliminary results from banding, recapture data, and incidental observations of saw-whet owls in the region indicate that the Bay Area may be an important breeding and overwintering site for the species. This knowledge will help guide land managers to better understand the ecology of this species in the region. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds II Thursday 10:30 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Julie Woodruff is a biologist based out of Santa Rosa, CA. She currently works for Aspen Environmental as a Senior Biologist, assisting both with fieldwork and technical reporting. She received both her BS and MS in Biological Sciences from California State University Chico, where she began northern saw-whet owl banding 16 years ago as a Master’s student. In her free time, Julie enjoys hiking, running, cooking and baking, hanging out with her dog, Sage, and taking care of her goats, sheep, and chickens. | EFFECTS OF PERSONALITY ON HUNTING BEHAVIOR AND POTENTIAL FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES PROVIDED BY BARN OWLS IN AN AGROECOSYSTEM | | Lauren M Jackson; Cal Poly Humboldt; lauren.jackson@humboldt.edu; William Tim Bean, Matthew D. Johnson | American barn owls (Tyto furcata) provide valuable pest control services in agriculture, yet the role of individual variation in these processes remain poorly understood. This study examines how personality traits shape hunting behavior and rodent removal services provided by barn owls in vineyards of California’s Central Valley. We used a novel object test approach at nest boxes to assess individual boldness, and tracked movement with high-resolution GPS-accelerometer tags. Owls showed consistent differences in reactions to novel stimuli, suggesting distinct personalities. Hidden-Markov models and step selection analyses revealed individual variation in foraging distance, search strategy, time activity budgets, and habitat use. Accelerometer and nest camera data documented prey deliveries and strike attempts across habitats. These behavioral differences influence the strength and spatial distribution of rodent predation, affecting delivery of ecosystem services across landscapes. By linking personality to foraging behavior and pest control, this work highlights how individual variation contributes to ecosystem function and informs wildlife-based pest management strategies. This study provides one of the first insights into barn owl personality using measures of neophobia, emphasizing the importance of incorporating behavioral traits into evaluations of avian ecosystem services. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds II Thursday 10:50 AM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
Lauren Jackson is a graduate student at Cal Poly Humboldt researching barn owl personality and hunting behavior in agroecosystems. Her work examines how individual behavioral traits shape pest control dynamics and ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. Lauren earned her B.Sc. from McGill University in 2023, where she studied seabird diet and physiology in the Gulf of Alaska. Lauren has contributed to a variety of other avian research projects across the US, and her interests center on connecting animal behavior to conservation and sustainable human-wildlife relationships. | USING DRONES TO MONITOR CALIFORNIA CONDORS: A NEW ERA FOR NEST GUARDING | | Molly Murphy; Santa Barbara Zoo; mmurphy@sbzoo.org; David Meyer, Arianna Punzalan, Estelle A. Sandhaus | Unmanned aerial systems (UAS, drones), have become a popular and widely accessible tool for managing wildlife. They are particularly useful in monitoring wildlife in remote locations, such as the California Condor. The Santa Barbara Zoo and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have implemented a program to utilize UAS to improve Condor management efficacy, particularly considering continued range expansion resulting in new and widespread nesting territories. The location and orientation of some nests make it difficult or impossible to see inside the nesting cavity, making UAS critical to the success of nest checks and confirming chick health. UAS are also useful for birds that are unable to carry GPS units, as tracking nest attendance would otherwise necessitate long visual observations. The goals of this program are to develop a standardized method for monitoring the California Condor population using UAS to increase remote nest monitoring, and to increase efficiency of nest checks while minimizing behavioral effects. We are investigating flight initiation and behavior change distances through visual observations during flights. Preliminary results indicate that Condor behavior is not affected while flying at a distance of >100 ft from the nesting cavity. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds II Thursday 11:10 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Molly is a California Condor biologist at the Santa Barbara Zoo and works in conjunction with the USFWS on the Condor Recovery Program. She has worked on the program for two years and recently assisted in started a drone program to monitor nesting condors. She is a licensed drone pilot with four years of experience monitoring wildlife via drone. Before working with condors, she worked with northern elephant seals in San Simeon, CA while obtaining her master’s degree. | AVIAN POPULATION TRENDS IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL PARKS SUGGEST RESILIENCE TO RECENT CLIMATE CHANGE THAT IS NOT EXPLAINED BY ELEVATIONAL RANGE SHIFTS | | Chris Ray; The Institute for Bird Populations; cray@birdpop.org; Rodney Siegel, Mandy Holmgren, Robert Wilkerson, Jason Ransom, Miranda Terwilliger | Landbird populations across the US and Canada, and in constituent regions like the Pacific Northwest (PNW), have declined markedly over recent decades. In 2005, we began monitoring population trends of bird species across five PNW national parks, including three large, mountain parks and two small, lowland parks. By 2016, we found that population densities of most species commonly detected in these parks had been stable or increasing since 2005. We attributed this stability to warming springs and diminishing snowpack; many of the species achieved higher densities after low-snowpack winters and warm springs. However, a shift in elevation might also allow some species to track favorable climatic conditions. To test this hypothesis, our current analysis used data from 2005 through 2023 to assess more recent population trajectories and to determine whether populations in the mountain parks had shifted up- or down-slope during this period. We found mainly weak evidence for elevational shifts in many populations, and no bias in the direction of shifts (up- or down-slope). These results, combined with the observation that bird populations in lowland parks were also robust during the monitoring period, suggest that elevational shifts alone do not explain the resilience of birds in these parks. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds II Thursday 11:30 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Chris Ray is a Research Ecologist with The Institute for Bird Populations, where she has worked since 2015, and a Research Scientist with the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where she has worked since 2002. She completed her Ph.D. in Population Biology at the University of California-Davis and has studied population dynamics in a variety of plant and animal systems with a number of research teams. In addition to analyzing bird trends, Chris conducts research on the American pika as a model for species response to habitat fragmentation and climate change. | POTENTIAL POPULATION EFFECTS OF LIMITED DISPERSAL ON NESTING SWAINSON'S HAWKS WITH EXPANDING UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR DEVELOPMENT IN THE WEST MOJAVE DESERT, CA | | Peter H Bloom; Bloom Research Inc; petebloom@bloombiological.com; Michael D. McCrary, Rainey G. Barton, Kerry G. Ross | Short distances moved by most avian natal dispersers and even shorter distances moved between adult breeding territories are thought to confer higher fitness. However, in a rapidly changing anthropogenic world experiencing extreme habitat loss, limited dispersal may become maladaptive if the affected area exhibits an ecological magnet effect. From 1997–2025, we studied natal and breeding dispersal of Swainson’s Hawks (Buteo swainsoni) in the Antelope Valley, California. Over the course of our study, we banded 276 nestlings and 28 adults. We confirmed natal dispersal distances of 33 of the 276 nestlings (median = 13.4 km, range 1.6-87.2 km). We observed 31 hawks breeding in more than 1 year; breeding dispersal distance ranged from 0.7 – 13.3 km (median = 1.3 km, n=15). The median natal dispersal distance of 13.4 km indicates the population is philopatric while the shorter breeding dispersal distance (median = 1.3 km) indicates strong nest-site fidelity, and both together suggest a high level of relatedness. Considering the rapid expansion of solar energy development and the fact that Swainson’s Hawk in the Antelope Valley are philopatric with a high degree of nest-site fidelity, this population may be vulnerable to a form of “philopatric” and/or nest-site fidelity-induced ecological trap. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds II Thursday 11:50 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Peter H. Bloom, Ph.D. is an internationally acclaimed raptor biologist, having spent more than four decades studying, banding, and tracking hawks, eagles, kites, condors, and owls, and working with landowners and the regulatory agencies in conserving their habitats. Dr. Bloom has published on the biology of raptors in more than 40 peer-reviewed scientific papers and technical reports and has spent over 1,000 hours conducting helicopter and fixed-wing nest survey work and aerial radio-tracking raptors. He is considered one of the best all-around field biologists in California with his extensive knowledge and experience with all terrestrial vertebrate groups and vascular plants. |
Ecology and Conservation of Birds III (sorted by presentation order) | |
TESTING ADAPTIVE HABITAT SELECTION IN BREEDING SWAINSON'S HAWKS | | Elizabeth D Meisman; Cal Poly Humboldt/Dudek; edm170@humboldt.edu; Christopher Vennum, Ho Yi Wan, Jeffrey Dunk, Christopher Briggs, Brian Woodbridge, Peter Bloom, Michael Collopy, Matthew Johnson | The theory of adaptive habitat selection posits that individuals preferentially select habitats that maximize or improve their fitness. However, various behavioral or environmental constraints can result in mismatches between habitat quality and selection. In long-lived territorial species like Swainson’s Hawks (Buteo swainsoni), these mismatches may pose serious risk to population viability. Using data from 1985-2024, we examine a population of Swainson’s Hawks breeding in Butte Valley, California. The majority of breeding pairs have established territories around, or in close proximity to, irrigated farmland producing hay varieties (e.g., alfalfa [Medicago sativa]), a habitat that supports abundant prey communities but has changed in distribution and abundance over time due to shifting agricultural practices. Thus, this long-term dataset is ideal to test whether adaptive habitat selection is operating as habitat conditions have changed over time. We assess nesting territory selection as well as nesting success and productivity (measures of habitat quality) over time and as a function of varying land cover compositions. Comparing these results will help reveal whether these habitat choices are adaptive. This information may have implications for understanding how Swainson’s Hawk populations may respond to future changes in land use. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds III Friday 8:05 AM | | Student Paper |
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| SPATIOTEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF GREATER SAGE-GROUSE POPULATIONS ACROSS THEIR RANGE | | Corina A Mathews-Sanchez; University of Nevada Reno; corina.sanchez023@gmail.com; Perry Williams, Christian Hagen, Jeffrey Beck, Dave Dahlgren, Jonathan Dinkins, Lance McNew, James Sedinger | Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) abundance has declined across much of their historic range, yet they occupy a vast and heterogeneous landscape, experiencing diverse environmental, climatic, and anthropogenic pressures. Understanding how these factors influence population dynamics is essential for guiding conservation efforts and assessing future risks of extirpation. We compiled sage-grouse lek survey data from seven state wildlife agencies, totaling over 100,000 surveys conducted at 9,433 unique lek locations between the years 2000 and 2022. We used an ecological diffusion model in a Bayesian hierarchical statistical framework to better understand what factors are related to changes in sage-grouse distributions. The mechanistic model relates lek dynamics and growth to local habitat features allowing us to estimate covariate-driven motility. Our motility estimates help us examine what habitat features are related to resistance and resilience of sage-grouse leks, while carrying capacity estimates can give us insight on areas where resources are limited. Results quantify how specific habitat features relate to the loss or maintenance of sage-grouse leks and provide predictive maps of lek distributional changes over time. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds III Friday 8:25 AM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
Corina is a PhD student at the University of Nevada, Reno. Her research develops quantitative methods for analyzing large spatiotemporal datasets to better understand Greater Sage-Grouse population trends and their environmental drivers. | MAJOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ROADWAYS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED GENE FLOW AND INCREASED INBREEDING IN CALIFORNIA QUAIL | | Joseph N Curti; UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science; jcurti3@g.ucla.edu; Zachary. G. MacDonald, Phred M. Benham, Rauri C. K. Bowie, Katy S. Delaney, Ryan J. Harrigan, Kirk E. Lohmueller, Seth P. D. Riley, Allison J. Shultz, Robert K. Wayne, H. Bradley Shaffer | Roadway infrastructure is a dominant feature of landscapes across the globe, and the ecological and evolutionary impacts of these roadways are leading to declines in many natural populations. Research on the genetic impacts of roadways on bird populations has produced mixed results, with some studies revealing significant correlations between roads and genetic differentiation and others failing to resolve any relationship. Here, we use a whole-genome dataset of 61 California quail (Callipepla californica), a ground-dwelling and ground-nesting bird species, to quantify the impacts of roadway infrastructure on population genetic differentiation and measures of overall genomic health. To collect tissues for genomic analyses, we non-lethally sampled wild quail from populations located on either side of major and minor roadways in Southern California, a region with the densest road network in the United States. Using a variety of independent landscape genetic and statistical models, we demonstrate that roadways are an important factor shaping patterns of genomic differentiation in southern California quail populations. We also show that quail populations sampled along two of the busiest roadways traversing southern California have higher levels of inbreeding than other populations within the region, likely resulting from close sibling matings within the last 10 generations. These results highlight the importance of roads as major disturbances to genetic connectivity of wild populations and can help inform regional connectivity conservation efforts, including the construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over the US 101 freeway. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds III Friday 8:45 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Joseph Curti, Ph.D. (he/they) is a postdoctoral research fellow at the UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science. Joey’s current research focuses on the impacts of anthropogenic stressors on bat community composition in urban areas across California. Joey received his Ph.D. in 2024 from the UCLA Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department, where he worked with statewide resource managers on a variety of conservation genomics projects. These included a project aimed at evaluating the impact of roadways in Los Angeles to California quail (Callipepla californica) gene flow and rangewide landscape genomics of the Yuma myotis bat (Myotis yumanensis). | ALAMEDA SONG SPARROW HABITAT USE OF SALT POND RESTORATION SITES IN SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO BAY | | Brad A Speno; LSA, San José State University; brad.speno@gmail.com; Lynne Trulio, Ph.D., Rachel E. O'Malley, Ph.D, Katie LaBarbera, Ph.D | In the San Francisco Bay, California, several large restoration projects are returning salt ponds to tidal salt marsh. The Alameda song sparrow (Melospiza melodia pusillula), a California species of special concern, uses both restored and historic marshes, but their use of restored salt pond ecotones is not well understood. This research assessed Alameda song sparrow abundance and breeding presence with respect to salt pond restoration age and percent cover and height of native and non-native plants. In the marsh ecotone at seven restoration sites, I collected transect count data on Alameda song sparrow abundance and determined the cover and height of plants by species. I mist-netted and banded birds at four of the study sites to detect breeding birds. Results showed that Alameda song sparrows bred at every site sampled and that bird abundance was not affected by the age of the restoration site or the amount of native plant cover. The sparrows were found in a range of native and non-native plants and were most likely to be found in taller rather than shorter vegetation. Managers protecting this subspecies should consider vegetation height in restoration management, passerine food chains, and support further research activities. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds III Friday 9:05 AM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
Brad Speno is a wildlife biologist based in San José. He earned an undergraduate degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado, and he worked for various Department of Interior agencies and consulting companies prior to completing a Master’s of Science degree at San José State University. He volunteers as a bird bander with the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, who assisted in his research, and he currently works for LSA. The need for continued local restoration projects and his personal interest in salt marsh passerines guided his Master’s thesis and he hopes to apply his experience in habitat restoration efforts. | AVIAN COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AFFECTS NEST PARASITISM RATES OF SOUTHWESTERN WILLOW FLYCATCHERS IN THE KERN RIVER VALLEY, CA | | Mary J Whitfield; Southern Sierra Research Station; maryw@southernsierraresearch.org; Patrick D. Lorch | Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism is recognized as a threat to the recovery of many federally listed songbirds. As a result, millions of dollars are spent each year on cowbird control, sometimes in areas that don’t need control. Improving the efficiency of cowbird control can free up scarce conservation dollars for other projects. One possible way to increase efficiency is developing the ability to predict parasitism rates of target species using the abundance of other avian species. With this in mind, we used a 13-year dataset to investigate the relationship between Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus, SWFL) nest parasitism and local avian community composition. We hypothesized that parasitism would decrease with lower numbers of cowbird females, and with higher numbers of preferred hosts. In contrast, if cowbirds are attracted to areas with a higher abundance of host species, this could increase cowbird parasitism. Our top model showed that SWFL parasitism rates significantly decreased with decreasing cowbird female abundance and when preferred hosts were more abundant. In addition, SWFL parasitism rates also tended to decrease with increased numbers of other known host species. This approach could be used to decide whether an area should receive cowbird control in a particular year. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds III Friday 9:25 AM | | |
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MARY J. WHITFIELD is the founder and Research Director at the Southern Sierra Research Station. She holds a B.S. degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology from U.C. Davis, and a M.S. degree from CSU, Chico. She has over 35 years of fieldwork experience in the U.S. as well as numerous Latin American countries including work on wintering Willow Flycatcher ecology. Her research interests include conservation biology, breeding ecology, behavioral ecology, full lifecycle research, and riparian systems. She has been involved with the Partners In Flight Western Working Group for over 15 years and is currently leading the PIF Western Motus Initiative. | BLACK SKIMMER (RYNCHOPS NIGER) NESTING SUCCESS TRENDS ALONG THE EASTERN SHORE OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY, CALIFORNIA | | David Riensche; driensche@ebparks.org; Meredith L. Elliott, Point Blue Conservation Science | The Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger), a distinctive colonial waterbird species, is listed as a California Species of Special Concern. Factors affecting their breeding population include limited suitable open nesting habitat, human disturbance, varied food availability, predation (feral animals and gulls), extreme weather, and environmental pollutants. Typically, islet-breeding skimmers are in close proximity to nesting tern species, which provide early warning and defensive behaviors against intruders. Since 2001, the East Bay Regional Park District, California, has been working to establish and enhance a California Least Tern (Sternula antillarum browni) colony at Hayward Regional Shoreline located along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay. In the efforts to assist in the recovery of this state and federally listed endangered species, it resulted in the attraction of breeding Black Skimmers to the site in 2015. For a total of eight breeding seasons between 2015 and 2025, the Black Skimmer has nested successfully, with greater than 90% of the nests hatching at least one egg; fledging success is greater than 1.56 fledglings produced per breeding pair. During this same 11-year period, the endangered California Least Tern, and the threatened Western Snowy Plover (Anarhynchus nivosus nivosus), American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana), and Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) have also nested successfully at this location. The results presented on Black Skimmer breeding chronology, hatching, fledging success, and diet in the northern portion of the species range answers data gaps that may help inform future research, protection, and management measures for this special status bird. | Ecology and Conservation of Birds III Friday 9:45 AM | | |
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David (AKA “DOC QUACK”) Riensche, a Certified Wildlife Biologist, and a Certified Senior Ecologist is a Wildlife Biologist II for the East Bay Regional Park District where he has worked for over 37 years. For 28 years he has been a member of the Biology Department faculty at Las Positas College, where he teaches courses in biology, ecology, and vertebrate natural history. He is a recipient of The National Association for Interpretation (Region 9) – Outstanding Field Naturalist Award. David holds advanced degrees in both Natural Resource Management and Environmental Education, and an undergraduate degree in Biology (Wildlife). His current wildlife research and habitat restoration efforts are diverse, focusing on the following species and groups: California Least Tern, Western Snowy Plover, Black Skimmer, Forster’s Tern, Western and Clark’s Grebes, Bald Eagle, Ridgway’s Rail, California Black Rail, Burrowing Owl, California Red-legged Frog, California Tiger Salamander, Western Pond Turtle, Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse, San Francisco Dusky-footed Woodrat, Bats, Fairly Shrimp, Central California grassland lizards and small mammals, riparian and oak woodland breeding bird community structure, shorebird nesting population studies, upland gamebirds and waterfowl management |
Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals I (sorted by presentation order) | |
SYMPATRY INCREASES PREDATION RISK FOR AN ENDANGERED UNGULATE | | Daniel K Gordon; San Diego State University; daniel.k.gordon@comcast.net; Rebecca Lewison, Randy Botta, Winston Vickers, Fernando Najera, Megan Jennings | Predation risk for a particular prey species may be influenced by sympatry with another more common species, which can result in population declines for the less abundant species. Yet, predation risk models often neglect to account for the density of sympatric species. We used a novel case system from Southern California, where federally endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) co-occur with southern mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus fuliginatus) to understand how sympatry between two prey species differing in abundance affects predation risk. We characterized landscape predation risk for bighorn and deer to discern how topography, habitat, forage, and prey density affect where pumas (Puma concolor) kill both species. The presence of the second ungulate species increased predation risk for both species, but had the greatest effect on bighorn, with risk strongly increasing with deer density. These findings confirmed how spatial overlap between low and high abundance prey species can lead to increased predation risk for lower density ungulate populations. They also support a more comprehensive understanding of risk interactions, which is critical to the success of ongoing bighorn recovery, and demonstrate that the density of sympatric species should be considered in population models and management planning. | Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals I Wednesday 1:05 PM | | Student Paper |
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I am a third-year master’s candidate at San Diego State University in Dr. Rebecca Lewison’s Conservation Ecology Lab. My research focuses on large mammal predator-prey interactions and population ecology. I am originally from Seattle, WA, and I studied ecology, evolution, and conservation biology as an undergraduate at the University of Washington. Before beginning graduate school, I spent nearly two years working as a field technician on various large mammal projects across the western United States and the Midwest. | HISTORICAL BOTTLENECKS AND FRAGMENTATION UNDERLIE GENOMIC EROSION AND REDUCED IMMUNE DIVERSITY IN THE ENDANGERED SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOX | | Sophie Preckler-Quisquater; University of California, Davis; squisquater@ucdavis.edu; Brian Cypher, Jaime Rudd, Deana Clifford, Stevi Vanderzwan, Ben Sacks | Once widespread across the southern portion of California’s Central Valley, fewer than 5,000 federally endangered San Joaquin kit foxes (SJKF; Vulpes macrotis mutica) remain due to extensive habitat loss and fragmentation. Sarcoptic mange outbreaks in urban Bakersfield and Taft further threaten population persistence; however, the disease has not been observed outside urban areas or in other kit fox subspecies. Several SJKF populations are now small and isolated, increasing risks of extinction due to inbreeding or disease that may be compounded by historical loss of genetic diversity. We sequenced whole genomes from urban (n = 5) and non-urban (n = 12) SJKF populations and from desert kit foxes (DKF; V. m. mactrotis, n = 7), to assess past and present bottlenecks and characterize immune-gene variation (MHC, TLRs, IFNG, IL2). Demographic modeling revealed a severe, prolonged bottleneck in the SJKF population following divergence from DKF near the end of the Pleistocene, with variable recent inbreeding evident across the fragmented SJKF range. Genome-wide heterozygosity was lowest in the SJKF, and we found evidence for loss of genetic variation at immune-related genes. These results show how historical and contemporary demographic processes jointly constrain genomic health and may exacerbate disease vulnerability in this endangered subspecies. | Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals I Wednesday 1:25 PM | | |
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Dr. Preckler-Quisquater's research is broadly focused on the evolutionary ecology of terrestrial wildlife. She incorporates traditional ecological field methods with genomic tools to investigate how both natural and anthropogenic drivers influence evolutionary processes including speciation, hybridization, adaptation, and shifting range dynamics. She is currently a postdoctoral scholar in the Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit (MECU) at the University of California, Davis researching the effects of habitat loss and disease on the genetic health and resilience of the San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica). | AN ELECTRONIC DETECTION SYSTEM TO REDUCE ELK-VEHICLE COLLISIONS | | Micaela S Gunther; Cal Poly Humboldt; micaela.szykman.gunther@humboldt.edu; | The state highway system is an impediment to big game migratory, seasonal, and daily movement and reduces wildlife fitness by decreasing habitat quality and availability and disrupting natural movements. Attempts by big game species such as elk (Cervus canadensis), to cross highways result in wildlife-vehicle collisions that affect human and wildlife safety and damage property. Researchers at Cal Poly Humboldt are working with Caltrans and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to install an Electronic Detection System on US-101 in Humboldt County, CA, and perform a study to determine system efficacy and applicability throughout the state. The system is designed to detect collared elk and activate unique warning signs to increase driver awareness when elk are on or near the roadway. A network of ~30 VHF transceivers have been placed along the highway to trigger lighted warning signs placed before and throughout the identified high-crossing area. These signs alert drivers to the presence of collared elk when they are detected within ~50 m of the roadway. If successful, this system will promote elk movement between fragmented habitats, habitat permeability, and survivorship, while decreasing risks to motorists for costs significantly less than building above-highway crossing structures. | Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals I Wednesday 1:45 PM | | |
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Micaela Gunther is a faculty member in the Department of Wildlife at Cal Poly Humboldt. Her research focuses on the behavioral ecology, management, and conservation of mammals. She collaborates with state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations to understand the behavior of target species to better manage their populations. She and her students have worked on elk, mountain lions, black bears, wolves, fishers, martens, river otters, and African wild dogs, among other species. She enjoys training and mentoring the next generation of wildlife biologists. When not in the field, she enjoys hiking the north coast with her family and dogs. | SPACE USE OF ALTERED LANDSCAPES BY RECOLONIZING CALIFORNIA WOLVES` | | Christina Winters; University of California, Berkeley; christinarwinters@berkeley.edu; Matthew Hyde, Kaggie Orrick, Mauriel Rodriguez Curras, Axel Hunnicutt, Justin Brashares, Arthur Middleton | Environmental and anthropogenic landscape-level alterations are forcing predators, prey, livestock, and humans to share space in novel ways that increase the potential for conflict. Following their broad-scale extirpation, wolves in California are returning to novel, human-use landscapes that are being increasingly affected by environmental disturbances. Herein, we analyzed habitat selection by wolves (n = 15) in four packs between 2017-2025 to understand the environmental drivers of wolf space use and response to disturbance. We modeled seasonal resource selection functions to analyze preference for habitat types and individual variation in pack and wolf behavior related to prey density, wildfire intensity, and rangelands. Our preliminary findings indicate that wolves selected for areas of higher prey densities, but responded differently to native and domestic prey. We also found that wolves had variable responses to both environmental and anthropogenic landscape alterations and response to disturbance was mediated by prey density. With the largest human population in the US and livestock consistently intermixed with native prey, wolves are returning to a very different California than they once may have known. Our results provide insight into how California wolves might respond to landscape alterations and thus, predict future patterns of recolonization. | Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals I Wednesday 2:05 PM | | Student Paper |
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Christina is a wildlife biologist and Masters student studying wolf ecology and conservation on working lands in California in the Middleton and Brashares lab at UC Berkeley and is the field lead for the California Wolf Project (CAWP). Prior to joining CAWP, Christina worked with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife on large carnivores and mesocarnivores, and was engaged on a wide range of projects around the state. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Gonzaga University, and gained diverse experience ranging from camera trapping for jaguars in Belize and Panama to studying fisher movement in California. | PATTERNS OF SPACE USE, DIET, AND LIVESTOCK DEPREDATION IN CALIFORNIA'S RECOVERING GRAY WOLF POPULATION | | Kaggie Orrick; UC Berkeley; kaggie.orrick@berkeley.edu; Matthew Hyde, Mauriel Rodrigez Curras, Christina Winters, Axel Hunnicutt, Arthur Middleton, Justin Brashares | Gray wolves (Canis lupus) have naturally recolonized California after nearly a century of absence. UC Berkeley’s California Wolf Project, established in 2024 in collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, investigates the ecological and social dimensions of this return. Here, we present preliminary findings from our first phase of research, focusing on drivers of home range size, livestock depredations, and diet composition. Using GPS collar data collected between 2017 and 2025, we estimated 58 seasonal autocorrelated kernel density estimates (AKDEs) representing 19 pack-years. Home range size varied across biologically relevant wolf seasons and was best explained by prey availability, with directional shifts between seasons. Modeling depredation reports revealed that livestock depredations were more likely to occur in areas with low native prey abundance and high cattle density. DNA metabarcoding of 379 scats from four packs indicated that wolf diets contained varying proportions of native and domestic prey. Together, these results demonstrate that prey availability—whether native or domestic—strongly shapes wolf space use and behavior in California. Our findings complement CDFW’s management efforts and highlight the unique ecological and management contexts faced by wolves recolonizing a highly human-dominated landscape. | Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals I Wednesday 2:25 PM | | |
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Kaggie Orrick is the Project Director of University of California, Berkeley's California Wolf Project in collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and funding from the National Geographic Society. Her research focuses on predator recovery, human–wildlife coexistence, and the ecological and social dimensions of large carnivore conservation. Kaggie’s work bridges field ecology, spatial modeling, and community engagement to inform wildlife management in human-dominated landscapes. | REWILDING CALIFORNIA MOUNTAIN LIONS (PUMA CONCOLOR): 2016-2025 | | Deana L Clifford; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; deana.clifford@wildlife.ca.gov; Heather Perry, John Randolph, Jane Riner, Taylor Dutrow, Jason V. Lombardi, Doris Duncan, Autumn Welch | In California mountain lions (Puma concolor) are a specially protected species and the focus of a statewide program for population health, ecology, genetics, habitat connectivity and conflict reduction. We document early rewilding efforts for mountain lions by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and its collaborators. Since 2016, mountain lion rewilding efforts have been carefully implemented on a case-by-case basis. Five attempts to reunite kittens with a dam or foster and 14 rehabilitation attempts of older kittens, subadults, or adults have been conducted. Of the five reunification attempts, two were deemed successful based on camera-trap detections. Mountain lions deemed rehabilitation candidates were carefully selected based on presenting problem, age and presentation, prognosis for full physical and behavioral function. Of 14 rehabilitation attempts, eleven were released, one died in care, one was euthanized due to extent of injuries, and one was deemed non-releasable and placed into captivity. All rehabilitated-released animals were fitted with GPS-tracking collars for monitoring post-release movements and survival. We discuss case outcomes, provisional selection criteria, rehabilitation collaborations, and considerations involved in large carnivore specialty rehabilitation. Active collaboration with partners involved in rewilding large native carnivores will help optimize efforts and outcomes for these unique cases. | Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals I Wednesday 2:45 PM | | |
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Deana Clifford is the Senior Veterinarian for Nongame species at the CDFW Wildlife Health Lab. She has led wildlife health projects in Tanzania and the United States. She is a longtime TWS WS member and focuses her efforts on disease and toxin surveillance in wildlife, and conservation of at risk, threatened and endangered species. Focal projects include protecting endangered riparian brush rabbits from rabbit hemorrhagic disease, Amargosa vole recovery, and carnivore health and conservation. |
Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals II (sorted by presentation order) | |
MOUNTAIN LION TRANSLOCATION AS A MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR MITIGATING PREDATION ON AN ENDANGERED SPECIES | | Phil Johnston; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; phillip.johnston@wildlife.ca.gov; Elizabeth A. Siemion, Thomas R. Stephenson, Daniel J. Gammons | For decades translocation has been under-utilized as a tool for mountain lion (Puma concolor) management because limited prior research showed low survival and homing behavior in translocated individuals. Lethal removal of mountain lions can reduce predation on endangered species and mitigate human-wildlife conflict, but legislation or public opposition may require non-lethal management strategies in some jurisdictions. We translocated 21 mountain lions between 2020 and 2025 for the protection of federally endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae) and documented statistically similar annual survival rates between translocated and non-translocated mountain lions within our study area. Homing behavior was uncommon and was only documented in 2 adult males. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of mountain lion translocations as a management strategy with implications for predation management, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, and genetic augmentation efforts for endangered mountain lion populations. | Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals II Wednesday 3:30 PM | | |
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Phil Johnston is an Environmental Scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife leading mountain lion research and management on the Sierra Bighorn Recovery Program. | CALIFORNIA'S WILDCAT: BOBCAT POPULATION MONITORING ACROSS THE STATE | | Rachel A Roberts; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; rachel.roberts@wildlife.ca.gov; Pete Figura, Alexandra Avrin, John Nettles | Until recently, the statewide population of California’s bobcats (Lynx rufus) had never been studied with scientific rigor. The California Bobcat Population Monitoring Project was born out of the need for a better understanding of bobcats throughout the state and a 2019 legislative requirement for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to develop a statewide bobcat management strategy. Assembly Bill 1254 directed CDFW to carry out a five-year study culminating in a first-of-its-kind conservation and management plan for bobcats in California. Study goals included developing a statewide bobcat population estimate, an assessment of overall population health, investigations into human-bobcat conflict, and recommendations for management. Between 2021 and 2022, the CDFW bobcat team collected data at 48 study areas across the state using camera traps, fecal DNA analysis, and GPS collars, resulting in over 21 million photos, 3,000 scat samples, and 64,000 GPS locations. Here we summarize the details of data collection and results of the California Bobcat Population Monitoring Project, to date one of the most thorough investigations of bobcat populations nationwide. | Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals II Wednesday 3:50 PM | | |
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Rachel Roberts is a Senior Environmental Scientist - Bobcat Specialist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, where she has been working as the statewide bobcat coordinator since 2020. Rachel received her B.S. and M.S. from San Jose State University and has worked in the fields of Ecology and Mammalogy for over 15 years. | CHANGE IN BOBCAT OCCUPANCY AFTER LARGE MIXED SEVERITY FIRE | | Alexandra Avrin; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; alexandra.avrin@wildlife.ca.gov; Rachel Roberts, Pete Figura | Large wildfires are becoming increasingly frequent in California with an average of >1,000,000 acres burned in each of the last five years. While studies have explored the impacts of fire on wildlife, they often occur years after the fire when vegetation has regrown. Bobcats may be particularly sensitive to severe wildfires as they prefer dense cover for hunting, denning, and raising young. To measure bobcat’s response immediately post-fire we re-deployed a 40km2 camera grid two months after the Park Fire burned significant portions of California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Tehama Wildlife Area in 2024, where we previously had deployed the same camera grid in 2021 (pre-fire). Deploying cameras soon after the fire allowed us to measure bobcat habitat use and distribution prior to vegetation regrowth and during the next seven months as the vegetation began to regrow. We used occupancy models to compare bobcat distribution pre- and post-fire, across a gradient of burn severities, and over time. This study fills a crucial gap in how bobcats respond to large and severe wildfires immediately after the fire and as they adapt to a changing environment as the vegetation and wildlife community recovers and potentially changes. | Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals II Wednesday 4:10 PM | | |
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Alexandra Avrin is an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife bobcat team studying bobcat populations state-wide. She previously worked on the CDFW drought team protecting critical water sources in Northern California. She received her Master's from the University of Illinois and BS from Colorado State University. She has 15 years of experience working in 5 states and 3 countries on a wide variety of taxa, but mammalian carnivores are her passion. | USING THE WILDLIFE PICTURE INDEX TO MEASURE ECOSYSTEM HEALTH | | Susan Townsend; suetownsend@earthlink.net; Elizabeth Edson, Rachel Townsend, William Merkle | Landscape-level camera trapping studies (>200 cameras at 0.5 – 1.0 km intervals) were conducted in three San Francisco Bay Area counties in California, USA between 2014 and 2024 to monitor biodiversity. The study areas included protected lands under multiple jurisdictions with varying levels of public access. Image data were managed using Wildlife Insights. Analyses included determining mammalian richness, species trends, and a biodiversity index unique to each array. Reporting was standardized to facilitate comparisons among Bay Area counties that support diverse microhabitats yet share a majority of expected species. We identify hallmarks of a healthy ecosystem and compare trophic communities in terms of richness and occupancy levels whilst attempting to identify drivers for these patterns. In addition to our key findings, insights from this standardized approach can provide the basis for identifying keystone species, direction of community structuring (top down and bottom up), and capture regime shifts in certain trophic levels post-wildfire. Long-term monitoring is crucial for establishing credible baselines and trends upon which to measure, and gain insight into, ecological change. | Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals II Wednesday 4:30 PM | | |
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Susan Townsend is a wildlife ecologist and ethologist with 29 years of experience in California working with threatened and endangered species. Her research spans social cognition in wolves—including the critically endangered Mexican gray wolf—, penguin ecology in the Antarctic, and counting marmots in Mongolia. As an ecological consultant, she leads landscape-scale camera trapping projects and employs non-invasive methods such as acoustic monitoring for birds and bats. Susan specializes in biodiversity trends and adaptive management, utilizing robust study designs and occupancy estimation. | HOW THE ENVIRONMENT DRIVES PREDATOR-PREY ENCOUNTER DYNAMICS ACROSS SPACE AND TIME | | Elizabeth A Siemion; Utah State University & CA Dpt. of Fish & Wildlife; liz.siemion@usu.edu; Thomas R. Stephenson, Kezia R. Manlove | Environmental variation can drive spatial and temporal changes in predator-prey encounter dynamics, with downstream consequences for prey vulnerability and predator foraging decisions. As such, understanding how the environment influences fine-scale spatiotemporal partitioning of prey and subsequent predator movement is critical for determining changes in predation. Here, we explore how predator-prey-environment interactions unfold between mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), federally endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Sierra bighorn; Ovis canadensis sierrae), and mountain lions (Puma concolor) with a strong environmental driver (climate) throughout the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains of California. We assessed the extent to which mule deer movement provides a shifting resource surface that attracts mountain lions to predictable, seasonally specific ranges that closely align to those of deer, and vary in their proximities to Sierra bighorn. We developed an integrated spatial model using GPS and demographic data to predict spatiotemporally varying mule deer densities by combining connectivity (modeled through an environmentally-informed integrated step selection analysis) with local population growth (through an environmentally-informed population model). We then estimated the strength of mountain lion movement responses to those densities using an integrated Bayesian hierarchical model. Ultimately, this model will provide insight into selecting management strategies that reduce predation risk on Sierra bighorn. | Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals II Wednesday 4:50 PM | | |
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I am in the fourth year of my Ph.D. work at Utah State University. My dissertation investigates how environmentally induced changes in the spatial ecology of prey individuals, populations, and communities influence predator-prey dynamics. My research takes place in the Sierra Nevada of California and focuses on predator-prey-environment dynamics between Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, mule deer, and mountain lions. This project will contribute to the conservation and management of all three species implemented by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep recovery program, a project I have been involved with for the past 10 years. | COLLABORATIVE INTEGRATED POPULATION MODELING: MERGING MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES AND MODELING TO MANAGE AN ENDANGERED SPECIES | | Corey J Kramer; SDSU; ckramer@sdsu.edu; Jessie Golding, Randy Botta, Paige Prentice, Amiee Byard, Jim DeForge, Megan Jennings, Rebecca Lewison | Globally, large mammal populations have sharply declined due to multiple stressors, with disease and climate change posing substantial challenges for managing protected species with low abundances. Peninsular bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) are a distinct, federally endangered population of desert bighorn sheep native to the Peninsular Ranges of Southern California. This population has undergone dramatic fluctuations over the last five decades with disease believed to be a primary driver of decline. However, limited effort has been focused on how climate change will impact the population’s long-term viability given expected increases in drought frequency and intensity in the region. Here, we assessed how this population may respond to future disease and drought conditions by develop+ing an integrated population model in collaboration with government and private agencies to best capture ecological processes for this data-limited species. Our approach evaluated various scenarios projecting how population trends may change over the next 25 years under constant conditions, increased disease or drought frequency and intensity, and their synergistic effects. Our approach provides a flexible framework to evaluate the impacts of interacting stressors, helping guide proactive management strategies for date-poor at-risk endangered species. | Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals II Wednesday 5:10 PM | | Student Paper |
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I am a 4th year PhD candidate at San Diego State University studying Peninsular bighorn sheep population dynamics and spatial ecology. I grew up in Iowa and attended the University of Northern Iowa for my undergraduate degree, working as a research technician after graduating for a project focused on locally endangered wood turtles. I then got my master’s degree from the University of Saskatchewan studying wild pig habitat selection and connectivity. |
Ecology and Conservation of Meso-carnivores (sorted by presentation order) | |
WOLVERINES IN CALIFORNIA: A WILD PAST AND A POTENTIAL FUTURE | | Erin M Zulliger; Institute for Wildlife Studies; ezulliger@iws.org; Brian Hudgens, David Kennedy, Matt Bruce, Kate Karwent, Sam Keating, David Garcelon | Wildlife reintroduction is a valuable tool to conserve threatened and endangered species, and wildlife managers use science-based data to weigh the pros and cons before implementing actions. However, public attitudes are often overlooked or ignored as a critical preliminary step in planning a reintroduction. In California, the wolverine (Gulo gulo) has been extirpated from the State for more than a century and was recently listed as ‘threatened’ by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. To better understand the human dimensions of wolverine reintroduction in California, we partnered with a polling firm to conduct a statewide public opinion survey. We utilized this poll to measure public support for wolverine reintroduction across California and to better understand the demographics of supportive and opposing stakeholders. We found initial support to be 53% but this increased to 70% when respondents were presented with facts about wolverines, arguments for and against reintroduction, and proposed management strategies. Education about wolverines increased support across a wide diversity of Californians, including those who traditionally oppose such measures. Our results suggest education and communication are important tools to mitigate public concern about wildlife reintroduction and it highlights the need for managers to incorporate this into their management strategies. | Ecology and Conservation of Meso-carnivores Friday 8:05 AM | | |
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I joined IWS as a wildlife biologist in May 2024, where I have been working to support some of the organization’s long-term projects such as wolverine reintroduction to the Sierra Nevada mountains and analysis of the San Clemente Island Fox data. I have worked as a wildlife biologist since 2012 and completed my master’s in 2020, which has given me the opportunity to work with a variety of species. Most of my professional background has been focused on big game management, where I’ve developed a keen interest in ungulate ecology, wildlife health, novel monitoring techniques, and movement ecology. | ENERGETIC COSTS OF HUMAN DISTURBANCE TO SOUTHERN SEA OTTERS ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COAST | | Heather E Barrett; Sea Otter Savvy ; heather@seaottersavvy.org; M. Tim Tinker, Gena Bentall, Birgitte McDonald | Increasing human activity in coastal habitats elevates the potential for wildlife disturbance. For southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis), whose high metabolic rates require near-constant foraging, repeated disturbances can result in significant energetic costs. From 2015–2020, we conducted scan surveys at three California sites—Monterey, Moss Landing, and Morro Bay—to quantify sea otter behavior and exposure to potential disturbance stimuli. Using a hierarchical, process-based model, we examined how activity patterns changed with proximity to disturbance while accounting for site, group size, pup ratio, and kelp canopy presence. We linked behavioral responses to published activity-specific metabolic rates to estimate additional energetic costs associated with disturbance. Behavioral effects were location-specific and varied non-linearly with distance from disturbance stimuli. The likelihood of disturbance was <10% when stimuli were beyond 29 m, although this threshold varied by covariate. Estimated energetic costs increased 5–7%, with the greatest increases in Monterey’s Cannery Row area. Our findings provide a quantitative framework for assessing energetic consequences of human disturbance in marine mammals and inform management strategies to reduce impacts and promote coexistence between humans and recovering sea otter populations. | Ecology and Conservation of Meso-carnivores Friday 8:25 AM | | |
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Heather E. Barrett is a marine ecologist and science communicator whose passion for wildlife ecology began early through youth biology education at the Lawrence Hall of Science and the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden. She earned her B.S. in Ecology and Evolution from UC Santa Cruz, working with Jim Estes lab and the Sea Otter Research and Conservation Program (SORAC) in collaboration with USGS and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. After several years with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Heather completed her M.S. at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, where she studied the energetic costs of human disturbance to sea otters. As a Biologist and the Science Communication Director for Sea Otter Savvy, she integrates research and outreach to inspire coexistence between people and marine wildlife. | GOING THE DISTANCE, IN THE SPOTLIGHT: 25 YEARS OF DISTANCE SAMPLING SURVEYS FOR SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOX ON THE CARRIZO PLAIN USING SPOTLIGHTING | | Brandon S Swanson; California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife; brandon.swanson@wildlife.ca.gov; Bob Stafford, Craig Fiehler, Dave Hacker, Ken Spencer | California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been conducting spotlighting surveys for San Joaquin Kit Fox (Vulpes mactoris mutica) on the Carrizo Plain since 1970. In the year 2000, the survey was modified to estimate abundance using distance sampling, this past fall marks 25 years of this survey effort. This discussion will explore the history and evolution of the survey, abundance trends, explanatory covariates within DS models and the management implications from the survey effort and how current and emerging technologies may play a role in future population monitoring. | Ecology and Conservation of Meso-carnivores Friday 8:45 AM | | |
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Brandon Swanson has been the unit biologist in San Luis Obispo County for California Department of Fish and Wildlife since December 2020. | SHAPED BY SHAPES: COMPLEX CONFIGURATION OF BURN SEVERITY PATCHES PROMOTES PACIFIC MARTEN OCCUPANCY FOLLOWING A MEGAFIRE | | Deirdre L Replinger; Cal Poly Humboldt; dr327@humboldt.edu; Christopher J. Collier, Alyssa M. Roddy, Dax Morfin, Katie M. Moriarty, Micaela S. Gunther, Ho Yi Wan | Increasing frequency, size, and severity of wildfires in western North America threatens forest-dependent wildlife species. Pacific martens (Martes caurina) are associated with mature, structurally complex forests. Recently, we detected martens in forests burned at high-severity in the Dixie Fire, the largest recorded single fire in California’s history. We used non-invasive remote camera traps and hair snares (n = 166 stations) to assess marten density and home range composition using spatial capture-recapture models and occupancy using spatial occupancy models. We detected martens across the burn severity gradient (unburned to high-severity) at 98 of 166 (59%) camera stations. Individually identifiable martens’ home ranges spanned multiple burn severity classes and varied in their burn severity composition by individual. We found that marten occupancy is strongly associated with increasing shape complexity of patches burned at high severity on a large scale. We assess effects of spatial heterogeneity of burn severity and forest structural covariates at multiple scales on marten density. We detected multiple martens in burned areas between one and three years post-fire, providing evidence for use, survival, and short-term persistence of a rare forest-associated species within this megafire. | Ecology and Conservation of Meso-carnivores Friday 9:05 AM | | Student Paper |
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Deirdre Replinger is a Master's student at Cal Poly Humboldt studying responses of Pacific martens to wildfire. | BEYOND BOUNDARIES - HUMBOLDT MARTEN DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE IN THE COASTAL FORESTS OF CALIFORNIA AND OREGON | | Marie E Martin; Oregon State University; marie.martin@oregonstate.edu; Erika L. Anderson, Scott A. Demers, Kent Barnes, Jackie Killiam, Micaela S. Gunther, Sean Matthews | The conservation of rare and imperiled species is an iterative process requiring repeated efforts to identify knowledge gaps, collect empirical data, and implement policies to support species’ recovery and persistence. Humboldt martens (Martes caurina humboldtensis) are a rare and behaviorally cryptic carnivore that occur in coastal forests of California and Oregon. Humboldt martens were thought to be extirpated until 1996. Subsequently, Humboldt martens, and the analogous coastal distinct population segment of Pacific martens, were listed as state endangered in California in 2019 and federally threatened in 2020. Nonetheless, persistent gaps in knowledge remained regarding the abundance and distribution of Humboldt martens at the time of their listing. From 2022 to 2024, we collaborated with Tribal, state, federal, academic, and non-governmental institutions to survey for Humboldt martens within the Northern Coastal California, Southern Coastal Oregon, and California-Oregon Border extant population areas. We detected 46 (28M:18F), 12 (7M:5F), and 15 (11M:4F) unique martens within the population areas, respectively. Martens occurred across a range of vegetation conditions, including within the post-fire matrix resulting from the 2023 Smith River Complex. While our work filled some persisting knowledge gaps, we highlight continued survey efforts and conservation opportunities to support Humboldt marten recovery. | Ecology and Conservation of Meso-carnivores Friday 9:25 AM | | |
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| GRAY FOX OCCUPANCY OF BURNED VEGETATION FOLLOWING A CALIFORNIA MEGAFIRE | | Amida Z Verhey; Cal Poly Humboldt; azv4@humboldt.edu; Christopher J. Collier, Deirdre L. Replinger, Micaela S. Gunther, Katie M. Moriarty, Ho Yi Wan | In the western United States, mammal communities are facing habitat loss and degradation from increases in megafire frequency and severity. As a result, carnivores will likely adjust their behaviors and space use in response to altered vegetation structure. The gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), a common mesocarnivore in California, is expected to shift its occurrence in these heterogeneous post-fire landscapes, but few studies have explored which fire and vegetation characteristics drive gray fox distributions. To examine how gray foxes use post-fire vegetation, we used spatial occupancy models focused on the effect of burn severity and its landscape configuration, and localized vegetation characteristics on gray fox occupancy. We used a 2023 remote camera dataset (n = 210), differenced Normalized Burn Ratio, vegetation structure, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index to describe gray fox occurrence following the 2021 Dixie Fire (~1 million acres) in Lassen and Plumas national forests, California. Preliminary results suggest that gray foxes use sites that experienced high severity fire rather than those with high contemporary vegetation greenness. We hope that by examining the burned vegetation conditions that shape the space use of a common mesocarnivore, we can help provide a starting place for further examination of mesocarnivore distributions following megafires. | Ecology and Conservation of Meso-carnivores Friday 9:45 AM | | Student Paper |
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Amida (Ami) is an M.S. student in the Wan Lab at Cal Poly Humboldt. He grew up in Lake County, CA, and obtained his B.S. from UC Davis, where he researched the impacts of urban development and interference competition of coyotes on gray foxes in the Santa Monica Mountains. After graduating, he worked for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in Lake and Streambed Alteration permitting in the Bay Area and Greater Los Angeles. His thesis research examines the impacts of the Dixie Fire on gray fox space use to uncover mechanisms that drive mesocarnivore responses to fire. |
Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 1 - Genetics & Distribution (sorted by presentation order) | |
A TALE OF TWO PIKAS: GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF HYBRID ZONE DYNAMICS | | Rachel M Billings; CU Boulder; rachel.billings@colorado.edu; Chris Ray, Jessica Castillo Vardaro | Hybridization can have important consequences for species fitness ranging from hybrid vigor to inbreeding depression. These impacts may be more significant for species such as the American pika, whose physiological needs and limited ability to disperse may make them more vulnerable to gene flow shifts in a rapidly changing climate. This study characterizes a zone of hybridization between two subspecies of American pika (Ochotona princep princeps and O. p. saxatilis) found in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA. This hybrid zone was first sampled in 2012 for a study of spatial overlap between subspecies as revealed through analysis of mtDNA. Our current sampling is designed to infer any expansion/contraction or movement of the hybrid zone since 2012, and to understand the factors influencing gene flow between these taxa (e.g., geographic dispersal barriers and/or selection against hybrids). As in previous studies, we used mitochondrial cytochrome-b sequencing to classify subspecies from pika fecal pellet samples collected along five transects spanning the potential hybrid zone in 2024. Based on samples analyzed to date, there has been no clear shift in the area occupied by either subspecies, although there is preliminary evidence that the southern subspecies, O. p. saxatilis, is expanding northward. | Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 1 - Genetics & Distribution Wednesday 4:05 PM | | Student Paper |
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Rachel is a current PhD student in the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department at the University of Colorado Boulder, advised by Dr. Chris Ray & Dr. Brett Melbourne. She received her B.S. from the University of Florida and M.S. from Virginia Tech in electrical engineering. She is interested in applying this background to developing and using field-ready hardware and machine learning to research the behavior of vulnerable mammal species such as pika, and to characterize the potential impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activity on alpine wildlife. | CLIMATE DRIVES GENETIC DIVERSITY LOSS IN AMERICAN PIKA (OCHOTONA PRINCEPS) POPULATIONS IN THE GREAT BASIN | | Emily N Kulig; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; emily.kulig@wildlife.ca.gov; Jane Van Gunst, Michael J. Hernandez, Yvonne Luong, Monica Villaseñor, Rachel S. Crowhurst, Clinton W. Epps, Jessica A. Castillo Vardaro | American pikas (Ochotona princeps) are small, thermally sensitive mammals that primarily live in montane and alpine environments. The Sierra Nevada lineage (O. p. schisticeps) occupies a uniquely broad range of habitats from low-elevation habitat in the Great Basin to more typical pika habitat in the high Sierras. This lineage has experienced numerous local extinctions, most of which occurred in the Great Basin, yet few genetic studies have assessed these at-risk populations. This study aims to fill that gap by conducting fine-scale genetic analyses on populations in low-elevation Great Basin habitat in northwestern Nevada. Here, we use microsatellite genotyping to: (i) quantify genetic diversity and structure among populations within O. p schisticeps, with particular focus on northwestern Nevada; and (ii) assess the influence of primary productivity and climate-related variables on genetic diversity within O. p schisticeps, as well as at the broader species level. Great Basin populations exhibited the lowest levels of genetic diversity. Within O. p. schisticeps, population genetic diversity was positively correlated with annual precipitation—while at the species level temperature explained the most variation in genetic diversity. These results provide insight into climate-driven range contractions predicted for this species and inform conservation and management decisions. | Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 1 - Genetics & Distribution Wednesday 4:25 PM | | |
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Emily Kulig is a Research Scientist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Genetics Research Laboratory. She completed her masters in 2022 from San Jose State University where she focused on population genetics of American pikas in the Great Basin and southern Sierra Nevadas using microsatellite genotyping. She has spent the past 3 years working on various fisheries genetics projects focusing on native species conservation genetics and monitoring through eDNA assay creation for species of concern such as threatened/endangered fish or invasive species, eDNA metabarcoding, disease monitoring using targeted qPCR, and cryopreservation. | ANALYZING THE EFFECT OF CLIMATE ON HABITAT OCCUPANCY AND THE POPULATION STAGE STRUCTURE OF OCHOTONA PRINCEPS (AMERICAN PIKA) | | Van Baronofsky; INSTAAR; vaba4392@colorado.edu; Chris Ray | Species are experiencing reductions in habitat range due to anthropogenic climate change. The climate sensitive montane mammal Ochotona princeps (American pika) is currently facing a reduction in range at lower elevations, but the demographic mechanisms linking climate to pika losses are unknown. We projected pika territory occupancy (presence or not of a pika) by predicting territory colonization and owner mortality in a large pika population in Montana, USA. We used annual data from the years 2019-2024 to develop Markov models of territory ownership turnover and to project occupancy and stage (juvenile/adult) structure of the population. To suggest turnover mechanisms, we modeled territory colonization and owner mortality as functions of mean summer temperature and mean winter precipitation. We found that higher mean summer temperatures and lower mean winter precipitation predicted less frequent territory colonization and more frequent owner mortality. Projections of occupancy under 2019-2024 climatic conditions suggest long-term stability in this population, perhaps due to the above-average snowfall at this study site, which might offset the negative effects of higher mean summer temperature. By modeling occupancy transition rates as functions of climate, our approach can produce mechanistic projections of occupancy dynamics to better inform conservation management strategies. | Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 1 - Genetics & Distribution Wednesday 5:05 PM | | |
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My name is Van and I am a recent graduate of CU Boulder and I have been helping study pikas for over 2 years. I am currently open to any work opportunities in the field of ecology and let me know if you would like to chat more about pikas! | THE DISTRIBUTION AND RESILIENCE OF AMERICAN PIKAS UNDER CHANGING CLIMATE CONDITIONS IN THE CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES | | Erika L Anderson; Oregon State University; Erika.Anderson@oregonstate.edu; Marie E. Martin, Kalysta Adkins, Johanna Varner, Sean M. Matthews, Sean M Matthews | The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is a climate-sensitive mammal distributed throughout montane ecosystems of western North America. Rising temperatures, decreased precipitation, and unreliable snowpack imperil some populations of pikas by inducing heat stress, reducing forage, and increasing vulnerability to winter conditions. Given their sensitivity to shifting climate conditions, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife lists the American pika as a Conservation Strategy Species, however, little is known about the status and distribution of pikas throughout the state, particularly in central Oregon, where there are steep environmental gradients and a diversity of lava habitats. With the help of community volunteers, we conducted observational surveys at 88 survey locations in the central Oregon Cascades. Survey locations were distributed across an elevational gradient from 3,000 ft to 10,000 ft. By integrating presence only data with detection-non-detection data from community led observational surveys, we will estimate the distribution of pikas as it relates to climate, elevation, talus, and forest conditions. Our work will uncover the potential resilience of pikas in the central Oregon Cascades in the face of a changing climate and elucidate how survey protocols affect pika detectability across habitats, thereby informing study design for participatory science efforts in this region. | Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 1 - Genetics & Distribution Wednesday 5:25 PM | | |
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| PIKAS ON PROTECTED LANDS: INFORMING CONSERVATION AND MONITORING ACROSS THE U.S. NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM | | Jennifer L Wilkening; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; jennifer_wilkening@fws.gov; Ashley Whipple, Jane Van Gunst, Mackenzie Jeffress, Kim Haab | The U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) was established in 1903 to conserve lands and waters essential for fish, wildlife, and habitats. Today, the NWRS encompasses 574 units across the United States, providing essential habitats for many species of conservation concern like pikas (Ochotona spp.). However, despite their monitoring importance on NWRS lands, no system-wide assessment has evaluated pika occurrence or status across refuges. Although pikas occupy relatively few refuges, these areas may serve as important refugial habitats amid global change. Here, we summarize known occurrences of American pikas (O. princeps) in the western United States and collared pikas (O. collaris) in Alaska on or adjacent to refuges. Using refuge biogeographic data and published observations, we identify where pikas are currently known, where suitable habitat exists, and where apparent declines may be occurring. Results highlight refuges that could serve as long-term monitoring sites and guide management actions to sustain pika populations under changing conditions. This assessment provides a foundation for future research and collaboration across the broader pika network. Understanding pika distribution within the NWRS informs adaptive management and underscores the role of refuges in conserving species highly sensitive to environmental change. | Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 1 - Genetics & Distribution Wednesday 5:45 PM | | |
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| WHOLE GENOME RESEQUENCING REVEALS GENETIC CHANGES IN AMERICAN PIKAS THROUGHOUT A CENTURY OF CLIMATE CHANGE | | Nathaniel Hunsdorfer; San Jose State University; nathaniel.hunsdorfer@sjsu.edu; Tien Ly, Jessica Castillo Vardaro | In the face of climate change, populations must either adapt to persist in their current habitats or shift their range to find more ideal habitats. For those that cannot shift their range, investigating the genetic consequences of past climate change can help assess risk of extinction. We employed whole genome resequencing of modern samples and historic museum specimens to understand the American pika’s genetic history over the past century in the Great Basin, Southern Cascades, and Sierra Nevada ecoregions. The American pika serves as an early warning indicator of the detrimental effects of climate change due to their narrow tolerance range, particularly for temperature and water balance. We evaluated genetic diversity and effective population sizes of modern or historical populations at multiple sites and observed decreases in both metrics over the past century. Historic genetic diversity was highest in sites with low temperatures and high precipitation. Our study provides more insight into why populations in some regions are experiencing more extirpation events than others and fills gaps in our knowledge of how climate change affects this species. This study is one of a few to leverage historic and modern genetic data to assess its vulnerability to human-induced climate change. | Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 1 - Genetics & Distribution Wednesday 1:45 PM | | |
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My name is Nathaniel Hunsdorfer, and my goal is to use my experience and education to pursue conservation efforts through developing genetic rescue methods for endangered species. I believe that investing in genetic conservation can help protect vital species and ecosystems, which are essential for combating climate change and maintaining a healthy planet. For my Master’s, I studied Pikas, which are sensitive to climate change, to understand its impacts and use genetics to predict their future. After my master’s, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. to explore species' evolutionary histories and develop conservation strategies through genetic rescue. |
Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 2 - Occupancy & Climate (sorted by presentation order) | |
LONG CALL PLAYBACK: A NOVEL METHOD FOR ESTIMATING DENSITY AND OCCUPANCY OF NORTH AMERICAN PIKA | | Chris J Smith; University of Nevada at Reno, Tahoe Campus; chrissmith@unr.edu; Matt Shinderman, Lyle Nichols, Joseph Stewart, Mila Opalenik, Kevin Shoemaker | Developing efficient techniques for monitoring populations of climate-sensitive species is crucial for understanding impacts of climate change. American Pika (Ochotona princeps) are a small heat-sensitive lagomorph, that in some regions are experiencing local extirpations, apparently due to warming climates. Surveys for pikas often rely on direct detections (aural or visual) and, in some studies, rely on interpretation of whether sign (i.e., haypiles, scat) appears fresh enough to indicate current occupancy. Both pika and passerine birds exhibit vocal defense of small exclusive territories, and we trialed long call playback using point-count methods on pika, a technique commonly employed in bird surveys. We estimated density and occupancy rates of pikas in a range of environments, comparing these estimates and detection probability to standard occupancy surveys. Overall, playback increased direct detection rates by 2.3-3 times, with detection probability ranging between 80-97% in ideal conditions (within 4 hours of sunrise/sunset and < 7°C on the first visit). The benefits of playback were especially apparent in structurally complex lava, where standard occupancy surveys missed ~90% of pikas. We suggest that playback with point count or territory mapping- style surveys, common in bird research, are more efficient (5-15 min per 2500m2) than standard occupancy surveys (20-30 min per 450m2) and can be easily added as a tool for pika research across the west. | Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 2 - Occupancy & Climate Wednesday 3:30 PM | | Student Paper |
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Chris is a lecturer at University of Nevada at Reno, on the Lake Tahoe Campus where he is finishing up his PhD with pika in the Northern Sierra's. | BEYOND THE WEATHER STATION: MAPPING THERMAL REFUGIA IN ROCKY ALPINE HABITATS | | Airy A Peralta; CU Boulder; airyadriana@gmail.com; Chris Ray | Characterizing climate and climate change impacts on species in mountainous and other complex terrain can be complicated by microclimatic variation. Most studies rely on widely available free-air climatic models like PRISM and ClimateNA —models of choice for assessing how terrain-related differences in climate exposure affect ecological responses at various scales. However, the accuracy of these models in complex terrain and their relationship to the microclimates pikas experience remains poorly understood. At the Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research site, we installed 16 stations measuring talus free-air, surface and subsurface temperatures hourly from summer 2022 to summer 2024 to: 1) evaluate whether ClimateNA accurately predicts free-air temperature, 2) investigate how free-air temperatures relate to talus surfaces and subsurface temperatures year-round, and 3) develop statistical models that allow us to incorporate microclimatic temperature into assessments of pika occupancy. Our results highlight systematic biases in ClimateNA predictions that could substantially mischaracterize thermal stress for thermally sensitive species like the American pika, a species with only 3°C separating normal and lethal body temperatures. These findings underscore the necessity of developing free-air temperature correction models and recognize that even within free-air environments, complex terrain creates buffered microclimates critical for thermally sensitive indicator species. | Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 2 - Occupancy & Climate Wednesday 3:50 PM | | Student Paper |
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Airy Peralta is a graduate student at CU Boulder's Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department. She studies how natural and human-driven factors operating across different spatial scales shape the population dynamics of endangered species and wildlife of conservation concern. | WINTER CLIMATE EXPLAINS AMERICAN PIKA (OCHOTONA PRINCEPS SAXATILIS) HABITAT OCCUPANCY IN A SOUTHERN CORE OF THE SPECIES' RANGE | | Ailey E Pittman; University of Colorado Boulder; aipi6262@colorado.edu; Airy Peralta, Chris Ray | Climatic controls on species and their distributions are predicted to become more influential in the coming decades. In North America, one species expected to be especially impacted by climate change is the American pika (pika). This species is adapted to cold weather and struggles to thermoregulate as temperatures rise. It is also highly territorial, making pika populations easy to monitor. These characteristics have made pikas useful for studying climatic controls on habitat occupancy throughout their range. Southern subspecies might be especially vulnerable to warming; a 2016 study of O. p. saxatilis in the southern Rocky Mountains projected possible extirpation in Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO). We evaluated evidence for this prediction using 2016-2024 occupancy data from 72 permanent plots established 15 km south of ROMO. We found no evidence of declining occupancy through 2024, but generalized linear modeling of occupancy as a function of climatic covariates demonstrated that winter temperature and winter snowfall were the most robust predictors. Plots with higher snowfall during cold winter temperatures were more likely to remain occupied, while wetter years and warmer winters reduced occupancy, likely due to a less insulating snowpack. Such climatic controls suggest an uncertain future for this subspecies. | Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 2 - Occupancy & Climate Wednesday 4:10 PM | | Student Paper |
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Ailey Pittman is a recent graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder. She studied Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and pre-veterinary medicine. She completed her honors thesis on Colorado pika habitat occupancy at the end of October 2025 before graduating in December of 2025. She was the co-president of the CU pre-veterinary club and was recently admitted into the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at Colorado State University, where her focus will be equine veterinary medicine. Outside of her studies, she enjoys riding and competing in hunter/jumper with her horses in Colorado. | PATTERNS OF CHANGE IN MICROCLIMATES IN AN ATYPICAL HABITAT FOR AMERICAN PIKAS | | Johanna Varner; Colorado Mesa University; jvarner@coloradomesa.edu; Mallory Sandoval Lambert, Joshua J. Horns | Many species rely on microclimates (i.e., areas where temperature and weather differ from prevailing conditions) for protection against climatic extremes. American pikas (Ochotona princeps) are small, climate-sensitive lagomorphs that inhabit rocky habitats across western North America. While warming summers and reduced snowpack have driven population declines in parts of the pika’s range, the degree to which microclimate refugia are also changing remains poorly understood. We analyzed 14 years of temperature data (2011–2025) from four sites in the Columbia River Gorge, where cool, stable microclimates enable pikas to survive at their lowest elevation. We also evaluated the effects of the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire on microclimates at these sites. Since 2011, talus surface temperatures have increased by ~0.32°C per year, and while subsurface interstitial environments also warmed slightly, they remained consistently 6–11°C cooler than surface temperatures. Despite this buffering, the frequency of hot days (>25°C) rose by ~7% annually, both before and after the fire, increasing potential exposure to heat stress. These results underscore both the resilience and vulnerability of pika habitats: talus continues to mitigate extreme heat, yet climate warming and wildfire appear to be eroding this buffer, with potential consequences for persistence in this unique low-elevation habitat. | Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 2 - Occupancy & Climate Wednesday 4:30 PM | | |
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Dr. Johanna “Pika Jo” Varner is a professor of biology and pika biologist at Colorado Mesa University, and past chair of the North American Pika Consortium. Her research has generally focused on understanding how some populations of pikas persist in seemingly “marginal” habitats, including the Columbia River Gorge, Craters of the Moon, and several isolated mountain ranges near the species’ southern range edge. She has also led several participatory science programs that invite volunteers and/or K-12 students to participate in pika monitoring activities, and last year, she oversaw the development and release of the “Pika Patrol” participatory science mobile app. | DIVERGENT PATHS FOR CLIMATE ADAPTATION: COMPARING ADAPTIVE CAPACITY IN NORTH AMERICAN PIKAS | | Hana L Walker; School of Biological Sciences; University of Oklahoma; hanawalker13@gmail.com; Hayley C. Lanier | Climate change poses a threat to biological diversity, but we lack a nuanced understanding of which species are most at risk. Niche model projections are common approaches to evaluate these risks, however, they assume that species’ relationships to climate will not change. Adaptive capacity (AC) assessments are useful for overcoming these limitations, allowing us to assess potential responses and knowledge gaps. Here, we use North American pikas as a case study and contrast the AC for two species. While American pikas have a low adaptive capacity to respond to climate change, our results suggest that collared pikas, a sister species of American pikas, are at greater risk. The two exhibit similar ecology, but key differences in genetic diversity and recruitment likely reduce collared pikas’ ability to respond to climate change. Additionally, although they select for similar habitat, high latitudes are experiencing faster rates of climate change, making adaptation especially pressing. AC enables us to assess the limitations and strengths a species has and identify key knowledge gaps, such as data on the physiological tolerances of collared pikas. With standardized search protocols, these assessments will allow for rapid insights into climate change risk and research needs. | Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 2 - Occupancy & Climate Wednesday 4:50 PM | | Student Paper |
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Hana Walker is a master’s student studying biology at the University of Oklahoma, advised by Hayley Lanier. Hana's research focuses on climate change response in collared pikas and other montane mammals. She completed her BS in Wildlife Ecology and Management at Utah State University. Hana previously worked as a technician for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources surveying American pikas and pygmy rabbits, and she has worked for a variety of projects including coyotes, pelicans, bluebirds, and cougars. In her spare time, Hana enjoys listening to podcasts, cooking, and spending time with her dog and cats. | CLIMATIC STRESSORS AND HABITAT QUALITY EXPLAIN INDIVIDUAL STRESS METRICS IN AN ISOLATED POPULATION OF SMALL MAMMALS | | Karli P Weatherill; Colorado Mesa Univeristy; weatherillkarli@gmail.com; Ashley L. Whipple, Mallory Sandoval Lambert, A.Zeynep Ozsoy, Holly M. Nelson, Tabitha R. McFarland, Josey L. King, Troy Muzzio, Chris Ray, Johanna Varner | American pikas (Ochotona princeps) are widely recognized as a mammalian indicator of environmental change in alpine ecosystems because they have experienced climate-mediated declines in parts of their range. The La Sal Mountains of southeastern Utah harbor a unique population of pikas in an isolated range surrounded by low-elevation desert. Despite predictions that pikas in isolated ranges face stronger climate impacts than those in “mainland” ranges, this population has received little systematic study. Our research investigates whether pika stress is driven primarily by climate stressors shared among individuals or by unique characteristics of an individual’s territory. From 2018 to 2023, we conducted a mark-resight study. Each year, pikas were trapped, marked with colored ear tags, and sampled for scat to analyze fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM), a measure of stress. We used linear mixed models to test how FGM varied with predictors including annual climate, vegetation resources, microclimate, ectoparasite load, and body condition. We found that territory-level graminoid abundance, snowpack duration, and August temperature were strong predictors of stress. These results underscore the combined influence of shared climatic stressors and territory-specific factors. Our findings inform conservation, improve predictions of pika distributions under climate change, and emphasize the need for long-term, multi-scale studies. | Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 2 - Occupancy & Climate Wednesday 5:10 PM | | Student Paper |
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Karli Weatherill is a recent graduate of Colorado Mesa University, where she earned her degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology. Her research has focused on American pikas, examining their stress physiology and conservation in the La Sal Mountains, UT, under the mentorship of Johanna Varner. Her broader interests include mammalian responses to environmental change, physiology, and conservation, integrating field and laboratory approaches to advance understanding of species resilience. She is also committed to science communication and youth science education, with the goal of making science accessible and inspiring to diverse audiences. Karli plans to continue her academic career by pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree beginning in the fall. |
Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles I (sorted by presentation order) | |
ASSESSING GENETIC RESCUE IN BLUNT-NOSED LEOPARD LIZARDS IN CALIFORNIA'S PANOCHE HILLS | | Rory S Telemeco; Fresno Chaffee Zoo; rtelemeco@fcz.org; J. Mark Statham, Michael Westphal, Steven Hromada, Steven Sharp, Mark Halvorsen, Andrea Putnam, Kobe Goliman | How to best manage genetic structure presents a frequent dilemma in endangered species conservation. In 2020, Fresno Chaffee Zoo received emergency permission to found a captive colony of Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizards (BNLL, Gambelia sila) from Panoche Plateau, Fresno County, CA. We began with 5 founders in 2020 and added two additional animals from Panoche Plateau in 2021, with an average kinship equivalent to half-sibs. Although animals successfully reproduced in captivity, reproductive rates declined over time, raising the possibility of ongoing inbreeding depression. In 2024, we collected three additional animals from a nearby population in Little Panoche Valley (LPV) which were crossed with Panoche Plateau-derived animals in our captive colony in 2025. We compared hatching success, post-hatching survival, hatchling morphology, and hatchling growth curves of animals resulting from pure-plateau crosses and outcrosses. Surprisingly, we could not detect any differences between lizards resulting from these different crosses. This result suggests that outcrossing at this level may provide few direct fitness costs or benefits. Given the known risk of inbreeding depression for closely-related vertebrates and lack of evidence for a cost to outcrossing, outcrossing is expected to result in a net conservation benefit for Panoche BNLL. | Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles I Thursday 8:05 AM | | |
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Dr. Rory Telemeco is Director of Conservation Science at Fresno Chaffee Zoo and lead scientist for the zoo’s Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard Conservation Project. Rory received his PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Iowa State University and his MS and BS degrees in Biology from the University of Central Oklahoma, with a research year at the University of Sydney. Before joining the zoo, Rory completed post-docs at the University of Washington and Auburn University, and was an Assistant Professor of Biology at Fresno State University. Rory is broadly interested in ecological and evolutionary responses of organisms (especially reptiles) to changing environments and using this information to improve conservation management. | THERMAL ECOLOGY OF THE GREAT BASIN RATTLESNAKE (CROTALUS LUTOSUS) IN EASTERN NEVADA | | Colton R Irons; University of Nevada, Reno ; coltonirons3@gmail.com; Kevin T Shoemaker, Bryan T Hamilton, Kenneth E Nussear | We evaluated the thermal ecology of Crotalus lutosus in a semi-arid montane landscape of eastern Nevada (Great Basin National Park). During 2023–2024, we surgically implanted 29 snakes with temperature dataloggers to record field active body temperature (Tb) and measured environmental temperatures in a wide range of available microhabitats. We determined the species’s preferred body-temperature range (Tset = 28–32°C) from previous studies and calculated thermoregulation indices to evaluate thermoregulatory effectiveness (E). We hypothesize that gravid females exhibit higher median Tb and greater E than non-gravid females and males, with more frequent exceedances of the upper bound (32°C) in midsummer. We expected the effectiveness of thermoregulation to peak in the early morning and late afternoon of the day, and then decline at dusk and night. We assumed snakes shift among microhabitats—basking in sun-exposed sites when the environment is cooler than their preferred body temperature range and retreating under rocks when the surrounding area is too warm. We further predicted that E will decline over time across the active season as ambient temperatures cool. This study linked microhabitat choice, thermal landscapes, and thermoregulatory metrics to clarify how C. lutosus maintains body temperatures within preferred thermal limits across time. | Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles I Thursday 8:25 AM | | |
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Colton recently graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in December with a Master of Science degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Science. For his masters he studied rattlesnake habitat use and their thermal ecology. Colton has been an avid amphibian and reptile enthusiast since he was 6 years old and today, he strives to educate friends, family, colleaugues, and the public on the importance of amphibian and reptile conservation in Nevada, primarily human-rattlesnake conflict in towns, cities, and his favorite national park of all............ "Great Basin National Park!!!!" | SNAKES ON A GRAIN? RICE CULTIVATION SUPPORTS GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF THE THREATENED SEMI-AQUATIC GIANT GARTERSNAKE (THAMNOPHIS GIGAS) | | Jonathan P Rose; U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center; jprose@usgs.gov; Allison M. Nguyen, Anna C. Jordan, Daniel A. Macias, Elliot J. Schoenig, Giancarlo R. Napolitano, Richard Kim, Julia S.M. Ersan, Alexandria M. Fulton, Brian J. Halstead | Integration of agroecosystems with protected lands and waters is critical to the conservation of Earth’s biodiversity. Rice agroecosystems support many species by providing aquatic habitat where natural wetlands have been altered or drained. In the Sacramento Valley of California, rice fields and irrigation canals can be refuges during the dry season and periods of drought. We quantified the spatial scale and magnitude of the effect of rice growing on the growth and survival of the giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas), a threatened species that persists primarily in areas of rice agriculture in the Sacramento Valley. We analyzed capture-mark-recapture data from 19 populations of giant gartersnakes with an integrated growth-survival model and used distance-weighted covariates to account for the decline in influence of rice with increasing distance from our study sites. We found strong support for a positive effect of rice grown within 1.9 km of a canal on giant gartersnake growth. There was also support for a positive effect of rice on giant gartersnake survival, although the spatial scale extended out to 5 km or more. Our results demonstrate how active rice growing benefits giant gartersnakes inhabiting irrigation canals and demonstrate an approach for studying landscape effects on wildlife in agroecosystems. | Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles I Thursday 8:45 AM | | |
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Jonathan Rose is a biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey where he studies the population ecology of threatened and endangered reptiles and amphibians. | DENIZENS OF THE DARK: NOTES ON THE DIET OF NIGHTSNAKES (GENUS: HYPSIGLENA) AND THE KNOWN UNKNOWNS OF THE CALIFORNIA NIGHTSNAKE (H. OCHRORHYNCHA NUCHALATA) | | Eric O Olson; Center for Natural Lands Management; eolson@cnlm.org; | Understanding a species’ diet is important to our knowledge of its natural history and enables conservation. Gathering such information can be complicated by frequent taxonomic changes, making the comparison of diets difficult between and within species complexes. Nightsnakes (Hypsiglena spp.) have been subject to extensive taxonomic reassignment since their description in the mid-nineteen century making it difficult to synthesize the diet for any single or newly reorganized species within the complex. This presentation explores the known prey items of Hypsiglena spp., categorized by species and subspecies, obtained from literature, community observations, and museum specimens. Scientific literature provided the majority of Hypsiglena spp. prey information, followed by community observations and museum specimens. In total, a minimum of 62 prey species across seven species of Hypsiglena are recorded, and three species within the genus lack prey records. This information can be useful in identifying areas for future investigation and for conservation of these species. Additionally, after examining the literature on the genus, it’s apparent that much of our knowledge of the California Nightsnakes (H. ochrorhyncha nuchalata) is inferred from other subspecies. I discuss gaps in our natural history knowledge for this subspecies in particular and suggest areas for further study. | Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles I Thursday 9:05 AM | | |
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Eric Olson has over 25 years of experience working with herpetofauna in Northern California. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Evolution and Ecology at the University of California, Davis and his Master of Science in Biological Sciences from the California State University, Chico where he studied the herpetofauna of the Sutter Buttes. As a Preserve Manager with the Center for Natural Lands Management, he works to protect a wide variety of habitats and species in the Sacramento Region including management of Giant Gartersnake preserves in the Natomas Basin. | POPULATION STRUCTURE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN COACHWHIP | | Michael F Westphal; US Bureau of Land Management; thamnoffice@gmail.com; Edward Myers, Dustin Wood, Jonathan Richmond, Steve Hromada, Joseph Belli, Amy Vandergast, Robert Fisher, Steve Hromada | The San Joaquin coachwhip, Masticophis flagellum ruddocki, (SJCW) is a large diurnal snake endemic to the San Joaquin Desert of California. The SJCW is a subspecies within the continent-spanning coachwhip species group, and was diagnosed on the basis of unique color traits. High resolution genetic analysis of SJCW has not previously been attempted. In order to better inform conservation of this endemic species and to learn more about its historical and present-day relationships with other subspecies, we conducted extensive tissue sampling and genetic analysis of the species in the San Joaquin and Salinas Valleys, and across the wider desert southwest, primarily through salvage of roadkilled specimens. We report on population structure both within the subspecies and across the species' range. | Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles I Thursday 9:25 AM | | |
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Steven Hromada is a wildlife ecologist interested in how landscape changes impact wildlife communities. His research has focused on how different wildlife respond to different landscape management and alterations. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo working on a Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard reintroduction project.
| THREE DECADES IN THE MAKING: LAUNCHING THE FIRST HEAD-START PROGRAM FOR THE ENDANGERED SAN FRANCISCO GARTER SNAKE (THAMNOPHIS SIRTALIS TETRATAENIA) | | Tiffany May; San Francisco Zoo & Gardens; tiffanym@sfzoo.org; Jamie McNellis, Ben Witzke, Mikaela Wiley, Matthew Weeks, Jae Rendall, Adrian Mutlow, Elliot Schoenig, Patrick Lien, Brian Halstead, Dustin Wood, Jonathan Rose, Amy Vandergast, Ariel Starr, Darren Fong, Rochelle Stiles Tiffany A May | The San Francisco Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia), one of North America’s most endangered snakes, persists in fragmented habitat across San Mateo and northern Santa Cruz counties. To avert extinction, San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, has launched the first head-start program for this species. This collaborative conservation initiative builds on decades of work—from managing confiscated snakes in the 1990s to advancing research on genetics, fecundity, and population modeling that informed our approach. In 2025, the program achieved a major milestone with the collection of gravid females from the wild and the successful birth of neonates at the Zoo, marking the first head-started cohort for future reintroduction. We present the methodology behind our head-starting efforts, early outcomes from the inaugural cohort, and critical next steps needed to recover this iconic species. This project demonstrates how long-term partnerships, applied research, and zoo-based conservation programs can directly contribute to reversing population declines in one of California’s most imperiled reptiles. | Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles I Thursday 9:45 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Tiffany May is an ecologist specializing in aquatic ecosystems and amphibian conservation. She has supported Yosemite's aquatic ecology program and worked with USGS to protect amphibian populations in Southern California. Tiffany previously managed a disease ecology lab at the University of Nevada, Reno, focusing on Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Her master’s research at San Francisco State University centered on reintroducing Yosemite toads and using telemetry to track their survival. She is now a Field Conservation Supervisor at San Francisco Zoo and co-founder of HERpetologists et. al, an organization supporting women and gender minorities in herpetology. Tiffany holds dual degrees in Anthropology and Wildlife Ecology. |
Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles II (sorted by presentation order) | |
TOO SALTY TO STAY? SALINITY AS A DRIVER OF WESTERN POND TURTLE OCCUPANCY PATTERNS | | Melissa K Riley; CA Department of Fish and Wildlife/UC Davis; melriley@ucdavis.edu; Brian D. Todd | Estuaries provide important habitat for many fish and wildlife and are among the most imperiled ecosystems on Earth. One of the many challenges facing estuaries is increasing salinity from factors like sea level rise and reduced freshwater inputs from droughts and human water use. In the San Francisco Bay Estuary salinity is a nascent threat with looming management challenges for species like the Northwestern pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata, WPT). While WPTs in some parts of their range show behavioral and physiological adaptations to increased salinity levels, it is unclear how resilient they will be to future elevated salinity levels. We studied the effects of salinity on the distribution and occurrence of WPTs in Suisun Marsh, which consists of a mosaic of tidal and managed brackish water wetlands with a natural salinity gradient. We analyzed occurrence data from visual encounter surveys using dynamic occupancy models to predict occupancy as a function of environmental covariates. WPTs were observed at 65.8% of sites on at least one occasion and salinity was the most important factor associated with turtle occupancy, which decreased with increasing salinity. By understanding the role that salinity plays in determining the distribution of WPTs, managers can aid future conservation efforts. | Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles II Thursday 10:30 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Since 2012, Melissa has worked at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) in the Suisun Marsh Program. At CDFW, Melissa works on a multidisciplinary team researching and monitoring a variety of sensitive fish and wildlife species, including Northwestern Pond Turtles and the endangered Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse. She is also pursuing her doctorate degree in Ecology at UC Davis, focusing on Northwestern Pond Turtle habitat use and demography in Suisun Marsh. She is especially interested in studying the effects of tidal restoration and varying land management strategies on wildlife populations. | TURTLES ON THE RANGE: UNDERSTANDING NORTHWESTERN POND TURTLE MOVEMENTS IN CALIFORNIA'S WORKING LANDS | | Farley Connelly; Alameda County Resource Conservation District; farley.connelly@acrcd.org; Madie Stein, Edward Culver, Nick Geist, Will McCall, Karen Swaim, Leslie Koenig, Jackie Charbonneau, Farley Connelly Madie Stein | The Northwestern Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata) is fixture of rangeland ponds across San Francisco’s East Bay, yet little is known about how this species uses surrounding upland habitats. To address this gap, we are using VHF and GPS telemetry to study turtle nesting and movement patterns at livestock ponds in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. The first component of our study deploys VHF transmitters on females to monitor movements during the nesting season, enabling identification of nest sites and characterization of upland habitat features. The second component uses GPS units to record fine-scale movements and habitat use throughout the year, providing a continuous view of spatial behavior. Together, these complementary approaches are revealing new insights into the species’ ecology within working rangeland landscapes. Findings will inform grazing management, pond restoration, and upland habitat conservation practices to enhance the long-term persistence of Northwestern Pond Turtle populations across the East Bay. | Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles II Thursday 10:50 AM | | |
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Farley Connelly, Ph.D., is a wildlife biologist with the Alameda County Resource Conservation District, where he leads research and conservation initiatives focused on the Northwestern Pond Turtle and other rangeland species across California’s East Bay. He earned his doctorate in Urban Ecology from the University of Melbourne, where his research explored how wildlife persists in fragmented and human-influenced landscapes. Farley’s current work integrates telemetry, eDNA, and habitat restoration to inform conservation planning across working lands. | AQUATIC MOVEMENTS, POTENTIAL NESTING, AND OVERWINTERING HABITAT OF THE NORTHWESTERN POND TURTLE (ACTINEMYS MARMORATA) IN SUBURBAN WATERWAYS. | | William C McCall; Swaim Biological Inc.; wmccall@swaimbio.com; Leslie Koenig, Dr. Farley Connelly, Karen Swaim, Chris Swaim, City of Livermore | In spring 2024, in Livermore, CA, Swaim Biological Incorporated, attached Druid GPS data loggers on ten adult northwestern pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) in proximity to the suburban interface. The light-weight loggers recorded fine scale movements as well as temperature, light intensity, and speed, and small solar panels allowed for battery charging while the transmitters were exposed. The long battery life allowed year-round monitoring of the turtles via phone application and reduced tracking time and labor. This monitoring effort contributes to our understanding of the ecology of western pond turtles for such behaviors including nesting, overwintering, and general movement ecology in both suburban and open space settings. Such data are highly valuable given potential future listing as well as guidance for current land management to identify areas of important habitat features. | Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles II Thursday 11:10 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
William McCall has over fourteen years of experience in the public, private, and academic sectors in the fields of wildlife biology and conservation biology, with an emphasis in herpetology and specifically turtles. He earned a master’s degree in biological sciences from California State University, Chico in 2014 studying the relationship of bilateral asymmetry in northwestern pond turtle populations. He’s a senior wildlife biologist at Swaim Biological Inc. and has been with SBI since 2014. | A REVIEW OF TURTLE SHELL NOTCHING, AND A PLEA FOR METHODOLOGICAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT | | Jeff A Alvarez; The Wildlife Project ; jeff@thewildlifeproject.com; | Capture studies on turtles often include a specific technique to mark the turtles. The most common technique involves marking the marginal scutes with a notch, typically with a file, in a pattern that allows for a numeric or alphabetic code to be read and recorded. Some turtle may live as long as 4–6 decades or more and this technique has been proven effective for these long-lived animals. There are several marking codes that are widely used that include numeric (additive) codes or alphabetic codes, each with its own style of marking and decoding. These marking techniques require a map (carapace map) of the shell of the focal animal so that the code can be accurately used to mark turtles, and read the code during later capture. Among these different codes, one system stands out as the most clear and easy to read and reread (Gibbons 1988), and does not require a carapace map. A strong plea is extended to all turtle researchers to include the method of marking on data sheets, within reports, as part of the methods section of published articles, and that the method and data be archived with the landowner/manager, for later use by future researchers. | Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles II Thursday 11:30 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Jeff Alvarez is the current President of The Wildlife Society, and has been studying herpetofauna for 39 years, focusing on snakes, frogs, salamanders, and turtles. He also specializes in refining and developing survey methods for these and other species. | PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF POND RESTORATION FOR CALIFORNIA RED-LEGGED FROG AND NORTHWESTERN POND TURTLE | | Taty Soto-Bartzi; AECOM; taty.soto-bartzi@aecom.com; Andrea Irons, Farley Connelly, Matthew Bettelheim, Alan Striegle, Brittney Johansen | The City of San Francisco manages mitigation sites in Alameda County, CA to provide aquatic habitat for special status species. Ponds within these sites have been surveyed annually since 2014. Survey years prior to pond restorations documented species presence at all life stages as well as pond conditions. Two ponds were filling with silt and cattails, degrading habitat for California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii). Restoration efforts were initiated in 2021 and 2025, and required pond draining and species relocations. This opportunity provided near-complete abundance totals for Red-legged frogs and Western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata). Comparing these data to previous annual surveys inform survey detectability. Scent-dog detection was used to determine Western pond turtle presence prior to one pond’s restoration. Turtles at this same pond were telemetered to provide insight into the species response to construction activities and/or relocation. | Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles II Thursday 11:50 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Taty Soto-Bartzi is a wildlife biologist and plant ecologist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has been involved in several projects that have improved habitat for California red-legged frogs. |
Ecology and Conservation of Small Mammals (sorted by presentation order) | |
NOVEL SKY-ISLAND LINEAGES IDENTIFIED THROUGH GENOMIC ANALYSES OF THE NARROW-FACED KANGAROO RAT | | Mark J Statham; UC Davis; statham@ucdavis.edu; Garrett Gimbel, Gage Dayton, Ken Hickman, Matt Chaney, Craig Fiehler, William, Ben Sacks | The narrow-faced kangaroo rat (Dipodomys venustus) is endemic to the Coast Range of California. The three recognized subspecies are on the CDFW special animal list, however there is no formal protection. Among these, the Santa Cruz kangaroo rat (D. v. venustus) was only known to exist at a single location for the last ~20 years. A lack of information about the current distribution, population trends and genetic differentiation of the subspecies prevents further management action. We collected samples from live trapping and museum specimens to conduct a genomic study. Analyses of 168 individuals at 43,000 SNP loci clarified the species range and identified historical hybridization with the neighboring D. agilis. We identified six lineages within the species that are restricted to montane sky islands that are separated by areas of lower elevation and unsuitable habitat. Analyses of whole mitochondrial genomes revealed corresponding endemic clades that have been isolated since the last inter-glacial period (115-130 kya). We also identified finer scale population substructure consistent with habitat fragmentation. The lineages that we identified have a reduced geographic range, with reduced occupancy and increased fragmentation relative to historically. Our work has ramifications for the subspecific taxonomy within the species and conservation listing. | Ecology and Conservation of Small Mammals Thursday 8:05 AM | | |
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Mark Statham [pronounced ‘stay-thumb’] is a Professional Researcher at the University of California at Davis. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Scotland and his PhD in Ireland. Mark combines fieldwork with molecular genetics and genomics to study wildlife and to answer conservation related questions. Mark has worked on a variety of species, including foxes, harvest mice, and lizards. Today he is here to talk to you about his work on the narrow-faced kangaroo rat. | WHY THE LONG FACE? THE ECOLOGICAL NICHE AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE IMPERILED NARROW-FACED KANGAROO RAT (DIPODOMYS VENUSTUS) | | Garrett Gimbel; California Polytechnic State University; garrett.gimbel@gmail.com; Tim Bean, Mark Statham, Gage Dayton, Craig Fiehler, Ken Hickman | Distribution models provide a practical use case of linking ecological niche theory with species’ occurrence and assemblages. The narrow-faced kangaroo rat (Dipodomys venustus) is a highly understudied kangaroo rat species endemic to the central coast of California, with three subspecies currently recognized: the Santa Cruz kangaroo rat (D. v. venustus), the elephant-eared kangaroo rat (D. v. elephantinus), and the Santa Lucia kangaroo rat (D. v. sanctiluciae). All three subspecies are on California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s “special animal list” and D. venustus venustus is considered critically imperiled – though this designation offers no formal protection. I evaluated the current distribution, habitat associations, and niche overlap for the narrow-faced kangaroo rat and each of its subspecies across their entire range. I created five ensemble ecological niche, two range-wide, and three subspecies models which helped reconcile unknowns in historical literature and provided a clearer picture of the distribution and niche for the species. The range-wide models predicted far less suitable habitat than previously assumed and a highly constrained niche. A large limiting factor in their niche was the strong relationship narrow-faced kangaroo rat presence has with manzanita at coarse spatial scales. | Ecology and Conservation of Small Mammals Thursday 8:25 AM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
Garrett started working in wildlife conservation with the endangered New Mexico meadow jumping mouse. He then attended Cal Poly for his Master's were he studied the spatial ecology and niche of the narrow-faced kangaroo rat. He hopes to continue building his spatial toolbox to work on a wide range of taxa answering wildlife interaction questions. | PREDATOR-PREY SPATIOTEMPORAL DYNAMICS IN RESTORED CORRIDORS FOR THE ENDANGERED SAN BERNARDINO KANGAROO RAT | | Paige C. Miller; San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; pmiller@sdzwa.org; Rachel Y. Chock, Debra M. Shier | Habitat loss and fragmentation threaten the endangered San Bernardino kangaroo rat (Dipodomys merriami parvus; SBKR), a nocturnal rodent restricted to open alluvial fan sage scrub habitats in southern California. Wildlife corridors are commonly used to restore habitat connectivity for small mammals, yet they may also facilitate predator movement, potentially increasing encounter rates and heightening localized predation risk. Because kangaroo rats are key prey for multiple species, identifying corridor designs that promote dispersal without increasing predation risk is critical for recovery. In collaboration with landowners, we experimentally restored linear corridors and stepping-stone patches to connect SBKR populations to restored habitat using surface scraping, sediment addition, and herbicide treatments. We continuously monitored wildlife activity using infrared cameras over more than a year. We compared predator and prey detections, diel activity patterns, and spatial overlap of SBKR and their predators across corridors. Our findings reveal how predators and prey partition space and time within restored landscapes, informing design principles that balance connectivity benefits with predation risk in recovery planning for SBKR and other small mammals. | Ecology and Conservation of Small Mammals Thursday 8:45 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Paige Miller is an early career professional and a Research Associate at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biology at Idaho State University, where she studied Trumpeter Swan nesting ecology. Paige’s research interests are in animal behavior and ecology, and their applications in conservation. Since 2022, she has broadened her experience to include small mammals, working primarily with rodents including the endangered San Bernardino kangaroo rat. | GENETIC AND MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION ACROSS THE RANGE OF TROWBRIDGE'S SHREW, SOREX TROWBRIDGII | | Chris J Conroy; UC Berkeley; ondatra@berkeley.edu; Andrew Hope, John Demboski, Garth Spellman, Sean Maher | Trowbridge's shrew, Sorex trowbridgii, is distributed from Santa Barbara County, CA, northwards to southern British Columbia, and east along the Sierra Nevada. Five geographic subspecies have been recognized for decades. Until recently, no data were available to describe genetic structure within this species. We will present inferences from mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences, ddRADseq nuclear data, skull morphometrics, pelt coloration, and niche modeling. In general, there is significant genetic structure, possibly at the species level, with some indication of past gene flow or incomplete sorting in some regions. Geographic trends exist in skull shape and size, as well as in coat color. | Ecology and Conservation of Small Mammals Thursday 9:05 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Chris Conroy is the staff curator of mammals at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley. He earned a B.S. in Zoology at UC Davis and a Ph.D. at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. He helped develop an ancient DNA lab at Stanford before moving to UC Berkeley. He has participated in small mammal surveys in Alaska and California and has published on topics including island biogeography, systematics and hybrid zones in voles, genetics of invasive Rattus, mammal community ecology in the Grinnell Resurvey Project, and most recently is involved with the California Conservation Genetics Project. | A NOVEL SET OF TECHNIQUES TO ENTICE SAN FRANCISCO DUSKY-FOOTED WOODRAT AND MONTEREY DUSKY-FOOTED WOODRAT TO UTILIZE RELOCATED & RECONSTRUCTED NESTS. | | Robert A Shields; Live Oak & Associates; rshields@loainc.com; | The San Francisco and Monterey dusky-footed woodrats are California Species of Special Concern. Woodrats are keystone prey species for many native predators including bobcats, weasels, snakes, birds of prey, owls, coyotes, and cougars. Their large nests provide habitat for many other species ranging from invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles to other small mammals, including the ringtail. The stable humidity and temperatures within the nests provide an escape from the dry Mediterranean summers of California. Their preferred habitat of oak woodlands has declined due to residential development and other anthropomorphic activities. Predation by domestic cats and dogs are also an impact to the woodrat. Due to potential impacts by development, property maintenance and/or infrastructure projects, at times California Department of Fish and Wildlife requires the re-location of nests that would be impacted by the activity. I developed a novel set of techniques to draw the displaced woodrat to the re-located nest and methods to check for usage/disuse. | Ecology and Conservation of Small Mammals Thursday 9:25 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Robert Shields is a 16 year veteran of the environmental consulting industry. He works frequently with special status bird, reptile & amphibian, and small mammal ecology. Robert works extensively in the San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay counties, within the oak woodland habitats of the dusky-footed woodrat and big-eared woodrat. He has developed a keen interest in the woodrats roles as a keystone prey item and landlord of habitat for many other species. | AN INVESTIGATION OF DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE SALT MARSH HARVEST MOUSE THROUGHOUT THE SPECIES RANGE AND RELATED CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS | | Katie Smith; WRA, Inc., UC Davis; ksmith@wra-ca.com; Carla Angulo, Melissa Riley, Deepshika Shankar, F. Christian Valdes, Dajanae Stitts, Rayna Fitzgerald, Serena Hubert, Laureen Barthman-Thompson | Salt marsh harvest mice (Reithrodontomys raviventris; SMHM) are found in different wetland types throughout the San Francisco Estuary. The only demographic studies of the species have been restricted to a single region of the species range, Suisun Marsh, and largely during drought years. These studies of SMHM in paired tidal and managed wetlands had mixed results with regards to densities and demographics in the two wetland types. Subsequent high-intensity trapping efforts in recent years have allowed for an update of previous demographic analyses utilizing rangewide data across a diversity of rain years. In contrast to the largest previous demographic study, new analyses have revealed significant impacts of wetland type, competition, precipitation, and more. Across the species range populations in managed wetlands often reach much higher densities than tidal wetlands, but tend to be much less stable. Both western harvest mice (R. megalotis) and house mice (Mus musculus) densities impacted SMHM captures in areas where they were present. And precipitation frequency and magnitude significantly impacted all three species. These results highlight the complexity of the small mammal community in the Estuary as well as the importance of regular monitoring for accurately assessing SMHM occupancy and density in support of species recovery. | Ecology and Conservation of Small Mammals Thursday 9:45 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Katie Smith has been specializing in research on the salt marsh harvest mouse since 2008. While at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for 10 years she completed her masters and PhD research, primarily working in tidal and managed wetlands in the Suisun Marsh. Upon completing her dissertation she came to work at WRA Environmental Consultants and has continued her work with the salt marsh harvest mouse, approaching conservation and management research for the species from a new direction. Katie also served on the Western Section board for a decade and now serves as the Diversity Chair for the San Francisco Bay Chapter. |
Ecotoxicology (sorted by presentation order) | |
FOUNDATIONAL QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS FROM ILLEGAL CANNABIS CULTIVATION ON PUBLIC LANDS IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES | | Mourad W Gabriel; Integral Ecology Research Center ; mgabriel@IERCecology.org; Greta M. Wengert, Ivan Medel, J.Mark Higley, Deana Clifford, Vitek Jirinec | The cultivation of cannabis on Western United States public lands has emerged as a critical environmental concern with profound ecological ramifications. These clandestine, illicit sites are established in geographically isolated areas that support sensitive habitats. The ecological disturbances and environmental pressures from these sites have been briefly described in limited media, public outlets, and scientific publications. However, descriptive and quantitative data on the amount of illegal pesticide use, water diversions, deforestation, and dead wildlife associated with these operations have not been reported to date. In this study, 541 illegal grow sites were documented on public lands in California, Oregon, and Nevada. A mean of 4.56 illegally used pesticides, 404 kg of applied soluble fertilizer, 12,068L of diverted water, 2064 m2 of cleared native vegetation, and 0.38 dead animals, occurred per site. Dead wildlife included cases of state and federally listed wildlife poisoning and evidence of food-web contamination. These data establish the foundation for understanding the potential ecological consequences of the thousands of remaining sites on western public landscapes and provides land management agencies with knowledge of potential effects on wildlife, biodiversity, water, soil, and ecosystem health to develop effective solutions to this ongoing problem. | Ecotoxicology Thursday 10:30 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Dr. Mourad Gabriel is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Integral Ecology Research Center, the first minority and woman founded non-profit scientific research organization headquartered in Northwestern California. He completed both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Humboldt State University in Wildlife Ecology and his PhD in Comparative Pathology at the University of California Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. He currently resides in Northwestern California where he and his family strive to spend as much time as possible outdoors enjoying our public lands. | PERSISTENT CONTAMINANTS: LANDSCAPE-SCALE RODENTICIDE EXPOSURE IN A SENTINEL OWL SPECIES | | Greta M Wengert; Integral Ecology Research Center; gwengert@iercecology.org; Vitek Jirinec, Mourad Gabriel, J. Mark Higley, Alan Franklin, Christina Varian, Angela Rex, Daniel Hofstadter, M. Zach Peery | Landscape-scale Barred Owl (Strix varia) management to support Northern Spotted Owl (NSO) (S. occidentalis caurina) recovery has provided a unique opportunity to investigate a wide array of disease and toxicological threats to barred owls, but more importantly, to their close, but threatened relatives, NSO, and other native wildlife. In this study, we tested livers from 765 Barred Owls collected in northwestern California for 14 compounds, including 12 anticoagulant rodenticides (AR)—seven first-generation (FGAR) and five second-generation (SGAR)—as well as two non-anticoagulant rodenticides, bromethalin and cholecalciferol. Using replicate-averaged concentrations with adjustments for detection limits, 46% of owls showed exposure to at least one rodenticide, with 36% exposed to AR. SGAR dominated detections (36%), particularly brodifacoum (31%) and bromadiolone (15%), while FGAR exposure remained low (0.9%). Mean concentrations among exposed owls were 17.3 ppb (range 1.0–446 ppb). Statistical analyses revealed significantly lower exposure probability, compound count, and concentration in males relative to females and declining exposure with younger age classes. Spatial effects by latitude were weak overall but significant for cholecalciferol concentrations. These findings indicate persistent, widespread SGAR contamination in regional owl populations despite regulatory restrictions, with demographic disparities suggesting behavioral or trophic exposure differences. | Ecotoxicology Thursday 10:50 AM | | |
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Dr. Greta Wengert is the Co-founder and Co-Director of Integral Ecology Research Center, a non-profit scientific research organization headquartered in Northwestern California. She was born and raised in the Adirondack foothills of upstate New York, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resources at Cornell University. After moving west, she obtained her Masters in Wildlife Ecology at Humboldt State University, and her Ph.D. in Ecology at the University of California Davis, and has over 25 years of ecological research experience throughout California, Nevada, and Oregon. Her research focuses on the relationships among forest vertebrates and how natural and human influences impact these relationships. | USING FINE-SCALE AGING IN BARRED OWLS (STRIX VARIA) TO UNDERSTAND TIMELINE OF RODENTICIDE EXPOSURE IN NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA | | Jonathan Tenberge; Integral Ecology Research Center (IERC); jtenberge@iercecology.org; Vitek Jirinec, Mourad Gabriel, Christina Varian, Danny Hofstadter, Mark Higley, Zach Peery, Angela Rex, Greta Wengert | The large-scale management of Barred Owls (Strix varia) in northern California has provided a unique opportunity to investigate wildlife exposure to rodenticides across a broad landscape. Liver samples collected from hundreds (n = 765) of Barred Owls reveal that nearly half (46%) show evidence of rodenticide exposure—mostly anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs), including 36% with second-generation ARs banned for use in California since 2020. These results highlight the ongoing contamination risk but also raise a key question: Are owls acquiring these pesticides directly through prey consumption, or indirectly through maternal transfer reflecting legacy exposure? To resolve this, we focused on subadult age classes and refined age along a continuum based on owl removal dates, molt phenology, and hatch dates. This approach allowed us to assign “precise” ages between 5.5 and 12.5 months and provided the resolution needed to detect exposure patterns that were not resolvable with coarse age classes. The resulting age-exposure relationship supports prey-based accumulation rather than natal transfer, indicating that banned ARs persist in local food webs 5 years post-regulatory ban. By refining aging methods, we provide a framework for precisely aging individuals and distinguishing natal from environmental exposure. | Ecotoxicology Thursday 11:10 AM | | |
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Jonathan Tenberge is an Ecological Project Specialist with the Integral Ecology Research Center in Humboldt county, California. He earned his B.S. in Wildlife and Conservation Biology from Cal Poly Humboldt in 2020. His research interests focus on integrating remote sensing technologies with life-history data from bird banding to refine wildlife monitoring and management strategies. | ANTICOAGULANT RODENTICIDE AND BROMETHALIN EXPOSURE IN CALIFORNIA&RSQUO;S WILDLIFE | | Ryan Bourbour; CDFW Wildlife Health Lab; ryan.bourbour@wildlife.ca.gov; Krysta Rogers, Brandon Munk, Robert Poppenga, Deana Clifford | Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are widely used to suppress rodent pests responsible for significant economic loss and threaten human health, however, their use has had unintended impacts to non-target wildlife. In response, California legislation limiting AR use has led to greater reliance on other rodenticides, i.e. bromethalin. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Wildlife Health Laboratory (WHL) and the UC Davis California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory routinely test wildlife for rodenticide exposure as part of statewide postmortem investigations. The WHL summarizes rodenticide exposure cases annually to monitor non-target wildlife pesticide exposure in California. In 2024, we tested 166 individuals for ARs (54 raptors and 112 mammals). Of the 166 animals tested, 114 were exposed to one or more ARs and 14 cases resulted in a diagnosis of AR toxicosis. Additionally, 100 mammal carcasses were screened for the bromethalin metabolite, desmethylbromethalin (DMB). DMB was detected in 23 mammals, 22 of which also had ARs present in their liver tissue. These findings indicate use of AR alternatives and ARs is resulting in co-exposures in wildlife across California. Understanding the implications of co-exposure to rodenticides with differing modes of action will be important following changes in statewide rodenticide use. | Ecotoxicology Thursday 11:30 AM | | |
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Ryan is a wildlife ecologist working as a Senior Environmental Scientist and the Pesticide Investigations Coordinator at CDFW's Wildlife Health Lab. | SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TURKEY VULTURES: THE CHALLENGES OF LEAD EXPOSURE AND MIGRATION | | Alexandra M Eagleton; Endemic Environmental Services; aeagleton@endemicenvironmental.net; Miguel M. Saggese, Peter H. Bloom, Andrea Bonisoli-Alquati | Lead (Pb) exposure occurs in birds of prey when they ingest Pb ammunition while scavenging remains left behind by hunters. In July 2019 California banned Pb ammunition for hunting purposes, which has the potential to protect raptors from exposure. We examined Pb exposure in turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) in California captured post-ban to determine (i) whether lead was present in their blood, indicating recent exposure, (ii) if Pb affected oxidative stress levels, an indicator of health and (iii) if Pb exposure and health differed between migrant and resident populations. In total 41 resident and seven migrant turkey vultures were captured, and tested for blood Pb concentrations and biomarkers indicative of oxidative stress, including glutathione (GSH), the main intracellular antioxidant, and protein carbonyls (PC), a measure of oxidative damage. Blood Pb concentrations were higher in migrants (9.37 µg/dL; SD = 2.62) than in residents (2.41 µg/dL; SD = 1.88). Among residents, PC levels were negatively correlated with GSH levels suggesting that as oxidative damage increases, antioxidants are depleted. Higher Pb concentrations in migrants indicates greater toxicological risk for turkey vultures elsewhere within the species’ range, suggesting local measures may not address the conservation needs of migrants. | Ecotoxicology Thursday 11:50 AM | | |
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Alex Eagleton is a California native and wildlife biologist with a background in field ecology and environmental toxicology. She earned her B.S. and M.S. in Biology from Cal Poly Pomona, where she researched lead exposure and oxidative stress in Turkey Vultures, investigating contaminant impacts on resident and migratory birds in Southern California. Since 2021, Alex has worked with Endemic Environmental Services, managing biology programs and leading projects in habitat conservation, species monitoring, and environmental compliance. She is passionate about connecting research with real-world conservation to better inform how California’s wildlife is protected. |
Habitat Restoration and Bees (sorted by presentation order) | |
CONSULTANT PERSPECTIVES ON BUMBLE BEE HABITAT ASSESSMENT, SURVEY DESIGN, AND MITIGATION UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT | | Callie Amoaku; RECON Environmental; camoaku@reconenvironmental.com; | Regulatory protections for bumble bees under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) present new challenges for consultants assessing project impacts and developing mitigation strategies. This presentation provides an applied overview of current methods for habitat assessment, survey timing, and documentation consistent with CDFW and CEQA requirements. Emphasis is placed on evaluating habitat suitability for Crotch’s bumble bee (Bombus crotchii) and other listed or candidate species through integrated field surveys, floral resource mapping, and available occurrence data. Case studies illustrate how habitat quality classifications inform impact analysis, risk assessment, and permitting pathways. The presentation also reviews mitigation and conservation measures, including avoidance, restoration, and compensation through approved banks or research programs. This talk highlights lessons learned from field implementation and agency coordination to support effective regulatory compliance and conservation for California’s bumble bees. | Habitat Restoration and Bees Friday 8:05 AM | | |
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Callie Amoaku is a biologist with over 20 years' experience as an environmental analyst specializing in field surveys and report preparation. She has also performed wildlife and plant surveys, vegetation mapping, and delineations throughout California. Callie holds a valid SCP and MOU for the CESA-candidate bumble bee species, and a USFWS permit for quino checkerspot butterfly and Casey’s June beetle. Callie loves to continue learning about the life cycle of bumble bees and navigating the complexities of how to address them to ensure they continue to be conserved for future generations. | BUMBLE BEE FLORAL PREFERENCE IN MOUNTAIN MEADOWS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA, CALIFORNIA, USA | | Graham A Montgomery; The Institute for Bird Populations; gmontgomery@birdpop.org; Erin A. Elsey, Rodney B. Siegel, Helen L. Loffland | In an era of widespread pollinator declines, bumble bees (Apidae: Bombus) are a frequent research focus in invertebrate ecology and conservation due to their contributions to ecosystem function. However, we often still lack fine-grained floral visitation data, which can hinder management and restoration efforts for both bees and the plants they visit. Here, we present results of a multi-year bumble bee population and floral resource monitoring effort in mountain meadows of the Sierra Nevada, California, USA. We quantify floral resource use relative to availability and identify putatively important plant species for over a dozen Bombus species to assist with ongoing restoration of ecologically-important meadow habitats in the Sierra. Using an occupancy-modeling framework, we also find that bumble bee populations cyclically alternate years of high and low abundance across the study period and examine possible drivers of these fluctuations and their phenology. Our relative lack of Bombus occidentalis observations, a species of conservation concern, provides additional context for its precipitous decline across North America. | Habitat Restoration and Bees Friday 8:25 AM | | |
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Graham is a postdoctoral researcher at The Institute for Bird Populations studying bumblebee floral resource use and population dynamics. He received a a Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from UCLA in 2025, where his research included work on bird-insect resurveys and insect population monitoring, declines, and variability. A broadly-trained ecologist, his other interests include crowd-sourced science, evidence synthesis, outreach, and teaching field biology. | TARGETED GRAZING FOR INVASIVE GRASS MANAGEMENT IN THE SAN JOAQUIN DESERT | | Steven J Hromada; Fresno Chaffee Zoo; stevehromada@gmail.com; Ranae Sullivan, Emily Bergman, Caroline Mackenzie, Danielle Dillard, Tim Bean, Michael Westphal, Rory Telemeco | Remaining San Joaquin Desert habitats are often dominated by non-native annual grasses which form thick thatch and reduce bare ground, thus degrading habitat for endemic species. This has hindered recovery of blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila; BNLL) and giant kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens; GKR). We have been releasing captive-reared BNLL to Panoche Plateau, Fresno County, since 2023; GKR were confirmed to have recolonized in 2024. Dense annual grass cover has hindered BNLL reintroduction efforts. During spring 2025, we established four 2-ha grazing plots on Panoche Plateau and grazed 200 sheep in each for a short period. To document the floral and faunal responses to grazing, we used BLM AIM protocols, released 35 captive-reared BNLL into grazed plots and adjacent roads, and established small mammal mark-recapture plots. Grazed plots had lower herbaceous height and foliar cover, though no difference in bare ground than control plots. Most BNLL released into grazed plots (88%) remained within, and 87.5% of the BNLL released on roads used the plots. GKR detections occurred exclusively on grazed plots, which also had higher captures of Heerman’s kangaroo rats (Dipodomys heermani). Though preliminary, our results suggest that short-term, intensive sheep grazing may benefit San Joaquin desert fauna. | Habitat Restoration and Bees Friday 8:45 AM | | |
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Steven Hromada is a wildlife ecologist interested in how landscape changes impact wildlife communities. His research has focused on how different wildlife respond to different landscape management and alterations. Some of these (prescribed fire) are intended to restore native ecosystem function, while some are meant to provide human benefit (agriculture, infrastructure). Steven’s research is intended to develop evidence-based management schemes to protect our native biodiversity. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo working on a Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard reintroduction project. | BRIDGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECOLOGY: HOW PUBLIC WORKS AGENCIES ARE ADVANCING THE NEXT GENERATION OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION | | Sadie McGarvey; Integral Consulting; smcgarvey@integral-corp.com; | In an era of expanding infrastructure demands and accelerating biodiversity loss, public works agencies (PWAs) are emerging as pivotal yet underrecognized leaders in applied wildlife conservation. With jurisdiction across broad geographies and a mandate to maintain essential systems including stormwater, sewer, drinking water, and transportation, PWAs are integrating conservation into their operations through programmatic approaches aligned with evolving environmental policies and best practices. Through collaborations with natural resource agencies and conservation organizations, including through frameworks such as the Regional Conservation and Investment Strategy and Mitigation Credit Agreements, PWAs invest in regionally significant conservation that supports biodiversity and exceeds regulatory obligations – this transforms required maintenance and repair into opportunities for measurable habitat and species benefits. Projects such as Santa Clara Valley Water District’s Stevens Creek fish passage improvements, City of Novato’s conservation-minded stormwater management, Ross Valley Sanitary District’s low-impact infrastructure upgrades, and Caltrans’ Advanced Mitigation Program exemplify these efforts. By leveraging their scale, operational flexibility, and funding capacity, PWAs are advancing a new era of conservation—bridging built and natural environments, promoting habitat resilience and connectivity, and translating policy into measurable ecological outcomes that set a modern standard for integrating wildlife conservation and recovery into essential public services across California. | Habitat Restoration and Bees Friday 9:05 AM | | |
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Sadie McGarvey is a wildlife biologist specializing in ecological restoration and environmental permitting across diverse habitats. As an experienced ecologist, Sadie collaborates with clients and colleagues to assess habitats, evaluate potential impacts, identify ecological benefits of restoration efforts, and navigate complex regulations. She is the president of the SF Bay Area Chapter of Women In Environment and is passionate about supporting and collaborating with others in the various sectors of the Environmental Industry to learn, grow, and make the world a better place. | CAPSTONE SOUND CHECK | | TWS West; tws-west@tws-west.org; | | Habitat Restoration and Bees Friday 9:25 AM | | |
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| CAPSTONE SOUND CHECK | | TWS West; tws-west@tws-west.org; | | Habitat Restoration and Bees Friday 9:45 AM | | |
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Innovative Techniques (sorted by presentation order) | |
AN EVALUATION OF ACOUSTIC SIGNAL DEGRADATION AND ITS IMPACT ON MONITORING WILDLIFE USING THE AUDIOMOTH IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEMS | | Samantha L Lima; San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; slima@sdzwa.org; Sylvia Zhang, Colleen L. Wisinski, Michael Stevens, Melissa Merrick | Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has become widespread in wildlife research as a means for extensive data collection across time and space. With the rise of artificial intelligence and the increasing availability of affordable hardware, computationally intensive analyses are more accessible now than ever before, presenting unique opportunities for PAM research. This research, however, relies on the understanding of the physical limitations and parameters of recording equipment, which is an understudied area in ecological research, particularly in grassland ecosystems. Here we quantify signal degradation within our grassland study system using the Open Acoustics AudioMoth. In the summer of 2025, we conducted a playback experiment using pure tones recorded across a 250m transect at three grasslands in San Diego County. We found significant differences in signal degradation (as measured by the blur ratio) at 50m from the sound source across sites (p < 0.01) and across periods of the day (p < 0.01). However, we did not find a significant difference based on sensor housing treatment (p = 0.29). These results are study system specific and emphasize the need for more work exploring the impact of technological hardware and environmental factors in bioacoustics studies. | Innovative Techniques Wednesday 1:05 PM | | |
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Samantha (Sam) Lima is a postdoctoral researcher at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. She earned a B.S. from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. from Purdue University. Her current research focuses on applying passive acoustic monitoring to study the western burrowing owl. | A MULTI-SCALE TELEMETRY TRACKING FRAMEWORK TO MONITOR HABITAT USE, BREEDING, AND MIGRATION OF CRYPTIC SPECIES | | Patrick Lorch; Southern Sierra Research Station; plorch@southernsierraresearch.org; Edwin Jacobo, Mary J. Whitfield, Nidia Jaime, Lauren Roux, Sasha Robinson, Annie Meyer | Migratory bird populations are declining rapidly due to the loss and degradation of habitats they use throughout their life cycle. To stop this decline, we need to understand habitat use and movement at multiple spatial scales, from continental to local. Motus station detections throughout a species range can tell us about the extent and timing of movements at continental scales and within their breeding habitat. Using Motus-compatible radio tags, we tracked Western Yellow-billed Cuckoos, a cryptic declining species, at continental and local scales. At the continental scale, detections from Motus stations have provided insights into migration routes and timing during spring and fall. Within the breeding grounds, a network of telemetry nodes (small Motus receivers) enabled triangulation of tag locations to estimate movement distances and timing, as well as home range size. Additionally, placing nodes close to nests has allowed us to quantify time budgets and transitions between nesting stages, which were validated through hand-tracking. This multi-scale framework offers a comprehensive view of habitat use and movement patterns. We discuss our findings tracking Cuckoos tagged in the Kern River Valley, CA, and how these methods can be applied to other cryptic bird species to enhance conservation strategies. | Innovative Techniques Wednesday 1:25 PM | | |
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After a decade doing academic research and teaching, that included radio tracking insects with the USDA, Pat moved to working with the Motus wildlife tracking system (https://motus.org). After setting up over 60 Motus stations, Pat has tons of experience with planning and constructing Motus stations as well as with data management and analysis. At SSRS, he’s leading our Motus station projects, assisting with data analysis, and grant applications aimed at strengthening the role the station plays in regional conservation. | ARU MANAGEMENT, USAGE, AND CHALLENGES IN RIPARIAN RESTORATION | | Leah C Young-Chung; River Partners; lyoungchung@riverpartners.org; Dr. Sarah Gaffney | River Partners is undertaking large scale restoration efforts across California covering thousands of acres that provide valuable insight for bird monitoring and recovery efforts. Traditional monitoring with avian point counts is limited by experience and people hours. Autonomous recording units (ARUs) combined with point counts allows researchers to collect hours of daily data over several months in many locations concurrently, making data easily comparable. Utilizing ARUs gave the ability to continuously monitor over 90 monitoring points throughout San Joaquin, Merced, and Kern counties from May-July 2024 and 2025. Over 100,000 hours of data were processed through computer software. These efforts detected listed species: both tricolored blackbirds and a least Bell’s vireo, that were not captured during point counts due to a temporal misalignment of staff and wildlife, as well as a snapshot of avian diversity that will help inform our restoration planning efforts. ARU usage also comes with challenges when handling over 100 devices at a time. Over 2 years we learned proper protocols for deployment and data and device management that can be crucial to ensure limited data gaps when monitoring thousands of acres with limited people. | Innovative Techniques Wednesday 1:45 PM | | |
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Leah Young-Chung is a Biologist at River Partners, working to restore floodplains in the California Central Valley for the benefit of people and the environment. With 12 years of experience in the lab and 4 years of experience in the field she brings diverse skills and knowledge to her projects. With River Partners she manages monitoring on large scale restorations covering both vegetation and wildlife and integrating technology to monitoring techniques. | INTEGRATIVE MONITORING THROUGH BIOACOUSTICS: A SINGLE DATA STREAM TO PASSIVELY INFORM MULTIPLE ECOLOGICAL METRICS | | Natalie E Kluck; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; natalie.kluck@wildlife.ca.gov; Ian A. Dwight, Andrea Broad | Passive acoustic monitoring is a useful method for tracking a wide range of vocalizing taxa (e.g., avian, mammalian, amphibian) in the field. This method reduces cost and time associated with traditional survey methods, as bioacoustic data is collected with autonomous recording units (ARUs) and processed with detection algorithms to identify species by vocalization patterns. From this single data stream, researchers can estimate biodiversity, population size, spatial distribution, occupancy, and habitat relationships. During 2024 and 2025, we collected bioacoustic data from 734 ARUs deployed across California within 16 state wildlife areas, three national wildlife refuges, and one national forest. Units recorded continuously for up to 13 hours per day for a minimum of two weeks during March – August each year. Audio recordings were processed through BirdNET Analyzer to identify species, and a random subset of the total BirdNET predictions were validated. We estimated local species diversity and detected rare, cryptic, and invasive species that are important to managers. For species with frequent detections, we estimated call densities, created distributional maps of relative abundance, and estimated occupancy and habitat relationship curves. Our results showcase an integrative method of capturing various latent ecological states to inform multiple conservation and management objectives. | Innovative Techniques Wednesday 2:05 PM | | |
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Natalie Kluck is a Scientific Aid with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, where her primary focus is supporting the department’s work with passive acoustic monitoring. For over two years, she has collaborated with scientists and wildlife area managers across California to improve data collection and inform management decisions. To achieve these goals, she has been exploring the use of autonomous recording units (ARUs) and AI software to monitor wildlife populations and habitat relationships. Natalie is excited to share the many ways ARUs can help us better understand the wildlife we are dedicated to protecting. | BURROW EXCAVATIONS: AN UPDATED REVIEW OF A COMMON TAKE AVOIDANCE MEASURE FOR FEDERALLY THREATENED CALIFORNIA TIGER SALAMANDER (AMBYSTOMA CALIFORNIENSE) | | Marisa Ishimatsu; WRA, Inc.; ishimatsu@wra-ca.com; Darwin Mayhew, Rob Schell, Rachel Perpignani | The federally and state threatened California tiger salamander (CTS; Ambystoma californiense) is a large salamander endemic to the San Joaquin-Sacramento River and coastal valleys of Central California. CTS require access to both aquatic and upland habitat throughout their life cycle. Upland habitat must contain subterranean refugia typically in the form of small mammal burrows [i.e., California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi) or valley pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae)] for foraging and shelter from predators and desiccation during nonbreeding periods. Take avoidance measures are required by state and/or federal agencies prior to the start of development projects. When the proposed project has the potential to impact upland habitat, these measures often include burrow excavation. Burrow excavation is costly, laborious, and requires extensive experience to perform. Excavation of burrows also includes a variety of inherent hazards including exposure to the fungus coccidioidomycosis (i.e., valley fever). In this presentation we will discuss two case studies involving multiyear burrow excavation datasets collected between 2018 and 2025 from two projects, one in the San Joaquin Valley and one in San Benito County. | Innovative Techniques Wednesday 2:25 PM | | |
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Marisa Ishimatsu is the Compliance Monitoring Team Leader at WRA, Inc. where she specializes in permit implementation during construction. She has worked as a biological monitor and/or project manager for construction projects throughout California on approximately 150 projects over the past 15 years. She is a generalist with a special affinity for reptiles and amphibians. | MANAGING PREDATION BY INTERVENTIONS TO REDUCE PREY VULNERABILITY | | Ronald R Swaisgood; San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; rswaisgood@sdzwa.org; Talison T. Hammond, Melissa J. Merrick, Debra M. Shier, L. Ignacio Vilchis | Predation levels above evolutionary baselines threatens many at-risk prey species in southwestern ecosystems, often the result of introduced or subsidized predators that thrive on human-altered landscapes (e.g., crops, garbage, irrigation). Predation pressure depends not only on predator abundance but also prey vulnerability, which is governed by prey behavior and landscape features. Predator control strategies, often lethal, constitute the typical conservation intervention, whereas strategies to reduce prey vulnerability are less common. Here, we review approaches for managing prey vulnerability using case studies from multiple recovery programs. In desert tortoises, microhabitat features such as refuges, camouflage and vegetation can enhance juvenile survival and reduce predation. Nest exclosures have reduced egg predation in western snowy plovers, and habitat enhancements (woody debris, oyster shells, and low vegetation cover) govern nest-site selection and predation risk in California least terns. In translocation of kangaroo rats, placing top predator scent at the release site improved post-release survival. Finally, for conservation breeding programs, such as the mountain yellow-legged frog program, pre-release antipredator training can increase post-release survival. Overall, interventions reducing prey vulnerability—including behavioral training, habitat modification, strategic site selection and mechanical exclusion—offer promising, non-lethal tools to improve recovery outcomes for threatened and endangered species. | Innovative Techniques Wednesday 2:45 PM | | |
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As Director of Recovery Ecology at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Swaisgood supervises a research team dedicated to the application of behavioral and ecological research to the recovery of endangered species, including amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Research themes include conservation breeding, translocation biology, and adaptive management. Using a variety of innovative tools, he is interested in first identifying conservation problems, then addressing the research question most likely to bring about positive conservation outcomes. While many of his projects are based in Southern California, he conducts conservation science in Hawaii, Peru, China, and other locations. |
Lessons Learned: High Speed Rail (sorted by presentation order) | |
THE PROS AND CONS OF ASSUMING LISTED SPECIES PRESENCE | | Debra Hawk; California High Speed Rail Authority; debra.hawk@hsr.ca.gov; Melony Wood | In response to accelerated timelines for the start of the California High-Speed Rail (CHSR) project and lack of access to some private property parcels, the CHSR Authority accepted a permitting strategy that assumed presence of multiple state and federal listed species that had the potential to occur within the construction footprint. This back-end heavy permitting approach led to thousands of pre-construction surveys, excavations, and trapping efforts that yielded species detections in limited areas of the construction footprint, with some permitted species not observed. The assumption of species presence required substantial habitat mitigation and as a result, the CHSR project is supporting species conservation in high-quality, occupied habitats. This presentation explores the outcome of a large-scale conservation benefit, which ultimately supported species such as the San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica) and Tipton kangaroo rat (Dipodomys nitratoides nitratoides) within their range, despite minimal risk of species take during CHSR project construction. Lessons learned from this approach now informs the Authority's evolving permitting strategy, helping to balance project delivery timelines with the use of presence-based data. | Lessons Learned: High Speed Rail Monday 12:25 AM | | |
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Debra Hawk is a biologist with over thirty years of permitting, compliance, and mitigation experience in California, in both the public and private sector. Debra is currently with the California High Speed Rail Authority, working as a Permitting Unit Supervisor in the Authority’s Environmental Services Branch. | NAVIGATING PERMIT CHALLENGES IN A DESIGN-BUILD APPROACH | | Danielle Powell; Keish, Inc. on behalf of CHSR Authority; danielle.powell@hsr.ca.gov; Melony Wood | Navigating complex and evolving Incidental Take Permit (ITP) requirements within a design-build approach presents significant challenges, especially when project details are ever-changing. Expedited timelines in preparation for the California High-Speed Rail (CHSR) project led the CHSR Authority to initiate the ITP process for the Fresno to Bakersfield (F-B) section when design plans were only 15% complete, prior to full property acquisition, and with the ability to only complete limited on-the-ground resource assessments to evaluate risk of take of listed species. With more than 30 amendments to date for the F-B section, the CAHSR project highlights the difficulty of tracking and implementing permit changes as the design plans, construction footprint, and means and methods evolve. Key lessons learned include the importance of gathering information before applying for a permit, the importance of agency collaboration, and the importance of clear, easy-to-follow permits. Recommendations include close collaboration with agencies during every phase (pre-permitting, during permit acquisition, and post-permit acquisition), advocating for full permit reissuance for each amendment, and prioritizing obtaining access to property prior to permit acquisition. | Lessons Learned: High Speed Rail Monday 12:45 AM | | |
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Danielle Powell is a permitting and compliance specialist with a wildlife biology background with over 12 years’ experience in California in both the public and private sector. Danielle is currently with Keish, Inc., a contractor to the California High Speed Rail Authority, working as a Senior Permitting Manager in the Authority’s Environmental Services Branch. | WRITING EFFECTIVE MITIGATION MEASURES | | Sue Meyer; AECOM-Fluor on behalf of CHSR Authority; sue.meyer@hsr.ca.gov; | The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires lead agencies to incorporate into environmental documents feasible measures which could minimize significant adverse impacts. Other environmental laws, such as the federal and state endangered species acts and the Clean Water Act have similar requirements. Regardless of one’s role in project development, you will encounter mitigation measures, whether through drafting, implementing, or enforcing them. Effective mitigation is vital for minimizing environmental impacts, yet many projects struggle to turn well-intentioned plans into actionable and enforceable strategies. We will explore the common pitfalls that contribute to this disconnect, including vague language and unenforceable commitments. Through a review of CEQA’s requirements and best practices, we will highlight essential elements for bridging this gap, such as clarity, feasibility, and adaptability of measures. Our discussion will emphasize the importance of integrating scientific evidence and collaborative input to enhance practical implementation. Attendees will leave with valuable insights and actionable strategies to ensure that mitigation measures not only comply with CEQA requirements but also effectively protect environmental resources throughout the project lifecycle. | Lessons Learned: High Speed Rail Monday 1:05 AM | | |
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Sue Meyer is the Deputy Assistant Manager of the Environmental Services Branch for the California High Speed Rail Authority. Sue received her law degree from UCLA in 2002 and has specialized expertise in complex permitting, mitigation strategy, listing and critical habitat issues, and integration of conservation science into permitting and compliance strategies. | EVALUATING EFFECTIVENESS OF CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL | | Randi McCormick; McCormick Biological, Inc., on behalf of California High Spe; randi.mccormick@hsr.ca.gov; TBD | The California High-Speed Rail (CHSR) Authority has been issued California Endangered Species Act (CESA) Incidental Take Permits (ITP) for the Merced to Fresno and Fresno to Bakersfield sections of the CHSR project located in the Central Valley. The CHSR Authority oversees compliance with a myriad of environmental commitments required to avoid, reduce, and mitigate potential effects of the project on biological resources through environmental documents, including the EIR/EIS documents and state and federal permits. Focusing on the CESA ITP conditions of approval (COAs), pre-construction surveys, monitoring of resources, trapping, avoidance buffers, burrow/den excavations, and wildlife exclusion fencing are some examples of the measures implemented to address the minimization and full mitigations standard for state-listed species covered in the permits. These measures have resulted in various levels of effectiveness compared to the effort involved in implementation. The extensive linear nature of the CHSR project has been a factor in COA effectiveness, as well as the long timeline, among other factors. This presentation explores the effectiveness of some of the measures intended to minimize and fully mitigate the take of covered species on the CHSR. | Lessons Learned: High Speed Rail Monday 1:25 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Randi McCormick is a biologist with over thirty-five years of primarily private sector permitting, compliance, and mitigation experience in California. Randi is the owner of McCormick Biological, Inc. and is currently a contractor supporting the California High Speed Rail Authority as a Senior Permitting and Compliance Manager under the Authority’s Environmental Services Branch. | MONITORING HABITAT CONNECTIVITY FOR SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOX; RESULTS OF A PILOT STUDY ASSESSING CAMERAS AND AI SOFTWARE | | Frank Meraz; California High Speed Rail Authority; frank.meraz@hsr.ca.gov; Brian Boroski, Frank Meraz Brian Boroski | An essential operational goal for the California High-Speed Rail (HSR) project is the use of zero emission trains operating on 100% renewable energy, between San Francisco to Los Angeles within 3-hours. The HSR Authority recognizes that the unintended impacts associated with project must be addressed in parallel with construction and operational goals. Consequently, wildlife crossings have been incorporated into the HSR project design. This presentation highlights results of a pilot project to inform full implementation of the HSR Wildlife Crossing Monitoring Plan (Plan) designed to better understand how San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica) and other terrestrial wildlife species interact with 338 dedicated wildlife crossing structures installed within 15 different habitat types between Fresno and Bakersfield to avoid habitat fragmentation. We installed a total of 24 cameras: six cameras (three on each side of the crossing structure) at four locations. In order to assess the effectiveness of different camera models, and the number of cameras needed to meet the goals of the Plan, we tested four brands of candidate cameras and software programs. We include an assessment of AI-assisted wildlife photo processing with Megadetector and YOLOv8 GUI using the AddaxAI open-source application. | Lessons Learned: High Speed Rail Thursday 10:30 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Frank Meraz is an Environmental Program Manager with the California High-Speed Rail Authority with over 20 years’ experience in environmental analysis related to transportation infrastructure. Frank oversees and implements environmental planning, construction compliance, permit acquisition and implementation as well as mitigation associated with construction of the High-Speed Train Project. Dr. Brian Boroski is a vice president, principal, and leads operations for H. T. Harvey & Associates San Joaquin Valley office. He has more than 30 years of experience as a wildlife ecologist with an extensive history of working on projects involving endangered species, permitting, and permit compliance in many arenas. |
Resilience in Wildlife Populations (sorted by presentation order) | |
FROM RECOVERY TO RESILIENCE: ONGOING CONSERVATION OF THE CATALINA ISLAND FOX | | Destiny M Saucedo; Catalina Island Conservancy; dsaucedo@catalinaconservancy.org; Katie Elder, Destiny Saucedo Katie Elder | The Catalina Island fox (Urocyon littoralis catalinae), one of six subspecies of island fox endemic to California’s Channel Islands, represents a continuing conservation success story. Following its near extinction in the late 1990s, the Catalina Island Conservancy has maintained a comprehensive recovery and monitoring program focused on long-term population health and stability. Annual island-wide trapping and radio-collar monitoring provide essential data on distribution, survival, and disease exposure, while vaccination efforts help safeguard the population against potential disease outbreaks. Additional initiatives include infectious disease surveillance, collaborative research on genetics and microbiomes, and outreach programs aimed at increasing public awareness and engagement in fox conservation. Through adaptive management and continued monitoring, the Conservancy ensures that the Catalina Island fox population remains stable, reflecting ongoing recovery and sustained health across the island. | Resilience in Wildlife Populations Thursday 8:05 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Katie Elder received her masters in biology at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo studying island foxes on Santa Rosa Island and is currently the Wildlife Conservation Manager for the Catalina Island Conservancy. Destiny Saucedo is the Wildlife Biologist for the Catalina Island Conservancy and currently completing her masters at Cal Poly Humboldt. Her thesis research focuses on San Clemente Island fox pup and maternal ecology. Today’s talk won’t be about the Santa Rosa or San Clemente island foxes, but rather the foxes of Catalina Island. | HUMAN-WILDLIFE INTERACTIONS OF HAWAIIAN WATERBIRDS IN MANAGED WETLANDS | | Koa Grabar; University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa; kgrabar@hawaii.edu; Kawika B. Winter, Kristen C. Harmon, Melissa R. Price | Conservation-reliant Hawaiian waterbirds remain endangered due to ongoing habitat loss and predation, despite their ability to utilize a variety of wetland habitats. While stewardship across these areas provides critical benefits, the behavioral effects from different stewards and management actions remain unclear. This study investigates relationships between wetland stewardship and four species of waterbirds in the Hawaiian Islands: the Aeʻo (Hawaiian Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus knudseni), ʻAlae ʻula (Hawaiian Gallinule, Gallinula galeata sandvicensis), ʻAlae keʻokeʻo (Hawaiian Coot, Fulica alai), and hybrid Koloa maoli (Hawaiian Duck, Anas wyvilliana). Alert-response and flight-initiation distances were measured for waterbirds when approached by stewards and non-stewards, and stewards were surveyed about their management practices and feelings, interactions, and interest in connection with waterbirds. Paired t-tests and ANOVAs revealed that alert and flight-initiation responses differed by species and by stewardship characteristics. Stewards with stronger feelings of connection to waterbirds and greater management frequencies tended to elicit shorter alert and flight-initiation distances. These findings help clarify how wetland management and human-bird relationships interact, potentially informing conservation policies and biological opinions that aim to balance habitat stewardship with minimizing disturbance. | Resilience in Wildlife Populations Thursday 8:25 AM | | Student Paper |
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Koa was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, and earned his B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Management from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He is continuing in the program, pursuing a Master’s in Environmental Management. His research explores the relationships between wetland stewards and the native Hawaiian waterbirds that inhabit these ecosystems, with the goal of informing management practices that support both ecological and cultural resilience. | OBSERVATIONS OF PREDATION OF CALIFORNIA'S MARINE MAMMALS BY THE COOKIE CUTTER SHARK (ISISTIUS BRASILIENSIS) | | Jeff A Alvarez; The Wildlife Project ; Jeff@thewildlifeproject.com; Rebecca Cosmero | California’s marine mammals include 18 whale, 14 dolphin, six seal and one otter species. Each faces a myriad threats that can confound individual or population persistence. Among those threats are predation events by a variety of species. The cookie cutter shark is a small, deep water, tropical and sub-tropical pelagic shark that feeds as a micro-predator—removing small, typically sublethal bites. This species is known to feed on a variety of oceanic organisms that include squid, fishes, marine mammals, and other species. Since the cookie cutter shark is tropical and subtropical, the incidence of this species' predation attempts on California’s marine mammals would be expected to be low. However, marine mammal behaviors and an apparent change in the cookie cutter shark range has resulted in 79% of California marine mammals showing signs of predation events. These data represent a baseline understanding of the impact of this shark on California marine mammals.
Presentation will include graphic depictions of predation events. | Resilience in Wildlife Populations Thursday 8:45 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Jeff Alvarez has been a biologist for 39 years working on the conservation and natural history of amphibians, reptiles, bats, and carnivores. He is also the current President of the Western Section of The Wildlife Society. | MINIMUM HYDROPERIOD FOR METAMORPHOSIS IN THE CALIFORNIA TIGER SALAMANDER | | Sean M O'Brien; Westervelt Ecological Services; seanobrien1342@gmail.com; Brent P. Helm | The California Tiger Salamander (CTS, Ambystoma californiense) is a federally- and state listed California endemic species that exhibits a biphasic life history, requiring both upland and aquatic breeding habitats. Past studies have examined hydroperiods required for CTS to complete metamorphosis, which can advise management recommendations for determining suitable and successfully used breeding habitat. We observed CTS larvae of adequate size to metamorphose in just 53 days, suggesting that CDFW and USFWS recommendations on minimum ponding durations for suitable aquatic breeding habitats be reduced from 70 days (ten weeks) to at least 56 days (eight weeks). This recommendation will increase the number of aquatic habitats considered potential to support CTS breeding. Published in Herpetology Notes (July 2025). | Resilience in Wildlife Populations Thursday 9:05 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Sean O’Brien is a proud vernal fool. He obtained his B.S from UC Davis and M.S. from Sacramento State, both in Evolution and Ecology. He specializes in vernal pool ecology with an emphasis on vernal pool branchiopods and amphibians. He is a biologist with Westervelt Ecological Services, part-time biology professor at Sierra College, and leader of volunteer organization, Dry Creek Conservancy. | PATTERNS OF DISPERSAL AND SURVIVORSHIP IN RECENTLY-METAMORPHOSED CALIFORNIA RED-LEGGED FROGS (RANA DRAYTONII) | | Hale V Garcia-Dean; Sonoma State University; Halegarciadean@gmail.com; Derek J. Girman, Jeffery T. Wilcox, Daniel E. Crocker | We examined patterns of dispersal undergone by recently metamorphosed California Red-legged frogs (Rana draytonii), a federally threatened species. We used radio telemetry techniques to track the movement patterns and habitat use of metamorphs dispersing from an established breeding pond in an oak-savannah habitat in Sonoma County, CA over the course of two field seasons (2022-2023 and 2023-2024). By sampling multiple times in a 24-hour period, we were able to evaluate the effects of weather (daily precipitation accumulation, daily relative humidity, daily average wind speed, daily average temperature) and time of day on movement rates (m/hr) demonstrated by dispersing metamorphs. Additionally, we examined the difference in dispersal strategies undergone by froglets (dispersing away to a secondary site or remaining resident of the breeding pond). We found that movement patterns changed with respect to time of day, body condition, and moisture-related weather patterns. Despite their naïveté, metamorphs demonstrated a non-random orientation away from the pond, suggesting a preference for specific landscape features. | Resilience in Wildlife Populations Thursday 9:25 AM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
Hale is a recent graduate from Sonoma State University where they earned their MS in Biology, conducting the research they are about to present to us now. In addition to their work with California Red-legged Frogs, Hale has worked on studies centered around American Bullfrogs, California Tiger Salamanders, Foothill Yellow-legged Frogs, California Giant Salamanders, and even captive Southern White Rhinos as an undergraduate. They are especially passionate about the study and conservation of wild herps, and science communication as a whole. | POND CREATION CONFERS BENEFITS TO POND ASSOCIATED SPECIES | | Esther Adelsheim; Stanford University; ecolea@stanford.edu; Alan Launer, Kathryn Preston | Aquatic organisms are particularly sensitive to climate change because changes in temperature and precipitation alter both the amount and quality of aquatic habitat. On Stanford’s open space, the Stanford Conservation Program has created a network of 15 ephemeral to perennial ponds to increase the number of suitable habitat patches that support California tiger salamanders and California red-legged frogs. From 1997-2025, we completed robust monitoring of California tiger salamanders and California red-legged frogs to track patch occupancy and population size. Over nearly four decades of monitoring, we have documented the role of non-native predators, pond creation, and disease in the persistence of two small populations of pond-breeding amphibians. Overall, we have found that increasing the number of available habitat patches can increase the stability of populations of pond breeding amphibians in the long term. We also have documented wide-ranging benefits to non-target species. Pond creation can be a formidable challenge, performance can be mixed, and maintenance a long term commitment, but we see pond creation as an essential component of the strategy to conserve pond associated species in the long term. | Resilience in Wildlife Populations Thursday 9:45 AM | | |
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Esther is an ecologist that uses applied science and adaptive management for environmental conservation. She received her BS in Biology from University of Oregon, PhD in Ecology from UC Davis. Esther has worked on a wide range of research, conservation, and land stewardship projects across the American West and Ecuador. She is currently the Conservation Program Manager at Stanford University. |
Stakeholders and Policy (sorted by presentation order) | |
BALANCING CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) STREAMLINING EFFORTS AND WILDLIFE PROTECTION | | Allison R Fuller; Ascent Environmental; allison.fuller@ascent.inc; Linda Leeman, Lara Rachowicz | Efforts to streamline approval of projects subject to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) have been implemented recently. A March 2025 emergency proclamation by the Governor applied to qualifying fuels reduction projects and suspended state statutes, rules, regulations, and requirements under the jurisdiction of California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), including CEQA. Assembly Bill 130 and Senate Bill 131, signed into law in June 2025, created CEQA exemptions for specific housing and infrastructure projects including wildfire risk reduction activities, some parks and trails projects, and broadband infrastructure. Together, these regulatory changes signal a shift toward balancing urgent implementation needs for certain types of projects with environmental protection. This presentation will examine how these reforms affect conservation outcomes and wildlife protection. Despite suspended or reduced CEQA review, measures are still required to minimize impacts on wildlife; however, some limitations and logistical challenges exist for implementation of these measures. Challenges and potential strategies for addressing them will be discussed. | Stakeholders and Policy Thursday 10:30 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Allison Fuller is a wildlife biologist with more than 16 years of experience. She specializes in focused wildlife surveys in terrestrial and marine environments as well as data analysis and interpretation. Her field experience includes work with birds, terrestrial mammals, and marine mammals, including special-status species such as burrowing owl, tricolored blackbird, marbled murrelet, and Steller sea lion. Allison's interests include behavioral ecology, scientific and technical writing, and assisting clients with mitigation strategies. | A TALE OF TWO PONDS. HOW A LOCALIZED EXTIRPATION MORPHED INTO A REGIONAL RECOVERY ACTION FOR CRLF IN SOLANO COUNTY | | Rob Schell; WRA, Inc.; schell@wra-ca.com; Rochelle Stiles, SF Zoo, Gabe Saron, WRA, Jamie McNellis, SF Zoo,, Ben Witzke, SF Zoo, Mikaela Wiley, SF Zoo, Matthew Weeks, SF Zoo | In 2012 and 2013, WRA established populations of CRLF at two ponds in support of a first of its kind conservation bank in Solano County. Despite habitat restoration, translocation, adaptive management, and extensive monitoring, the population struggled to launch, leading to a localized extirpation at one of the ponds in 2017. Attempts at subsequent internal translocations in 2018 and 2019 were unsuccessful. In 2023, WRA sought help from the San Francisco Zoo to assist with head-starting CRLF for release. Through observations made while in their care, the Zoo staff identified a possible congenital smoking-gun. Stakeholders have since rallied together in a story of collaboration to tackle the issue at a regional scale. In this talk, we'll provide an update on a project last presented on in 2016 - the challenges we've encountered, and have worked to overcome. We'll discuss the coalition that has come together to manage a listed-species beyond property lines, and finally we will explore actions we're currently taking to augment diversity for CRLF in a genetic cul-de-sac. | Stakeholders and Policy Thursday 10:50 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Rob earned a Bachelors of Science in Evolution and Ecology from University of California, Davis and is active in the study and conservation of amphibians and reptiles. He has worked as a consultant for more than 20 years and has been in his current role as the Wildlife and Fisheries Director at WRA since 2019. | EVALUATING THE EFFICACY AND COST OF BURROW EXCAVATIONS FOR SMALL VERTEBRATE SPECIES | | Karissa A Denney; QK; karissa.denney@qkinc.com; Curtis Uptain, Danielle Temple, Dave Dayton | Relocation and burrow excavation practices are standard mitigation tools for species such as the San Joaquin antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus nelsoni), California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense), and blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila), yet empirical support for their success remains limited. This presentation compiles and analyzes field data from multiple projects across the Central Valley to review the species encountered, fiscal costs, human safety concerns, and the overall success of burrow excavating. Findings indicate low number of species encountered yet high fiscal costs and increased human safety concerns. We propose a discussion for an alternative framework emphasizing population-level mitigation over individual relocation and increasing human safety protocols. By presenting both biological outcomes and fiscal implications, this presentation invites biologists and agencies to discuss traditional burrow excavating requirements and potential alternative routes. | Stakeholders and Policy Thursday 11:10 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Karissa Denney is a Senior Environmental Scientist at QK with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Conservation and Organismal Biology from San Jose State University. She has over 10 years of experience in environmental consulting supporting an extensive range of projects including renewable energy, habitat restoration, and urban development. Ms. Denney has wide range of field experience, compliance monitoring, and CEQA and NEPA reporting. She has conducted protocol-level surveys for San Joaquin kit fox, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, and other special-status species, and is experienced in small mammal trapping within the San Joaquin Valley. | WILD HORSE ADVOCATES VERSUS RANCHERS? NOT ANYMORE: UNSUNG CONSERVATION HEROES ENTER THE FRAY | | Celeste Carlisle; podlypod@yahoo.com; | In the combative arena of wild horse and burro management, the loudest players have historically been ranchers and wild horse advocates, who argue, cast blame, and trade barbs at one another: overpopulated wild horses take resources from permitted livestock on public lands, or livestock outnumber wild horses and burros and impact the range far more negatively than their equid counterparts. Wildlife conservation groups have avoided saying much about wild horses and burros because of the noise that comes from doing so: you may alienate supporters, or it may be confusing to know exactly how to position an organization among any of the competing arguments. Wildlife biologists have expressed alarm at populations of wild horses or burros in areas that contain threatened or endangered species, and this has caused heartburn for wild horse advocates. More importantly, an informed and thoughtful group of stakeholders has stayed out of a western lands management issue, and this has handed the reins, so to speak, to only two interest groups. This presentation will focus on how to support and bring in reluctant stakeholders, as well as why unified messaging matters. In this instance, fertility control as a portion of wild horse and burro management is a unifier: most organizations, even ones who had not been so supportive in the past, are supportive of fertility control now. If organizations concerned about wildlife, land health, wild horses and burros, and the myriad multiple uses on our public lands separately lobby for their own specific interest, issues stagnate or solely become soapboxes for social media posts and fundraising efforts. Unifying behind the radical center – in this case, messaging of “steadily increase fertility control,” can open complicated natural resource management challenges to new and thoughtful players. | Stakeholders and Policy Thursday 11:30 AM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Celeste Carlisle is a biologist with an interest in horse reproductive biology and rangeland ecology. She is committed to developing sustainable management plans for wild horses and burros in a rapidly changing climate. She has worked alongside Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation to oversee and implement the fertility control program since 2005, and more recently, RTF’s projects that focus on utilizing science towards effective and humane policy changes in the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service wild horse programs, and in on-range public-private partnerships for wild horse and burro management. She works with several collaborative stakeholder groups on wild horse and burro management issues. She recently chaired the National BLM and USFS Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. She enjoys backpacking, swimming, sailing, and being surrounded by her family and friends; feathered, furred, and otherwise. | AFFECTIVE STAKEHOLDERS: A NEW CHALLENGE FOR PARTICIPATORY ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE | | Kapono M Gaughen; University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa CIS PhD Program; gaughenk@hawaii.edu; Jenifer Sunrise Winter | This paper introduces the concept of affective stakeholders, a mobilized form of affective publics whose engagement challenges core assumptions of stakeholder theory. Through a case study of Hawai‘i’s shark fishing policy, we trace how social media influencers recontextualized a government stakeholder engagement activity, transforming its purpose and catalyzing affect-laden processes that drove a wave of unintended participation. Most participants had no direct stake in the policy but were mobilized by narratives embedded with affect and misinformation. By co-opting government messaging, a small number of influencers leveraged social media affordances to activate affective publics who claimed stake in faraway decisions. This phenomenon was distributed and iterative, with no clearly responsible actor. We argue that affective stakeholders pose an emerging challenge to stakeholder theory and environmental governance, especially as participatory processes grow increasingly vulnerable to reinterpretation within volatile and affectively charged online networks. | Stakeholders and Policy Thursday 11:50 AM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
Aloha, my name is Kapono Gaughen. In 2015 I began making videos with my friends sharing our fishing trips, which we posted on YouTube. This ended up having a much larger impact on me than I would have ever expected. On my channel, a community of such stakeholders had self-organized. Could the marketing practices used to connect online communities with businesses work in a resource management setting? I am now here with the CIS program, seeking to understand how social media, online communities, and the environment interact and might benefit one another. |
Studies from the Salton Sea (sorted by presentation order) | |
IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE INFLUENCES SELENIUM LEVELS IN YUMA RIDGWAY'S RAILS AT THE SALTON SEA | | Kathryn M. Golembiewski; Idaho Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University ; ksliwa@uidaho.edu; Courtney J. Conway, Cydney M. Yost, Razia Shafique-Sabir, Jonathan Shore | The reduced delivery of Colorado River water to the Imperial Valley, California, has resulted in the shrinking of the Salton Sea. The Salton Sea is primarily sustained by irrigated agricultural runoff which has created wetland habitat along the newly exposed lakeshore. Wetlands receiving irrigation runoff are at risk of selenium bioaccumulation which may cause reduced survival and developmental abnormalities of wetland-obligate birds like the federally endangered Yuma Ridgway’s rail (Rallus obsoletus yumanensis). We captured breeding rails from 2020–2025 and compared rail selenium levels within three marsh types (fed with irrigation runoff, Colorado River water, or spring water). We collected blood, breast feathers, and head feathers of rails in all three water sources for selenium comparisons. We tagged adult rails with GPS transmitters to locate nests and foraging locations where we collected eggshells, unhatched eggs, and prey species. Selenium concentrations varied among the three marsh types. Selenium concentrations were highest in agricultural-fed marshes compared to river-fed and spring-fed marshes. Our results suggest that increased input of Colorado River water into agricultural-fed marshes that support Yuma Ridgway’s rails may reduce the dietary risk of selenium bioaccumulation to rails. | Studies from the Salton Sea Wednesday 4:25 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Kathryn Golembiewski received a B.S. in Conservation and Wildlife Management from Delaware Valley University and earned a M.S. with the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University—Kingsville. Kathryn currently works for the Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Idaho where she manages a project focused on Ridgway’s rails and secretive marsh birds in California and Arizona. Kathryn’s research interests include movement ecology, conservation, and wildlife health and disease. | CAMERAS AND AUTONOMOUS RECORDING UNITS DETECT DIVERSE WILDLIFE PRESENCE WITHIN NEWLY RESTORED RIPARIAN HABITAT ALONG THE ALAMO RIVER CORRIDOR | | Madeline G Perreault; River Partners; mperreault@riverpartners.org; Samantha Licona, Rachel Noriega, Emma Havstad | In the Imperial Valley, agriculture and invasive salt cedar dominate much of the landscape, including the riparian corridors of the Alamo and New Rivers. Wildlife continues to rely on the remaining habitat, especially migratory birds of the Pacific Flyway. Large-scale habitat restoration offers a solution to the dwindling native vegetation and declining habitat connectivity. In 2020, River Partners launched its first-ever restoration project in Imperial County, located along the Alamo River, an important riparian corridor that flows into the Salton Sea. Over 100 acres have been restored, with many more to go. To record species diversity in both pre- and post-restoration project fields, River Partners deployed six wildlife cameras and twelve autonomous recording units (ARUs). In one year of sampling, we detected 124 species on the ARUs and 43 species on the cameras, several of which are sensitive species, such as the American Badger. Species richness was highest in the Spring and Fall, when seasonal bird migration occurs along the Pacific Flyway. Such rich biodiversity underscores the need to continue creating high-quality wildlife habitat along the Alamo. We will present our findings and recommendations for deploying these devices to support restoration efforts in the region. | Studies from the Salton Sea Wednesday 5:25 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Madeline Perreault is a Biologist at River Partners, a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing California’s rivers by restoring critical riparian and floodplain habitats. She holds a master’s degree in Biology from UC San Diego. Madeline applies her technical expertise in biology and ecology to implement and monitor large scale restoration projects across California, primarily in Imperial County. She is passionate about restoring riparian corridors to benefit imperiled species of wildlife and to promote long-term ecological health. | SHIFTING AVIAN HABITATS AT THE SALTON SEA CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONSERVATION | | Daniel Orr; Audubon California; Daniel.Orr@audubon.org; Keilani Bonis-Ericksen, Camila Bautista, Andrea Jones, Keilani Bonis-Ericksen | As human populations grow and prolonged droughts impact water availability, lakes and wetlands have disappeared globally and throughout the Western United States. California alone has lost an estimated 90% of its wetlands over the past two centuries. Millions of migratory birds along the Pacific and Central flyways rely on the persistence of open water and wetland habitats for breeding, stopover and wintering sites. Among the most important remaining sites is the Salton Sea, California’s largest lake and hosts to some of the largest waterbird concentrations in the Western United States. However, the Sea is shrinking rapidly due to reduced inflows, triggering significant changes in habitat and food availability. We analyzed seven years (2016–2023) of bird surveys, habitat, and water quality assessments to evaluate how birds are responding to the Sea’s rapidly changing environment. Key findings show that while deep-water habitats and fish-eating birds like pelicans and cormorants are in decline, shallow wetland habitats are expanding by 23% from 2019 to 2022, supporting significant gains in shorebird populations, including Least and Western Sandpipers. Overall, waterbird numbers increased by roughly 15% annually during the study period, underscoring the Sea’s continued ecological value. Our research identifies new opportunities for conservation and restoration with new emerging and expanding habitats. With coordinated action, the Salton Sea can remain a resilient refuge for birds and a healthier environment for surrounding communities. | Studies from the Salton Sea Wednesday 5:45 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Keilani Bonis-Ericksen is a Geospatial Program Manager for Audubon California, where she leads geospatial projects to support conservation efforts across California landscapes (Coasts, Deserts, Central Valley, and Urban) and for programs including the Working Lands, Conservation Ranching, Salton Sea, and Coastal Programs. She supports all California teams, including centers and sanctuaries, with spatial analysis, mapping, data visualizations, and community and stakeholder engagement at a local and state-wide level. Prior to this, she graduated with an M.S. in Conservation Biology and Environmental Science from the University of Hawaii, where her research project involved assessing 3D models of coral reefs in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Before completing her master’s, she worked as an environmental scientist for Marine Research Consultants and as a kayak and naturalist guide in the San Juan Islands of Washington. She received her BA in Geology at Occidental College in 2016. | ACCOMPLISHING 29,800 ACRES OF RESTORATION AT THE SALTON SEA IN 10-YEARS | | Melinda C Dorin Bradbury; Califorina Department of Water Resources; melinda.dorin@water.ca.gov; | The State of California through the Salton Sea Management Program (SSMP) is responsible for 29,800 acres of restoration over a 10_year period (2018-2028) at the Salton Sea. The Salton Sea Management Program is made up of the California Natural Resources Agency, California Department of Water Resources and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Department of Water Resources, as the lead implementer for the SSMP has completed approximately 5,000 acres. An additional approximately 10,000 acres are in construction, and the balance are in planning with a goal to start construction by 2028. The largest fish and wildlife project is the Species Conservation Habitat project and is approximately 9,500 acres. I will discuss how the Program has been successful in constructing projects, collaboration, permitting pathways, and how quickly species have returned to the areas that are being restored. Research and scientific collaboration are ongoing in key areas and as data is collected it will help inform how best to maintain and operate the projects. | Studies from the Salton Sea Thursday 8:05 AM | | |
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Melinda Dorin Bradbury is the lead manager for the Salton Sea Restoration Office, prior to her current role, she was a program manager responsible for environmental permitting and compliance for the Program. Melinda has also worked for other State agencies including the State Water Resources Control Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the California Energy Commission. She has also spent time working (and volunteering) for non-governmental organizations and as a consultant. Melinda also sits on the Board of the Natomas Basin Conservancy as a City of Sacramento appointee. | SALTON SEA VERSUS COLORADO RIVER: COMPARISON OF MIGRATION AND SEASONAL MOVEMENTS IN YUMA RIDGWAY'S RAILS | | Natalya Hebert; Idaho Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University of Idaho; nhebert@uidaho.edu; Kathryn M. Golembiewski, Courtney J. Conway | Understanding variability in spatial and temporal movement patterns within a species is critical for implementing effective conservation strategies. This is especially true for endangered species like the Yuma Ridgway’s rail (Rallus obsoletus yumanensis) – a species dependent on fragmented and dissipating wetland habitat in the U.S. The Lower Colorado River and the Salton Sea both provide critical habitat for Yuma Ridgway’s rails. Between 2016 and 2025, we tagged rails with GPS transmitters during the breeding season at the Salton Sea (n=175) and along the Lower Colorado River (n=128) in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Northern Mexico. We used the GPS data to quantify and compare the home range sizes, seasonal dispersals and migrations, and between-year breeding site fidelity. The propensity to migrate differed, with rails from the Lower Colorado River migrating to Mexico more frequently (~40%) than those from the Salton Sea (~4%). Our results showcase a need for implementing population-specific conservation strategies. Current efforts involve documenting fitness consequences of spatial and temporal movement strategies and examining the environmental and demographic drivers of partial migration in Yuma Ridgway’s rails. | Studies from the Salton Sea Thursday 8:45 AM | | Student Paper |
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Natalya is a master's student at the University of Idaho studying the movement and migratory behavior of Ridgway's rails. Originally from upstate New York, she got her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont before working on a variety of field projects across the country. Outside of research, Natalya enjoys birding, rock climbing, biking, and volunteering to walk dogs at her local animal shelter. | EVALUATING DRIVERS OF SELENIUM BIOACCUMULATION IN YUMA RIDGWAY'S RAIL FOOD WEBS FROM MANAGED AND UNMANAGED SALTON SEA WETLANDS | | Susan De La Cruz; USGS Western Ecological Research Center ; sdelacruz@usgs.gov; Laurie Hall, USGS Western Ecological Research Center, Krishangi Groover, USGS California Water Science Center, Isa Woo, USGS Western Ecological Research Center, Laurie Hall | Selenium is a pervasive problem in wetlands of the Salton Sea, California, where it can bioaccumulate in food webs and influence development and hatching success in oviparous animals such as the endangered Yuma Ridgway’s rail (Rallus obsoletus yumanensis). We compared water chemistry, selenium partitioning and concentrations in biota between wetlands managed with Colorado river water and unmanaged wetlands fed by irrigation drain water during spring 2023 and 2024 to better understand factors driving selenium hazards for nesting rails. In addition to drain and river sources, chemical signatures showed that each wetland had unique contributions of groundwater, geothermal, and Salton Sea water. We found selenium partitioning and concentrations in biota followed a spatial gradient from water inlet to outlet that was independent of water source or wetland type and aligned with patterns of dissolved selenium in water, suggesting that wetland processes decreased selenium bioavailability as water flowed toward the outlet. These results coupled with those from on-going rail diet studies will be used to populate predictive selenium bioaccumulation models to clarify the role of wetland processes and food web complexity as drivers of selenium hazards for Salton Sea rails. | Studies from the Salton Sea Thursday 9:05 AM | | |
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Laurie A. Hall is a wildlife biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center. Her research is focused on the movement and foraging ecology of waterbirds. She has been studying waterbirds in California for more than 20 years. She received her doctorate in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California, Berkeley, her master’s degree in marine science from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, and her bachelor’s degree in marine science from Southampton College. When she is not staring at birds through her binoculars, she enjoys hiking and camping with her dogs. |
Studies on Impacted Wildlife (sorted by presentation order) | |
COMBINING CAMERA TRAP AND FITNESS APP DATA TO ASSESS MAMMAL RESPONSE TO HIKING AND MOUNTAIN BIKING TRAIL USE | | Erin Lacour; US Fish and Wildlife Service; erinroselacour@gmail.com; Rachel O'Malley, Lynne A Trulio | Managing urban-adjacent lands for both wildlife conservation and recreational opportunities can be a delicate balance. Understanding the impacts of activities growing in popularity, such as mountain biking, can be especially challenging. This study used data from a social fitness app, Strava Metro—which provided an index of recreational use--to quantify and separate the effects of hiking and mountain biking on wildlife in parks in Marin County, California, USA. Combining this user data with mammal frequency data from a community-science camera trap project, we assessed how mammals spatially and temporally responded to distance from trails with respect to levels of hiking and mountain biking activity. Of the five primarily non‐nocturnal mammals in our study area, four were either spatially or temporally less frequent near trails versus away from trails. Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) were moderately sensitive to sites with high levels of mountain bike use. When accounting for both hiking and biking use, both mule deer and brush rabbits (Sylvilagus bachmani) were less frequent at high‐use mountain bike sites. Strava Metro provided useful data for these analyses, showing potential as a resource for managing mountain biking effects on public lands as mountain and e‐bike prevalence increases. | Studies on Impacted Wildlife Friday 8:05 AM | | |
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Lynne Trulio is a professor emeritus at San José State University (SJSU), whose work focuses on identifying and reducing urban impacts on wildlife. Primary areas of research include the conservation of the Western Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea), impacts of recreation on wildlife, and restoration of sensitive habitats. She has been the Associate Dean of her college at SJSU, an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, and the lead scientist for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project during the planning phase. She currently advises habitat planning projects on incorporating practices to preserve biodiversity. | EXPANDING THE REACH OF AUTONOMOUS RECORDING UNITS: DETECTING CRYPTIC RAILS IN CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENTS | | Hallie P Daly; AECOM; dalyhallie@gmail.com; Leonard Liu (ESA) | Autonomous recording units (ARUs) have proven useful for detecting cryptic bird species such as the king rail (Rallus elegans), clapper rail (Rallus crepitans; Stiffler et al. 2018), yellow rail (Coturnicops novebaracensis; Sidie-Slettedahl et al. 2015), and Dupont’s lark (Chersophilus duponti; Pérez-Granados 2018). While ARUs have clear limitations, they are often regarded as a valuable yet underutilized tool for detecting vocalizing target species—and are typically tested under ideal conditions. In environments where traditional call-and-response surveys or point counts are difficult due to anthropogenic noise or limited access, ARUs offer an alternative approach. We deployed 39 ARUs during the 2025 breeding season along the California State Route 37 Corridor in Northern California to aid in the detection of two cryptic and state-protected species: the California Ridgway’s rail (Rallus obsoletus obsoletus) and the California black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus). Paired with habitat assessments, ARU placements revealed the presence of both species in unexpected, challenging, and previously unsurveyed locations. Our findings support the use of ARUs as an effective method for detecting cryptic species in complex environments. We further discuss how integrating ARUs with protocol-level surveys can enhance both detection rates and survey efficiency for secretive marshbirds. | Studies on Impacted Wildlife Friday 8:25 AM | | |
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Hallie Daly is a consultant biologist for AECOM and recently received her MS from San Jose State University studying the effects of shifting phenology and colony layout in the stress physiology of the California gull (Laurus californicus). With over 12 years working as an ornithologist, Hallie enjoys using interdisciplinary techniques to better understand, manage, and conserve avian communities. | ADAPTING TO THE CITY: HOW URBANIZATION INFLUENCES HOUSE FINCH IMMUNE GENES | | Katherine N Moua; California State University, Fresno ; kmoua263@gmail.com; Oscar Sanchez, Emmanuel Okposio, Joel Slade | Urbanization reshapes ecosystems by fragmenting habitats, limiting gene flow, and altering host–pathogen interactions, which can drive immune gene evolution. We are investigating how urbanization affects immunogenetic diversity in house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) by analyzing four Toll-like receptor loci (TLR2B, TLR3, TLR4, and TLR15). Finches were sampled from urban, suburban, and rural sites in Fresno and Madera Counties, California, to test whether allele frequencies, genetic diversity, and selection patterns differ at these loci at each urbanization level. We extracted DNA, performed PCR for most loci, and sequence analysis is underway. We predict that urban populations will show reduced TLR diversity due to restricted dispersal and environmental uniformity, while suburban and rural populations retain higher variation. However, we also expect evidence of diversifying selection, indicating that pathogens continue to shape immune gene evolution in all environments. By comparing immune gene variation based on urbanization intensity, we aim to determine whether selection maintains functional diversity despite limited gene flow. This research links molecular evolution to human-driven environmental change and advances understanding of how wildlife populations adapt to urbanization. | Studies on Impacted Wildlife Friday 8:45 AM | | Student Paper |
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I am a second-semester graduate student in the Master’s program in Biology at California State University, Fresno. My academic interests center on biological research and science education. Following the completion of my degree, I aim to pursue a career in STEM education, with a focus on making science more accessible and engaging for future generations of students. | AVIAN RESPONSE TO FIRE IN GIANT SEQUOIA GROVES | | Lee C Bryant; The Institute for Bird Populations; lbryant@birdpop.org; Robert L. Wilkerson, James F. Saracco, Chris Ray, Rodney B. Siegel | In the western United States, more frequent and higher severity wildfires, combined with the effects of climate change and drought, threaten the health and function of forests and wildlife that inhabit them. In the Sierra Nevada range of California, recent losses of giant sequoia trees (Sequoiadendron giganteum) to high severity fire underscore the vulnerability of this highly spatially restricted forest type. Prescribed fire is an important component of strategies to protect these trees, but its effects on wildlife inhabiting sequoia groves are poorly known. We conducted avian point counts during the breeding seasons 2011–2024 in nine sequoia groves across Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and used a Bayesian framework to model 27 species’ responses to three fire (prescribed and wild) metrics over the study period: burn severity, time since fire, and fire frequency. Response varied by metric, but for species with supported responses, the interaction of fire severity and time since fire had a generally positive effect while the individual effect of each metric was generally negative. These results point to the complexity of avian population response to fire, and the need for further study to maximize compatibility of forest management and wildlife conservation in giant sequoia groves. | Studies on Impacted Wildlife Friday 9:05 AM | | |
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Lee Bryant is a staff biologist with The Institute for Bird Populations and manages projects focused on the conservation of avian populations in the Sierra Nevada with an emphasis on understanding species response to wildfire, wildfire management, and the effects of climate change. | URBANIZATION PROMOTES INDIVIDUAL SPECIALIZATION IN A GENERALIST CARNIVORE | | Tali Caspi; University of California, Berkeley; tcaspi@berkeley.edu; Emily Sit, Monica G. Serrano, Stevi L. Vanderzwan, Katie A. Smith, William Merkle, Deb Campbell, Benjamin N. Sacks | Many populations of generalist species are composed of specialist individuals that vary in resource use. In urban environments, niche variation may be widespread due to landscape heterogeneity, novel food resources, high species densities, and intraspecific trait variation. Although theory provides a rationale for the existence of strong individual diet specialization in urban populations, few studies have considered among-individual differences in urban animal diets. We compared niche breadth and dietary specialization in an urban and nonurban population of coyotes (Canis latrans) using stable isotope analysis. We found that urban individuals had dietary niches nearly three times narrower than nonurban individuals and that the urban population showed greater among-individual variation in isotope values. Specifically, within-individual differences explained only 18% of total δ13C variation in urban coyotes versus 58% in nonurban coyotes, and 34% versus 44% of δ15N variation, indicating much stronger individual specialization in the urban population. However, coyotes sharing the same neighborhoods had relatively similar diets. Recognition of individual variation implies a small proportion of individuals could be disproportionately responsible for negative impacts on human interests. We conclude by discussing how identification of such 'problem individuals,' and their foraging strategies, can inform policies set by urban practitioners to mitigate human-coyote conflict. | Studies on Impacted Wildlife Friday 9:25 AM | | |
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Tali Caspi is an urban ecologist studying how carnivores adjust to city life. She integrates animal behavior, organismal biology, and urban ecology to examine how the built environment shapes animal phenotypes in cities. Her research investigates how individual variation in behavior, diet, physiology, and health arises across heterogeneous urban landscapes. Tali is currently an NSF PRFB Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Berkeley and received her PhD in Ecology from the Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit at UC Davis. | CONSERVATION MEOW! PAWSITIVE PARTNERSHIPS FOR CATS AND WILDLIFE | | Natalie Reeder; East Bay Regional Park District; nreeder@ebparks.org; Tammy Lim, Doug Bell, Tiffany Ashbaker | Free-roaming domestic cats (Felis catus) are a well-documented threat to native species nearly worldwide, where they have been implicated in extinctions of species and deaths of billions of individual animals every year. The impacts of free-roaming cats on sensitive wildlife are magnified in the context of multiple stressors, like climate change and habitat loss. Complicating attempts to mitigate the impacts of free-roaming cats are the intense emotional connections humans feel with domestic cats who have been close companions for millennia. In partnership with our regional Animal Services Agencies and our community, East Bay Regional Park District is forging a new path to manage cats for the benefits of wildlife, people, and the cats themselves. Our Trap-Neuter-Transfer model has resulted in cooperation instead of conflict with community cat caretakers, positive outcomes for the cats, and reduced cat presence in our parks where multiple threatened and endangered species are found. | Studies on Impacted Wildlife Friday 9:45 AM | | |
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Natalie Reeder is a Wildlife Biologist at the East Bay Regional Park District where the Wildlife Unit works to manage multiple threatened and endangered species and overall ecological health in balance with recreational access. |
Transportation Ecology (sorted by presentation order) | |
TRACKING SWAINSON'S HAWKS: BEHAVIORAL RESPONSES TO INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL VALLEY | | Ayla K Zolwik; akz10@humboldt.edu; Peter H. Bloom, Matthew D. Johnson | As infrastructure expands across raptor breeding ranges, critical gaps remain in our understanding of how these species behaviorally respond to episodic and intense human disturbance. In close collaboration with the California Department of Transportation, this study investigates how the Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni), a state-listed threatened species in California, responds to construction activities associated with the California High-Speed Rail (HSR) project in the Central Valley. Using high-frequency GPS/GSM telemetry (1-minute location intervals) and passive acoustic monitoring (PAM), this research assesses changes in hawk movement, nest attendance, perching/roosting, and hunting/foraging behavior in relation to construction intensity and noise levels. Behavioral states are classified via Hidden Markov Models, and habitat use is analyzed with resource and step selection functions. Construction activity will be quantified using a combination of audio-derived sound energy metrics and detailed daily construction reports. Rather than comparing across sites, this design tracks within-individual changes over time, enabling more precise inference of disturbance effects. Outcomes include identification of behavioral thresholds and activity-specific responses to fluctuating construction events. By integrating fine-scale spatial, behavioral, and acoustic data, this research will provide novel insight into how a long-distance migratory raptor navigates rapid, human-driven habitat change during the breeding season. | Transportation Ecology Wednesday 3:30 PM | | Student Paper |
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Ayla is a wildlife biologist who has spent the past several years working in some of North America’s most unique landscapes – from kayaking to puffin colonies in coastal Alaska to trekking through the Mojave/Sonoran deserts in search of tortoises, owls, and lizards. They graduated from UBC Forestry in 2021 with a degree in Natural Resource Conservation and are now pursuing a Master’s at Cal Poly Humboldt, where their research focuses on Swainson’s Hawks behavioral and movement responses to construction disturbance in California’s Central Valley. | CALIFORNIA (LARGE) WILDLIFE-VEHICLE COLLISIONS RATES AND COSTS HIGH BUT DECLINING WITH DECLINING WILDLIFE POPULATIONS | | Fraser Shilling; Road Ecology Center, UC Davis; fmshilling@ucdavis.edu; David Waetjen, Benjamin Hodgson | Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) are an important, under-recognized impact on driver safety and anthropogenic mortality for species of wildlife that attempt to cross roads. The California Roadkill Observation System (https://wildlifecrossing.net/California) includes >255,000 WVC observations from state agencies, California Highway Patrol, and expert volunteers. Between 2015 and 2024, there were 1,009 state highway 1-mile segments with annual rates of collision with large wild mammals of at least 1/mile. To estimate the equivalent cost of reported collisions, crash coefficients were applied to different crash types. Fencing these highways would cost at least $200,000,000 to build and save $46,654,000/year, or >$900,000,000 for the 20-year lifetime of the fencing. The rate and cost of reported large mammal WVC has declined 10% per year for the last 10 years. The highest annual rate of large WVC reported was for US 101 in Marin County (4.6/mile). Outside of the Bay Area, the highest rate was for US 50 in W El Dorado County (3.7/mile). Several hotspot highways are targets for wildlife crossing planning, but little attention has been devoted to wildlife fencing, which is the measure that can reduce WVC. | Transportation Ecology Wednesday 3:50 PM | | |
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Fraser Shilling is Director of the Road Ecology Center at UC Davis. He is also co-lead of the Transportation Ecology practice at Dudek. He organizes the International Conference on Ecology and Transportation. He also races outrigger canoes, gardens and loves his dog. Purple is his favorite color, chocolate is his preferred food group and he received his PhD from USC. | PRESENCE-ONLY PREDICTION (MAXENT) AS A TOOL TO DIRECT SURVEYS AND MITIGATION OF CALIFORNIA NEWT ROAD MORTALITY | | Anna L Petrosky; San Jose State University, Swaim Biological Inc; a.lavelle.p@gmail.com; Rachel O'Malley | The California newt (Taricha torosa) is listed as a State Species of Special Concern south of the Salinas River due to habitat degradation and loss. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the work of several citizen scientist groups indicates that road mortality may be a significant threat outside of their protected range. Only one published study has specifically investigated this risk, and found near-term extirpation was likely at a location thoroughly documented by citizen scientists. In order to understand the extent of this threat, additional surveys are needed. We conducted roadkill surveys at two novel sites (Guadalupe and Almaden Reservoirs, Santa Clara County) during the 2024-2025 migration season and used this data alongside observations by the Lexington Reservoir Newt Patrol to train a roadkill distribution model using Presence-Only Prediction (Maxent) in ArcGIS Pro. Models generated using rasters with 30m resolution showed high probabilities of roadkill presence at mortality hotspots in the survey data and identified several unsurveyed locations with moderate to high probabilities of roadkill presence. These included residential streets, roads bordering county parks and a fire road frequented by mountain bikers. Model predictions offer opportunities for ground truthing and potentially subsequent mitigation such as road improvements and trail closures. | Transportation Ecology Wednesday 4:10 PM | | Student Paper |
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Anna Petrosky is an Environmental Studies graduate student at San Jose State University and a biologist with Swaim Biological Inc. She has an eclectic background in field- and lab-based biology and a strong interest in wildlife management and conservation. | ESTIMATING ANNUAL LARGE MAMMAL ROADKILL FOR CALIFORNIA | | Lorna E Haworth; Road Ecology Center at UC Davis; lehaworth@ucdavis.edu; Alice Michel, Benjamin Hodgson, Dave Waetjen, Fraser Shilling | Wildlife vehicle collisions (WVC) are problematic globally as traffic volumes increase with expanding road infrastructure. Wildlife populations become degraded as species experience direct mortalities. While these issues are pursued in the growing wildlife connectivity world, there is no quantitative method or published estimates of total roadkill from WVC at a large spatial extent. We described and applied a method for estimating annual WVC in California for four large mammals: mule deer, puma, black bear, and elk. We used California Roadkill Observation System (CROS) for roadkill data from 2015-2024 and GenEst to fit models. We measured rates of carcass observation and estimated persistence, effort and search efficiency based on literature. We estimated that 39,838 (CI 32,871-53,778) mule deer, 579 (CI 313-9750) pumas, 3,368 (CI 2,279-5,031) black bears, and 340 (CI 219-504) elk were killed per year on paved roads. These estimates represent 9% of deer, 13% of puma, 5% of black bear, and 3% of elk statewide populations. This highlights that WVC may contribute significantly to local and statewide population declines across large mammal species in California. WVC datasets are essential to understanding population dynamics and states must reduce rates of WVC to protect populations. | Transportation Ecology Wednesday 4:30 PM | | Student Paper |
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Lorna is a student in the Graduate Group in Ecology at UC Davis. Her research focuses on wildlife interactions with roadways in California by studying roadkill data. She hopes to continue working at the intersection of humans and wildlife in the field of road ecology. | MODELING AND MITIGATING HIGHWAY TRAFFIC NOISE AND LIGHT FOR WILDLIFE MOVEMENT | | Benjamin Hodgson; Road Ecology Center at the University of California, Davis; bjhodgson@ucdavis.edu; Dave Waetjen, Shannon Lemieux, Lorna Haworth, Laura Morris, Leo Hecht, Fraser Shilling | Anthropogenic noise and light impact wildlife behavior, distribution, movement, reproduction, and population fitness. Traffic noise and light can inhibit wildlife use of areas adjacent to roads, impair wildlife perception of traffic risks, and cause barrier effects to wildlife occurrence and movement well beyond roads. Planning the location and design of new wildlife crossings and enhancements of existing structures currently does not account for traffic-disturbance impacts on wildlife approaching the structures. We developed statewide (CA) models of vehicle noise and light intrusion into areas adjacent to roads to quantify impacts and aid in locating and designing wildlife crossings with limited traffic disturbance. We used GIS programs to model noise and light landscapes at high-resolution (10 or 30 m) within at least 1 km of all California state highways. We tested the models at multiple highways (I-8, I-10, US101, SR152) using noise and illumination sensors. For select proposed (US395 & SR152) and built (US97 & I-10) wildlife crossings, we computationally designed barriers that reduced (noise and light) or eliminated (light) disturbance within the wildlife crossing approach zone. We used common barrier designs to model dark and quiet paths to crossing structures, demonstrating a planning approach that can be applied to other highway crossing sites. | Transportation Ecology Wednesday 4:50 PM | | |
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Ben Hodgson is a research analyst at the Road Ecology Center at the University of California, Davis Institute of Transportation Studies. | WILDLIFE CONNECTIVITY ALONG INTERSTATE-10'S BANNING PASS: USING FIELD RESEARCH TO INFORM CONNECTIVITY EFFORTS | | Shannon M Lemieux; Road Ecology Center at the University of California, Davis; slemieux@ucdavis.edu; Lorna Haworth, Benjamin Hodgson, Dave Waetjen, Madison Burnam, Michelle See, Jay Chen, Ash Henderson, Lina Vu, Emily Car, Fernando Najera, Billy Morrow, Barry Martin, Travis Longcore, Ahalya Sabaratnam, Fraser Shilling | As part of Coachella Valley Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Connectivity Assessment for Interstate 10 (I-10) and Closely Associated Transportation Infrastructure in the Banning Pass project, UC Davis’ Road Ecology Center evaluated wildlife use of existing structures and assessed traffic noise and light disturbance across a 15-mile segment of I-10 from Cabazon to California Route 62. Biodiversity data were collected using camera traps, eDNA, animal sign tracking, and roadkill records. Of 135 terrestrial mammal and herpetofauna species predicted within one mile of the highway, 101 were documented through >22,000 field observations. Connectivity actions were prioritized based on wildlife data. Noise and light models and field data were used to model the extent of I-10’s impacts, while land ownership informed the feasibility of connectivity improvements. Combined analyses produced recommendations identifying priority areas for wildlife crossing infrastructure and noise and light mitigation. While all existing structures had site specific recommendations, the existing Whitewater River and Stubbe Canyon Wash undercrossings were highlighted for enhancement based on their high biodiversity and land ownership. A new overcrossing site east of the Whitewater River was identified. This project demonstrates the value of empirical data in guiding targeted wildlife connectivity investments and provides a model for similar assessments. | Transportation Ecology Wednesday 5:10 PM | | |
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Shannon Lemieux is a southern California native who currently works for UC Davis’ Road Ecology Center studying wildlife ecology in context of anthropogenic transportation systems. Since receiving her B.S. from Oregon State University, she has found that she aspires to research connectivity and climate change topics in order to inform management practices. She has served on the TWS-WS Board as a co-chair of the Student and Early Career Professional Committee for the past 5 years and loves getting the chance to mentor students through her role with TWS-WS. When not studying wildlife, you can find her dancing down Main Street at Disneyland as a performer or staying in with her cats Shiro and Tana. |
Wildlife Connectivity (sorted by presentation order) | |
THE EAST BAY WILDLIFE CONNECTIVITY PROJECT: DESIGNING THREE WILDLIFE CROSSINGS WITH FENCING TO RECONNECT HABITATS AND IMPROVE SAFETY | | Courtney Coon; Alameda County Resource Conservation District; courtney.coon@acrcd.org; Farley Connelly, ACRCD, Ian Howell, ACRCD, Fraser Shilling, Dudek, Brock Ortega, Dudek, Clara Woodie, Dudek, Sasha Dansky, Mark Thomas, Rachel Wooldridge, Mark Thomas, Chris Pincetich, Caltrans, Sarah Estrella, CDFW | Highways in the East San Francisco Bay area fragment habitat, isolate wildlife populations, and create significant risks for animals and drivers from wildlife-vehicle collisions. From pumas, deer and bobcats to listed species like the Alameda whipsnake and California red-legged frog, roadways are deadly to individuals and barriers to their movement. Wildlife-vehicle collisions are estimated to cost nearly $6 million per year in Alameda County alone. To address these challenges, the Alameda County Resource Conservation District with partners at Mark Thomas, Dudek, Caltrans and CDFW are leading “The East Bay Wildlife Connectivity Project” which combines GIS analysis and field surveys with input and support from Tribes, agencies, non-profits and community partners. With funding from the Wildlife Conservation Board, the first major endeavor of The East Bay Wildlife Connectivity Project is to audit available structures and design three new wildlife crossings along major freeways in Alameda County. Together, we are identifying priority locations for new crossings and fencing and preparing for optimal highway permeability in Alameda County. Full implementation will save millions of dollars, reconnect habitats, reduce mortality of threatened and endangered species, help maintain genetic diversity for many species, support climate adaptation and restore more resilient ecosystems in the East Bay. | Wildlife Connectivity Wednesday 1:05 PM | | |
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Courtney Coon is a scientist and conservation practitioner with expertise in wildlife ecology and public health. She grew up in Stockton and on her family’s vineyard and orchard in the Sierra foothills. She earned her PhD studying disease ecology in songbirds, completed postdoctoral research on bovids in South Africa, and received her MPH from UC Berkeley. Since joining the Alameda County Resource Conservation District in 2021, she has advanced projects in wildlife connectivity, wildfire resilience and farmland conservation. Courtney is also the proud mom of two young children which inspires her to create healthier, more connected landscapes for future generations. | INSIGHTS FROM THREE SEASONS OF CAMERA STATION MONITORING OF WILDLIFE UNDERCROSSINGS ON A HIGHWAY IN RURAL EASTERN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA | | Dana Terry; Nomad Ecology; dterry@nomadecology.com; | Built in the 1990’s, Vasco Road in eastern Contra Costa County bisects a wide expanse of open rolling hills dominated by annual grassland, and includes numerous wildlife undercrossings of various sizes and configurations that were built either during initial construction or during later highway improvement projects. This study by Nomad Ecology used camera stations to monitor wildlife use of undercrossings along an approximately 4-mile stretch of Vasco Road that passes through Preserve land owned by the East Bay Regional Park District and managed under conservation easement by the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy. Over three seasons from 2023 to 2025 this study has documented thousands of successful wildlife crossing events by various mammal species such as coyotes, bobcats, American badgers, and cottontail rabbits, including through undercrossings that were relatively long and/or narrow. Even undercrossings with angles where one end is not visible from the other were used, and sometimes with great frequency. Wildlife showed differential use of the crossings across the landscape, with some species concentrating their activity at certain undercrossings. In aggregate, the undercrossings monitored in 2023 were used by at least one wildlife species on an almost daily basis, with 0.908 crossings per trap-night, and even more frequently for those monitored in 2024, with 1.845 crossings per trap-night. Analysis of 2025 data is currently underway. Maintenance of the undercrossings, such as removal of live and dead vegetation, debris, and accumulations of roadside trash has been crucial to ensuring that they remain open and available for use by wildlife. | Wildlife Connectivity Wednesday 1:25 PM | | |
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Dana Terry is a principal wildlife biologist with Nomad Ecology, based in Martinez, Contra Costa County, California. He has done a little bit of everything during his 20+ years as a biological consultant, focusing more recently on the use of camera stations and automated sound recording units to monitor difficult-to-access field sites. | BRIDGING THE GAPS: A NOVEL MODELING FRAMEWORK FOR PRIORITIZING WILDLIFE CROSSINGS | | Clara A. Woodie; Dudek; cwoodie@dudek.com; Fraser Shilling, Brock Ortega, Courtney Coon, Farley Connelly, Taylor Jang, Marian Vernon | Transportation corridors fragment habitats and hinder animal movement, yet wildlife crossing placement often relies on subjective resistance-based models that overstate precision in predicting movement paths. We developed a replicable, data-driven GIS framework that integrates focal-species ecology and existing infrastructure to prioritize: (1) modifying existing structures for wildlife use, and (2) identifying “gaps” where new crossings are needed. The framework combines multiple datasets (i.e., species occurrences, habitat suitability, existing culverts and bridges) with results from literature reviews, including movement capabilities and expected structural tolerances. It can use two movement buffer scales—within-home-range and long-distance dispersal—to address routine versus infrequent connectivity needs, making it adaptable to varying conservation goals. Structures are filtered by species-specific tolerance criteria (e.g., dimensions, substrate, visibility), while highway segments with proximal species evidence but no usable structures are deemed connectivity gaps. Results are combined for multi-species prioritization. This is the first method to distinguish existing high-potential wildlife structures from true connectivity gaps. Applied to 5 highways (US-101, I-680, I-580, SR-84, I-5) and 24 focal species thus far, the approach is reproducible across ecoregions, scales, and goals, producing actionable recommendations (e.g., maintenance, retrofits, new crossings). It offers agencies a defensible, system-wide framework for prioritizing connectivity investments under uncertainty. | Wildlife Connectivity Wednesday 1:45 PM | | |
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Clara Woodie, PhD, is a quantitative ecologist and conservation biologist specializing in spatial population ecology and wildlife connectivity. Her research integrates ecological theory with applied conservation, focusing on how landscape structure and resource heterogeneity shape predator–prey dynamics, movement, and population persistence. She earned her PhD in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology studying spatial mechanisms of food web stability through development and tests of theory. She now applies her research as an ecologist in Dudek's Wildlife Connectivity Program, developing geospatial modeling frameworks to understand species' movement needs and prioritize wildlife crossing locations across California. Her work bridges quantitative modeling, spatial decision support, and conservation design to inform management strategies that promote habitat connectivity and long-term species resilience. | EFFECTS OF SOLAR FACILITIES ON MOVEMENTS AND HABITAT USE BY MULE DEER | | Hanna Nakamura; hgrock@unr.edu; Kelley Stewart, Kevin Shoemaker, Jamie Bowles, Don Whittaker | Utility-scale solar energy developments (USSE) are increasingly being constructed in remote areas that often serve as critical habitats for wildlife, including winter ranges occupied by mule deer. The implications of USSE on native ungulates have not been thoroughly investigated. Mule deer, whose populations are declining in parts of their range, depend heavily on winter ranges that often are targeted for USSE and is likely to have negative effects on their populations. Our objective was to identify priority habitat for mule deer in South-Central Oregon to inform decisions on siting solar facilities. We used resource selection functions to identify priority habitats for mule deer on winter range. Additionally, we examined the effects of current solar facilities on movement patterns and selection of resources by mule deer. Mule deer selected areas of low elevation and close to water on winter range. Areas of high priority for USSE developments overlapped critical winter range for mule deer. Effects of solar developments on movements and selection of habitat by mule deer was larger than the footprint of the facility. These data offer an essential opportunity to model potential impacts of solar facilities on mule deer populations before placement of additional facilities and will be used to inform siting decisions. | Wildlife Connectivity Wednesday 2:05 PM | | Student Paper |
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| CONSERVATION IN THE ANTHROPOCENE: UNDERSTANDING CHANGES IN POPULATION FRAGMENTATION TO MANAGE FOR A RESILIENT FUTURE | | Rachel Y Chock; San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; rchock@sdzwa.org; Debra M. Shier, Amanda J. Zellmer, Aryn P. Wilder, Asako Y. Chaille, Brian Shomo, Oliver A. Ryder, Cynthia Steiner | Habitat loss and fragmentation drive biodiversity decline by reducing connectivity, leading to genetic isolation, loss of diversity, and reduced fitness within populations. Gene flow via translocations can mitigate these issues by introducing individuals to increase diversity, alleviate inbreeding, and improve adaptive capacity—a process known as genetic rescue. However, limited understanding of genetic structure and historic connectivity of populations can hinder its application. We used Stephens’ kangaroo rat (Dipodomys stephensi), a species threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, as a model for developing range-wide management strategies based on genetic structure and connectivity. We analyzed microsatellite data to investigate historical and contemporary genetic differentiation. Using landscape resistance models, we found that while geographic features explain much of the genetic structure, anthropogenic barriers contribute to current genetic differentiation and are expected to continue driving evolution as populations become increasingly isolated. Population models show that multiple translocations are far more effective than a single translocation at increasing persistence and heterozygosity; varying the frequency and size of translocations was less important than maintaining a management strategy. For small populations, habitat restoration to increase carrying capacity was also required to prevent extirpation. Our findings highlight the value of integrating genetic data into conservation planning. | Wildlife Connectivity Wednesday 2:25 PM | | |
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Rachel Chock is a Researcher with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and works across the fields of animal behavior, ecology, and applied conservation. Rachel brings experience from both fieldwork and modeling to guide and assess habitat restoration and reintroduction plans. She is also focused on incorporating genetic analyses into a behavioral and ecological understanding of endangered small mammals in Southern California to inform landscape level management of fragmented populations. Rachel earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Clark University in Biology and Environmental Science, and her doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles in Biology. | RESTORING MIGRATION OF SIERRA BIGHORN IN THE CONTEXT OF ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT | | Thomas R Stephenson; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; tom.stephenson@wildlife.ca.gov; Kathleen Anderson, Kristin Denryter, Seth T. Rankins, Kevin L. Monteith | As a species approaches extinction, not only does population size decline and genetic diversity decrease, but behavioral knowledge is lost. Memories of migration patterns disappear within populations. By 2015, agencies involved in the recovery of endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep had reoccupied 14 subpopulations considered essential for recovery through the implementation of translocations. The extreme winters during recent years and their negative effects on subpopulations have encouraged analysis and reflection as to what patterns of resource selection are necessary for viability and persistence. We used resource selection functions to identify current and potential alpine summer ranges and low elevation winter ranges. We developed a winter severity index to compare threats associated with snow cover among winter ranges. We modeled survival relative to winter severity among subpopulations. We created a friction surface and used least-cost path analysis to evaluate current and potential migration pathways of Sierra bighorn. Current least-cost path migration distances range between 6.0 and 16.5 km. Potential least-cost path migrations that ensure connectivity of alpine summer range and low elevation winter range extend to 30.1 km. Modeling migration behavior will aid in decision-making about future management actions that facilitate recovery of Sierra bighorn. | Wildlife Connectivity Wednesday 2:45 PM | | |
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Thomas R. Stephenson, CWB, is a wildlife supervisor with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. He is the program leader for the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program. Tom is also an affiliate associate professor at Utah State University and an adjunct assistant professor at University of Wyoming. |
Working Toward Success in Wildlife Restoration & Species Recovery (sorted by presentation order) | |
ADVANCING RECOVERY PLANNING FOR CALIFORNIA'S CESA-LISTED SPECIES | | Austin N Roy; California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife; austin.roy@wildlife.ca.gov; | Recovery planning is a critical component of the conservation of threatened and endangered species. In recognition of this need, the California legislature amended the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) to empower the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Department) to create non-regulatory recovery plans aimed at conserving listed species to the point where CESA protections are no longer required. In 2025, the Department formalized this process by developing Guidelines for Recovery Planning, structured around a three-part framework paralleling federal recovery planning: Scientific Assessment, Recovery Plan, and Implementation Strategy. Here, we outline the three-part framework, discuss the Department’s approach to prioritizing CESA-listed species for recovery planning, and review the current progress of recovery planning initiatives under CESA. | Working Toward Success in Wildlife Restoration & Species Recovery Wednesday 3:30 PM | | |
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Austin Roy is a wildlife ecologist whose goals include using his skills to be part of a productive team of researchers and managers to better understand the natural world. He received his B.S. from Humboldt State University and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at El Paso. Austin is currently the CESA Recovery Coordinator for Wildlife Branch in the Wildlife Diversity Program at CDFW. In addition to recovery planning for endangered species, Austin works with collaborators throughout the state to conduct research involving wildlife ecology and endangered species conservation. | THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE'S CUTTING THE GREEN TAPE PROGRAM: UPDATES ON REGULATORY STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE THE PACE AND SCALE OF RESTORATION | | Jennifer L Olson; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; jennifer.olson@wildlife.ca.gov; | California has strong regulations in place to protect natural resources from impacts of development and resource extraction. Unfortunately, these regulations can also delay beneficial habitat restoration. Historically, the pace and scale of environmental restoration has been insufficient to address threats to California’s biodiversity from anthropogenic stressors such as habitat loss and climate change. Complex and overlapping permitting processes can result in fewer and smaller restoration actions at a slower pace and greater expense. In response, California has identified “Cutting the Green Tape” as a priority initiative to increase the pace and scale of environmental restoration. Many are familiar with the concept of “red tape,” but here the phrase “green tape” is used to represent the extra time, money, and effort required to implement restoration projects due to inefficiencies in state processes. Cutting the Green Tape means improving regulatory processes and policies so that restoration can occur more quickly, simply, and cost-effectively. This presentation provides an overview and update of the Cutting the Green Tape Program’s expedited permitting and CEQA tools for increasing the pace and scale of restoration in California, with an emphasis on what types of projects qualify, and case studies from our first years as a program. | Working Toward Success in Wildlife Restoration & Species Recovery Wednesday 3:50 PM | | |
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Jennifer Olson is a Senior Environmental Scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), where she serves as the Statewide Restoration Permitting Coordinator for CDFW's Cutting the Green Tape Program. Prior to her work with CDFW, Jen conducted ornithological field work in a variety of locations in the US and abroad. She has served several roles on the board of her local TWS chapter, and is currently the chair of the Conservation Affairs Committee. Jen is based in Arcata, CA, where she enjoys running, backpacking, birding, and exploring her northern California home with her standard poodle, Dipper. | CREATION OF A HABITAT SUITABILITY SPATIAL MODEL FOR RIPARIAN BRUSH RABBIT AS A SPECIES RECOVERY TOOL | | Ashley Verna; River Partners; averna@riverpartners.org; Dr. Sarah Gaffney, Emma Havstad, Haley Mirts | The riparian brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani riparius), a federally and state listed endangered subspecies of brush rabbit, is found within California’s Central Valley. Currently, less than 1% of its historic habitat exists in areas of the southern San Joaquin River Delta, remnant and restored riparian zones along the lower San Joaquin River, and riparian forests of the lower Stanislaus River. Without rapid and large-scale habitat conservation and/or creation, the taxon’s long-term viability is poor. Creating additional, flood-safe, populations is a priority recovery action for the subspecies. To identify areas of suitable habitat, and prioritize property for conservation and habitat restoration, we developed a multi-faceted spatial model of the historic range that incorporates camera trap occupancy of two subpopulations, habitat vegetation metrics, maximum entropy (MaxENT), minimized normalized difference water index (MNDWI), and conservation potential to create a ranked index of property within the historic range. This model will be used to plan future conservation actions, such as land acquisition, restoration, and translocation to expand habitat and further secure the subspecies. | Working Toward Success in Wildlife Restoration & Species Recovery Wednesday 4:10 PM | | |
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Ashley holds a Bachelor’s degree in Field and Wildlife Biology and brings over thirteen years of experience working with environmental groups to advance conservation and restoration efforts. Her background includes endangered species management, wildlife monitoring, and managing projects throughout California's Bay Area, Central Coast and San Joaquin Valley. Since joining River Partners in 2022, Ashley has led the permitting, planning, implementation, and monitoring of riparian and upland restoration projects in California’s San Joaquin Valley, as well as the coordination of large scale monitoring efforts. She specializes in designing multi-benefit, site-specific, and scalable restoration projects. | PROJECTING THE BENEFITS OF TIDAL MARSH RESTORATION FOR BIRD HABITAT IN THE SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN DELTA OF CALIFORNIA | | Kristen E Dybala; Point Blue Conservation Science; kdybala@pointblue.org; Dennis Jongsomjit, Megan Elrod, Hilary Allen, Sarah Estrella, Jason Riggio, Rose Snyder, Julian Wood | Forecasting the impacts of landscape changes on multiple conservation goals is essential to informing conservation strategies and priorities. In the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, providing bird habitat and continuing to support the abundant, diverse bird community is included among the goals for protecting, restoring, and enhancing the ecosystem. To support these goals and multi-benefit decision-making, we developed distribution models for 7 bird species associated with tidal marsh habitat, combining point count surveys, secretive marsh bird surveys, and detections from automated recording units (ARUs). We predicted the current distribution of each species on the landscape and applied a Zonation spatial prioritization algorithm to identify important areas to protect, enhance, and manage to provide the most benefit to tidal marsh birds in the Delta. We then used these models to evaluate the potential effect of future tidal marsh restoration scenarios on the extent of suitable habitat for each species. The results provide insights into the expected magnitude of the additional habitat gained by meeting tidal marsh habitat targets. Our models are being incorporated into the DeltaMultipleBenefits R package, where they can be readily applied to evaluate customized scenarios and expand multi-benefit approaches to managing the Delta. | Working Toward Success in Wildlife Restoration & Species Recovery Wednesday 4:30 PM | | |
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Dr. Kristen Dybala is a Research Director at Point Blue Conservation Science, where she directs research to inform conservation strategies that provide multiple benefits for people, ecosystems, and wildlife. Her work focuses on riparian and wetland ecosystems in California's Central Valley and Delta, and especially the responses of bird populations and other ecosystem metrics to conservation, restoration, and management. | HYDROLOGIC RESTORATION AND OVERALL WATER AVAILABILITY ARE KEY TO BIRD CONSERVATION IN SIERRA NEVADA MEADOWS | | Lynn N Schofield; The Institute for Bird Populations; lschofield@birdpop.org; Rodney B Siegel, Sean M Peterson, Helen L Loffland | Wet meadows in the Sierra Nevada are a unique habitat characterized by retention of saturated soils throughout the growing season. Diverse wildlife, including the majority of Sierra Nevada breeding bird species, use montane meadows even though they account for a very small portion of the landscape. Because of meadows’ importance to Sierra Nevada ecosystems, land managers have prioritized wide-scale restoration efforts to improve overall ecosystem productivity, aid with water management, and support individual species, like Willow Flycatcher, that are especially dependent on healthy meadow systems. We identified 63 meadows that were restored between 2010 and 2024, and where multi-species avian point count surveys were conducted before and after restoration. We used N-mixture models to assess the differences in species abundance pre- and post- restoration and to assess which meadow restoration techniques and landscape covariates best support avian diversity and abundance. Restoration had a minimal effect overall bird abundance, but it changed species communities to favor riparian specialists. Regardless of restoration status, the covariates most closely associated with species abundance were metrics of water availability. Restoration types such as channel filling that substantially increased water availability were the most effective at increasing the abundance of wetland specialist species. | Working Toward Success in Wildlife Restoration & Species Recovery Wednesday 4:50 PM | | |
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Helen Loffland has a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from U.C. Davis, and an M.S. in Biology from C.S.U. Sacramento. She has spent the last 25 years studying Willow Flycatchers and other birds in meadows of the Sierra Nevada. She also has experience working with a wide variety of Sierran raptors, carnivores, plants, invertebrates and fish. As a meadows specialist at the Institute for Bird Populations her most recent work has focused on riparian bird and bumble bee response to meadow and aspen restoration. | HUMBOLDT MARTEN MONITORING ACROSS NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA ON YUROK ANCESTRAL LANDS | | Jackie K Killam; Cal Poly Humboldt Wildlife Department, Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department; jkillam@yuroktribe.nsn.us; Kent Barnes, Erika Anderson, Scott Demers, Tiana Williams-Claussen, Marie Martin, Sean Matthews, Micaela Szykman Gunther | The effective recovery of rare and imperiled species depends on rigorous long-term monitoring designed to assess population trends across seasons. This is particularly true for species with poorly understood population dynamics (e.g., distribution, persistence, recruitment). Humboldt martens (Martes caurina humboldtensis), once presumed extinct, persist in isolated populations in coastal Oregon and northwestern California and are threatened by habitat loss and small population sizes. Despite recent protections and extensive survey efforts, key knowledge gaps remain regarding Humboldt marten survival and persistence across time. The Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department, in collaboration with state, federal, and academic partners, seeks to expand spatial and temporal coverage of surveying efforts. In collaboration with OSU, the department developed an improved hair-snare tube to enhance DNA-based individual identification. Currently, two years of a three-year spatial capture recapture monitoring program have been completed using remote cameras and hair snares across an extensive survey area on Tribal, private, and federal lands to generate robust estimates of Humboldt marten abundance and persistence. To date, we have identified 47 individuals (38M:9F) and recaptured 10 individuals. The results are aimed at directly informing adaptive management and conservation strategies for Humboldt martens in northwestern California. | Working Toward Success in Wildlife Restoration & Species Recovery Wednesday 5:10 PM | | Student Paper |
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Jackie Killam is a graduate student in Wildlife at Cal Poly Humboldt and a technician with the Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department. She earned her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and has worked with federal, contract, nonprofit, and state agencies across California, Alaska, Idaho, and Colorado. She has studied a range of wildlife species including birds (raptors), prairie dogs, coyotes, fishers, wolves, and now martens. Her research focuses on understanding the spatial ecology and population dynamics of carnivores through the use of innovative noninvasive monitoring techniques. |
Poster Session (sorted alphabetically by author's last name) | |
PUTTING THE 'ACTION' INTO CDFW'S STATE WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN 2025 (SWAP 2025) | | Virginia Guhin; California Department of Fish and Wildlife Science Institute; virginia.guhin@wildlife.ca.gov; Cassidee Shinn, Helen Thompson | The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) released the updated State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) in October 2025, reaffirming its commitment to conserving California’s diverse wildlife and ecosystems. Updated every 10 years, the SWAP enables California to remain eligible for federal State Wildlife Grant funds from USFWS.
SWAP 2025 identifies the state’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and their associated habitats, while addressing key threats and outlining conservation actions for addressing these threats. In addition to revising the SGCN list and updating all plan content, the SWAP Team improved usability and accessibility, ensuring the plan can serve as a practical tool for conservation partners. A major innovation is the development of a forthcoming web-based SWAP dashboard, designed to enhance access to data and facilitate better SWAP integration into statewide conservation projects. This poster will introduce SWAP 2025, highlighting the update process and walking stepwise through the key components of the plan, including SGCN selection criteria, target habitats, threats and recommended actions, and highlighted conservation tools. | | Speaker Bio:
Virginia has worked with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) for the past 11 years. As a State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) Coordinator, she is responsible for the current 2025 revision of the SWAP and the development of associated internal and partner engagement along with collaborating with her team on the new SWAP website that will go live in 2026. Prior to her current position, Virginia was the Education Coordinator at the CDFW Elkhorn Slough Reserve for 10 years.
Virginia has over 28 years of coastal and marine science education and outreach experience in the Monterey Bay area, developing and presenting programs based in science as a foundation of the learning experience. | REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS AS LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE PREY | | Howard O Clark; Colibri Ecological Consulting, LLC; hclark@colibri-ecology.com; | The Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is a medium-sized gray songbird found across much of North America, including Mexico, where it inhabits open landscapes with scattered shrubs and patches of grasses and forbs—such as grasslands, scrublands, deserts, steppes, prairies, and savannas. The species is well known for its distinctive hunting behavior: impaling prey on sharp objects like thorns, barbed wire, cacti, and yucca leaves, or wedging items between forked branches. After impaling an item, the shrike often departs, using these “larders” as food caches and possibly as territorial or courtship displays. Its prey consists of a wide range of invertebrates (e.g., grasshoppers, crickets, beetles) and vertebrates (e.g., rodents, birds, amphibians, and reptiles). Over the past 30 years, the hunting and impalement of reptiles and amphibians by Loggerhead Shrikes has become a particular focus of study. Here, I present a photographic record of some of the reptile and amphibian species I have observed being taken as prey by Loggerhead Shrikes in the field. | | Speaker Bio:
Howard O. Clark, Jr., is a Certified Wildlife Biologist with 30 y of professional wildlife and research experience. He earned his Master’s degree in Biology from California State University, Fresno, in 2001. His work as a researcher focused on the fauna and ecosystems of Northern, Central, and Southern California, and the Mojave Desert provinces and included extensive baseline mammalian inventories, surveys focused on rare animals, habitat assessment, radio telemetry, and long-term ecological studies on several endangered species. He regularly works with the Western Burrowing Owl, San Joaquin Kit Fox, Giant Kangaroo Rat, and the Mohave Ground Squirrel. He is currently a Senior Technical Specialist with Colibri Ecological Consulting, LLC, Fresno, California. | GENETIC CLUES TO DISEASE RESISTANCE IN WILD FINCHES | | Oscar Sanchez; California State Universirty, Fresno; osanchez024@mail.fresnostate.edu; Lindsey Biehler, Joel W.G. Slade | Emerging diseases pose major threats to wild bird populations, yet genetic variation in immune genes can shape how species respond to pathogens. We investigated the evolution of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), a key innate immune gene that detects gram-negative bacteria such as Salmonella, in three wild finch species from Fresno County, California: house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), lesser goldfinches (Spinus psaltria), and pine siskins (Spinus pinus). Following a major Salmonella outbreak in 2021, we used Sanger sequencing to analyze TLR4 variation and test for adaptive evolution. Phylogenetic analyses revealed mainly genus-specific clustering, with Spinus species sharing minor trans-species polymorphisms and house finches forming a distinct clade. Molecular evolution analysis revealed three sites at TLR4 under positive selection, with one site likely involved in detecting pathogenic bacteria, like Salmonella. These results suggest that natural selection on TLR4 may contribute to differences in Salmonella susceptibility among finch species. Understanding the genetic basis of immune diversity in wild birds provides valuable insight into how wildlife populations adapt to disease pressures in changing environments. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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I am a senior biology major at California State University, Fresno. I am seeking a career as a wildlife biologist after graduation (Spring 2026). My core mission is to advocate for the conservation of wild animals. I currently work as a Zookeeper at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and as a research assistant in the Slade Lab (Avian Ecoimmunology) at Fresno State. I am eager to network with others who have pursued non-academic career paths in wildlife biology. | EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL ATTRACTION METHODS IN CALIFORNIA LEAST TERN NEST SITE SELECTION | | Kerstin Ozkan; San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; kozkan@sdzwa.org; Nacho Vilchis, Ron Swaisgood | Nest site management is an important intervention in conservation of endangered birds. Birds may nest in areas that conflict with human activities or anthropogenically modified habitats that serve as ecological traps. Birds may also fail to nest in habitat that has been restored. Many species’ settlement is influenced by the presence of conspecifics. Manipulation of conspecific cues may provide a strategy to encourage birds to settle in suitable habitat away from areas impacted by human activity. We investigated how social attraction influences nest site selection in California least terns (CLTE) at two colonies in Southern California from 2011-2025. Specifically, we tested decoys to assess how five social cues including: number, spacing, movement, apparent breeding status, and acoustic playback of tern vocalizations influenced nest site selection. Our findings indicate that all configurations of decoys and acoustic playback had no effect on CLTE settlement. Although conspecific cues have been shown to be successful at influencing establishment of new nesting colonies, our experimental context differs in that decoys were placed near existing nesting areas (<500m). Our negative findings add understanding as to when and how this management tool will be effective, allowing managers to explore other context-dependent strategies that will be more effective. | | Speaker Bio:
Kerstin Ozkan is a current Research Coordinator with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, focusing on the conservation and management of endangered California least tern and Western snowy plovers. | REWILDING RANCHO CANADA - PHASE 1 PROJECT OUTCOMES: RESTORING THE CARMEL RIVER'S FLOODPLAIN IN CARMEL, CA | | Joshua L Carpenter; Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District; carpenter@mprpd.org; Jake Smith, Katrina Harrison, Josh Harwayne, Denise Duffee, Tim Frahm, Jaqueline Brenton | Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District (MPRPD) acquired the former Rancho Canada golf course in 2018 and dedicated the property for habitat protection and restoration. Rancho Canada golf course was one of the largest water users on the Carmel River, irrigating and maintaining an intensively managed landscape dominated by non-native turf grasses and invasive weeds. To protect golf course and infrastructure the riverbank was hardened with riprap causing the river to incise and channelize, disconnecting the river from its historic floodplain. This disconnect resulted in reduced rearing habitat for fish and wildlife, including threatened steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and California red-legged frogs (Rana draytonii). MPRPD implemented Phase 1 of the Rancho Canada Floodplain Restoration Project in 2025; a 3-year multi-phased effort to free the Carmel River from its channelized restraints, allowing renewed access to its floodplain. This restoration project, will provide latitude for the river to meander in its floodplain, increase complexity of the ecosystem, create new rearing habitat for endangered fish and wildlife species, reestablish native plants on the landscape, provide suitable habitat for regrowth of riparian forest, facilitate wildlife movement and increase connectivity, provide safe water refugia during varying river flows, and provide increased flood protection to the neighboring community. | | Speaker Bio:
Joshua Carpenter is a Resource Conservation Specialist for the Monterey Peninsula Regional Parks District. He holds a BS in Fisheries and Wildlife Science and a Master Certificate in Wildlife Management, both from Oregon State University. Joshua is also a TWS Associate Wildlife Biologist and holds a BA in English Literature from the University of Oregon. Joshua has had a broad and varied career in wildlife science and natural resources management, including work with the USFS, NRCS, USFWS, NPS, USGS, NOAA, Pacific State Marine Fisheries Commission, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. | SEASONAL DYNAMICS OF AVIAN DIVERSITY IN CENTRAL VALLEY ALMOND ORCHARDS | | Bradyn O'Connor; FISHBIO; bradynoconnor@fishbio.com; Jim Inman, Dee Thao | Understanding how agricultural landscapes influence bird communities is critical for reconciling biodiversity conservation with working lands. We conducted year-round acoustic monitoring in three almond orchards in California’s Central Valley, located near Grayson, Escalon, and Salida, across four seasons (Spring 2024 to Winter 2025). Using presence-absence data derived from daily acoustic detections above a confidence threshold, we evaluated spatiotemporal patterns in species richness, community composition, and turnover.
Generalized linear modeling revealed significant effects of both site and season on daily species richness (p < 0.001), with Grayson exhibiting the highest mean richness overall. Salida showed strong seasonal peaks in spring and summer, likely reflecting pulses of migratory activity. In contrast, Escalon supported a more stable community across seasons. Seasonal effects were especially pronounced, with Spring 2024 supporting the greatest richness overall (p < 0.0001). Species accumulation curves indicated a broader species pool at Grayson, suggesting higher habitat heterogeneity or resource availability.
Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and PERMANOVA analyses confirmed that community composition differed significantly by site and season (p < 0.001). Dissimilarity analyses further showed greater species turnover between seasons than within seasons at all three orchards. These results highlight the dynamic nature of bird communities in these working landscapes.
These findings indicate that bird community diversity in almond orchards varies spatially and seasonally, which may be associated with habitat and migratory phenology characteristics. Monitoring these patterns can inform wildlife-friendly management practices in intensively farmed regions.
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Bradyn is a wildlife Biologist at FISHBIO inc. He hold a Masters degree in ecology from UC Davis. He has worked on a large variety of systems and projects across California and the Arctic Circle ranging from fisheries to large ungulate research. | INFLUENCE OF EXPOSURE TO ROCKET LAUNCH NOISE ON NEST FATES OF WESTERN SNOWY PLOVERS | | Rachel H. Budge; California State University Bakersfield; rbudge@csub.edu; Megan R. McCullah-Boozer, Emily Olivares Garnica, Hugo J. Zepeda, Levi T. Moats, Lucas K. Hall, Kent L. Gee, Grant W. Hart, Dan P. Robinette, Emily Rice, Nadav Nur | Research has shown that anthropogenic noise influences shorebird reproductive success. Anthropogenic noise in shorebird nesting areas has been increasing over time. Rocket launches are an extreme form of anthropogenic noise, but there is a gap in our understanding of rocket launch noise and its effects on shorebirds. Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) is a launch site for space vehicles located on California’s Central Coast and also supports vast breeding habitats for threatened western snowy plovers. Rockets have been launched from VSFB since 1959 when launch cadence was high. Since 2000, however, launch cadence has been historically low, but cadence has been increasing in recent years. Our objective was to determine if distance to rocket launch complexes and cadence of launches affected hatching success of individual nests, while accounting for other environmental factors. To do this, we analyzed plover nest monitoring data for the last 23 years at VSFB. Understanding rocket launch impacts on wildlife is critical because mean launch cadence over the last three years was five times higher than the previous 20 years and is expected to continue to increase. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Rachel is a graduate student pursuing a Master's degree in Biology at California State University, Bakersfield. | INFLUENCE OF ROCKET LAUNCH NOISE ON VOCAL BEHAVIOR OF THE ENDANGERED CALIFORNIA LEAST TERN (STERNULA ANTILLARUM BROWNI). | | Megan R McCullah-Boozer; mmccullah@csub.edu; Rachel H. Budge, Levi T. Moats, Emily Olivares Garnica, Hugo J. Zepeda, Lucas K. Hall, Kent L. Gee, Dan Robinette, Emily Rice | Rocket launches are an emerging source of acute anthropogenic noise, yet their effects on wildlife vocalizations remain largely unknown. The endangered California least tern (Sternula antillarum browni) has a nesting colony at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB), California, the most active rocket launch site on the West Coast. Because terns rely on vocalization for courtship, chick provisioning, and colony coordination, extreme noise events may disrupt essential vocal behaviors during the breeding season. We used passive acoustic monitoring across two breeding seasons (May–August) to assess how rocket launch noise influences tern vocalizations. Eight Wildlife Acoustics SM4 recorders were deployed throughout the colony, capturing both ambient and launch-related sounds. Tern calls were classified using BirdNET and analyzed in Raven Pro for amplitude, frequency, and call rate. Preliminary analyses suggest that tern vocal behavior varies in relation to rocket launch events, with indications of changes in call amplitude, frequency, and call rate across reproductive phenology. These results will inform ongoing efforts to assess noise sensitivity and guide management of nesting seabirds near active launch sites. | | Speaker Bio:
Megan McCullah-Boozer is a biologist and researcher with California State University, Bakersfield. Her work focuses on bioacoustics and behavioral ecology, examining how anthropogenic noise influences communication in endangered and migratory bird species. She studies the vocal behavior of California Least Terns in relation to rocket launch activity at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Megan also serves as the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program Manager and adjunct faculty at Bakersfield College, where she supports undergraduate STEM students and teaches general biology. | A SUMMARY OF BEHAVIORAL MONITORING RESULTS FOR 14 SWAINSON'S HAWK (BUTEO SWAINSONI) NESTS IN CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL VALLEY | | Sarah J Yates; QK; Sarah.Yates@qkinc.com; Curtis Uptain, Danielle Temple | Construction projects have potential to result in “take” of the California threatened Swainson’s hawk (Buteo swainsoni) when activities occur near active nests. Our analysis examines nest occupancy, reproductive success, and disturbance responses relative to adjacent development intensity. In 2000, the Swainson’s Hawk Technical Advisory Committee established recommended timing and methodologies for identifying and monitoring Swainson’s hawk nests in California’s Central Valley. They identified various levels of risk of projects based on several factors including reproductive success of individuals, long-term survivability of populations, and normal site characteristics. An Incidental Take Permit (ITP) from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Service is generally recommended if there is a high potential for a project to result in “take” of Swainson’s hawks. When an ITP is obtained, full-time monitoring of the nest is generally required by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Often other lower risk nests within 0.5-mile of a project are also monitored full-time but sometimes only on a weekly basis. We summarize findings from 14 nest monitoring efforts at nests within 0.5-mile of projects from 2014-2025. We found no indications that construction activities negatively affected nest success at any of the 14 nests that were monitored. | | Speaker Bio:
Sarah Yates is a biologist with over six years of field experience conducting surveys, environmental trainings, and construction and compliance monitoring as well as reporting under CEQA and NEPA. She has conducted protocol-level surveys for Swainson’s hawk, small mammal species, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, San Joaquin kit fox, and other special-status species. Her focus has been on small mammals and Swainson’s hawk research. She has conducted protocol level Swainson’s hawk surveys in all survey periods and has extensive active nest monitoring experience of over 27 Swainson’s hawk individuals. | METABARCODING TO DETERMINE DIET OF THE AE'O (HAWAIIAN STILT; HIMANTOPUS MEXICANUS KNUDSENI) AND RESOURCE PARTITIONING WITH CO-OCCURRING SHOREBIRDS | | Rebecca B Salas; University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa; salasrb@hawaii.edu; Claire Atkins, Dr. Melissa Price | Resource partitioning promotes species coexistence and ecosystem stability by reducing interspecific competition. However, diet-based resource partitioning among co-occurring Hawaiian shorebirds remains poorly understood. In Hawaiʻi, wetland loss and patchy coastal habitats influence the foraging ecology of native and migratory birds, yet the Aeʻo (Hawaiian Stilt; Himantopus mexicanus knudseni) diet has only been visually assessed. In this study, we aimed to identify Aeʻo diet and evaluate resource partitioning with ʻAkekeke (Ruddy Turnstone; Arenaria interpres), ʻŪlili (Wandering Tattler; Tringa incana), and Kōlea (Pacific Golden-Plover; Pluvialis fulva) using fecal eDNA metabarcoding. To address this, fecal samples collected from Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve were analyzed using Illumina MiSeq sequencing, with taxonomic assignments via MIDORI2 and dietary overlap quantified using Pianka’s index, Jaccard, and Bray-Curtis dissimilarities. We found that Aeʻo diets included both small (e.g., true bugs, flies) and larger prey (e.g., crabs, fishes), overlapping partially with the other species depending on foraging habitat. Findings will inform conservation by clarifying trophic relationships and guiding restoration strategies that sustain coexistence of native shorebirds in Hawaiian wetlands. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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I am a senior at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa aspiring to become an environmental consultant. My research experiences span marine, terrestrial, and conservation fields. As a volunteer in Dr. Bentlage’s Lab at the University of Guam, I co-authored a manuscript on Cassiopea and presented it at the 2022 National Diversity in STEM Conference. I interned with NAVFAC Marianas (2023) surveying wildlife and vegetation, and at Bishop Museum (2024) supporting native snail recovery and education. In 2025, I pioneered a White Tern motion-activated camera project on UH campus. Now, I aim to strengthen my analytical skills in genetic data analysis. | TERNING OUT GREAT!: A CASE STUDY FOR MANAGEMENT AND RECOVERY OF NESTING CALIFORNIA LEAST TERNS IN THE SAN DIEGUITO LAGOON, SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA | | Johanna Alpert Ian Haliburton; San Diego Natural History Museum; jalpert@sdnhm.org; Kevin Clark, Kim Ferree, Emily Mastrelli, Kelsea Loescher, Ian Haliburton G Johanna Alpert | The California least tern (Sternula antillarum browni, CLT) is an endangered migratory seabird that nests in managed nesting colonies, predominantly in San Diego County, California. In collaboration with Harris & Associates, and the 22nd District Agricultural Association, the San Diego Natural History Museum has been monitoring nesting terns at San Dieguito Lagoon since 2023, where two colonies were first established in 2020. For five years, the colonies have sustained a relatively small but increasing number of adults that successfully fledge young, and reproduction has appeared resilient to regional stressors; site use has more than doubled from 15 nesting attempts in 2020 to 37 in 2025. Since our monitoring began, fledgling success has grown from just 10-14 to 32-34 young fledged from 2023 to 2024, and preliminary data from 2025 suggest the site was again largely successful. This resilience may be attributable to our intensive monitoring and predator management approach and to the geography of the sites. Given the inherent stochasticity of CLT management, the increasing success at these sites despite downward statewide trends offers a valuable case study that sparks conversations on management practices, geographic considerations for newly established tern sites, and hope for the species’ recovery. | | Speaker Bio:
Ian Haliburton and Johanna Alpert are are field ornithologists at the San Diego Natural History Museum. In addition to California Least Tern monitoring, we conduct surveys and nest monitoring for other endangered species in San Diego County, including Least Bell's Vireo and California Gnatcatcher. | CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS MONARCH CONSERVATION ACTIONS | | Dena Spatz; dena.spatz@parks.ca.gov; Emma Pelton, Russ Bradley, Ron Melcer | California State Parks (CSP) manages more western monarch overwintering habitat than any other land manager in California, including at least 25% of the priority western monarch sites identified by the Xerces Society and partners. Thus, CSP plays an outsized role in the conservation of western monarchs, a particularly critical role during an era of significant monarch butterfly declines in both the western and eastern populations. Indeed, the western overwintering monarch population was proposed to be federally listed in December, 2024. To address declines, CSP partnered with the Xerces Society to develop over a dozen habitat assessments and management plans for priority monarch groves on CSP lands. These plans are currently directing management actions, including reducing invasive species, planting native nectar plants and trees, reducing aging and hazard trees, reducing fire risks, and monitoring western monarch populations. Current and future actions include the development of fuels management best practices and integration into management plans to meet state-wide biodiversity and wildfire resilience goals. | | Speaker Bio:
Dena Spatz is a Senior Wildlife Biologist within California State Park’s Natural Resources Division. Dena focuses on statewide wildlife management, particularly for at-risk species (e.g., monarch butterfly, snowy plover). Dena holds a PhD from UC Santa Cruz, previously worked for non-profits aimed at restoring islands through invasive species removals and seabird reintroductions, and recently served as the Biodiversity Coordinator for California Department of Fish and Wildlife. | ACORN SIZE AND GRANARY HOLE SELECTION BY ACORN WOODPECKERS (MELANERPES FORMICIVORUS) | | Kevin C Stanford; UC Davis; kcstanford@ucdavis.edu; Isabel Lozada, Tyler Gagon, Shahroukh Mistry | Acorn Woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus) are known for storing acorns in granaries, yet the relationship between acorn size and hole dimensions is not well understood. We measured acorn–hole pairs in Butte County, California, during fall 2024 to assess how acorns fit within their storage holes. Among 126 pairs, acorn width strongly predicted hole width, though this link weakened for the largest acorns. Acorn length also correlated with hole depth, but less consistently, as holes were often deeper than the acorns they contained. Video footage showed behaviors such as testing fit-checking, removing, and repositioning acorns. Despite variations in insertion angle and depth, Acorn Woodpeckers appeared to choose holes appropriately sized for their acorns, suggesting deliberate placement rather than random use. Although multiple oak species fruited concurrently, all stored acorns were from valley oaks (Quercus lobata), suggesting that hole size may be optimized for this species. Most granaries occurred in grey pines (Pinus sabiniana), which have been heavily impacted by wildfires. The loss of these trees could reduce suitable storage sites and pose challenges for Acorn Woodpecker persistence in affected areas. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Kevin Stanford is a Butte College graduate and biological sciences undergraduate at the University of California, Davis. Although his long-term goal is to obtain an M.D. and become a neurosurgeon, Kevin is broadly interested in scientific research and gaining a deeper understanding across scientific disciplines. He values participating in wildlife and ecological research to strengthen his scientific perspective and biological foundation. | SONGS AMONG THE ASHES: AVIAN RESPONSE TO FIRE ALONG THE SANTA CLARA RIVER | | Kinley S Renger; University of California, Santa Barbara; kinleyrenger@ucsb.edu; Conor McMahon, Tom Dudley | Expanding development, altered hydrology, and invasive vegetation have increased fire risk in many sensitive habitats. The Santa Clara River in Ventura County, California, is one of the region’s last relatively intact riparian ecosystems and provides critical breeding habitat for several at-risk bird species. In November 2024, the Mountain Fire burned nearly 20,000 acres, including extensive portions of the river valley, likely amplified by the invasive Giant Reed (Arundo donax), whose dense and aggressive growth can suppress native riparian vegetation. Using autonomous recording units (ARUs), we assessed how bird vocal activity responded to fire. Data was collected in the summers of 2023 (pre-fire) and 2025 (post-fire), and daily call rates were estimated using the BirdNET algorithm. Sites were classified as burnt or unburnt; the call rates of seven focal bird species representing a variety of feeding guilds were compared before and after the fire in each site. Most species showed significant changes in call rates between pre- and post-fire periods, except for the Hairy Woodpecker. The Least Bell’s Vireo increased its calling activity in unburnt areas and decreased in burnt areas, suggesting post-disturbance redistribution into higher-quality habitat. These findings indicate that fire strongly influences avian communities in riparian ecosystems, highlighting the importance of considering fire severity in post-fire management, restoration planning, and invasive species management. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Kinley Renger is an undergraduate at UC Santa Barbara’s College of Creative Studies, majoring in terrestrial ecology. She studies riparian bird communities in the Riparian Invasion Research Laboratory (RIVR) using autonomous recording units to understand how fire, invasive species, and climate change shape their dynamics. Outside of research, she works on ecological restoration across UCSB’s natural spaces. Kinley hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in wildlife conservation, focusing on community ecology and species interactions. | SPINUS&NBSP;SPECIES IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY NEW RECORDS AND UNPRECEDENTED OBSERVATIONS OF S. LAWRENCEI AND S. PINUS. | | Emily M Mastrelli; Harris & Associates; emilymastrelli@gmail.com; Chris K. Smith | Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus; siskin) and Lawrence’s Goldfinch (Spinus lawrencei; Lawrence’s) have many biological and ecological aspects unknown, including longevity, survivorship, site fidelity, nesting site selection, migration routes, and preferred overwintering areas. In 2023, a targeted banding and resighting study began at an urban residence in San Diego County that has attracted record numbers of Lawrence’s and siskins for over 13 years in an attempt to address the lack of data on these species. Over 200 Lawrence’s and twelve siskins have been banded, and in late Spring/early Summer 2025, two juveniles, two adult siskins (one a resight), and a juvenile Lawrence's were observed there. The siskin resighting marks an unprecedented observation on the coastal slope at this elevation and creates more origin and site fidelity questions. There are no site fidelity records for Lawrence’s at any time of the year anywhere in their range, except at this property, which now holds several U.S. banding records for Lawrence's, at least. Continued banding and data collection at this location is critical to attempt to better understand both species’ biology, longevity, survivorship, breeding, migration routes, and overwintering areas, which may also help understand the impacts of climate change on nomadic avian species. | | Speaker Bio:
A birder and a conservationist at a young age in her home state of Pennsylvania, Emily Mastrelli worked to become a Master Bander, chasing her dream of holding birds. Emily's obsession with banding has taken her to as far as Maine to band Nelson’s Sparrows and Red-winged Blackbirds, to the cliffs of the Mojave to band prairie falcon nestlings, to the open sands of SD County to band California Least Terns, to the hills of Camp Pendleton to band coastal California Gnatcatchers, and to Joshua Tree NP, San Felipe Valley, Riverside and Orange Counties, and Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge. | SMALL MAMMALS AND CALIFORNIA LEAST TERN RISK AT HUNTINGTON STATE BEACH: YEAR-1 RESULTS | | Barry Nerhus; bnerhus@endemicenvironmental.net; Calvin Won, Thea Wang, Richard Zembal | We supported management of the California Least Tern (CLT) Preserve at Huntington State Beach by establishing a baseline of nocturnal small mammals relevant to nest depredation risk. In Year 1 (Oct 2024–Aug 2025), we deployed 30 Sherman live traps across three arrays (north, southeast inside fence, southeast outside fence) for three consecutive nights (90 trap-nights). We recorded five captures, all House Mouse (Mus musculus), yielding 5.6 captures/100 trap-nights and 0 recaptures. All detections occurred on the southeast perimeter (inside and just outside the fence). Weather was cool and calm with waxing gibbous illumination during all trap nights, a factor known to suppress nocturnal small-mammal activity and potentially bias detection low. Vegetation structure, tracks, and burrows identify the southeast perimeter as current high-probability use areas. These results provide a defensible baseline, refine trap placement for Year 2, and begin to separate habitat structure (riprap/vegetation/trash availability) from detection effects (lunar illumination). Management implications include prioritizing trash abatement at riprap edges, pre-season focused trapping on the southeast perimeter, and maintaining short, humane handling windows. Complementary daytime efforts targeting California ground squirrels (selective depletion; CPUE tracking) will proceed in spring to directly address a likely CLT predator. Ongoing integration with weekly CLT nest monitoring will link mammal activity to nest outcomes and guide adaptive effort in Years 2–3. | | Speaker Bio:
Barry Nerhus is a wildlife biologist and restoration ecologist with 20 years of field experience. He is Founder & CEO of Endemic Environmental Services (17 years) and founded Cambriate in 2025 to advance practitioner training. Barry has 15 years working with California Least Terns and has focused on the Huntington Beach colony for the past 4 years, integrating small-mammal monitoring, depredation risk assessment, and adaptive management. Through the Institute for Conservation Research & Education (ICRE), he leads applied R&D that translates boots-on-the-ground methods—trapping design, camera deployment, and decision rules—into scalable conservation frameworks agencies and contractors can adopt. | CAPTURING COMMON RAVENS AND TRACKING BREEDING-SEASON MOVEMENT PATTERNS | | Charles G Meyer; U.S. Geological Survey & Oregon State University; charlie.meyer14@gmail.com; Peter S. Coates, Jonathan B. Dinkins | The common raven (Corvus corax; raven) is an extremely intelligent generalist avian predator known for exceptional intelligence with a high degree of behavioral flexibility, allowing for populations to exploit anthropogenic resources for nesting and forage. In the American West, raven populations have increased substantially in recent decades, especially in sagebrush ecosystems where they are the primary nest predator of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse). Predation by over-abundant ravens on sage-grouse is a key factor contributing to documented sage-grouse population declines throughout the range. In this project, we sought to capture territorial, breeding ravens on their nests and fit them with GPS units to track their hunting patterns during the breeding season. We selected a field site identified by wildlife managers as an area where raven predation poses a primary threat to sage-grouse population sustainability. However, ravens are highly neophobic, making capture efforts challenging. Using several trapping techniques, we successfully captured three breeding ravens with high-powered lights and CO2-powered net gun. Here, we present methods for capturing breeding ravens, preliminary movement patterns during nesting and fledgling stages, and present early estimates of home-range size during the breeding season. These findings are preliminary, subject to change, and provided for best timely science. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Charles Meyer is a wildlife technician with U.S. Geological Survey studying population demographics of common ravens within the sagebrush ecosystem. His research also includes mapping home ranges of breeding pairs throughout the nesting and fledgling stages. Charlie is currently a graduate student at Oregon State University in Jonathan Dinkins' Lab. | BIRDS OF A (MECHANICAL) FEATHER: EFFICACY OF DRONE USE FOR WIND FARM EAGLE FATALITY SURVEYS | | Kaitlin Kozlowski; Kaitlin.Kozlowski@icf.com; Alvin Lyckman, Rachel Gardiner, Brad Schafer, Austin Kozlowski, Alex Angier | In 2025, ICF conducted a pilot study on behalf of a client who owns and operates wind energy facilities in the Montezuma Hills Wind Resource Area, California. The purpose of the study was to investigate the application of drones for fatality surveys at wind farms to comply with expected permit requirements associated with golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) fatality monitoring mandated by U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Eagle Take Permits. The pilot study assessed the feasibility, logistics, and application of drones for eagle post-construction fatality monitoring and focused on the logistical aspects of conducting drone surveys around turbines, carcass identification procedures, data review and analytical methods, and quality assurance and quality control processes. Turbines included in the study were a subset of those within the broader study area and were representative of the various vegetated habitat types/visibility classes (e.g., agriculture, grassland) present. To replicate golden eagle carcasses, turkey decoys were used and were placed within approximately 100 meters of each randomly-selected turbine. Information from the pilot study will be used to develop a broader study that may be used in future eagle carcass monitoring, expected to be necessary following issuance of Eagle Take Permits. | | Speaker Bio:
Kaitlin is a Senior Wildlife Biologist at ICF Jones & Stokes (ICF). She provides biological support across multiple service areas including transportation, renewable energy, and water projects. Her interests span terrestrial, semi-aquatic, and aquatic systems, with a focus on wildlife habitat connectivity. Kaitlin serves on the boards of both her local chapter and the Western Section of The Wildlife Society as the Sacramento-Shasta Chapter Representative. | ANTICOAGULANT RODENTICIDES IN ADULT AND NESTLING RED-TAILED HAWKS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | | Ella M Eleopoulos; California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; eeleopoulos@cpp.edu; Hal Batzloff, Alex Eagleton, Lauren Genger, Scott Weldy, Peter Bloom, Andrea Bonisoli Alquati | Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are pest control agents that are environmental pollutants. Their use creates a pathway for secondary exposure to raptors that feed on rodents. To characterize ARs’ prevalence and effects in raptors, studies of wild birds are critical. For this research we have collected sublethal blood samples from approximately 40 adult and 65 nestling Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) in Orange, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties. We aim to quantify brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone, difenacoum, diphacinone, warfarin, chlorophacinone, and coumachlor, and test for a positive correlation with indicators of stress, such as decreased hematocrit and increased heterophil lymphocyte (H/L) ratio. We will also use spatial analysis to test whether ARs exposure is predicted by anthropogenically influenced landscapes and distance to the nearest Wildland-Urban-Interface. Our samples span a broad range of land cover types, with the proportion of anthropogenic to natural land ranging 2 - 96% in the surroundings of nests and sites of capture of adults. By measuring stress signals in our samples and comparing ARs prevalence across multiple types of land, this research aims to contribute to understanding the threat of ARs exposure to Red-tailed Hawks, and to test the efficacy of the ARs bans in California. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Ella is a graduate student in the Bonisoli-Alquati lab at Cal Poly Pomona, and is researching the prevalence and effects of anticoagulant rodenticides in adult and nestling Red-tailed Hawks in Southern California. After graduate school, Ella would like to work as an environmental biologist. | INVESTIGATING HEALTHY SOILS PRACTICES ON CALIFORNIA RANGELANDS AND THEIR CO-BENEFITS FOR GRASSLAND BIRDS | | Ximena O. Moura; California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt; xog1@humboldt.edu; Matthew D. Johnson, Elizabeth Porzig, Nicole Michel, Maddie Ybarra | Rangelands are important landscapes in California that support a robust cattle industry but also serve as vital grassland habitat for birds. Climate change is projected to impact rangelands, leading to economic and ecological deterioration. In California, the Healthy Soils Program (HSP) has provided climate-smart solutions to increase working land resiliency. While the HSP targets soil and range health for livestock, it may also benefit birds. We surveyed rangeland operators to investigate if the implementation, duration, and specificity of range management practices, such as range seeding, prescribed grazing, and silvopasture, also make rangelands more suitable for birds. Using Point Blue Conservation Science’s Rangeland Monitoring Network’s avian point count data to calculate the National Audubon Society’s Bird-Friendliness Index (BFI), we evaluated bird community response to these management practices. For birds utilizing oaks and grasslands, we found prescribed grazing and range seeding increased BFI. For grassland-only bird communities, shrub establishment increased BFI. The number of animals per acre and duration of practices had mixed effects on BFI, indicating a trade-off between restoration and disturbance that may impact conservation on working rangelands. More consistent ecological monitoring of climate-smart practices is needed and will help further elucidate the effects of these practices on bird communities. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Ximena grew up in Los Angeles, where she first developed skills as a Naturalist for the National Audubon Society. During her time there, she implemented bilingual programs to build a connections between local Latinx residents and their local natural spaces. Ximena attended and graduated from Cal Poly Humboldt with a degree in Wildlife. During her time at Humboldt, she worked on a variety of wildlife projects, including a season in Kenya studying avian insectivores and their ecosystem services on coffee farms. As a current graduate student she is continuing her interest in agroecology and studying grassland bird response on rangelands. | THE ROLE OF LOCAL AVIAN SPECIES RICHNESS IN REPERTOIRE STRUCTURE OF THE NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (MIMUS POLYGLOTTOS) | | Lauren G Honold; Cal Poly SLO; lhonold@calpoly.edu; Clinton D. Francis, Ph.D. | Northern mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos), henceforth “mockingbirds”, are well-known for their robust operatic abilities. Mockingbird songs consist of a combination of unique vocalizations as well as mimicry of other taxa and non-biological sources. This project examines whether mockingbird songs serve as an accurate index of local avian species richness. Since mockingbirds are open-ended learners, I hypothesized that the song repertoire of a northern mockingbird is an accurate indicator of the avian species present in the mockingbird’s territory. To assess the role of local bird diversity in mockingbird songs, I conducted point counts at 15 sites selected to reflect an environment with varying degrees of urbanization. At each site, I recorded two days of birdsong. I isolated regions of audio containing mockingbird song and identified mimicked species within each song bout. For each site, I cross-referenced the mimicked species detected with the point-count data. I conducted a total of 30 point counts at 15 sites with documented mockingbird activity. Preliminary results span over 500 audio files containing mockingbird singing bouts across a rural-urban gradient and suggest a measurable overlap between species mimicked and local avian richness. Evaluating how the song of the northern mockingbird changes in response to variation in avian species richness will provide insight into the cognitive plasticity of open-ended song learners and the capabilities of mockingbird songs as a proxy for local avian diversity. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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I am a 4th year Biological Sciences major at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a concentration in Ecology, Evolution, Biodiversity, and Conservation. I work in the Sensory Ecology and Evolution Lab at Cal Poly, where I've measured avian behavior in varying capacities for three years. My areas of interest include behavioral ecology and avian acoustics. I'm broadly interested in ornithology and intend to pursue similarly aligned fieldwork this upcoming spring after graduation. | REINTRODUCING CALIFORNIA QUAIL TO THE PRESIDIO: A RESEARCH FRAMEWORK FOR THE FIRST URBAN QUAIL REINTRODUCTION | | Phoebe Parker-Shames; Presidio Trust; pparkershames@presidiotrust.gov; Margarita Montenegro, Lew Stringer | California quail (Callipepla californica) were once widespread across San Francisco but have been extirpated since approximately 2009. The Presidio Trust, in collaboration with agency partners, researchers, and local bird conservationists, is developing a science-based reintroduction effort to restore quail to the Presidio of San Francisco. This represents the first urban California quail reintroduction ever attempted. This presentation will begin with an overview of how two decades of habitat restoration in the Presidio have laid the ecological foundation for quail recovery. Ongoing management actions -- such as maintaining native shrub cover, reducing predator attractants, and designing restoration sites with quail habitat needs in mind -- have created conditions that may now support a reintroduced population. We will then present the reintroduction and monitoring plan, co-developed with a working group of experts and anticipated to launch in fall 2026. The project integrates adaptive management and research to evaluate post-release survival, habitat use, and retention time, providing a foundation for evidence-based refinement of future releases. By linking restoration, management, and monitoring, this project aims to advance understanding of species persistence and human-wildlife coexistence in urban parks. | | Speaker Bio:
Dr. Phoebe Parker-Shames is the Wildlife Ecologist for the Presidio of San Francisco where she manages the diverse fauna of one of the nation's most-visited urban national park sites. She is an interdisciplinary researcher combining landscape ecology, wildlife conservation, community ecology, and social science to examine the role of humans within ecological systems. Her work engages stakeholders in conservation solutions that intersect policy, management, and the environment. | MODELING BLACK BEAR HABITAT SELECTION TO SUPPORT RECOLONIZATION AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN NEVADA | | Alanna Garcia; alannagarcia@unr.edu; Rebecca L. Carniello, Carl W. Lackey, Kevin T. Shoemaker, Joe R. Bennett, Jon P. Beckmann, Kelley M. Stewart | Black bears (Ursus americanus) have begun to recolonize portions of their historic range in western Nevada, expanding from the Sierra Nevada into increasingly human-dominated landscapes. Understanding how environmental and anthropogenic factors shape habitat selection during this expansion is critical for proactive management. We used GPS collar data from 49 adult bears monitored between 2012 and 2024 to model active-season resource selection across western Nevada using generalized linear mixed-effects resource selection models with nonlinear covariate effects. Environmental predictors included elevation, vegetation structure (tree and shrub cover), landcover type, terrain aspect, and distance to roads and water. Models incorporated quadratic responses and individual-specific random slopes to account for nonlinear selection and heterogeneity among bears. Bears most strongly selected intermediate elevations, areas with moderate tree and higher shrub cover, pinyon–juniper woodlands, and proximity to water, while showing strong avoidance of roads. Considerable individual variation in selection strength was detected, though population-level patterns were consistent. Spatial predictions identified extensive areas of suitable but currently unoccupied habitat in northern and central Nevada mountain ranges. These results provide a quantitative framework for forecasting recolonization potential and identifying regions where human–bear interactions are likely to increase, supporting data-driven management of Nevada’s recovering black bear population. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Alanna Garcia is a master’s student in Dr. Kelley Stewart’s Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Lab at the University of Nevada, Reno. Her research focuses on black bear ecology in Nevada, particularly habitat selection and the impacts of the expanding urban interface. She is passionate about mammal ecology and how rigorous research can reveal patterns in animal movement, behavior, and resource use. Alanna has worked with a variety of species across the western United States, including pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, bobcats, and mule deer, and aims to continue conducting meaningful research while engaging the public in wildlife conservation. | ESTABLISHING CALLABLE MHC EXONS FOR IMMUNOGENETIC ASSESSMENT IN MOUNTAIN LIONS | | Cassandra R Rodriguez; University of California, Davis; casrodrig@ucdavis.edu; Sophie Preckler-Quisquater, Megan A. Supple, Fernando Nájera, Jeff Sikich, Seth P.D. Riley, Benjamin N. Sacks | Adaptive immune diversity is central to population health, yet it is difficult to measure in wildlife using standard genomic datasets. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) links directly to disease resistance, but its duplicated and variable structure complicates analysis with short-read sequencing, which is the most common and cost-effective approach in conservation genomics. We evaluate whether short-read whole-genome data can reliably recover MHC exons in mountain lions (Puma concolor) in California. Using comparative mapping from the well-annotated domestic cat genome, we identify candidate MHC exon coordinates in puma and then test three recurring pitfalls—reference-mapping bias, collapsed duplicates, and inconsistent callability—across representatives from the state’s ten genetically defined populations. Our objective is to establish a vetted, puma-specific set of “callable” MHC exons and a transparent quality-control workflow suitable for population-scale use. This feasibility study is designed to complement ongoing neutral-genomic work by enabling statewide assessment of adaptive immune diversity and by clarifying what short-read data can—and cannot—capture in complex immune regions. The resulting target set will position future analyses to compare immune diversity among small, isolated populations and larger, more connected ones, informing priorities for long-term monitoring in this wide-ranging carnivore. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Cassandra Rodriguez, a third-year PhD student in the Graduate Group in Ecology with the Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit, working in the Veterinarian Genetics Laboratory at the University of California, Davis. She is an eight-year military veteran whose research interests focus on understanding gene flow in apex predators, assessing human impacts on landscapes, preserving their genetic health, and preventing species declines. Her current research centers on a small, isolated, and inbred mountain lion populations, highlighting the effects of human-caused isolation on their biology. Her broader goal is to advance our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics in small, isolated populations, with the ultimate goal of preserving their long-term survival. | 96 SNP PANEL FOR GENETIC IDENTIFICATION, SEX ASSIGNMENT, AND ESTIMATING RELATEDNESS AMONG BLACK BEARS (URSUS AMERICANUS) FROM NONINVASIVE SAMPLES | | Kristen D Ahrens; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; kristen.ahrens@wildlife.ca.gov; Samantha L. R. Capel, Alicia E. Kubicki, Michael R. Buchalski | The black bear (Ursus americanus) is a common carnivore and species of management focus in California given its harvest and broad distribution. To support demographic modeling, noninvasive hair and fecal genotyping provides a cost-effective alternative or complement to live capture and telemetry approaches. We developed and validated a genotyping panel of 96 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for California black bears to enable individual identification, sex determination, and relatedness estimation from noninvasive samples. SNPs were discovered from the California Conservation Genomics Project statewide genomic dataset. The panel was tested using 59 individuals with paired tissue and noninvasive samples (feces or hair) to evaluate amplification success and genotype concordance. Pairwise comparisons indicated both amplification rate and genotype concordance exceeded 90%. The panel reliably amplified low-template DNA from as few as 1–3 hair follicles, both from DNA extracts or by direct amplification of hair in PCR reactions. Sex-identification markers correctly classified >95% of individuals of known sex. Relatedness estimates using 90 versus 500, 1000, and5000 SNPs were correlated (r = 0.58–0.67), demonstrating the panel retains sufficient resolution to distinguish close kin from unrelated individuals. This validated tool will support statewide monitoring of California black bears and modeling estimates of population density. | | Speaker Bio:
Kristen Ahrens is a Research Scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Wildlife Genetics Research Unit. Her work focuses on developing and applying genetic and genomic tools to study mammals, particularly through noninvasive sampling, to infer population and landscape-level patterns. She is especially interested in using genomic data to model connectivity and guide conservation and management decisions. Her work has included invasion genetics in nutria, and she is currently leading a statewide assessment of population and landscape genomics in American badgers. | CENTRAL COAST MONARCH MOVEMENT STUDY USING NEW RADIO TELEMETRY TAG TECHNOLOGY | | Charis van der Heide; Althouse and Meade, Inc. ; charisvdh@althouseandmeade.com; Fiona Reidy, Ruby Molinari, Corbin Matley, Raymond Danner | Scientists at Althouse and Meade, Inc. used new radio telemetry technology to examine winter movements and demography of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) on the Central Coast, California. Although western monarchs are known to occupy and move between the network of overwintering sites throughout California, movements of individuals within the overwintering season are poorly known. This lack of information limits the abilities of land managers and scientists from across the monarch’s overwintering range to design optimal conservation and habitat restoration plans. In this study, our team attached tiny radio transmitters to monarch butterflies at three overwintering sites: Ellwood Mesa, Gaviota State Park, and Pismo State Beach. We track the locations of individuals using a combination of Motus tower equiped with 2.4 GHz receivers and Bluetooth enabled devices. We invited the public to help us record the locations of monarchs with the Project Monarch app that leverages the phone’s Bluetooth receiver to detect radio transmitters. The study is underway and results will provide novel information on residence time of monarchs at individual sites, movements among sites, movement rates, home range sizes, and survival. | | Speaker Bio:
Charis van der Heide is a research biologist who has been studying and monitoring the movements of monarch butterflies on the central coast of California for over 20 years. She has a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where she started researching and tagging monarch butterflies. She is the regional coordinator for the Xerces Society’s Western Monarch Counts in Santa Barbara County. She works in the environmental consulting field and has lead many research projects on monarch biology and conservation. She designs habitat management plans for monarch butterfly overwintering sites on the central coast of California with Althouse & Meade, Inc. | THE MIDRIFF ISLANDS: A GOLDEN LABORATORY | | Karen N Aguilar-Arce; Autonomous University of Baja California; karen.aguilar52@uabc.edu.mx; Abigail Uribe-Martinez | Preferred Session: Ecology and Conservation of Marine Mammals Type of paper: Poster presentation Would like to participate in the Student Judging program Paper Title: The Gulf of California: A Golden Laboratory Aguilar-Arce, Karen . Oceanology Resarch Institute, Carr. Transpeninsular 3917, U.A.B.C., 22860 Ensenada, B.C. karen.aguilar52@uabc.edu.mx. Co-author: Uribe-Martinez, Abigail Bahía de Los Angeles presents a major hotspot for marine diversity in the world; unfortunately it is in constant danger from climate change, illegal fishing, and natural gas projects. This study presents the most comprehensive review of the literature on the biodiversity of Bahia de Los Angeles. We collected articles, theses, and reports that could be found on large pelagic done in the Midriff Islands and the Gulf of California. That information was then supplemented with sighting data on various species found in the Gulf. From that, we made a storymap with the information recollected, and will be shared with the locals. By making this information readily available and sharing it to the public, we can ensure that the people of Bahia de Los Angeles are informed about the biodiversity in the area, making them able to recognize and fight against projects that negatively affect their home. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Karen Aguilar is a biology student at the Autonomous University of Baja California. Throughout her studies, she has developed her research, programming, and outreach skills, as well as her knowledge of geographic information systems. Hoping to work in data processing, she began working in spatial ecology with Dr. Abigail Uribe-Martinez. Her thesis project, The Midriff Islands: A Golden Laboratory , has allowed her to delve into the world of species conservation, form links with researchers and conservationists in the area, and deepen her knowledge of marine animals and what is necessary for their conservation. | CANNABIS AGRICULTURE: AN UNDERESTIMATED CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITY | | Janelle Chojnacki; Cannabis for Conservation; janelle@cannabisforconservation.org; Jackee Riccio | Cannabis agriculture offers a unique opportunity to study and promote conservation on private lands, particularly in the Emerald Triangle of northwestern California where many farms have small footprints and are located within and contain habitat for sensitive and protected species such as the Northern spotted owl, coho and Chinook salmon, red and yellow-legged frogs, northwestern pond turtle, western bumble bee, and sensitive forest carnivores. Despite the extractive reputation of the cannabis industry, many remaining small-scale cannabis farmers are incredible land stewards who promote, facilitate, and enjoy the biodiversity on their farms. Acknowledging and supporting these farmers through our grant-funded work serves to support the farm as a business, provide educational opportunities for farmers to improve the ecological functionality of their farms and adjacent habitats, and helps shift away from the negative cultural views of outdoor cannabis agriculture. This poster will highlight biodiversity research and projects occurring on licensed cannabis farms in Humboldt and Trinity Counties carried out by Cannabis for Conservation, the only nonprofit focusing on supporting biodiversity on and through licensed cannabis farms. We will also highlight the collaborative relationships our projects have with these farmers and will encourage a reframing of the outdoor cannabis industry to recognize the potential for these farmers and their land to support sensitive as well as common wildlife species and their habitats. | | Speaker Bio:
Janelle is a Project Director with Cannabis for Conservation and has spent almost 15 years studying wildlife, mostly songbirds, and their ecosystems. She's also had positions focusing on entomology, botany, forestry, mammals, and environmental education. She's an avid birder, soccer player, whitewater kayaker, and gardener and loves being part of the incredible outdoor and environmental community in Humboldt County. | BUMBLE BEE DIVERSITY ON CANNABIS FARMS | | Jackee Riccio; Cannabis for Conservation; jackee@cannabisforconservation.org; Mac Wilson, Lauren Ponisio, Tim Warren, Katie Moriarty | Special status bumble bees such as the Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis) are in dire need of research to document presence, habitat requirements, as well as basic life history information. Importantly, the need for less invasive and non-lethal research techniques to study these and other sensitive invertebrate species is also high. This project, conducted in collaboration with University of Oregon and the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI), used both artificial intelligence and traditional field work to conduct a mark-recapture analysis of two species of special concern (B. occidentalis, B. caliginosus) as well as common bumble bee species, to better understand these bees’ floral resource use, and to better understand home ranges and movement. This project just completed its first year, which was focused on developing protocols and perfecting artificial intelligence equipment to monitor hand-captured and marked individuals. In addition to documenting an overall incredible diversity of bumble bee species and an abundance of special-status bees, this project has made significant improvements to field equipment for non-lethally monitoring bumble bees. This work was also conducted on a licensed cannabis farm in Humboldt County, California, highlighting the importance of considering these working landscapes for conservation. | | Speaker Bio:
Jackee is the Executive Director of Cannabis for Conservation, a nonprofit establishing environmental conservation and research programs in cannabis-impacted landscapes, and liaising with regulatory agencies and rural landowners around the common value of conservation. She has 13 years of experience in applied conservation biology for a variety of northern CA and western species, as well as training for assessing and handling special status species, such as mesocarnivores, tortoises, shorebirds, and marine mammals. | FIFTEEN YEARS OF NORTHWESTERN POND TURTLE (ACTINEMYS MARMORATA) MARK-RECAPTURE STUDY IN A LIVESTOCK POND SUBJECTED TO DROUGHT IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. | | David L Riensche; East Bay Regional Park District ; driensche@ebparks.org; Sarah Barnes, Peter J. Dailey, Christopher L. Kitting, Sarah Barnes | The Northwestern Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata) has been declining throughout its range due to habitat degradation and loss, exotic competitors, non-native predators, epidemic disease, and drought. Along with the Southwestern Pond Turtle (Actinemys pallida), they are listed as a California Species of Special Concern and candidate species for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. Few long-term studies have examined the ecology of populations in lentic environments subject to livestock grazing. From 2011 through 2025, staff and volunteers conducted a turtle mark-recapture effort to understand the population’s demographics, individual growth rates, and response to drought in Contra Costa County, California. Preliminary analyses shows that adult male and female Northwestern Pond Turtles (n = 48) responded differently to drought with a 48% inhabitant’s survival rate. Results indicate that female survival was slightly higher than male (50% vs 36%). All mortalities occurred in the drought of 2021 when the pond completely dried up the end of August and did not reform again until the following winter. Growth rates for A. marmorata at this location are comparable to other studies showing that males grew faster than females during their first ten years of life. Our findings demonstration how they respond to a single season drought, but with the increased frequency and severity of droughts due to climate change, this may have grave consequences for our native California turtles. | | Speaker Bio:
| CONSTRUCTION AND SOUTHWESTERN POND TURTLES: HOW TO NAVIGATE CONSTRUCTION USING BOOTS ON THE GROUND MANAGEMENT | | Barry Nerhus; bnerhus@endemicenvironmental.net; Alexandra Eagleton | Construction in occupied wetlands poses acute risks to southwestern pond turtles (Actinemys pallida), yet many projects proceed with limited field guidance. We report practitioner lessons from two construction efforts at UC Irvine’s San Joaquin Marsh—a 3-acre/4,100 linear-foot road removal and a swale/water-flow improvement—implemented with embedded, on-site turtle monitoring. Methods combined pre-activity surveys, real-time observation alongside operators, authority to pause work, and soft capture–relocation of turtles entering work areas. During grading and excavation, multiple nests were exposed; hatchlings were relocated short distances to suitable microhabitats at pond margins, handled with temperature awareness, and checked post-release. We describe operational cues for detecting nests in compacted substrates, criteria for relocation site selection, documentation practices, and daily briefings that integrated crews, contractors, and biologists. Outcomes indicate that proactive, boots-on-the-ground management can maintain construction progress while reducing risk to A. pallida through rapid field decision-making and clear stop-work authority. We conclude with a field-tested framework practitioners can adapt: (1) designate a turtle-qualified monitor with operational authority; (2) treat roadbeds, berms, and scrub ecotones as high-probability nesting zones; (3) keep relocations adjacent and minimally invasive; and (4) pair concise records with fast communication to agencies. These practices translate monitoring into actionable protection during active construction. | | Speaker Bio:
Barry Nerhus is a wildlife biologist and restoration ecologist with 20 years of fieldwork and two decades of Southwestern Pond Turtle experience. He is Founder & CEO of Endemic Environmental Services (17 years) and founded Cambriate in 2025 to advance practitioner training. Barry leads applied R&D through the Institute for Conservation Research & Education. His work centers on boots-on-the-ground construction monitoring in southwestern pond turtle occupied wetlands, nest detection, soft capture–relocation, and mark-recapture/telemetry—paired with practical protocols crews can use. His vision is scaling conservation: translating rigorous field methods into reproducible models agencies and contractors can adopt across sites while building mission-aligned, high-trust science teams. | WESTERN FENCE LIZARD DIET GENETIC STUDY IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA GRASSLANDS | | David L Riensche; East Bay Regional Park District ; driensche@ebparks.org; Arlene Lopez-Romero, Benjamin Sacks, Mark Statham, Arlene Lopez-Romero | The western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) is an important prey item for many species including the State and Federally threatened Alameda whipsnake (Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus). Understanding the diet of grassland animals is fundamental to their conservation and informs science-based rangelands management efforts. This work used DNA techniques to investigate the arthropod diet of the western fence lizard in Alameda County grasslands located at Garin and Pleasanton Ridge Regional Parks in 2024 to 2025. Drift fences in combination with pitfall traps (n =10) were placed at both sites for two years. Fecal samples were collected either directly from live trapped individuals or from the ground near the traps, yielding a total of 143 pellets. We used DNA metabarcoding of the 16S mitochondrial DNA region to amplify arthropod diet sequences. We will compare the sequences recovered from diet to a custom reference library of DNA sequences from arthropods to facilitate a high taxonomic resolution of lizard diet. Our findings will advocate for the importance of grassland insect biodiversity for the Western Fence Lizard, and the assorted group of special status species that also consume arthropods including the Pallid Bat (Antrozous pallidus), Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius Ludovicianus), and California Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma californiense). This work will help inform grassland management and support recovery goals of listed wildlife residing in Central California rangelands. | | Speaker Bio:
| IMPACTS OF DOMESTIC CAT ODOR ON NATIVE LIZARD BEHAVIOR IN MONTEREY COUNTY, CA | | Sara Goel; California State University, Monterey Bay; sgoel@csumb.edu; Jennifer M. Duggan | Free-roaming domestic cats are an invasive species that prey on native mammals, reptiles, and birds and contribute to wildlife mortality globally. We evaluated whether the common Western fence lizard and rare coast horned lizard are naive to domestic cats as a predator by exposing them to introduced (domestic cat) and native (bobcat) mammalian predator odors in both locations where domestic cats are rare (UC Santa Cruz Fort Ord Natural Reserve in Monterey County, CA) and locations where domestic cats are common (adjacent residential areas). We conducted behavioral trials to record differences in chemosensory and anti-predator responses displayed by lizards when exposed to predator urine. Our preliminary analyses found trends suggesting that lizards inside the private reserve displayed more vigilance behavior when exposed to bobcat urine, while lizards outside of the reserve displayed more vigilance behavior when exposed to domestic cat urine. Our preliminary results suggest that native reptiles that live in urban areas perceive domestic cats as a greater threat than native predators such as the bobcat. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Sara is a second-year graduate student currently completing her Master’s in Environmental Science at CSU Monterey Bay. Her thesis focuses on the impacts of domestic cats on native reptiles. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biology at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2023, contributing to research on marine invertebrate conservation and the behavioral ecology of freshwater fishes. Sara hopes to work as a wildlife biologist or data/spatial analyst after graduating and is interested in pursuing a PhD in applied behavioral ecology or wildlife biology in the future. | VARIATION IN DESERT TORTOISE BURROW STRUCTURE AND OVERWINTER MICROCLIMATES ACROSS LIFE STAGES | | Katelyn N Rock; San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; karock@sdzwa.org; Thomas A. Radzio, Talisin T. Hammond, Reed Newman, Daniel Essary, Ronald R. Swaisgood, Melissa J. Merrick | Burrows are critical refugia for desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii), buffering individuals from extreme temperatures and desiccation. This buffering is crucial over winter when surface temperatures can fall below freezing and tortoises remain largely inactive, surviving on limited energy and water reserves. While burrow use is well documented, less is known about how burrow structure and microclimate vary across life stages during overwintering. We compared burrow structure and microclimate used by adult and juvenile tortoises over two winters in the Mojave Desert. Microclimate data were collected using temperature and humidity loggers affixed to tortoises, representing the conditions experienced during brumation, spent primarily in their chosen winter burrow. On average, juveniles used shorter, narrower burrows and experienced lower temperatures, higher relative humidity, and lower vapor pressure deficits than adults. This suggests the narrower burrow structure and associated microclimate experienced by juveniles partially compensate for the greater water-loss susceptibility of juveniles due to their higher surface area-to-volume ratios. These results reveal ontogenetic differences in burrow structure and highlight that juvenile tortoises can access hydric microclimates equal to or more favorable than those available to adults. Juveniles may possess greater resilience to dry conditions than would be expected based solely on their physiological vulnerability. | | Speaker Bio:
Katie Rock is a Research Associate for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Desert Tortoise Program. Since starting this role in 2023, she has been working on the desert tortoise headstart program, thermal ecology research, and radiotracking at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert. Previously, she worked for two years as a consulting biologist at HDR in Sacramento. She is a California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo alumna with a B.S. in Biological Sciences, who led research on the authorship gender gap in the herpetology field and assisted with thermal ecology research on blunt-nosed leopard lizards. | A LANDSCAPE GENOMICS ANALYSIS OF UTA STANSBURIANA ON CALIFORNIA'S CHANNEL ISLANDS | | Zoe E Johnson; California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo; zjohns14@calpoly.edu; Cole J. Ivie, Gregory B. Pauly, Lauren M. Chan | Maintaining biodiversity in a changing world is a central challenge for conservation biology. Urbanization, climate change, and habitat modification alter the biotic and abiotic conditions that shape species distributions, often reducing habitat suitability and fragmenting populations. Connectivity among populations can mitigate the negative effects by maintaining gene flow, enhancing evolutionary potential, and reducing extinction risk. This project will use genomic data from the Common Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana) on California’s Channel Islands to investigate how colonization history, local habitat characteristics, and human-activity impact patterns of differentiation and connectivity. Uta stansburiana occurs on five of the eight Channel Islands through at least three colonization events and each island varies in geology, vegetational composition, climate, and anthropogenic influences, offering a natural experimental system to study evolutionary processes. I will generate a genomic RADseq library for individuals sampled to assess population structure and then use a landscape genomics approach to determine which landscape features are most important for U. stansburiana connectivity and how these patterns differ both across and between islands. This study system provides a unique opportunity to explore the relationship between connectivity, diversity, and isolation in heterogeneous environments that can be used to better inform management decisions and conservation efforts. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Zoe E. Johnson is a second-year master's student at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo studying evolution and landscape genomics. Her thesis work examines how environmental variation shapes genetic diversity of a lizard species on California’s Channel Islands with potential conservation applications. She is originally from Arizona and earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California Santa Cruz studying biology and genetics. Her research interests include reptiles and amphibians, genomics, ecology, and conservation biology. | SILENT PEAKS: WIDESPREAD EXTIRPATIONS OF AMERICAN PIKA POPULATIONS IN THE NORTHERN SIERRA | | Chris J Smith; University of Nevada at Reno, Tahoe Campus; chrissmith@unr.edu; Joseph Stewart, Mila Opalenik, Liam Fitzpatrick, Kate Heckman, Kevin Shoemaker | American Pikas are a small heat-sensitive lagomorph that in many locations across the west have shown recent extirpation, apparently due to warming climates. Research in the northern Sierra’s has shown local extirpations, but no comprehensive region-wide surveys exist. We mapped all talus within our 150 x 60-km study area, then visited 1,100 talus patches across 85 population units to assess which factors best predict patch occupancy. We found 46% of populations have gone extinct in the northern Sierra’s, nearly all of which showed previous signs of occupancy. Evidence from resurveys and carbon dating of scat indicates that extinction dates span at least the last 75 years, including multiple extinctions in the last decade. Populations with less talus habitat and high summer vapor pressure deficit were more likely to go extinct. Similarly, talus patches with more talus area and later snow melt were more likely to persist. Of 120 talus patches revisited from the last 10-15 years, only 11 changed status, with 6 going extinct. Our research suggests, contrary to some recent commentary, that pika in our study area are in fact not re-occupying long extirpated warm locations, and have been pushed up almost 1000 ft in elevation over the last century in the northern Sierra’s. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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| SENSITIVITY & SPECIFICITY OF KALEIDOSCOPE PRO TO DETECT PIKA CALLS | | Allison L Goryl; Colorado Mesa University; agoryl@mavs.coloradomesa.edu; Hayley Kanier, Katherine Christie, Johanna Varner | Collared pikas (Ochotona collaris) are small mammals found in the mountains of Alaska and Canada. These rabbit-relatives live in high-altitude talus, and their sensitivity to heat may make them valuable indicators of climate change. They are also the only lagomorphs to vocalize, producing short alarm calls for predators and territorial defense. Although generally highly detectable, pikas may vocalize less at lower population densities, complicating studies at sites experiencing population declines. We piloted the use of acoustic recorders to determine how distance from the pika’s activity center affects behavioral patterns from automated call detection. We trained a Kaleidoscope cluster analysis to identify pika vocalizations in recordings from two microphones: one placed at a pika haypile and the other placed 20 m from the talus edge. Significantly fewer calls were identified from the recorder far from the talus compared to the one at the haypile; however, daily patterns of activity were similar between the two sensors. These data suggest that recorders do not need to be placed at each pika’s activity center to study occupancy and general behavior patterns of a collared pika population. Such work informs future acoustic monitoring programs to understand broader ecological shifts for pikas and other vocalizing species. | | Speaker Bio:
During my undergraduate studies, I have been engaged in research that focuses on understanding how mammals respond to climate change and/or habitat loss. Under the guidance of Dr. Johana Varner, I have gained hands-on experience with field data collection and analysis. This experience has not only honed my technical skills but also fostered a profound appreciation for the complexities of mammalian biology | ASSESSING COMPETITION AMONG AMERICAN PIKAS AND OTHER TALUS-ASSOCIATED MAMMALS USING DNA METABARCODING TO CHARACTERIZE SUMMER DIET | | Jessica A Castillo Vardaro; San Jose State University; jessica.castillo-vardaro@sjsu.edu; Sarah Borja, Alyne Duong, Kaitlyn A Lynch | American pikas in the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin (Ochotona princeps schisticeps) are facing population declines and losses at an unprecedented rate. While much of this may be attributed to climate change-related impacts, the role of competition with other mammals that reside in and near pika habitat has not been thoroughly addressed. We present a multi-species diet study-in-progress, using DNA metabarcoding of fecal samples collected within and in the immediate vicinity of pika habitat in the White Mountains of southeastern California and Lassen Volcanic National Park in northeastern California. We will 1) characterize summer diet of ten species, with a focus on marmots (Marmota flaviventris), chipmunks (Neotamias sp.), and leporids (Lepus and Sylvilagus); and 2) assess the degree of dietary overlap and/or niche partitioning among species. This study will add an understudied dimension to our understanding of the challenges faced by American pikas. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Kaitlyn, Sarah, and Alyne are undergraduate students in the Department of Biological Sciences at San Jose State University. They are currently working in Jessica Castillo Vardaro's Molecular Ecology and Urban Wildlife lab on various projects relating to American pika population genetics and diet. | USING MULTISPECTRAL DRONE IMAGERY TO CHARACTERIZE FINE-SCALE AMERICAN PIKA HABITAT | | Jessica A Castillo Vardaro; jessica.castillo-vardaro@sjsu.edu; | It is well-understood that fine-scale habitat characteristics such as rock size, talus area, and availability of high-quality forage within and in the immediate vicinity of talus play an important role in pika occupancy and population persistence. These metrics are difficult to impossible to gather from satellite imagery and are both physically challenging and time-consuming to accurately quantify in the field. This pilot study aims to use multispectral drone imagery to overcome many of these challenges. Specifically, we assess whether it is feasible to effectively characterize rock size, habitat area and configuration, amount of vegetation within the talus and its immediate vicinity, as well as whether we can distinguish among the plant functional groups (forbs, graminoids, shrubs, and trees) well enough to accurately quantify abundance of each. High resolution drone imagery has the potential to greatly increase our ability to assess fine-scale American pika habitat quality. | | Speaker Bio:
Jessica Castillo Vardaro is an Associate Professor of Ecology & Evolution in the Department of Biological Sciences at San Jose State University. She leads the Molecular Ecology & Urban Wildlife Lab at SJSU and has been studying American pikas for over 15 years. | ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?: THE IMPACT OF LUNAR ILLUMINATION ON SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND'S SMALL MAMMAL AND MESOCARNIVORE ACTIVITY | | Austin R Toland; Institute for Wildlife Studies; atoland@iws.org; Hunter J. Cole | Predator-prey interactions can be influenced by myriad environmental factors, with moonlight sometimes being a strong driver of nocturnal predator and prey behavior. Lunar illumination can vary based on moon phase, how close the moon is to Earth, and the moon’s position in the sky. On San Clemente Island, the southernmost of the California Channel Islands, there are few nocturnal predator species, and only two mouse species. We investigated the effects of lunar illumination on two native species – the San Clemente Island fox (Urocyon littoralis clementae) and the San Clemente deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) – and two introduced species, the house mouse (Mus musculus) and feral cats (Felis catus) – using generalized additive models. High lunar illumination decreased the nightly activity of house mice (p < 0.07) based on capture success, however deer mice were more active during periods of moderate and high lunar intensity (p < 0.001). Foxes decreased activity after a minimum lunar intensity was met (p < 0.02), and cats exhibited a moderate but significant negative relationship with mean nightly lunar intensity (p < 0.001). This study provides new insight into how lunar illumination may mediate behavioral interactions among endemic and invasive species within a sensitive ecosystem. | | Speaker Bio:
Austin currently works for the Institute for Wildlife Studies as a crew lead for the Predator Research and Ecosystem Management program on San Clemente Island. The objective of this project is to control invasive species that pose risks to imperiled native species such as the San Clemente Bell’s Sparrow, and the San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike. Prior to working on San Clemente Island, he assisted with research on Marbled Murrelets in Oregon, and was a youth naturalist guide in southern California. Austin describes the work he does for conservation as his “greatest pleasure and accomplishment”. | A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT ON SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOXES IN URBAN AND NON-URBAN ENVIRONMENTS | | Karnig Estenssoro; California State University, Bakersfield; kestenssoro@csub.edu; Lucas K. Hall | The San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica; SJKF) is a small carnivorous mammal that inhabits the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. Unfortunately, this subspecies of kit fox is currently listed as endangered. The primary reason for their endangerment is the loss of their natural habitat due to human activities. Despite urbanization being one of the causes of habitat loss, the urban populations of this endangered species have acclimated well to the urban environment. Bakersfield, CA has provided urban habitat for the SJKF, leading to a robust population. Artificial light at night (ALAN), common in urban environments, has been shown to impact wildlife behavior. Our aim is to understand how the SJKF behaviorally responds to the presence of ALAN in urban and non-urban environments. To achieve this, we will determine if kit fox activity changes in response to ALAN depending on the type of environment (urban and non-urban). This ongoing study aims to enhance our understanding of how small carnivores at an intermediate trophic level respond to light pollution. Additionally, understanding how endangered SJKF responds to anthropogenic stimuli will assist conservation efforts, including detecting movement patterns and habitat preferences concerning light pollution and the potential for "wildlife-friendly" lighting practices. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Karnig M. Estenssoro is a graduate student in the Hall Wildlife Lab at California State University, Bakersfield. His MS thesis research examines how artificial light at night influences the behavior of the endangered San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica) across urban and non-urban environments. He is also in the early stages of his career as a biological consultant, where he conducts field surveys and implements wildlife protection measures on large-scale development projects in the San Joaquin Valley. Karnig plans to continue integrating research and consulting to advance evidence-based conservation strategies that promote coexistence between wildlife and human development. | A SYNTHESIS OF BAT SPECIMEN RECORDS FROM CALIFORNIA'S SACRAMENTO VALLEY INFER SEASONAL AND DISTRIBUTIONAL PATTERNS | | Syd K Benson; formerly UC Davis WFCB; sydkbenson@gmail.com; Amanda Kindel, Jason Riggio, Andrew Engilis, Jr. | Although bat diversity across much of California has been relatively well studied, the Sacramento Valley remains a poorly documented region due to its extensive agricultural transformation and historical oversight during early 20th-century vertebrate surveys. To address this knowledge gap, we synthesized museum specimen records of bats collected in the Sacramento Valley from 1885 to 2025. Specimen data were compiled from 26 natural history collections through queried online databases (VertNet, ARCTOS, and UC Davis DIGICORE), filtered by location and georeferenced to determine seasonal and spatial patterns of bat occurrence. We summarized 690 specimens representing 14 bat species from 11 counties in the region. These data revealed distinct seasonal patterns of occurrence and sex-specific distributions for several species, including Eptesicus fuscus, Lasionycteris noctivagans, Lasiurus cinereus, and Lasiurus frantzii. Our findings demonstrate that historic specimen records can provide important insights into demography and seasonal movements of bats in regions where long-term acoustic or capture-based studies remain limited. This synthesis not only establishes an important historical baseline for bat distribution in the Sacramento Valley but also highlights the continued relevance of museum collections in contemporary ecological and conservation research.
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Syd Benson is an early career biologist with a B.S. in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology from UC Davis (2024). As an undergraduate they worked at the UCD Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, where along with curation and fieldwork, they conducted a specimen-based bat research project. They currently work as a Scientific Aid with California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Wildlife Diversity Program, supporting the state’s bat management and White-nose Syndrome response. Their work includes bat database revision, acoustic monitoring, roost surveys, and White-nose Syndrome surveillance. They also work with the Upland Game Program, supporting research through fieldwork and data processing on Gambel's Quail and Ring-necked Pheasants. They are passionate about applied research that informs bat and wildlife conservation and management. | LEGEND OF THE SHREW: CATALINA ISLAND CONSERVANCY'S EFFORTS TO MONITOR AN ELUSIVE ISLAND ENDEMIC | | Emily C Kreisberg; Catalina Island Conservancy; ekreisberg@catalinaconservancy.org; Destiny Saucedo, Katie Elder | The Catalina Island Shrew (Sorex ornatus willetti) is endemic and elusive; only a few dozen have been recorded since their discovery in 1941, making every detection critical. The Catalina Island shrew was listed as a Species of Special Concern in 1996 by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Catalina Island Conversancy wildlife team currently uses motion-activated cameras to detect shrews and has conducted trapping in the past. Between 2023 and 2025, ten locations in riparian areas were monitored during Spring and Summer with downward facing, motion-activated cameras. Three shrews were detected in 2023, four were detected in 2024, and no shrews were detected in 2025. The number of detections was correlated with annual precipitation. Moving forward, the wildlife team will consider adding additional monitoring locations and adjusting the timing of deployment, which may yield more images of shrews and expand recent known areas of occupancy. Additionally, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) program Animl will be used to expedite photo review. More documentation of shrews will help management determine monitoring protocols and protection measures. | | Speaker Bio:
Emily Kreisberg is the Assistant Wildlife Biologist for Catalina Island Conservancy. She has a background in restoration, wetlands, and rare plant and animal surveys. After graduating with a BA in Environmental Studies from Santa Barbara, she has volunteered and worked on all eight Channel Islands. | NOVEL FORAGING BEHAVIORS OF SALT MARSH HARVEST MOUSE AND COMPETITORS. | | Deepshika T Shankar; Marin County; deepy43@gmail.com; Christian Valdes, Serena Hubert, Katie Smith, Serena Chang, Carla Angulo, Melissa Riley | Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris; SMHM) , an endangered species endemic to the San Francisco Bay, coexists and competes with native and invasive rodents for resources. While intensive studies in recent years have revealed more about populations and habitat use among these species, little is known of the impacts of these competitive dynamics on daily ecological functions. Recent studies have shown SMHM to have a flexible diet though their foraging behaviors are not well understood, and even less is known about the diet and foraging of sympatric rodents. Opportunistic video and camera trap data collected during a long term study at a marsh in Marin County revealed communal foraging (up to three individuals) both by SMHM and separately House Mouse. Trapping data from this and other studies has shown SMHM to be less aggressive and more likely to behave communally during colder nonbreeding periods. While House Mice also seem to behave less aggressively and forage communally, the camera trap data indicates that their presence may preclude local foraging by SMHM. These observations support the importance and impact of competition in shaping SMHM habitat use. Further studies of foraging behavior across the small mammal community across the estuary may be warranted.
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Deepshika Shankar, graduated with a Bachelors in Environmental Studies. Currently affliated with Marin County Parks | RESTORE, REVEGETATE, REITHRODONTOMYS RAVIVENTRIS: TURNING THE TIDES FOR SALT MARSH HARVEST MOUSE RECOVERY | | Rayna Fitzgerald Dajanae Stitts; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; rayna.fitzgerald@wildlife.ca.gov; Melissa Riley | The state and federally endangered salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) (SHMH) is endemic to the San Francisco Bay Estuary. Habitat loss and fragmentation are the primary threats to the species’ survival, with over 90% of the estuary’s tidal marshes lost to development since the 1800s. Conservation efforts focus on habitat protection and enhancement, which includes tidal restoration with goals to improve habitat quality and connectivity. In 2021, six leveed ponds at CA Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Hill Slough Wildlife Area were tidally restored. Prior to restoration, trapping efforts of SMHM averaged a capture efficiency of 6.69%±3.04. To understand the effect of restoration on SMHM, we analyzed vegetation maps and conducted additional trapping efforts. Initially following restoration, capture efficiency decreased drastically to 0.14%±0.20 in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, SMHM were detected in the highest numbers since restoration, likely due to increased growth of wetland vegetation at the site indicating a steady increase in habitat quality. Detections at an adjacent pond suggest SMHM may be recolonizing the site through dispersal. Future restoration projects should prioritize revegetation to ensure SMHM populations persist on site, especially in habitats with low connectivity where recolonization from adjacent habitat patches is unlikely. | | Speaker Bio:
Rayna Fitzgerald and Dajanae Stitts are environmental scientists with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, working in the Suisun Marsh to support conservation and monitoring of sensitive species, including the endangered Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse, California Black Rail, and Western Pond Turtle. Their work focuses on understanding how habitat restoration and management influence these species and the broader marsh ecosystem. Both are passionate about conservation and hope to advance science-based strategies that promote sensitive species recovery in California’s wetlands. | EFFICACY OF PHYSICAL AND ACOUSTIC TOOLS TO DETER AND EXCLUDE BATS FROM TRANSPORTATION STRUCTURES | | Anna C Doty; California State University Sacramento; anna.doty@csus.edu; Dale W Sparks, Jonathan Janes | North American bats face growing threats from habitat loss, wind turbine mortality, and disease. As populations decline, transportation structures like bridges and culverts have emerged as important roosting habitats. Departments of Transportation, which manage hundreds of thousands of these structures, often must remove bats for safety or during maintenance projects. This necessitates effective methods for either temporary or permanent exclusion. However, data on the cost and effectiveness of current exclusion or deterrent techniques remain limited. To address this gap, field studies were conducted at 36 bridges (12 each in California, Florida, and Ohio) from 2023–2024. In Florida and Ohio six sites in each state tested physical exclusion methods, and six tested acoustic deterrents, with half receiving control (sham) treatments. The 12 bridges in California consisted of six acoustic treatments and six controls. Acoustic deterrents did not fully exclude bats but sometimes reduced bat presence or delayed roosting. In contrast, bridges with physical exclusion had few or no bats post-intervention. These findings reinforce physical exclusion as the preferred method for bat removal during structure demolition or major repairs. Acoustic deterrents may serve a limited role in short-term scenarios where bats need moved to facilitate physical exclusion, temporary removal (and eventual return) of bats is acceptable or desired. | | Speaker Bio:
Anna Doty is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at California State University, Sacramento. She primarily focuses on research involving the physiological ecology of bats. | LESSONS ON TRENDS AND DRIVERS OF PIKA DISTRIBUTION AND DENSITY IN A NATIONALLY UNIQUE MESOCOSM, THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE | | Erik Beever; ebeever10@gmail.com; Johanna Varner, Steven Clark, Carlo Abbruzzese, Carly Wickhem, Mariah Meek, Johanna Varner | O. princeps has provided outsized insights about multi-taxonomic-scale resilience and vulnerability, plus governing mechanisms, amidst global change. The Columbia River Gorge (CRG) constitutes nationally unique, disjunct refugial habitats that elucidate numerous insights for informing solutions-oriented management and conservation. We sampled CRG pikas during 2011-2023 to understand trend and drivers of distribution and density, plus response to wildfire. We contextualize these results with ongoing citizen-science CRG surveys and western-USA pika results to inform conservation-management adaptation.
From 2011-2014 to 2019-2021, CRG-wide pika occurrence declined by 25.2%, and declined by 65.5% at separate low-elevation, longitudinal-edge sites. Similarly, pika density declined CRG-wide by 44.1%, but only 42.5% if considering only sites pika-occupied in both periods. Although declines occurred both within and outside of Eagle-Creek-Fire (burned) areas, density declines were stronger across Oregon than Washington. 2011-2014 pika-distribution and -density patterns reflected water balance (deficit, AET) far more than temperature balance or nutritional ecology. Microclimatic sensors illustrated pika-occupied sites had cooler, moister interstices than -unoccupied sites. Moss and grass cover were strongest contributors to density in a PCA. Although still possessing the lowest-elevation U.S. occurrence of pikas, apparent declines in subsurface ice, fire-driven changes in vegetative cover and composition, and habitat conversion likely catalyzed these declines. | | Speaker Bio:
| USE OF AUTOMATED TELEMETRY TO INVESTIGATE RODENT MOVEMENT ASSOCIATED WITH VEGETATED DITCHES IN AGRICULTURAL SETTINGS | | Emily L Kelvin; California State University Monterey Bay; ekelvin@csumb.edu; Jennifer M. Duggan | Agricultural runoff persists as one of the most environmentally damaging byproducts of conventional agriculture. Vegetated ditches, which slow down and absorb nutrients through plant buffers, are a promising solution to reducing nitrogen load in runoff water. However, common practice when farming leafy green crops prescribes clearing vegetation within ditches to reduce rodent habitat due to food safety concerns. Despite these perceived risks, the relationship between vegetated ditches and rodent movement remains under-explored. I investigated the movement of rodents from agricultural ditches into crops in Monterey County, California using a novel automated telemetry system. While both vegetated and bareground ditches maintained populations of house mice (Mus musculus) and Gambel’s deer mice (Peromyscus gambelii), vegetated ditches additionally contained California voles (Microtus californicus) and shrews (Sorex spp.). I fitted radio collars on 67 voles, 39 deer mice and 8 house mice over a two-year period. After collecting automated tracking data, I compared movements of rodents in vegetated ditches to those in bareground ditches, specifically focusing on frequencies of ditch crossings and maximum travel distances of rodents into crop fields. These findings are likely to be of interest to growers and policymakers concerned about the implementation of vegetated ditches in agriculture. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Emily Kelvin is a student in the Environmental Science Master of Science Program at California State University, Monterey Bay. Emily’s thesis research utilizes cutting edge automated radio tracking technology to investigate the movement patterns of rodents in agricultural settings. In the future, Emily intends to pursue a PhD to advance her career as an ecologist and research scientist. | ASSESSING PERCEPTION OF RISK FOR SMALL MAMMALS FORAGING NEAR DOG URINE IN COASTAL CALIFORNIA | | Joel Viorato Arambula; California State University Monterey Bay; vioratoarambula@csumb.edu; Lexi G. Hill, Jennifer M. Duggan, Lexi G Hill | This project builds on previous work investigating the responses of wildlife foraging to the presence of domesticated dog urine in coastal California. In this study, we continued measuring Giving-Up Density (GUD; the density of food remaining in a patch after foraging) for nocturnal small mammals in 19 artificial foraging patches (50 g of sunflower seeds in sand) established in a reserve closed to the public in coastal California. We placed dog urine in scent dispensers next to treatment foraging patches and water next to control patches for three consecutive nights in August 2025. Previous work found higher GUD for nocturnal small mammals foraging in patches near dog urine than near water. Now, with additional sampling, our preliminary results demonstrate the same pattern. Although we had hypothesized that small mammals would perceive domestic dog urine as a direct cue for risk and would reduce foraging near it, our results suggest the scent of domestic dog urine may instead attract the attention of small mammals and lead to increased foraging in its presence. Understanding how the presence of odors left by domestic dogs influences foraging of wildlife will be useful for management of domestic dogs in natural areas throughout coastal California. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Lexi Hill and Joel Viorato Arambula are undergraduate students at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). Lexi is majoring in Biology with a concentration in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology. Her goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in Conservation Biology and to one day work as a wildlife rehabilitation specialist. Joel is an Environmental Science, Technology and Policy major. He aims to one day work to conserve local environments affected by climate change. Lexi and Joel work together under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Duggan in the Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Lab at CSUMB. | SURVEYING FOR THE MORRO BAY KANGAROO RAT (DIPODOMYS HEERMANNI MORROENSIS) USING NON-INVASIVE BAITED CAMERA TRAPS | | Brandon S Swanson; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; brandon.swanson@wildlife.ca.gov; Jon H. McCoy, Samantha A. Duston, Jon H McCoy | The Morro Bay Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys heermanni morroensis) is a species endemic to the vicinity of Los Osos in San Luis Obispo County in coastal central California. The species was listed as endangered in 1970 and has not been seen since 1986. The Morro Bay Kangaroo Rat has been surveyed in the past but not extensively on California Department of Fish and Wildlife land where they were last detected. Using a unique non-invasive camera trap method, we surveyed the Morro Dunes Ecological Reserve from 2023-2025. To demonstrate proof of concept of this camera trapping method, we conducted surveys at Black Lake Ecological Preserve which has a known population of Lompoc Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys heermanni arenae) and similar coastal dune scrub habitat to Morro Dunes Ecological Reserve. Lompoc Kangaroo Rats were positively detected within the first night of surveying at Black Lake. Out of 358 camera deployments across Morro Dunes Ecological Reserve, we did not detect any Morro Bay Kangaroo Rat but found that this non-invasive method worked with all other rodent species and can be very useful in determining presence/absence. | | Speaker Bio:
Samantha Duston and Jon McCoy have worked as Scientific Aides at CDFW in San Luis Obispo for 2 years. They help assist unit biologist Brandon Swanson and conduct as well as written protocol surveys for a multitude of species on the California Central Coast. | LIVESTOCK GRAZING AND IT'S ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS ON SMALL MAMMALS IN A TROPICAL DECIDUOUS FOREST OF BAJA CALIFORNIA | | Jonathan A Villarreal Fletes; San Diego Natural History Museum ; jvillarreal@sdnhm.org; Scott Tremor | Grazing by domestic herbivores has altered biodiversity worldwide. This practice has persisted throughout much of the Baja California peninsula since the 1530s, when the captains under Hernán Cortés first introduced livestock. Grazing intensity increased substantially in the 1800s and is now widespread across the peninsula. The ecological consequences of livestock grazing are well-documented in the southwestern United States. Experimental studies employing livestock exclosures have demonstrated both the long-term effects on plant and animal communities and the potential for ecosystem recovery following cessation of grazing. These studies consistently report higher abundance and diversity of small mammals within exclosures compared to grazed areas. To date, no comparable exclusion studies have been conducted on the Baja California peninsula. In the spring of 2023, we sampled 106 ha of tropical deciduous forest across three adjacent sites representing distinct grazing histories: a 2-year exclosure (45 ha), a 10-year enclosure (40 ha), and an unfenced control (21 ha). As expected, longer exclusion periods were associated with increased species diversity and community complexity. Balancing the economic importance of pastoralism with the conservation of native biodiversity remains a critical challenge for sustainable land management throughout the region. | | Speaker Bio:
Jonathan Villarreal Fletes is a biologist with over five years of experience conducting field research on the Baja California Peninsula, México. His work focuses on mammal ecology and conservation, with experience spanning reptiles, insects, plants, and mammals. He has contributed to camera trap monitoring projects for carnivores and rodent population surveys, and has worked with several endemic and endangered species, including Tamiasciurus mearnsi, Microtus californicus huperuthrus, and Dipodomys gravipes. He is currently affiliated with the San Diego Natural History Museum as a mammalogist. | OVERVIEW OF RECENT RESEARCH ON YUMA RIDGWAY'S RAILS THROUGHOUT THEIR U.S. RANGE | | Cydney M Yost; University of Idaho; cyost@uidaho.edu; Kathryn M. Sliwa, Natalya Hebert, Courtney J. Conway | The Yuma Ridgway’s rail (Rallus obsoletus yumanensis) is a federally endangered bird endemic to wetlands throughout the Lower Colorado River Basin and the Salton Sea. Emergent wetlands within the limited geographic range of this rail are fragmented and embedded in a landscape dominated by desert, human development, and agriculture. Rails are notoriously difficult to study due to their secretive behaviors and inaccessible habitat. We have been researching Yuma Ridgway’s rails over the last decade, focusing on two main objectives. Our first objective was to document annual movements by Yuma Ridgway’s rails throughout their U.S. range (California, Arizona, and Nevada). We deployed satellite GPS transmitters on rails (n=270) from 2016–2025. Our second objective was to document and compare selenium levels in rails, eggs, and prey between ag-fed and river-fed marshes. We collected blood and feather samples from rails, eggshell and unhatched egg samples from nests, and prey samples from within rail home ranges (2020–2025). Key findings from our research include: rail populations exhibit partial migration to Mexico, selenium concentrations were highest in samples collected from ag-fed marshes, and rails foraging in ag-fed marshes had lower nesting success. Together, these findings inform habitat management and targeted conservation planning for Yuma Ridgway’s rails. | | Speaker Bio:
| USING ENVIRONMENTAL DNA TO MONITOR WILDLIFE ON WORKING RANGELANDS | | Farley Connelly; Alameda County Resource Conservation District; farley.connelly@acrcd.org; Ben Weise, Jackie Charbonneau | Rangeland ecosystems support diverse wildlife yet remain difficult to monitor due to their vast scales, permitting constraints, and limited resources available to producers. This project investigates environmental DNA (eDNA) as a cost-effective, non-invasive tool for assessing wildlife biodiversity across Alameda and Contra Costa County rangelands. Over a three-year period, the Alameda County Resource Conservation District (ACRCD) and Contra Costa Resource Conservation District (CCRCD), in partnership with NRCS, are collecting eDNA samples from livestock ponds and creeks to detect vertebrate and invertebrate species presence and determine. Results are compared with traditional survey techniques (visual, trapping, camera) to evaluate efficiency, accuracy, and cost. The project aims to demonstrate that eDNA can complement or replace conventional wildlife surveys, support voluntary conservation by ranchers, and inform NRCS wildlife habitat management practices. By integrating eDNA into working lands conservation, this project seeks to expand producer participation, improve biodiversity data across East Bay rangelands, and create a foundation for using eDNA monitoring to evaluate habitat restoration and management success. | | Speaker Bio:
Farley Connelly, Ph.D., is a wildlife biologist with the Alameda County Resource Conservation District, where he leads research and conservation initiatives focused on the Northwestern Pond Turtle and other rangeland species across California’s East Bay. He earned his doctorate in Urban Ecology from the University of Melbourne, where his research explored how wildlife persists in fragmented and human-influenced landscapes. Farley’s current work integrates telemetry, eDNA, and habitat restoration to inform conservation planning across working lands. | MAPPING THE THREAT: DETERMINATION OF FACTORS THAT PREDICT FERAL CAT PRESENCE AND ACTIVITY ACROSS ENVIRONMENTAL GRADIENTS IN HAWAIIAN ISLAND ECOSYSTEMS | | Kaden M Janc; University of Hawaii at Manoa; janck@hawaii.edu; Derek Risch, Melissa Price | Feral cats (Felis catus) are among the world’s most damaging invasive species, contributing to global species declines. In Hawai‘i, cats have contributed to population declines of endangered ground-nesting seabirds, native forest birds, and marine mammals through Taxoplasma gondii transmission. No statewide assessment has examined how ecological and human factors shape their distribution and behavior. This study identifies key environmental and human drivers of cat occupancy and activity across Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island to guide management. From 2016–2023, game cameras were deployed at 194 randomly stratified sites representing diverse ecosystems across elevational and climatic gradients. Over 4,600 trap nights produced 1,349 confirmed detections. Occupancy was calculated using Bayesian methods, accounting for imperfect detection and testing the influence of land cover, vegetation height, elevation, precipitation, and distance to urban areas. Activity patterns were analyzed using 24-hour kernel density estimates derived from timestamped detections. Occupancy was highest near urban areas and declined with increasing elevation, rainfall, and vegetation height. However, cats were still detected in remote and high elevation habitats. Activity remained largely nocturnal, with greater nocturnality in remote areas consistent with increased hunting reliance. Results will inform targeted management and improve conservation for Hawai‘i’s native fauna. | | Speaker Bio:
Kaden Janc is an undergraduate student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa pursuing a degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Management with a specialization in Wildlife Ecology and Management. His research focuses on invasive species management, specifically identifying the primary ecological and anthropogenic drivers of feral cat distribution and behavior across the Hawaiian Islands. Kaden also volunteers with the Hawaii Wildlife Center, where he assists with transport and rehabilitation of rescued native birds. He is passionate about advancing wildlife conservation efforts and improving management strategies for invasive species in island ecosystems. | LEVERAGING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, WEB APP BUILDING PLATFORMS, AND HUMAN VALIDATION TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY OF PROCESSING TRAIL CAMERA IMAGES | | Kaitlin R McGee; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; kaitlin.mcgee@wildlife.ca.gov; Bergen Foshay, Matt Toenies, Ryan Peek, Allison Salas, Lindsey Rich, Kaitlin McGee Bergen Foshay | California Department of Fish and Wildlife biodiversity monitoring projects like the California Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Framework and Sentinel Sites for Nature, use trail cameras to collect data on small to large-sized mammals and reptiles at over 300 sites annually, resulting in millions of wildlife camera images each year. To process these data in a timely and consistent manner, we developed a data processing pipeline that uses artificial intelligence (AI), human validation, and sharing information through online platforms. We use Wildlife Insights to store and identify photos because the AI tool automatically identifies blank images and photographed animals to species, reducing our processing time by ~75%. To help people correct or confirm AI-generated species tags and ensure consistency, we created identification guides in ArcGIS Experiences. We provide example camera trap images and descriptions for all photographed animals, including small mammals and reptiles that can be challenging to identify. Our pipeline enables a small team of people, regardless of experience, to quickly process millions of images, making our methods scalable and open to collaboration. It also enables us to ask statewide questions that improve our understanding of how land use and climate-related changes are impacting our state’s natural resources. | | Speaker Bio:
Kaitlin McGee (she/her) is an Environmental Scientist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, where she implements state-wide terrestrial monitoring as part of the California Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Framework (CEMAF). With a B.S. from University of California, Davis and a M.S. from Colorado State University, she is interested in interspecific interactions, land use, and forest ecology. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and getting outdoors. At the conference she will be presenting the data processing pipeline CEMAF uses to process camera trap images, including leveraging artificial intelligence and app building platforms.
Bergen Foshay (she/her) is an Environmental Scientist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife who is also part of CEMAF. She has a B.S. in Aquatic Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and is interested in landscape ecology and land management. When not outdoors, she enjoys knitting and reading. | COMPARING BIRD SPECIES OCCUPANCY AND RICHNESS ESTIMATES UNDER CONTRASTING AUTONOMOUS RECORDING UNIT VALIDATION PROTOCOLS | | Patrick T Freeman; Conservation Science Partners; patrick@csp-inc.org; Matthew Toenies, Lauren M. Benedict, Justin P. Suraci, L. Mae Lacey, Ryan A. Peek, Lindsey N. Rich, Patrick T. Freeman Matthew Toenies | Passive acoustic monitoring using autonomous recording units (ARUs) has become essential for avian biodiversity research, with tools like BirdNET enabling rapid processing of massive audio datasets. However, extracting reliable species occurrence data from algorithm outputs requires validation, and protocols vary widely in time investment and data retention. We compare how two validation approaches affect estimates of species richness and occupancy using recordings from 270 sites across California over three years. The first protocol uses intensive manual validation of only the highest-confidence BirdNET detections, ensuring accuracy but requiring substantial effort and potentially discarding valuable data. The second relies on validation of a relatively small but representative subset of detections and applies ecoregion-specific, logistic regression-based confidence thresholds to site-level recordings. This automated approach is less time-intensive and retains more data, potentially making it a highly valuable approach for many research/management applications, but its performance relative to manual validation at site scales remains untested. By comparing occupancy and richness estimates derived using each approach, we identify the conditions under which the threshold approach performs as well as manual validation. These results will help researchers select appropriate validation approaches based on study scale, resources, and conservation objectives, advancing standardization in acoustic monitoring workflows. | | Speaker Bio:
Patrick (he/him) is a wildlife ecologist and conservation biologist who leverages data, quantitative modeling and analysis, and science communication to empower stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to better understand and protect biodiversity from populations to landscapes. He holds a BSc and MSc from Stanford University’s interdisciplinary Earth Systems Program and an MSc in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Brown University. | FROM FIELD TO FINDINGS: THE BIOACOUSTICS PIPELINE OF AUDIODASH | | Keke Ray; The Institute for Bird Populations; kray@birdpop.org; Mary Clapp, Jerry Cole, Joe Weiss | At The Institute for Bird Populations, we have spent eight years conducting over a dozen passive acoustic monitoring projects, amassing >450,000 hours of audio. The volume and diverse applications of the data have necessitated the development of a systematic and efficient workflow to address bottlenecks between data collection and interpretable data. We introduce AudioDash, a web-based platform and standardized data pipeline designed to streamline management and analysis of large-scale acoustic datasets. From single-species studies to analyses of avian community responses to wildfire, our most recent methods, developed over the last three years, have generated almost 90,000 human verified audio samples. Audio and metadata are collected in the field via autonomous recording units (ARUs), then compressed, cleaned, renamed, and stored on a local server. AudioDash was built as a “model-agnostic” platform and can host multiple machine-learning models, including off-the-shelf options such as BirdNET or customizable classifiers like Perch. BirdNET generates species detections, confidence scores, and audio clips for expert verification, while we use Perch to build custom models for specific targets. Both classifiers support data export for subsequent statistical evaluation. We trace the path of audio from field to findings, illustrating the workflow, user-friendly design, and diverse ways to use AudioDash. | | Speaker Bio:
Keke graduated with her B.A. in Biology from Kalamazoo College in 2014 and spent many years as a field biologist, working her way across the country on various avian, mammalian, and vegetation projects. In 2024 she graduated with an M.S. in Biology from Western Michigan University where she studied red-winged blackbird communication with a focus on call repertoire and alarm call combinations. Keke became a full time IBP staff member in 2024 where she conducts bird surveys, assists with project development, and verifies and manages acoustic data. | SPATIAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF SONIC BOOM INTENSITY AND PROTECTED SPECIES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | | Hugo J Zepeda; California State University Bakersfield ; Hzepeda1@csub.edu; Rachel H. Budge, Emily V. Olivares Garnica, Megan R. McCullah-Boozer,, Lucas K. Hall, Kent L. Gee, Grant W. Hart, Levi T. Moats, Mark C. Anderson, Marcus T. Perkins, Jason Bickmore | Waiting to submit once the abstract is approved and government shutdown is over. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Hugo Zepeda, resident of Bakersfield California, a mid-size city in the central valley. I am currently working in my Biology Bachelors at California State University Bakersfield with 25 years of age. My first language is Spanish since I was born in Mexico but came to the United States right after high school where I have learned English. My current interest is in ecological compositions, I want to solve how and why do ecosystems work the way they do. I recently had a 15-minute presentation about my research in Utah, that was also my first time ever presenting outside of school making this time the second. I look forward to present my poster, gaining more experience and developing further this skill which is so important for research. | VOCALIZATION RESPONSE BY AVIAN SPECIES TO ROCKET LAUNCH NOISE AT VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE | | Lucas K. Hall; California State University Bakersfield; lhall12@csub.edu; Emily Olivares Garnica, Megan R. McCullah-Boozer, Rachel H. Budge, Hugo J. Zepeda, Kent L. Gee, Grant W. Hart, Levi T. Moats, Alex M. Gunther, Dan Robinette, Emily Rice | Anthropogenic activities can produce varying levels of noise in wildlife habitats. For example, the space launch industry has significantly increased orbital launches over the last few years, and these launches produce high-amplitude noise. Yet, there is a lack of research assessing the avian community response to recurring launch noise. As many birds are reliant on vocalizations for critical life history strategies, the high-amplitude noise from rockets may affect the vocal ecology of birds. The objective of this study is to evaluate the vocalization response of avian species at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB), where rocket launch cadence has increased fivefold since 2000 and is expected to continue increasing. Our interdisciplinary research team consisting of wildlife ecologists and physical acousticians is working to understand avian vocalization dynamics as a function of rocket launches. To do this, we deployed Wildlife Acoustics SM4 devices across 15 locations at VSFB, and these recorded continuously from March through September in 2024 and 2025. Using these data, we will conduct preliminary analyses comparing avian vocalization characteristics before and after rocket launches. Preliminary results from this work will help guide further analyses and ultimately conservation efforts on federal lands subject to high-amplitude noise events. | | Speaker Bio:
Dr. Hall is a conservation ecologist that works with a variety of species of wildlife. He has been a faculty member of the Biology Department at CSUB since 2019. Dr. Hall’s current research at CSUB focuses on the conservation of threatened and endangered species in the San Joaquin Valley and along the Pacific Coast. Specifically, his research projects evaluate how native species respond to anthropogenic disturbances in human-modified landscapes. | LEVERAGING EDNA TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY OF SALT MARSH HARVEST MOUSE SURVEYS IN A LARGE TIDAL WETLAND | | Erika Walther; Environmental Science Associates; ewalther@esassoc.com; Mandi McElroy | ESA used two techniques to establish the presence and distribution of the California and federally endangered salt marsh harvest mouse prior to restoration and enhancement of a large San Francisco Bay Area tidal marsh. The first technique was live trapping with Sherman traps to capture and mark mice and the second technique used bait stations to collect small rodent fecal pellets for eDNA analysis. This presentation will discuss the benefits and constraints of each survey approach in general, and the results of applying both techniques at a single survey site. | | Speaker Bio:
Erika Walther is a senior wildlife biologist at Environmental Science Associates who lends her technical expertise to support land conservation, mitigation, and restoration projects in coastal salt marsh and vernal pool grassland ecosystems in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento Valley. She holds U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife permits for salt marsh harvest mouse, California tiger salamander, and vernal pool fairy shrimp and tadpole shrimp. Erika is a former TWS San Francisco Bay Area Chapter president and currently enjoys co-hosting the TWS Western Section podcast with Ivan Parr and Lizzie Meisman. | SPATIAL CAPTURE-RECAPTURE METHODS FOR WILDLIFE SEARCH-ENCOUNTER DATA | | Savannah A Rogers; University of California Berkeley; savannah.a.rogers@gmail.com; Chris Sutherland, Richard Glennie, Len Thomas | Spatial capture -recapture (SCR) is a popular and robust method for estimating population density, abundance, and dynamics. In systems where leaving stationary detectors in the field is not practical, data for SCR analyses is often collected with moving detectors (e.g., photo identification surveys from a boat, scat detection dogs). In these cases, the path of the moving detector is typically discretized and converted, post hoc, into a grid of ‘effective’ traps. While in most cases this approach is effective, we demonstrate that for some datasets this results in biased density estimates. We developed a new SCR method specifically for this data type with a likelihood formulated for detectors that move in space and time. We present a simulation study that highlights the reduction in bias, improvement in precision, and reduction in computation time afforded by our new method in specific cases and offer recommendations for when this approach is appropriate. We also demonstrate the improvements to inference with a case study of a population of Tamanend’s bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops erebennus) in the southeastern US. This method, which is available in the openpopscr package on Github, has wide applicability to species sampled via search-encounter surveys in terrestrial and marine systems. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Savannah Rogers works at the juncture of ecology and statistics. She develops new methodology for estimating density, abundance, and population dynamics across taxa, such as spatial capture-recapture models in a maximum likelihood framework. As a part of the California Urban Nature Alliance project, she is interested in the interconnected nature of human and wildlife communities and how this manifests in urban carnivores at the individual and population level. | CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE RANGE MAP AND HABITAT MODELING UPDATES | | Evan Greenspan; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; evan.greenspan@wildlife.ca.gov; Sara Moriarty-Graves, Clayton Sodergren, Melanie Gogol-Prokurat | Taxon-specific range maps and habitat models are integral tools for conservation and management planning, particularly for rare species. As environmental conditions change over time and as new data collection tools facilitate an increase in species detections, updates to existing maps are needed. The Range and Distribution Mapping and Analysis Project (RADMAP) is heading the effort to develop, update, and compile range maps and habitat models for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). RADMAP is updating range maps for priority species throughout the state and publishing these on CDFW’s online Biogeographic Information and Observation System (BIOS) for immediate use by partner organizations and stakeholders. Simultaneously, RADMAP is compiling species habitat models (SHM) from across their partner network into an accessible library of range maps and SHMs. The library houses one CDFW vetted range map and SHM per priority taxon, representing its spatial use on the landscape. For species lacking an existing robust SHM, RADMAP’s ecological modelers create them with the aid of expert reviewers. Each map and model meets minimum criteria that allow for an assessment of model confidence, including expert review and adequate metadata describing model parameters and validation statistics. | | Speaker Bio:
Evan Greenspan is the project lead for the Range and Distribution Mapping and Analysis Project in the Biogeographic Data Branch of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. | CALIFORNIA RED-LEGGED FROG AND NON-LISTED AMPHIBIANS RESPONSE TO NON-NATIVE FISH REMOVAL | | David L Riensche; East Bay Regional Park District ; driensche@ebparks.org; | The California Red-legged Frog (Rana draytonii) is a federally threatened species that is declining in its range. Additionally, other Amphibians are decreasing in their distribution, and researchers attribute these declines to the occurrence of exotic predators. For nearly 150 years, the introduction of non-native fish into California livestock ponds has been prevalent. The impact of these releases has been damaging to native frogs. Pond restoration efforts aimed at eradicating non-native fish can reverse this trend by improving habitat conditions that support recovery goals for the California Red-legged Frog. Following the removal of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) and Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) from a permanent livestock pond at Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park in the fall of 2022, the location started supporting native amphibians the following spring. For the first time since 2016, when systematic annual survey began, adults and larvae Pacific Chorus Frog (Pseudacris regilla) and California Newt (Taricha torosa) started inhabiting the pond (2023 to 2025). Adult California Red-legged Frogs colonized the site, one year later (2024 to 2025). This new site-specific information on California Red-legged Frog and native Amphibian response to exotic fish removal in a central California rangeland will inform recovery efforts designed to preserve and manage habitat for this threatened species. | | Speaker Bio:
David (AKA “DOC QUACK”) Riensche, a Certified Wildlife Biologist, and a Certified Senior Ecologist, is a Wildlife Biologist II for the East Bay Regional Park District where he has worked for over 37 years. For 28 years he has been a member of the Biology Department faculty at Las Positas College, where he teaches courses in biology, ecology, and vertebrate natural history. He is a recipient of The National Association for Interpretation (Region 9) – Outstanding Field Naturalist Award. David holds advanced degrees in both Natural Resource Management and Environmental Education, and an undergraduate degree in Biology (Wildlife). His current wildlife research and habitat restoration efforts are diverse, focusing on the following species and groups: California Least Tern, Western Snowy Plover, Black Skimmer, Forster’s Tern, Western and Clark’s Grebes, Bald Eagle, Ridgway’s Rail, California Black Rail, Burrowing Owl, California Red-legged Frog, California Tiger Salamander, Western Pond Turtle, Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse, San Francisco Dusky-footed Woodrat, Bats, Fairly Shrimp, Central California grassland lizards and small mammals, riparian and oak woodland breeding bird community structure, shorebird nesting population studies, upland gamebirds and waterfowl management | IT'S A HARD ROCK LIFE: CALIFORNIA RED-LEGGED FROG AND CALIFORNIA TIGER SALAMANDER OBSERVATIONS AT AN ALAMEDA COUNTY QUARRY | | Liza Ryan; Environmental Science Associates; lryan@esassoc.com; Even Holmboe, Sarah Harris, Brendon Quinton, Sharon Melesurgo, Brian Pittman | California red-legged frog (CRLF) and California tiger salamander (CTS) are rare amphibian species listed as threatened in Alameda County under the federal Endangered Species Act; California tiger salamander is also a state threatened species. These species have a hotspot of known occurrences in eastern Alameda County, where they live in a matrix of vernal pools and associated grasslands. At a gravel quarry in this region, over 3 miles of Ertec fencing was installed around the site perimeter, along with wildlife coverboards to provide refuge for CRLF and CTS. A mitigation pond was enhanced to support habitat needs. Coverboard checks were performed during and after rain events from 2014-2025. We examined data from recorded observances of each species (44 CTS/17 CRLF) at the coverboards to evaluate the spatial relationship of sightings relative to potential breeding sites outside the quarry. We also examined historical weather data to determine whether temperature or precipitation conditions promoted species movement. CTS observations showed correlation with precipitation; both species were independent of temperature. We further report other vertebrate species recorded at the site and discuss potential next steps for site management. | | Speaker Bio:
Liza Ryan, CWB, is a senior wildlife biologist at Environmental Science Associates. | OBSERVATION OF CALIFORNIA RED-LEGGED FROG (RANA DRAYTONII) IN AN ABANDONED MINE SHAFT | | Kelly A McDonald; PG&E; kellyalyce.mcdonald@gmail.com; | I observed multiple adult California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) approximately 4 feet inside an abandoned mine shaft located in the foothills above Cambria, San Luis Obispo County, California. This species, listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, is typically found in freshwater habitats with dense riparian vegetation. The shaft’s interior—cool, humid, and shaded with approximately 2 to 3 feet of standing water—provided suitable microhabitat conditions despite its anthropogenic origin. This incidental finding suggests that R. draytonii may utilize non-traditional structures such as mine shafts as refugia during periods of environmental stress, such as drought or extreme heat. The observation underscores the potential conservation value of artificial underground habitats in fragmented or degraded landscapes. While anecdotal, this record contributes to a broader understanding of habitat plasticity in R. draytonii and highlights the importance of including uncommon structures in habitat assessments. Further study is recommended to evaluate the frequency and function of mine shaft use in the species’ range, particularly in areas lacking traditional aquatic refuges. | | Speaker Bio:
I observed multiple adult California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) approximately 4 feet inside an abandoned mine shaft located in the foothills above Cambria, San Luis Obispo County, California. This species, listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, is typically found in freshwater habitats with dense riparian vegetation. The shaft’s interior—cool, humid, and shaded with approximately 2 to 3 feet of standing water—provided suitable microhabitat conditions despite its anthropogenic origin. | FINDING BALANCE: THE WESTERN SPADEFOOT THRIVES IN THE MIDST OF AN OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE PARK | | Nicole Kleponis; nicolekleponis@gmail.com; Elizabeth Gutberlet | The Western Spadefoot (Spea hammondii) is a small terrestrial anuran facing population declines due to habitat loss and a changing climate. Previous research has considered off-highway vehicle (OHV) activity as detrimental to the species, and considered land used for this recreation as habitat loss. However, we have found that at Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA), a 1,300 acre OHV park located between Livermore and Tracy in the Diablo Range, the western spadefoot has been successful despite, and perhaps even benefited from, OHV activity. Park records document that this species has consistently and successfully bred in OHV-created pools and have been notably absent from an adjacent, undisturbed property. Recreational features and compacted soils have provided water retaining pools during years of drought, providing breeding habitat for western spadefoot. Spadefoot sympatry with fairy shrimp have produced larval plasticity, creating eco-morphs observed by differing mouthparts and jaw sizes. Park management actions of banning night-riding and closing areas of breeding activity and sandy-soil areas have protected the species from riding-caused mortality. Through documenting foraging, breeding, and refuge occurrences within Carnegie SVRA, we describe how this resilient species utilizes a recreational landscape and share management considerations for this species on other recreational lands. | | Speaker Bio:
Nicole is a wildlife biologist whose work and interests have centered on the conservation of listed or at-risk species. She has conducted field work with the federal government throughout the remote west. Nicole has a Master's in Natural Resources from Delaware State University where she focused on Red-throated Loon winter distribution in Delaware Bay, worked with NOAA on a seabird diet study, and ran her advisor's banding station for forest passerines. She fell in love with amphibians, particularly the Western Spadefoot, when working for Carnegie State Vehicle Recreation Area. Although she no longer works for the park, she greatly cares about the landscape and its wildlife and visits often. | THE INFLUENCE OF MESOCARNIVORES ON SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOX ACTIVITY AT ARTIFICIAL DENS IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT | | Alyse D Gabaldon; California State University, Bakersfield; agabaldon1@csub.edu; Lucas K. Hall | Habitat loss has detrimental impacts on wildlife and is steadily increasing. The San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica), an endangered canid endemic to the San Joaquin Valley, is one of many species impacted by habitat loss. Despite urbanization being a cause for habitat loss, San Joaquin kit foxes have been successful in the novel, urban environment of Bakersfield, CA. However, suitable denning habitat in the urban environment is becoming increasingly limited as urban development continues. The reduction in suitable denning habitat could result in kit foxes utilizing similar resources as other species in Bakersfield (e.g., striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), domestic cats (Felis catus)). While coexistence between domestic and wild carnivores can occur, it introduces the potential for increased competition and predation. With the reduction of suitable denning habitat, kit foxes are facing an additional challenge of competing with other urban carnivores for space. This study aims to determine if the activity other species at the artificial dens influences San Joaquin kit fox activity. | | Speaker Bio:
Alyse is a graduate student at California State University, Bakersfield. They are pursuing their Master of Biology and are working primarily with San Joaquin kit foxes and artificial dens for their thesis. They are also assisting with other research projects that focus on urban ecology. Alyse is also a biologist that works primarily with listed species, including the San Joaquin kit fox and Tipton kangaroo rat. | THE EFFECTS OF ANTHROPOGENIC NOISE ON PACIFIC POCKET MOUSE BEHAVIOR | | Priscila A Anguiano; San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; pranguiano@sdzwa.org; Rachel Y Chock, Alison L Greggor, Debra M Shier | The Pacific pocket mouse (Perognathus longimembris pacificus), an endangered subspecies, persists in only 3 known wild populations. The Pacific Pocket Mouse Conservation Breeding and Reintroduction Program aims to establish additional wild populations by selecting and restoring suitable habitats within their historic range of coastal southern California. Optimal habitat consists of open, sandy soils that facilitate burrow construction within coastal sage scrub that provides cover and food resources. Many potential reintroduction sites occur near military installations or airports that generate chronic and acute noise pollution. Research on related small mammals indicates that anthropogenic noise can disrupt communication, foraging, movement, and activity patterns, potentially reducing fitness. We evaluated whether experimental exposure to airport noise alters Pacific pocket mouse foraging behavior and nightly activity budgets relative to noise-free periods. We exposed individuals to recorded airport noise representative of the frequency and sound levels at potential receiver sites and quantified behavioral responses through video observations and daily seed consumption over a five-week period. Results from this study will clarify whether airport noise poses behavioral risks to the species and inform the selection of future reintroduction sites. | | Speaker Bio:
I am an early career professional interested in the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on wildlife behavior, mitigating human-wildlife conflict, and monitoring populations of endangered species. I currently work as a Heteromyid Research Assistant within the Recovery Ecology department at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, specifically working with San Bernardino kangaroo rats and Pacific pocket mice. I am a UC Davis alum, where I served as an officer for the TWS Student Chapter for three years. I aim to pursue a graduate degree in behavioral ecology to further contribute to the understanding of wildlife adaptations amidst changing ecosystems. | ENDOPARASITE PREVALENCE IN ENDANGERED SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOXES IN URBAN AND NON-URBAN ENVIRONMENTS | | Brian L. Cypher; Endangered Species Recovery Program; bcypher58@gmail.com; Paul R. Crosbie, Jessica N. Wilson, Jaime L. Rudd | A robust population of endangered San Joaquin kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis mutica) is present in the city of Bakersfield, CA. In this urban environment, the foxes are sympatric with more mesocarnivore species including ones that they are unlikely to encounter in natural habitats. Thus, we hypothesized that endoparasite prevalence would be higher among urban foxes. We necropsied kit foxes found dead in urban and non-urban environments and examined them for gastrointestinal parasites (e.g., nematodes and cestodes) and fecal protozoans (Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp.) to determine prevalence. Overall prevalence for kit foxes with at least one nematode or cestode species was 81.6% for non-urban foxes and 71.8% for urban foxes (p=0.36). Significantly more (p<0.01) non-urban foxes had nematodes (65.8%) compared with urban foxes (28.2%) while prevalence (55.3% and 61.5%, respectively) was similar (p=0.65) for cestodes. Cryptosporidium spp. prevalence trended higher among non-urban foxes (51.7%) compared to urban foxes (36.2%) and Giardia spp. prevalence among non-urban (58.6%) and urban foxes (34.0%) was marginally higher (p=0.06). Contrary to our prediction, non-urban foxes exhibited higher prevalence of endoparasitism compared to urban foxes. One possible explanation is that prey species that may play a role in parasite life-cycles are more abundant in non-urban habitats. | | Speaker Bio:
Brian Cypher is the former Director and current Research Ecologist with the Endangered Species Recovery Program at CSU-Stanislaus. His primary interest is the ecology and conservation of wild canids. After completing his Ph.D. in Zoology at Southern Illinois University, he came to California in 1990 to work with endangered San Joaquin kit foxes, but also has conducted research on a variety of other rare species, including kangaroo rats, shrews, antelope squirrels, pocket mice, and even plants. However, his main emphasis has always been the ecology and conservation of San Joaquin kit foxes. | URBAN DIETS OF SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOX REVEALED BY DNA METABARCODING: DIVERSE PREY AND ANTHROPOGENIC FOOD USE SUGGEST A SHIFT IN FORAGING STRATEGY | | Keegan M Finnerty; Lander University; University of California, Davis; keeganquest@gmail.com; Sophie Preckler-Quisquater, Stevi Vanderzwan, Jazmine Camacho Servin, Jaime Rudd, Erica Kelly, Brian Cypher, Ben Sacks | The San Joaquin kit fox (SJKF; Vulpes macrotis mutica) is an endangered species endemic to California’s San Joaquin Valley. One of its largest remaining populations persists within the city of Bakersfield, CA, despite lacking many ideal habitat characteristics. In natural environments, SJKFs are foraging specialists, consuming invertebrates and heteromyid rodents like kangaroo rats. However, stable isotope analyses suggest urban foxes rely heavily on anthropogenic food. We hypothesized that urban SJKFs exhibit more generalist foraging strategies than non-urban counterparts, driven by (1) reduced availability of preferred natural prey and (2) increased access to diverse anthropogenic foods. To test this, we conducted DNA metabarcoding on 128 scats collected across the CSU Bakersfield campus, extracted and amplified prey DNA, and identified dietary items using high-throughput sequencing and BLAST. Anthropogenic food items occurred in 83% of scats, making this a substantial component of the urban SJKF diet. The absence of a single, dominant prey item suggested a more generalist foraging strategy. Anthropogenic items frequently co-occurred together, while natural prey (e.g., rodents) showed opposing patterns to each other, suggesting SJKF alternate between natural and anthropogenic resources across meals. Ongoing metabarcoding of a non-urban population will allow direct comparisons of diet between urban and natural habitats. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Keegan Finnerty is a senior undergraduate Biology and Environmental Science major at Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina. In the Summer of 2025 he completed NSF’s Ecology, Evolution, and Working Landscapes REU in the Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit (MECU) at UC Davis. While there, he worked on a metabarcoding study, characterizing the diet of an urban population of the endangered San Joaquin kit fox. At Lander, he is currently working on a camera trap study, assessing predictors of nocturnality in South Carolina mammals. | CROSPLAN: THE WILDLIFE CROSSING PLANNING TOOL | | David P Waetjen; UC Davis; dwaetjen@ucdavis.edu; Benjamin Hodgson, Fraser M. Shilling, Fraser Shilling | The planning of wildlife crossings requires having appropriate wildlife and spatial data and predictions of species’ interactions with the proposed structure. The spatial location of wildlife crossing structures is the most critical feature of decision-making as it determines future effectiveness of the structures. CROSPLAN (https://crosplan.wildlifecrossing.net) is a new web-based tool that provides a set of features to assist in wildlife crossing planning. The tool can jump-start projects by clipping meaningful spatial data surrounding a planned structure point. Users can drop a point on a map and access spatial data for: the predicted habitat of terrestrial species, wildlife-vehicle collisions, wildlife observations, land use/cover, noise and light models, and waterways. CROSPLAN is the primary mechanism for accessing data from the California Roadkill Observation System (CROS), which has over 255,000 roadkill observations, with an additional 18,000 “live”, “injured” and “animal sign” observations. The tool also provides predictions of various species’ likelihood of using a designed structure based on its physical characteristics and nearby landscape classifications. Scientific planning of mitigation is best informed using sufficient data. CROSPLAN utilizes over 2400 distinct spatial layers of open data at multiple scales, positioning the wildlife crossing planner to make good decisions. | | Speaker Bio:
David Waetjen is a programmer-analyst who specializes in environmental web-based informatics systems for data collection, decision support, and knowledge building. He received his PhD in Geography and has since worked for the UC Davis Road Ecology Center and the Institute of Transportation Studies. He built and maintains several data portals, including PollardBase, the Plant Risk Evaluator (PRE), and the California Roadkill Observation System (CROS). | CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE'S TERRESTRIAL CONNECTIVITY DATASET: OVERVIEW AND UPDATES | | Michael A Hardy; California Department of Fish & Wildlife; michael.hardy@wildlife.ca.gov; Melanie Gogol-Prokurat | Habitat connectivity, which provides pathways for organisms to move across the landscape to find resources, reproductive opportunities, and quality habitat, is critical for maintaining viable populations of wildlife species, particularly in the face of anthropogenic pressures and a changing climate. The California landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented due to urbanization and climate change, resulting in barriers to wildlife movement. In recent years, increased interest in a systematic approach to restoring, maintaining, and enhancing habitat connectivity for wildlife has emerged. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Areas of Conservation Empasis (ACE) is a suite of geospatial data products that provide information on biodiversity, habitat connectivity, and climate resiliency. The ACE Terrestrial Connectivity dataset is a compilation of statewide and regional habitat linkage data into one statewide connectivity map. This dataset is used by scientists and decision-makers to inform how to best conserve habitat connectivity. Here we describe recent updates to the dataset, including efforts made to enhance interaction and interpretation of the dataset within CDFW’s online Biogeographic Information and Observation System (BIOS), and outline plans for future updates. | | Speaker Bio:
Michael Hardy is the Statewide Connectivity Spatial Ecologist at the California Department of Fish & Wildlife. | MOTUS- WHAT ARE WE LEARNING? | | Levi Souza; Levi.Souza@wildlife.ca.gov; Patrick Lorch, Whitney Albright, Nicole Cornelius, Michelle Selmon | Motus is a world-wide network of automated wildlife tracking stations. It relies on a dispersed system of independently managed receivers to detect radio tagged animals. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has played a major role in the development of the Motus network in California. As the density of stations in the west has increased, the network has become an important tool for understanding migration patterns of small bodied highly mobile species. From pelicans to butterflies, researchers are putting Motus to work. Here we illustrate the network’s rapid development in the state and the importance of partnerships in that progression, highlight interesting movement patterns that the network is revealing for several western species and summarize the CDFW Motus project’s impact by providing summary information about the project’s receivers and detections. | | Speaker Bio:
Levi Souza is a Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. He leads a statewide team that performs prevention, remediation and restoration work on CDFW lands and he also leads the Department's Motus program. | EVALUATION OF CALTRANS AND CDFW HIGHWAY BARRIERS WITH WILDLIFE DATA | | Benjamin Hodgson; Road Ecology Center at the University of California, Davis; bjhodgson@ucdavis.edu; Dave Waetjen, Fraser Shilling, Fraser Shilling | Roads disrupt wildlife movement by impacting species diversity, population ranges, and mortality rates. To improve wildlife connectivity, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and Department of Transportation (Caltrans) have each identified “wildlife barriers,” regions where roads are thought to impede movement. These are candidate sites for many millions of dollars worth of mitigation measures, such as wildlife crossing structures. To evaluate these barriers, we compared terrestrial wildlife observations within barrier areas to adjacent control regions. We calculated counts of live observations and roadkills for each barrier-control pair and computed the difference (barrier minus control). Differences were assigned a direction (+, –, 0) and tested for significance (p<0.05) with pairwise Wilcoxon tests. We found that a majority of both Caltrans- and CDFW-identified barriers had significantly higher mammal observations compared to control regions (p<0.05), but no difference in the number of reptile or amphibian observations. Among CDFW barriers, 68% had a significantly higher number of mammal and reptile species than controls. Among Caltrans barriers, 64% had significantly higher reptile roadkills than controls. These results suggest that certain barriers may be worthy of mitigation action, whereas others may need re-evaluation before significant investments of limited state or other funds. | | Speaker Bio:
Fraser Shilling is the director of the Road Ecology Center at the University of California, Davis Institute of Transportation Studies. | CAMERA TRAP MONITORING OF CROP-ADJACENT WETLANDS TO EVALUATE FOOD SAFETY RISK | | Cozette F Wood; California State University Monterey Bay; cwood2023hi@gmail.com; Tyler Gianni, Jennifer Duggan | Wetlands provide key ecosystem services by filtering sediment and runoff as well as mitigating flood risk, which are particularly valuable services in agricultural areas. Degraded or unrestored wetlands do not fully perform these functions, making wetland restoration an important tool for natural resource management. Wetlands also provide habitat for diverse wildlife, raising concern amongst crop growers that animals from restored wetlands will enter adjacent agricultural fields, damaging crops and compromising food safety. As a first step in assessing risk posed by restored wetlands to nearby agricultural fields, we are evaluating how species richness and relative abundance of wildlife at native and restored wetland sites compares with that at unrestored sites. To do this we are deploying camera traps at natural, restored, and unrestored wetland sites adjacent to crop fields in central coastal California, sampling at each site for two weeks during the dry season (May- September) and two weeks during the wet season (October-April). Camera trapping is in progress and will yield results to be reported upon completion. After this step, we will combine these data with existing information on pathogen prevalence in local wildlife species to empirically assess food safety risks connected with wetland habitat near crop fields. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
I am a third year biology major and environmental science minor attending California State University Monterey Bay. As a UROC Researcher, I am part of Jenny Duggan's Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Lab working on wetland monitoring projects. My interests are applying ecological knowledge to human-related environmental or biological issues in my local community, particularly through natural resource management. | THE ROOTS PROGRAM: COMMUNITY-CENTERED WILDLIFE HABITAT RESTORATION ON CALIFORNIA'S WORKING LANDSCAPES | | Grant Halstrom; Point Blue Conservation Science; ghalstrom@pointblue.org; Alissa Fogg, Brian Fagundes, Evan Carlson | The Roots Program enhances wildlife habitat and supports biodiversity across California's working landscapes through community-based restoration projects on farms and ranches. Funded by a $26 million California Wildlife Conservation Board block grant, the program has successfully implemented 115 projects across 38 counties, providing critical habitat for native pollinators, migratory birds, amphibians, aquatic species, and threatened wildlife. The most common wildlife habitat enhancement practices include native plant hedgerow, oak woodland enhancement, native pollinator and monarch butterfly plantings, and riparian restoration. Building upon the expertise of the Working Lands Partner Biologists and STRAW (Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed) initiative, the program guides landowners through developing and implementing wildlife-friendly restoration projects tailored to the species and habitats present on their properties. A monitoring component is collecting data on how bees respond to pollinator plantings, to help fine-tune planting palette decisions for restoration projects. The program prioritizes outreach to historically underserved communities, including beginning farmers, ranchers and tribal partner groups, ensuring that conservation benefits reach communities often overlooked by traditional funding streams. Through collaborative partnerships and accessible funding mechanisms, the Roots Program engages California's diverse land management community to become active participants in statewide wildlife conservation efforts. | | Speaker Bio:
Grant serves as a Partner Biologist with Point Blue Conservation Science. Since joining the organization in 2017, Grant has collaborated with California farmers, ranchers, NGOs, and agencies to develop holistic conservation plans that prioritize wildlife habitat, soil health, and economic sustainability. A UC Davis graduate with a degree in Evolution and Ecology, Grant brings years of field experience from Point Blue’s rangeland monitoring network to his work on diverse projects throughout the state. | WORKING TOWARDS SUCCESS IN TRYING TIMES: EMPOWERING YOUTH TO BUILD CONSERVATION COMMUNITY | | Chris P Henry; Westmont High School; birdingwithchris@gmail.com; | Conservation faces mounting challenges, from local habitat loss to global climate change, yet effective outreach can inspire new generations to act. To engage youth beyond traditional classrooms and field programs, I created Birding with Chris, a YouTube channel that blends science communication, digital storytelling, and the excitement of birding. Each episode highlights both the beauty and behavior of birds and the conservation issues they face, while emphasizing that solutions begin in our own backyards and neighborhoods. By making ecology and conservation accessible and relatable, this platform demonstrates how digital media can overcome barriers of geography, resources, and age, building connections with audiences who might not otherwise encounter conservation messaging. This poster shares lessons learned in developing youth-focused content, explores strategies for fostering community through digital platforms, and highlights the potential of youth-led initiatives to broaden participation in conservation biology. In trying times for biodiversity, digital storytelling offers a powerful, adaptable tool for inspiring resilience, fostering connection, and empowering the next generation of wildlife stewards. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Chris Henry is a 10th-grade student and the 2024 American Birding Association Young Birder of the Year. He is the creator of Birding with Chris, a YouTube channel that combines science communication and digital storytelling to inspire youth engagement with nature. Through this platform, Chris highlights the beauty of birds and the urgent conservation challenges they face, encouraging young people to see themselves as active participants in protecting biodiversity. | SHORT TERM RESPONSES OF WILDLIFE TO A PRESCRIBED BURN AT CHORRO CREEK ECOLOGICAL RESERVE | | Ryan W Graul; Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo; rgraul@calpoly.edu; Ethan Barnes, Oliver F. Chamberlin, Ainsley B. Fong, Brandon Swanson, William T. Bean, Scott M. Appleby | Prescribed fire has emerged as an important technique in ecological restoration and management, and fire is a natural, necessary component of California ecosystems. While prescribed burns help clear out undergrowth and prevent significant wildfire damage, they impact the distribution and activity of wildlife species in an ecosystem. This study investigates the impact of a prescribed burn on wildlife diversity and activity patterns within the Chorro Creek Ecological Reserve. The reserve sits on either side of Highway 1 between San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay and features grassland, riparian, chaparral, oak woodland, and coastal scrub vegetation types. In order to compare species diversity and activity patterns pre- and post-burn, as well as calculate return intervals for each species recorded pre-burn, we used traditional camera traps to survey large mammals and drift fence cameras to survey small animals. We continuously monitored wildlife activity throughout the grassland and shrub areas of the reserve for one year before and two months after the prescribed burn. We will discuss the changes and trends we observed pre- and post-fire in the context of existing research. Our study will provide important information on the ecological impact of prescribed burns and insight on species-level responses to ecological disturbance. | | Poster Session | | Student Paper |
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Ryan is a 4th year Environmental Management and Protection major with a concentration in Wildlife Biology at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He is a lead undergraduate researcher for the Spatial Wildlife Ecology Lab and is especially interested in conservation planning and ecological restoration. | RAPID RECOLONIZATION BY CALIFORNIA BLACK RAILS OF RESTORED TIDAL WETLANDS IN SUISUN BAY | | Leonard Liu; Environmental Science Associates; lliu@esassoc.com; Stephanie Bishop, Eddie Divita | The Contra Costa County Water Conservation and Flood Control District constructed the Lower Walnut Creek Restoration Project to restore and enhance coastal wetlands and adjacent habitats at the mouth of Walnut Creek, providing flood protection while also improving habitat quality, diversity, and connectivity along the creek channel. The project is located along the southern shoreline of Suisun Bay, east of Martinez in Contra Costa County, California. Restoration has been accomplished by breaching and lowering levees, berms, and uplands to reintroduce tidal connections to diked Baylands, constructing setback levees for flood protection, new tidal channels, tidal wetland, and adjacent lowland and upland terrestrial habitats. Construction activities occurred from 2021 to 2022. Regional ecosystem goals called for restoration of this habitat matrix and noted that opportunities for its creation are rare around San Francisco Bay’s mostly developed shoreline. These habitats provide increased diversity and enhanced ecosystem functions under present day conditions and will sustainably evolve with future sea level rise. Environmental Science Associates conducted protocol-level surveys for endangered California Ridgway’s rail and threatened California black rail from 2019-2025. ESA documented California black rails colonizing restored marshes 2 years after construction, highlighting the importance of restoring minimally subsided baylands for rapid recovery. | | Speaker Bio:
Leonard Liu is a senior biologist at Environmental Science Associates with over 20 years of experience working with California Ridgway's rail, California black rail, and salt marsh harvest mouse in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary. |
Human Effects on Wildlife (sorted by presentation order) | |
QUANTIFYING IMPACTS OF HUMANS ON TERRESTRIAL URBAN MAMMAL ACTIVITY: A COVID-19 LOCKDOWN NATURAL EXPERIMENT | | Malia S Mosser; San José State University; malia.mosser@sjsu.edu; Brigitte Scott, Yvonne Luong, Giovanni Quezada, Vanessa Guido, Maddison Erpelding, Sierra Sowa, Raymond Reyes, Dr. Jessica Castillo Vardaro | The close proximity of humans and mammals in urban areas poses many challenges for both. While human activity is expected to continue increasing in the Anthropocene, little is known about how most mammals will respond. To fill this gap in knowledge, we conducted a camera trap survey, capturing mammal responses to increasing human activity that followed the dissolution of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. We deployed 50 cameras at the Googleplex campus in Mountain View from July 2020 to September 2024, yielding over 2,000,000 photos and 200,000 animal observations, including 18 mammal species. We predict that as human activity increases, sensitive mammal species will decrease their activity, while tolerant species will increase theirs. By studying fine-scale human-mammal interactions in different contexts, we aim to inform future conservation and urban planning efforts, better supporting human-wildlife coexistence. | Human Effects on Wildlife Thursday 1:35 PM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
Malia is a biology M.S. student at San José State University, specializing in ecology and evolutionary biology with a focus on wildlife conservation. She is a current Research and Innovation RSCA fellow working with Dr. Castillo Vardaro. Malia received her B.S. in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she studied benthic macroinvertebrates using traditional and molecular (eDNA) techniques. Her current research examines the impacts of human activity on mammals in urban areas with the goal of supporting human-wildlife coexistence. | INVESTIGATING EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES ON BARN OWL ROAD MORTALITY ALONG INTERSTATE 5 (I-5) USING A 15 YEAR LONG DATASET | | Selena Y Cao; Road Ecology Center at the University of California, Davis; secao@ucdavis.edu; Michelle See, Catherine Ngyuen, Lorna Haworth, Ben Hodgson, Dave Waetjen, Shannon Lemieux, Fraser Shilling | Road mortality is a major anthropogenic source of raptor mortality. While barn owl (Tyto alba; BAOW) populations appear stable in California, BAOWs are the highest-reported raptor species in the California Roadkill Observation System (CROS). We investigated how different environmental variables—such as precipitation, moonlight illumination, and adjacent landcover—influence BAOW roadkill occurrence. We studied roadkill distribution through 15 years along I-5 in California, which contains diverse landscape types and dense reports of BAOW roadkill. After controlling for observer effort, BAOW roadkill observations have been decreasing in CROS over time (m = -0.24), potentially indicating population decline. We ran generalized linear models (GLM) with variable values extracted for each point, and performed model comparisons to pinpoint the best fit. The models significantly (p < 0.01) showed BAOW roadkill observations decreased the closer the distance to shrub, grassland, wetlands, and urban landcover, and increased closer to farmland. Observations increased with greater moonlight illumination and lower annual precipitation. These results are consistent with BAOW foraging habitat (farmland), but leads to questions about the relationship between BAOW roadkill and foraging/nesting habitat distribution. This research highlights the need to understand why BAOWs are susceptible to vehicle collisions in order to create improved BAOW roadkill mitigation strategies. | Human Effects on Wildlife Thursday 1:45 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Selena Cao recently graduated from the UC Davis Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology program in the Class of 2025. She started working for the Road Ecology Center in 2023 and has worked on camera trapping projects on various CA highways, and assisted in studies on median barriers and noise/light effects. Throughout her time at Davis, she has also assisted in care of a captive-bred Amargosa Vole colony, bird and macroinvertebrate surveys, and formation of the Scientific Illustration Club at UC Davis. After graduation, she currently works at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office in Lodi, CA. | CONCRETE CARNIVORES: OCCUPANCY AND ACTIVITY IN A SHARED URBAN LANDSCAPE | | Sophie Chen; California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; sophiec1@cpp.edu; Janel L. Ortiz | Increasing urbanization rates and anthropogenic activity can shift wildlife spatial distribution and activity patterns. Two common carnivores found in urban environments, the coyote (Canis latrans) and the bobcat (Lynx rufus), often share similar habitats and resources. Understanding how these species respond to each other and their surroundings can reveal how they adjust to living in these human-dominated landscapes. Specifically, I aim to (1) determine how environmental variables and bobcat presence affect coyote occupancy, (2) determine how environmental variables and coyote presence affect bobcat occupancy, and (3) examine how coyotes and bobcats alter their daily activity patterns in response to each other. My study will use camera trap data gathered from across 25 sites in the San Gabriel Valley (eastern Los Angeles County) from 2022 to 2024 and spatial data describing distance to primary roads, distance to water sources, canopy cover, and population density. The results of this study will aid in the reduction of human-wildlife conflict by identifying how and when coyotes and bobcats utilize urban spaces and enhance public understanding and acceptance of urban wildlife. | Human Effects on Wildlife Thursday 1:55 PM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
Sophie Chen is a second-year Master's student in Biology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where she studies urban wildlife ecology. She earned a B.S. in Biology from Siena College in 2020, where she received the Thomas A. Whalen Prize for excellence in scientific research for two projects: one investigating infaunal responses to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill within the Chandeleur Islands and another examining gene pattern expressions of small heat shock proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana. Outside of research, she enjoys playing tennis, hiking, and birdwatching with her two cats. | STATE WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN 2025 (SWAP 2025): WHAT'S NEW FOR SPECIES OF GREATEST CONSERVATION NEED (SGCN) CRITERIA | | Helen C Thompson; --None--; helen.thompson@wildlife.ca.gov; Cassidee Shinn, Virginia Guhin | The California Department of Fish and Wildlife updated its State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) in October 2025 to enable California to remain eligible for federal State Wildlife Grant funds from the USFWS. A key component of SWAP is to identify California’s ‘Species of Greatest Conservation Need’ (SGCN) and their habitats, along with threats and conservation actions for priority conservation targets. Identification of the SGCN list is foundational to the SWAP and is based on scientific criteria that includes, and extends beyond, federal and state listing status. In 2025, CDFW scientists revisited the SGCN criteria and expanded the SGCN list by over 250 wildlife and plant species to result in a total of 1,439 SGCN. The SWAP 2025 Team will present the SGCN criteria and summarize the resultant SGCN list to help inform projects that aim to conserve species on, and beyond, state- and federally- listed species lists. | Human Effects on Wildlife Thursday 2:15 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Helen has been with California Department of Fish and Wildlife for six years. As a State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) Coordinator, she engaged with scientists statewide for the 2025 SWAP revision and is collaborating with the CDFW Team to develop a SWAP website for California. Helen has also worked in CDFW’s Watershed Restoration Grants Branch and Lake and Streambed Alteration Program. Helen did research on invasive plant ecology during her PhD. With deep local roots, Helen has studied, worked, and recreated in Northern California intermittently over thirty years.
| EVALUATING THE SHIFT TO NON-LEAD AMMUNITION: IMPACTS ON WILDLIFE AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT | | Micah D Dungey; Institute for Wildlife Studies; mdungey@iws.org; | Copper-jacketed lead has been the common projectile for hunting around the world since the advent of smokeless powder. Over the last 50 years, data have shown an impact on avian scavengers of lead fragments from feeding on animals shot with lead ammunition. One of the primary sources of mortality for California condors has been lead poisoning from ingesting fragments, with similar mortality seen in bald and golden eagles. In response to this, the state of California passed Assembly Bill 711, requiring the use of non-lead ammunition for hunting wildlife after July 1, 2019. Before, during, and after this phase-in, the Institute for Wildlife Studies has operated a non-lead ammunition outreach program to educate stakeholders. This includes explaining why the law is necessary to help conserve avian scavengers, how to transition from lead to non-lead ammunition, and helping to ensure that hunting opportunities are not affected by this transition. Demonstrating to hunters that transitioning to non-lead ammunition helps to reinforce their commitment to a strong wildlife ethic to the non-hunting public is an important component of our outreach messaging. We will discuss what we have heard from hunters about opportunities and barriers, and how this helps formulate our future messaging. | Human Effects on Wildlife Thursday 2:25 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
I am currently the Non-Lead Ammunition Outreach Coordinator for IWS, but previously I have been a Fish and Wildlife Technician with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, done Spotted Owl Surveys, and helped with trail camera work for Sage Grouse. Before those, I attended Oregon State University, where I received my Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences. I got into natural resource and conservation work because of my love for outdoor recreation, fascination with the natural world, and desire for future generations to experience these same things. | SCIENCE AND SOCIAL ENGINEERING - MANAGING INVASIVE SPECIES IN CITY OF SANTA CRUZ WATERSHEDS | | Chris Berry; City of Santa Cruz; cberry@santacruzca.gov; | City of Santa Cruz watersheds include over 150 square miles of the County of Santa Cruz. While blessed with great native biodiversity, with the long history of industrial, recreational and other land uses post-Mission period and being relatively nearby the major Pacific Rim hub that is San Francisco Bay, many invasive species have become established – or threaten to become established – in these watersheds. Despite a strong conservation constituency in this area, management of these species is often confounded by limited resources, lack of prioritization, changing climatic conditions, fire interval and severity shifts, ongoing introductions of new invasive species and limited regulatory tools. Furthermore, the human factors involved in managing invasive species – be they cultural traditions, concerns about management techniques, lack of awareness of the impacts of these species or others often further challenge wildlife managers in their attempts to advance invasive species management strategies. As the threats posed by invasive species inevitably grow in coming years, public education regarding these issues is critical to implementing rigorous management strategies. | Human Effects on Wildlife Thursday 2:35 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Chris Berry is the Watershed Manager for the City of Santa Cruz where he oversees drinking water source protection and environmental regulatory compliance. His work includes the development and implementation of several habitat conservation plans, oversight of over 4,000 acres of open space (including significant forest health and invasive species management issues), management of environmental education programs and related activities. He also serves on the County of Santa Cruz Fish and Wildlife Advisory Commission – where he helped establish the County’s first invasive species – related ordinance (regarding American bullfrogs). He is a proud graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara. | WILDFIRE SMOKE AND ITS IMPACT ON URBAN WILDLIFE | | Clayton M Patterson; Cal Poly Pomona; claytonpatterson2002@gmail.com; Janel Ortiz, Ph.D. | The January 2025 Eaton Fire in Southern California was emblematic of how rampant and detrimental fires are becoming in our changing climate. The fire displaced thousands of families, but also likely forced thousands of wildlife to seek refuge in nearby neighborhoods. Little is known about the peripheral effects of these disturbances, or how they unfold in the urban-wildland interface. What’s even less understood is how wildlife responds to heightened smoke pollution. This study aims to quantify shifts in urban wildlife in response to the Eaton Fire across space and time. Using wildlife cameras deployed along the San Gabriel Valley in eastern Los Angeles County throughout 2024 – 2025, we can quantify wildlife activity from before, during, and after the fire. Air quality monitors that collected PM2.5 and NO2 will be integrated into the analysis to assess the impact of air pollution. We expect higher wildlife occupancy at camera sites near the fire perimeter as wildlife move into unburned refuge immediately following the fire, and lower wildlife activity in response to acute air pollution. The unpredictability of fire makes it difficult to investigate. This project offers novel insight into urban ecology by revealing how wildlife respond to a large urban fire. | Human Effects on Wildlife Thursday 2:45 PM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
Clayton is a first-year graduate student in the Ortiz Lab at Cal Poly Pomona studying urban wildlife and fire. His research examines how particulate matter and habitat displacement from the January 2025 Eaton Fire influenced neighboring mammal communities. His work combines camera traps from the Urban Wildlife Information Network, a long-term urban wildlife monitoring project, and air quality instruments to understand potential impacts. He is passionate about wildlife conservation and most interested in studying human-wildlife conflict. | FOCUSED MEADOW RESTORATION TO IMPROVE AQUATIC CONDITIONS FOR A DECLINING MONTANE AMPHIBIAN | | Bennie Loucks; Collins Pine Company; bloucks@collinsco.com; Matthew Reno | Cascades frogs occur throughout the Cascades Mountains of Washington, Oregon, and into Northern California. While still considered relatively common in Washington and Oregon, Cascades frog is a candidate species under the California Endangered Species Act due to declining populations from a variety of threats. Since 2018, we have been intensively monitoring one of the few remaining robust populations in the Southern Cascades. In our time monitoring, this population has experienced variable climatic conditions, including record-setting droughts. Our intensive data collection has allowed us to develop and implement various conservation actions to help this population persist on the landscape, including targeted meadow restoration to improve breeding conditions and summer refugia. Targeted meadow restoration has been extremely successful for this population, and we hope what we’ve learned can be extrapolated to other at-risk species. | Human Effects on Wildlife Thursday 2:55 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Bennie is the Wildlife Biologist for Collins Pine Company, a small private timber company with forest land in California and Oregon. She has been with the company for over 10 years, and her work includes surveying for special status species, habitat enhancement projects, CEQA and FSC compliance, and collaborating with partners on restoration and research projects. | QUANTIFYING ANTIPREDATOR BEHAVIOR OF CROTALUS OREGANUS ON THE CENTRAL COAST OF CALIFORNIA | | Katherine L Molinari; California State University, Monterey Bay; kmolinari@csumb.edu; Dr. Jenny M. Duggan | The Northern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus) frequently occurs in wildlife- urban interfaces in coastal California. Rattlesnakes are out of brumation from April to October, often basking when humans are likely to be recreating. For some species, such as Eastern gray squirrels and Western fence lizards, increased exposure to humans results in habituation to human presence and decreased antipredator behavior. This study examines if increased exposure to humans results in decreased antipredator behavior (i.e., rattling, flight) for the Northern Pacific rattlesnake, and therefore increased risk for both humans and snakes. We are quantifying antipredator behaviors of the Northern Pacific rattlesnake by measuring Alert Distances (ADs) and Flight Initiation Distances (FIDs) of individuals encountered on a reserve closed to the public. During each measurement, snakes are photographed for identification, allowing us to track the number of encounters with each snake. Preliminary results suggest no changes in AD and FID with increased human exposure. Additional analyses combining exposure data and environmental variables will allow us to better understand risk in recreational areas with populations of the Northern Pacific rattlesnake, thus assessing the potential for human-wildlife conflict and need for risk management in these areas. | Human Effects on Wildlife Thursday 3:05 PM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
Katherine Molinari Environmental Science M.S. Candidate, B.S. in Biology Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Lab California State University, Monterey Bay I am a second year graduate student in Dr. Jenny Duggan’s Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology lab at California State University, Monterey Bay. My research focuses on quantifying the antipredator behavior of the Northern Pacific rattlesnake on the Central Coast of California. Through my research I aim to enhance understanding of behavioral ecology of an elusive and understudied species in order to contribute to wildlife management and risk mitigation in recreational areas. |
Natural History of Birds (sorted by presentation order) | |
AMERICAN KESTRELS IN AGROECOSYSTEMS: EFFECTS OF EXTREME TEMPERATURE AND LAND-USE ON RESOURCE SELECTION AND NESTLING DIET | | Mary E Badger; UC Davis; mebadger@ucdavis.edu; Robyn Boothby, Ryan Bourbour, Breanna Martinico | Extreme heat driven by climate change poses a significant threat to many avian species, particularly those nesting in agricultural landscapes. Recent research has shown that high temperatures and agricultural land-use interact to erode nest success for habitat generalist birds, highlighting the compounding effects of climate and land-use change on reproductive outcomes. The reduction in naturally shaded micro-refugia, such as trees and hedgerows, may hinder thermoregulation for farmland avian species, particularly during extreme heat events. These conditions can negatively affect fitness and reproduction, as increased energy expenditure and stress may reduce foraging efficiency. American kestrels (Falco sparverius) are one such species vulnerable to the impacts of rising temperatures in agroecosystems during the breeding season. Agricultural lands may act as ecological traps for American kestrels, where rapid changes in habitat quality mislead individuals when selecting nesting sites, potentially furthering population declines. We examined whether diversified landscapes buffer breeding American kestrels from heat stress while improving nestling diet quality in California agroecosystems. We monitored over 130 nest boxes across three counties and tracked parental movement and provisioning rate in relation to nestling diet, temperature, and land cover on a subset of active nests. We hypothesize that American kestrels in more diverse farming systems will have greater access to nutrient-rich prey, whereas those in simplified landscapes may face greater thermal stress and lower quality diets. | Natural History of Birds Thursday 1:35 PM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
Mary Badger is a PhD student in the Graduate Group in Ecology at UC Davis. Her research explores how climate change and human land use affect the ecology of native raptors across different stages of their annual life cycle. Mary investigates how environmental factors, such as landscape composition and climate, influence raptor behavior and resource use. Through her work, she aims to highlight the vital ecosystem services provided by raptors, such as pest control, and contribute to conservation efforts for these important predators. Using tools like environmental DNA metabarcoding and GPS tracking, Mary uncovers hidden species interactions and movement patterns, providing novel insights into raptor ecology. Passionate about serving local communities, she emphasizes the importance of community engagement with growers, conservation groups, and student volunteers. Mary believes in the power of collective action to protect wildlife and promote sustainable land-use practices that benefit both ecosystems and people. | QUANTIFYING POST-RELEASE OUTCOMES OF REHABILITATED CALIFORNIA CONDORS | | Evan M McWreath; Ventana Wildlife Society; evanmcwreath@ventanaws.org; Danaé Mouton, Kara Fadden, Darren Gross, Joe Burnett, Kelly Sorenson, Tim Huntington | Rehabilitation and medical intervention have been integral components of the endangered California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) Recovery Program, yet their demographic contribution remains poorly quantified. Between 2018 and 2025, the Ventana Wildlife Society captured 18 condors that needed medical intervention such as lead toxicosis (n = 10) and trauma (n = 8; including a powerline collision, burn, foreign-object entanglement, foot, leg, and eye injuries). Survival through rehabilitation varied among cases, reflecting differences in condition severity and treatment response. This project integrates detailed clinical histories with post-release GPS and radio telemetry data to evaluate how treatment severity, duration, and success influence survival, reintegration, and breeding participation. We are developing a quantitative framework for assessing the “value added” by rehabilitation, linking medical histories to post-release outcomes while accounting for injury severity. This preliminary analysis provides one of the first datasets connecting individual treatment histories to demographic outcomes in condors. It establishes a foundation for range-wide evaluation of how rehabilitation contributes to condor population recovery, as well as other vulture species. | Natural History of Birds Thursday 1:45 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Evan McWreath is the GIS Specialist for the California Condor Recovery Program with Ventana Wildlife Society and serves as Director of Conservation Research at the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia. He holds an M.A. in Geography from West Virginia University, where he studied the spatial dynamics of lead exposure in condors. Evan leads projects on Motus tower installations, heavy metal toxicology in raptors, turkey vulture nesting and kestrel nest-box monitoring. His current work integrates population ecology, wildlife rehabilitation, and telemetry to evaluate post-release outcomes of raptors and the conservation value of rehabilitation. | PEREGRINATIONS OF FEMALE PRAIRIE FALCONS AFTER FLEDGING: GOODBYE CALIFORNIA? | | Douglas A Bell; East Bay Regional Park District; dbell@ebparks.org; David Sexton, Dewey Savell, Prabha Venu | Little is known about the movements of juvenile prairie falcons (Falco mexicanus) in California. We provide preliminary results from a satellite-tracking study of female prairie falcons captured by hand in the nest and outfitted with transmitters at fledging in two areas of California: the San Francisco East Bay Area and the Mojave Desert. Our approach has been extremely conservative to minimize impacts to falcons, only the largest female nestling from each of six broods was transmittered between 2020 and 2024. Despite the low sample size, some qualitative patterns are evident. Namely, all falcons dispersed from their natal territories at 10-11 weeks of age, and all moved out of California rapidly in directions ranging from northerly to easterly. All but one falcon ceased transmitting before spring. We discuss these findings in relation to known migratory patterns, population genetics and conservation management of the prairie falcon. | Natural History of Birds Thursday 1:55 PM | | |
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Doug has served as Wildlife Program Manager with the East Bay Regional Park District in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2005. His work has emphasized raptors with efforts to lesson impacts of anthropogenic development, including renewable energy. He has been past president of the SF Bay Chapter and The Western Section of the Wildlife Society. | MOVEMENTS OF TURKEY VULTURES PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF NONMIGRATORY BEHAVIOR AND NATAL PHILOPATRY IN A POPULATION BREEDING IN SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA | | Peter H Bloom; Bloom Research Inc; petebloom@bloombiological.com; Nicollet Overby, Miguel D. Saggese, Alexandra Eagleton, Alexandria B. Koedel, Harold Batzloff, Andrea Bonisoli-Alquati, Alexandra M Eagleton | Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) are typically partial migrants but are believed to reside year-round in southwestern California. However, little is known about their movements and breeding biology in the region. We report initial findings on the movements of 23 Turkey Vultures fledged from six nests in southwestern California and patagial-tagged between 2017 and 2023. We hypothesized that resightings would show that vultures fledged from this region are (1) present year-round in southwestern California and (2) found near their natal nest area during the breeding season when sexually mature. To test this, we analyzed resighting locations in relation to age and season. These vultures were resighted 102 times between 2018 and 2024, at an average distance of 23 km ± 25 km ([SD]; median = 17 km) from their natal nest. Few observations were >100 km away, and none were farther north than Ventura County or farther south than San Diego County, California. All sightings occurred in landscapes and climates similar to the natal study area. Distance from the natal nest varied with age and season: in spring, adult birds were closer to natal nests than younger birds. These data suggest year-round residency and provide preliminary evidence of natal philopatry, especially among adults during the breeding season. | Natural History of Birds Thursday 2:05 PM | | |
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Alex Eagleton is a California-based wildlife biologist with a background in field ecology and environmental toxicology. She earned her B.S. and M.S. from Cal Poly Pomona, where she studied lead exposure and oxidative stress in Turkey Vultures. Since 2021, she’s managed biology programs and led projects in habitat conservation, species monitoring, and environmental compliance at Endemic Environmental Services. Alex is passionate about turning research into practical conservation work that supports California’s wildlife. | TRANSLOCATION AND MONITORING OF THE OMAO (MYADESTES OBSCURUS): ADVANCING NATIVE BIRD AND HABITAT RECOVERY IN HAWAII | | Erin Bell; Purdue University; bell390@purdue.edu; Alex Wang, Douglass Jacobs | The omao (Myadestes obscurus), one of two remaining endemic thrushes that were once widespread across the Hawaiian Islands, now persists only on windward Hawaii Island due to habitat loss, predation, and disease. Our project aims to establish a new leeward omao population through translocation to restored forest habitat within the Puuwaawaa Forest Bird Sanctuary. Translocation offers an innovative strategy to expand the species’ range while simultaneously assessing habitat suitability and post-release survival. Individuals were captured from source populations, banded, and fitted with VHF transmitters to monitor movement, territory establishment, and site fidelity. Preliminary results show strong habitat use and foraging behavior near release sites, suggesting early successful acclimation. Continued monitoring through 2026 will assess survival rates, dispersal distance, and vegetation associations. This effort represents a collaborative, multi-agency approach integrating avian ecology, restoration management, and applied conservation to restore ecological processes such as native seed dispersal. Findings from this study will also inform future translocation and recovery planning for other imperiled Hawaiian forest birds. | Natural History of Birds Thursday 2:15 PM | | Student Paper |
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Erin Bell is a Ph.D. candidate in Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University. Her research focuses on Hawaiian forest restoration and avian ecology, examining how native birds contribute to seed dispersal and habitat recovery across restoration landscapes. Her work integrates ecological fieldwork, spatial analysis, and community-based conservation to inform management of native Hawaiian ecosystems. Erin is passionate about bridging science and practice to advance tropical restoration success. | DOCUMENTING EXPONENTIAL GROWTH OF INVASIVE MUTE SWANS (CYGNUS OLOR) IN CALIFORNIA | | Rachel-Ann Arias; UC Davis Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology; raarias@ucdavis.edu; Jason Riggio, Andrew Engilis Jr. | Mute swans (Cygnus olor) are an invasive species that can adversely affect aquatic vegetation and native wildlife. Their recent expansion in California prompted the passage of Assembly Bill 764 in 2025, authorizing take beginning in 2026. We quantified the geographic and numerical expansion of mute swans using records from eBird, Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Waterfowl Breeding Population Survey. eBird data indicate initial establishment in urban areas of Los Angeles and San Francisco, followed by rapid expansion into the San Francisco Bay–Delta and Central Valley. The proportion of occupied 1-km grid cells increased at 16.0% annually (1995–2024). CBC data showed a similar temporal pattern, with an 8.8% annual increase in counts reporting mute swans, though geographic expansion plateaued after 2016. Both CBC and CDFW surveys indicate exponential population growth, with annual growth rates of 17.1% and 33.2%, respectively. These trends parallel patterns observed in the eastern United States and suggest increasing risks to California’s native waterfowl and wetland ecosystems. | Natural History of Birds Thursday 2:25 PM | | Student Paper |
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Rachel-Ann Arias is a 4th year undergraduate at University of California, Davis studying wildlife Biology. She developed an interest in conservation and human-wildlife interactions volunteering with the Urban Wildlife Information Network in Los Angeles. At UC Davis, she is a research assistant with the Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology and co-president of The Wildlife Society student chapter. Her field experiences include a shrew study with USFWS and leadership in a UCD songbird banding program. Rachel-Ann hopes to continue pursuing a research career in wildlife conservation, with plans to further her work through graduate study or professional research opportunities. | SUCCESSFULLY EXCLUDING CLIFF SWALLOW NESTING ON A BRIDGE STRUCTURE | | Eric Madueno; QK; eric.madueno@qkinc.com; Dave Dayton | A swallow exclusion plan was developed to exclude cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) from nesting under the Coffee Road Bridge in Bakersfield, CA, during the construction of the River Canal Backup Weir Project. Plywood and high-density polyethylene plastic curtains were installed along both spans of the bridge prior to the start of the nesting season (February 1). The combination of angled plywood and the plastic curtain was designed to make nesting surfaces less appealing and obstruct entry points. Weekly inspections were conducted to verify the continued integrity of the swallow exclusion and to document swallow nesting behavior. The exclusion materials remained intact for the duration of the nesting season and no swallow were nesting under the bridge. Once the swallow exclusion was removed, the old swallow nests on the bridge were intact and in good condition. Additional site visits will be conducted during the 2026 nesting season to verify continued nesting at the bridge now that the exclusion devices have been removed. | Natural History of Birds Thursday 2:35 PM | | |
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Eric Madueno is a graduate of California State University, Bakersfield, with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He brings over ten years of experience in environmental consulting, specializing in the ecology of the San Joaquin Valley. Mr. Madueno has expertise in conducting surveys for special-status species, nesting birds, and compliance monitoring. He has led wetland delineations and functional assessments to obtain jurisdictional determinations for both state and federal permits. Throughout his career, he has supported a wide range of projects, including urban development, renewable energy, and habitat restoration. | BETWEEN THE ASHES AND THE SAGE: MOVEMENT AND HABITAT USE OF GREATER SAGE-GROUSE (CENTROCERCUS UROPHASIANUS) BROODS IN BURNED AND UNBURNED LANDSCAPES | | Belle J Malley; University of California, Davis & U.S. Geological Survey; bmalley@ucdavis.edu; Peter S. Coates, Megan C. Milligan, Steven R. Mathews-Sanchez, Michael P. Chenaille, Gail L. Patricelli | Populations of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a key indicator species of the sagebrush steppe, are declining primarily due to habitat loss and degradation. In their western range, wildfire is a major driver of this loss and has been linked to reduced population growth. Wildfires create patchy landscapes that sage-grouse must navigate, especially during brood-rearing when chicks are vulnerable to predation and reliant on cover. Understanding brood use of burned areas is essential for guiding sagebrush recovery efforts. Here, we examined brood movement and habitat selection within and outside wildfire scars. Using high-resolution remote sensing, we identified intact shrub patches (“islands”) within burned landscapes to estimate preferred patch size and configuration. We captured 15 broods and fitted hens with GPS backpacks across three burned sites. We applied an integrated step-selection analysis to estimate habitat use differences between burned and unburned areas, emphasizing patch attributes. Although habitat use did not differ significantly across burn categories, broods within burn scars consistently selected shrub islands with distinct size and shape characteristics. Our findings suggest that post-wildfire restoration that prioritizes protecting and maintaining high-use unburned patches will support brood-rearing needs and sage-grouse recovery. These findings are preliminary, subject to change, and provided for best timely science. | Natural History of Birds Thursday 2:45 PM | | Student Paper |
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Belle Malley is a graduate student in the Graduate Group in Ecology at the University of California, Davis, working in collaboration with Dr. Peter Coates’ lab at the U.S. Geological Survey. Her research focuses on restoration precision management in post-fire landscapes, examining how greater sage-grouse use burned areas to inform habitat recovery efforts. Before pursuing her Master's degree, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Sonoma State University. | FACTORS INFLUENCING "STILLNESS" IN BARRED OWLS OF NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA | | Emily M Mora; Integral Ecology Research Center; emmora013@gmail.com; Greta Wengert, Mourad Gabriel, Jonathan Tenberge, Mark Higley, Danny Hofstadter, Zach Peery, Finn Younger, Vitek Jirinec | The westward expansion of barred owls (Strix varia; BO) has intensified competition and predation pressure on the threatened northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina). Understanding BO activity patterns can inform management strategies. We analyzed movement data from 47 GPS-tagged BOs in northwestern California collected over 20 months in 2023–2025. Accelerometer sensors recorded continuous activity and often triggered a false mortality event (“stillness”) after six or more hours of inactivity. We modeled stillness frequency using mixed models and examined association with sex, land cover, and weather predictors. Stillness did not differ by sex but decreased with elevation gain. Among univariate generalized additive models including temperature, precipitation, and day of year (DOY), DOY best explained variation in stillness (AIC weight = 0.998), with lowest stillness (i.e. higher activity) occurring midyear. Temperature and precipitation were not strong predictors once seasonal timing was accounted for. These results demonstrate strong seasonal patterns in BO activity, suggesting decreased movement during the non-breeding season. Identifying temporal windows of reduced activity can help refine survey timing and management actions to mitigate BO impacts on northern spotted owls. | Natural History of Birds Thursday 2:55 PM | | |
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I recently earned my bachelor's degree in Wildlife Ecology, Conservation, and Management from Cal Poly Humboldt. I have experience working with Barred Owls and Barn Owls but have a special interest in herpetofauna. I look forward to new wildlife experiences and seeing where the adventures lead me in my wildlife career. | FORAGING HABITAT SELECTION BY AMERICAN BARN OWLS IN VINEYARD LANDSCAPES | | Kevin Garcia Lopez; Graduate Student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; kgarc177@calpoly.edu; Tim Bean, Matthew Johnson | The American barn owl (Tyto furcata) is a medium-sized raptor commonly found in agricultural landscapes where it uses nest boxes for reproduction and serves as a focal species for integrated pest management. Barn owl research in agroecosystems has focused on nest box occupancy metrics, prey and habitat selection. However, further research is needed to understand foraging habitat selection at fine spatial and temporal scales. To further advance our understanding of habitat use, we deployed GPS-loggers (1-Hz) equipped with accelerometers (50-Hz) on adult nesting owls (n=26) to track foraging behavior during the breeding season in vineyards in San Luis Obispo, California. We used a combination of fine-scale positioning and behavioral data to identify foraging flights and strike locations. We conducted microhabitat surveys at strike locations, used, and available points to evaluate the influence of habitat composition on foraging habitat selection. Preliminarily, barn owls appeared to strike areas with lower crop height, but greater understory percent cover. These results can help winegrowers understand how barn owls use vineyard landscapes during the breeding season and also advance our knowledge on foraging behavior at fine spatial and temporal scales. | Natural History of Birds Thursday 3:05 PM | | Student Paper |
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Kevin is a second-year master student in Dr. Tim Bean’s Spatial Wildlife Ecology Lab at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He is currently investigating the influence of habitat structure on the foraging behavior of Barn Owls across vineyard habitat. He graduated from Humboldt State University with a bachelor’s degree in wildlife management and conservation. Prior to starting graduate school, he conducted occupancy and reproduction surveys for Spotted Owl in the Sierras, and he banded songbirds and owls in California, Idaho, and Minnesota. |
Natural History of Mammals (sorted by presentation order) | |
LONG-TERM MOVEMENT PATTERNS OF A MOUNTAIN LION IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT | | David K Garcelon; Institute for Wildlife Studies; garcelon@iws.org; John Randolph, Andrés Hayes | Data on home range size and movement patterns of large carnivores are typically collected over the span of a few years and are primarily constrained by the battery life of conventional GPS collars and the limitations in funding multi-year studies. For mountain lions (Puma concolor), the largest North American terrestrial carnivore, the pattern has generally been the same. Given a fixed time to conduct an investigation, it is appropriate to have a larger sample of individuals to identify variation in resource selection across a population of individuals, rather than a longer period with fewer individuals. However, interesting natural history information can be missed with shorter studies along with how an individual responds to a changing environment. We tracked an adult male mountain lion continuously for 7.5 years and examined changes in his movement patterns and home range size as the primary food resource in the region declined. His home range expanded to an area covering 2,500 km2 and during the time monitored he walked approximately 30,000 km (3/4 the distance around the earth). We will discuss factors that may have led to this individual having one of the largest home ranges ever reported for a mountain lion. | Natural History of Mammals Thursday 1:35 PM | | |
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I am currently the project lead on the Modoc Plateau Puma Project with the Institute for Wildlife Studies, where my field work includes setting bait sites, monitoring collared animals, investigating kill sites, and capturing mountain lions to deploy GPS collars. Prior to this role, I gained diverse wildlife conservation experience in the Zambezi Delta of Mozambique, working on lion and cheetah reintroductions, community beekeeping projects, anti-poaching operations, and collaring and monitoring efforts across multiple species. I grew up between Córdoba, Argentina, and Kearney, Nebraska, which shaped my appreciation for the outdoors and wildlife conservation. | MOLTING MECHANICS: CHARACTERIZING SURFACE TEMPERATURES DURING THE INITIAL MOLT OF NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL (MIROUNGA ANGUSTIROSTRIS) PUPS | | Rachel T Survilas; California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo; rsurvila@calpoly.edu; Halley Jae Carson, Dr. Heather E.M. Liwanag | A vital life history stage for many animals is molting, or renewal of the outermost layer (feathers, hair, skin). Like other pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, walrus), northern elephant seal (NES) pups are born with neonatal fur that they molt into a juvenile coat after weaning. The transition between pelts is likely to affect thermoregulation. One strategy is to increase blood flow to specific body regions (called “thermal windows”) to help dissipate excess heat. The goal of this study was to examine whether NES pups use thermal windows to facilitate their natal molt. We used an infrared camera to take thermograms of molting NES pups at the Piedras Blancas rookery. We recorded concurrent environmental variables (wind speed, air temperature, solar radiation) to determine which factors impacted molting pup thermal profiles. We found that thermal windows were not associated with molted regions; windows were found primarily in low insulation areas (head and flippers) and randomly along the trunk. Wind speed negatively affected the presence of windows, whereas ambient temperature and solar radiation positively impacted surface temperature. This is the first study to investigate thermoregulation during the NES natal molt. Future work will compare these results to the molt of older age classes. | Natural History of Mammals Thursday 1:55 PM | | Student Paper |
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Rachel is a Master's student at Cal Poly SLO researching the northern elephant seal. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology at UC San Diego studying climate change effects of California sea lion prey species. Rachel is interested in pursuing a career as a researcher with NOAA and hopes to gain experience with marine and coastal ecosystem management | EARLY INSIGHTS ON WATER FOR WILDLIFE: PRONGHORN USE OF WATER SOURCES IN THE CARRIZO PLAIN, CALIFORNIA | | William T Bean; Cal Poly - SLO; wtbean@calpoly.edu; Scott Butterfield, Dillon Brook, Craig Fiehler, Russ Namitz, Brandon Swanson | In the most arid parts of their range, pronghorn population sizes are small or declining. While more northern populations are winter limited, evidence suggests that these southern populations may be restricted by free water availability. Water may be limiting in arid environments in two ways: first, pronghorn may require additional water sources during lactation. Perhaps as importantly, in Mediterranean climates like much of California, vegetation senesces often before parturition occurs. Additional free water may help pronghorn digest brown, dried vegetation. Therefore, a large scale, collaborative effort in the Carrizo Plain, California, to provide additional free water sources for pronghorn was initiated in 2023. Here we present results of the first year of monitoring during and after water trough installation. Pronghorn visited troughs extensively, mostly during daylight hours, and found new troughs less than a month after installation. Visitation appeared to peak in the summer months. Other wildlife, were recorded using the troughs, including tule elk, wild pig, kit fox, and coyote. However, potential competitors and predators visited at night. Future efforts will document the impacts of supplemental water on fecundity, survival, and population growth. | Natural History of Mammals Thursday 2:15 PM | | |
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Tim is an Associate Professor in Biological Sciences at Cal Poly. His lab focuses on the conservation of mammals in California, from listing to recovery, using a combination of close field observations spatial ecology, and ecological informatics. | COMPARISON OF SURVEY METHODS FOR THE COLLECTION OF GENETIC DATA VIA HAIR SNARES FOR HUMBOLDT MARTEN (MARTES CAURINA HUMBOLDTENSIS) ON YUROK TRIBAL LANDS | | Evelyn S Wilhelm; Department of Wildlife, Cal Poly Humboldt and Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department; ewilhelm@yuroktribe.nsn.us; Frank A. Fogarty, Kent Barnes, Scott Demers, Tiana Williams-Claussen | Monitoring and surveying of mammal species is a crucial aspect of landscape management. Non-invasive methods are necessary and useful tools, particularly for sampling cryptic or sensitive species, especially those that are endangered or threatened. One such method is the use of hair snares to collect genetic data of individuals, allowing for mark-recapture studies and increasing knowledge of demographics, occupancy, and distribution. For the threatened Humboldt marten (Martes caurina humboldtensis) found in the coastal regions of northern California and southern Oregon, hair snares have been a primary method for population monitoring. The Yurok Tribe has been working to monitor the population of Humboldt marten on Tribally managed lands. The Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department, in collaboration with agency and academic partners, developed a novel snare design to improve sample collection and viability. We analyzed data collected during two population studies, one which used traditional gun brush arrays and one that used the novel snare design of glue strips enclosed in PVC tube structures, to investigate the efficacy of the two trap types. We also determined points of failure in each trap type to guide future improvements of this monitoring method for the Humboldt marten in this region. | Natural History of Mammals Thursday 2:35 PM | | Student Paper |
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Evelyn Wilhelm is a wildlife biologist for the Yurok Tribe, contributing to multiple programs, including habitat restoration and monitoring of threatened and endangered species. She is currently working toward a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Ecology, Conservation, and Management at Cal Poly Humboldt. | CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PREDATOR AND PREY AT WILDLIFE CROSSING STRUCTURES IN CALIFORNIA | | Addison L Arsenith; Road Ecology Center at the University of California, Davis; alarsenith@ucdavis.edu; Catherine Nguyen, Lorna Haworth, Shannon Lemieux, Dave Waetjen, Benjamin Hodgson, Fraser Shilling | While wildlife crossing structures improve connectivity across highways, little is known about how they influence wildlife behavior, particularly prey-following predator behavior. We analyzed camera trap data from multiple areas in California (two southern, three northern), focusing on mesopredators: bobcats, gray foxes, and coyotes, and their common prey. Predator detections were categorized into time bins based on how many minutes they were observed after their prey species (0-30, 0-60....180-210). Using a negative binomial generalized linear mixed model, we tested for evidence of predators following prey at individual and grouped study locations, against non-prey reference species. Overall, there was no significant evidence of prey-following behavior (p > 0.05) across all study areas. However, species-specific patterns did emerge. For example, along State Route 62/Banning Pass, coyote detections significantly decreased over time following desert cottontails (p < 0.001). For bobcats and gray fox detections, there was little indication of prey-following behavior. These findings suggest that this behavior is not widespread, but may occur with some species under specific structural or environmental conditions. It seems possible that wildlife crossing structures are not significant places for predator-prey interactions. | Natural History of Mammals Thursday 2:55 PM | | Student Paper |
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Addison Arsenith is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Davis, majoring in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology and minoring in GIS. She currently interns at UC Davis’ Road Ecology Center under Dr. Fraser Shilling. Her research interests include wildlife connectivity, predator-prey interactions, behavioral ecology, and ecosystem dynamics. She is particularly interested in carnivorous mammals such as canids and felids, as well as small mammals. After graduation, Addison hopes to pursue a master’s degree in wildlife biology. | A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE: THE ROLE OF VEGETATION PRODUCTIVITY ON PREY PREVALENCE IN FERAL CAT STOMACHS | | Houston L Bumgarner; Institute for Wildlife Studies; hbumgarner@iws.org; Hunter J. Cole | Feral cats (Felis catus) are among the most significant threats to island ecosystems, where they impact native fauna. On San Clemente Island (SCI), feral cats prey on the endemic deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus clementis) and island night lizard (Xantusia riversiana reticulata), the native side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana), and non-native black rats (Rattus rattus) and house mice (Mus musculus). Cats have been managed on SCI since at least 1989 through trapping and hunting, and since 2002 assessment of prey items from 5,342 removed cats has provided insight into their diets. We used generalized additive models to elucidate the relationship between cat dietary trends and vegetation productivity at different temporal lags using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Cats removed after periods of higher mean NDVI were more likely to contain rodents, while cats removed after periods of lower NDVI had a higher prevalence of lizards and fewer rodents. These results suggest, invasive cat diets are shaped by climatic variability affecting prey populations. If climate change alters local rainfall or other factors that influence vegetation productivity on SCI, understanding these dynamics will be crucial for informing adaptive management and protecting vulnerable native species. | Natural History of Mammals Thursday 3:15 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Houston Bumgarner is a wildlife biologist working on San Clemente Island for the Institute for Wildlife Studies. He works to manage and mitigate the impact of invasive species on the island as well as assisting in the monitoring and management of the island’s endemic terrestrial species, like the island fox. Prior to this position he has been working various technician positions around the country for collecting experiences in some of America’s most iconic landscapes. | TO FLEE, OR NOT TO FLEE: JUVENILE DISPERSAL AND ADULT EXPLORATORY MOVEMENT PATTERNS IN SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND FOXES | | Ariel A Gonzalez; Institute for Wildlife Studies; agonzalez@iws.org; Hunter J. Cole | Channel island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) are a diminutive mesocarnivore present on six of the eight California Channel Islands. Previous studies on San Clemente Island fox (Urocyon littoralis clementae) movement have primarily focused on movements within an individual’s home range, examining overlap and potential risks for pathogen transmission. Despite understanding fox home range size for short periods of time, we know little about long-distance movements throughout foxes’ lives. Using mark-recapture data from annual grid trapping surveys and opportunistic trapping, we examined fox movements within and between trapping grids to quantify juvenile dispersal and adult movement distances. Of the 1,188 foxes captured in more than one year, 31% had movement distances greater than the previously established nominal ~800-meter home range radius. For adult male-female comparisons, there were no meaningful differences in median distances travelled between capture sites throughout fox lifetimes. Distances between pup capture locations and their subsequent capture locations as adults varied by sex, with the third quartile being 1,588 and 707 meters for males and females, respectively. Continued work on island fox movement ecology is important for better understanding their population dynamics and for evaluating the potential spread of disease. | Natural History of Mammals Thursday 3:35 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Ariel is currently the project manager for the Institute for Wildlife Studies’ Island Fox Project on San Clemente Island. The main responsibilities of the island fox project include trapping, handling, and telemetry for population monitoring and disease investigations, as well as providing veterinary care to injured foxes. Prior to her current work, Ariel worked on San Clemente Island for both the shrike captive breeding and Bell’s sparrow projects, and completed a combination wild animal conservation and vet medicine master’s degree at the Royal Veterinary College with the Zoological Society of London. | GIANT KANGAROO RATS AND SAN JOAQUIN ANTELOPE SQUIRRELS ON THE CARRIZO PLAIN: AN UPDATE AFTER 19 YEARS OF MONITORING | | Scott M Appleby; Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo; sappleby@calpoly.edu; William T. Bean | The Carrizo Plain is one of the largest relatively intact portions of the San Joaquin Desert, and hosts high levels of endemic species threatened by habitat loss. The endangered giant kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens) is at the center of this ecosystem, but management decisions regarding this and other threatened species such as the San Joaquin Antelope Squirrel (Ammospermophilus nelsoni) require long-term research to inform them. In collaboration with the Nature Conservancy, California Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the Bureau of Land Management, the Carrizo Plain Ecosystem Project (CPEP) was established to better understand these two imperiled species. Here we will present our findings after monitoring giant kangaroo rat and San Joaquin antelope squirrel populations on the Carrizo Plain for 19 years, with an emphasis on elucidating the influence cattle grazing may have on the populations of these two rodents after wet winters with abundant vegetation. Though the impacts of low-intensity grazing may be small in magnitude, they are important to understand as managers consider the utility of grazing to influence threatened small mammal populations in the future. | Natural History of Mammals Thursday 3:55 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Scott is a Frost Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Biological Sciences at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He completed his doctoral studies at the University of Göttingen in Germany and is especially interested in the impacts of land management decisions on wildlife communities. | HABITAT USE IN A HIGHLY INVADED MARSH: DO SALT MARSH HARVEST MICE PREFER INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES OVER PICKLEWEED? | | Christian F Valdes; Marin County Parks; cvaldes19@berkeley.edu; Deepshika Shankar, Serena Hubert, Carla Angulo, Melissa Riley, Katie Smith | Salt marsh harvest mice (Reithrodontomys raviventris; SMHM) are marsh specialists, endemic to the San Francisco Estuary. Over the years, studies have revealed that the SMHM diet is dominated mostly by Salicornia. Salicornia pacifica, a shrub native to salt marshes in the San Francisco Estuary, provides food, shelter and safety from rising tides for SMHM. Salsola soda, a non-native shrub that colonizes salt marshes, is a concern as an invasive species, but its value to native wildlife is not understood. Distinct areas dominated by Salicornia and Salsola at McInnis Marsh in San Pablo Bay provided an opportunity to investigate the use of both vegetation types by SMHM. Live-trapping surveys revealed SMHM consistently utilizing areas dominated by both plant types. While populations in a Salsola dominated managed marsh could reach much higher densities, densities in adjacent tidal marshes tended to be lower, but more stable. Similar results were observed at Hill Slough in Suisun Marsh. A dietary study utilizing fecal metabarcoding revealed further details about foraging behavior and habitat use. More studies focused on the ecological value of Salsola soda in the Estuary are likely warranted to better inform the conservation of protected species and habitats in this highly invaded estuary. | Natural History of Mammals Thursday 4:15 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Christian Valdes is a recent graduate from The University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Molecular Environmental Biology and an emphasis on Animal Behavior and Health. He has spent his last two years as the Wildlife Assistant and Technician for Marin County Parks where he has worked on nesting bird surveys and special status species monitoring. Christian’s main passion is conservation and rodents, specifically the Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse. As an Oakland native, Christian hopes to do more work in conserving endemic species all around the Bay Area. | BEST PRACTICES IN EXCLUSION FENCING FOR SALT MARSH HARVEST MOUSE | | Carla L Angulo; WRA, INC; carla.angulo@wra-ca.com; Carla Angulo, F. Christian Valdez, Deepsheka Shankar, Serena Hubert, Dr. Katie Smith | In the San Francisco Estuary when any project is undertaken that result in impacts to coastal marsh, extensive avoidance and minimization measures for sensitive habitat and species are always required. However, due to the highly variable and dynamic nature of the system, practical implementation is often left somewhat flexible. Unfortunately, the suite of recommended measures have gone largely untested for efficacy for the salt marsh harvest mouse. This leaves questions as to which methods are effective and optimal under different conditions. Here we present a discussion of considerations when selecting an exclusion fence type and present the results of a field study of the efficacy of different tape types in serving as an unclimbable barrier for fence tops. Native salt marsh harvest mice and invasive house mice were both tested on five different types of tape. Recommended fence type (e.g. plastic mesh vs. silt) depends largely on project length and fence placement, and while all tape types tested were effective in preventing climbing by rodents, considerations such as project length and weather should be taken into account when making a selection. We recommend further investigation into the efficacy and optimization of other avoidance measures such as vegetation clearing. | Natural History of Mammals Thursday 4:35 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Carla Angulo is a biologist and arborist with WRA. She specializes on work relating to the salt marsh harvest mouse and tidal ecosystems as much as possible. |
Techniques / Pathology / Herps (sorted by presentation order) | |
TESTING ACOUSTIC DETECTION OF SPECIES WITH AI | | Brian Schretzmann; Westervelt Ecological Services; brians@westervelt.com; | There is increasing pressure to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and other automated tools across all facets of research, government, and business. Some AI tools are very user-friendly and have seen widespread adoption despite their potential to lead the user astray. This presentation will briefly compare two AI tools that assist in bird identification: BirdNET-Analyzer - Cornell University’s desktop PC equivalent to their mobile app Merlin - and Arbimon, an online acoustic detection platform. During the winter of 2024-2025, Westervelt Ecological Services (WES) set up acoustic monitors at a site in the Delta to compare the two platforms to see how the tools fared in detecting a specific target species: California black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus). This lightning talk will highlight some acoustic monitor hardware pitfalls encountered, as well as the pros and cons of using Merlin/BirdNET-Analyzer. It will also give a brief overview of the powerful Arbimon platform and reveal the results of processing nearly a year of daily acoustic data to see if either system could detect the elusive black rail. | Techniques / Pathology / Herps Thursday 1:35 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Brian Schretzmann is the GIS Manager at Westervelt Ecological Services. He collaborates with the WES Ecology team on field data processing methods for trailcams and acoustic monitors. | DEVELOPING BASELINE ACOUSTIC MONITORING AT CANADA DE LOS OSOS ECOLOGICAL RESERVE | | Carolyn Buesch; Friends of Canada De Los Osos; carolynbuesch@gmail.com; | The Canada De Los Osos Ecological Reserve is a 4,200-acre property located in the Mt. Hamilton Range in Santa Clara County. The property was purchased by CDFW in 2001 and is managed by Friends of Canada De Los Osos. Some baseline biological surveys have been conducted on the reserve through graduate student work, CDFW monitoring projects, and nest box monitoring. In November of 2024, I began a pilot study to develop acoustic monitoring baseline assessments for birds, amphibians, and bats at springs and ponds on the ecological reserve. Habitats on the reserve include annual and perennial grasslands, mixed chaparral, oak woodlands, and wetlands. I placed a SongMeter and a SongMeter4Bat recorder at the Spring Valley Pond from April 2025 - October 2025. I am currently working on processing this summer’s data through BirdNet Analyzer and am writing a grant to purchase two SongMeter Mini Bat recorders and the microphone adaptors to continue monitoring birds, amphibians, and bats at two other springs and ponds on the ecological reserve. | Techniques / Pathology / Herps Thursday 1:55 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Carolyn graduated from Cal Poly Humboldt with a B.S. in Wildlife Management and Conservation and a minor in Geospatial Studies. She started volunteering at the ecological reserve in 2024 and is working on bringing in more volunteers to help with other projects on the reserve. Carolyn wants to use her skills as a biologist to help students and early career professionals gain field experience while continuing to provide biological monitoring on the reserve. Carolyn received her Associate Wildlife Biologist certificate in 2025. | COMPARING EDNA SAMPLING AND CAMERA TRAPPING AS INDICATORS OF TERRESTRIAL MAMMAL SPECIES PRESENCE IN WILDLIFE CROSSING STRUCTURES ACROSS CALIFORNIA | | Anna Heming; Road Ecology Center at the University of California, Davis; atheming@ucdavis.edu; Charlotte Maddela, Shannon Lemieux, Lorna Haworth, Dave Waetjen, Fraser Shilling | Monitoring wildlife use of existing structures beneath roads is critical to understanding the role these structures play in reducing roads’ fragmenting effects. eDNA is increasingly used to determine the presence of wildlife species in terrestrial ecosystems. We tested a novel application of eDNA sampling in wildlife crossing structures under highways—to compare with camera trapping. We compiled lists of terrestrial mammal species detected by both methods for six structures under I-5 in Siskiyou County and six structures under I-10 in Coachella Valley. We then compared species compositions derived from eDNA and camera trap sampling to a list of terrestrial mammals expected at each site, which was generated using CDFW habitat models. On average, eDNA sampling covered a significantly smaller percentage (9%) of expected mammals than camera trapping (15%, p=0.0448). However, the species detected in each area varied by method, with eDNA consistently detecting more small mammal species. Next steps include running similarity indices and comparing eDNA results between habitat and substrate type. The best method for monitoring crossing structures depends on the target species: camera traps are likely better for detecting medium-large mammals, eDNA may be better for detecting small mammals that are more difficult to capture with cameras. | Techniques / Pathology / Herps Thursday 2:15 PM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
Anna Heming is a second-year undergraduate at UC Davis studying Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology. She has been interning at UC Davis’ Road Ecology Center under Dr. Fraser Shilling since April 2025, where she assists with field work and processing data for various projects. Her research interests include fire ecology, human-wildlife conflicts, behavioral ecology, and invasive species management. Currently, she is exploring potential careers in wildlife biology, environmental education, animal training, and wildlife rehabilitation. | RESTORING CALIFORNIA&RSQUO;S WILDLIFE CONNECTIVITY: CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE&RSQUO;S PRIORITY WILDLIFE CONNECTIVITY BARRIERS IN THE CENTRAL REGION | | Michael Sawaya; michael.sawaya@wildlife.ca.gov; David Hacker | The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Central Region encompasses a vast array of landscapes and biodiversity; this region plays a critical role in maintaining wildlife connectivity in California due to its central location, network of protected and conserved areas, varied geography with a multitude of microclimates, numerous species of special concern, and landscape linkages connecting more isolated Coastal habitats to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In 2024 we updated the CDFW priority wildlife connectivity barriers dataset by making modifications to existing barriers (N=5) and adding new barrier segments for the Central Region (N=7). For this new wildlife barrier assessment and prioritization, we considered wildlife movement and migration data, wildlife-vehicle collision data, landscape connectivity models, and designated critical habitats for threatened and endangered species, along with input from partners such as non-governmental organizations and the California Department of Transportation. Our updated dataset of priority wildlife connectivity barriers for the Central Region included 27 barrier segments totaling 997 km. In this talk, we will highlight the top 10 highest priority barriers for the Central Region and discuss some of the road ecology projects (e.g., SR58, US101) and active multidisciplinary working groups promoting ecological connectivity and conserving landscape linkages in central California. | Techniques / Pathology / Herps Thursday 2:35 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Dr. Michael Sawaya is a wildlife connectivity specialist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in the Central Region. Mike earned his Ph.D. in Fish and Wildlife Management from Montana State University in 2012. Mike's doctoral work with the Western Transportation Institute focused on evaluating genetic monitoring methods for mountain lions in Yellowstone National Park and assessing the effectiveness of wildlife crossing structures for grizzly and black bear populations in Banff National Park. Through his research, Mike seeks to understand how wildlife populations respond to transportation infrastructure and to advance connectivity science for more effective conservation and management. | MONITORING AND CRLF RELOCATION EFFORTS FOR THE RANCHO CANADA FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION PROJECT | | Adelina R Standish; Terracon Consultants Inc; arstandishwhitney@terracon.com; Mason Brown | The Rancho Cañada Floodplain Restoration Project aims to restore and enhance floodplain connectivity and channel process of the Carmel River at the Rancho Cañada unit of Palo Corona Regional Park, the site of the former 36-hole Rancho Cañada golf course. The restoration includes removal of 3,200 linear feet of riprap and excavation of over 650,000 cubic yards of sediment to lower the existing disconnected floodplains and restore natural geomorphic processes; while avoiding impacts to special status species such as South-Central California Coast steelhead, California red-legged frog, Foothill yellow-legged frog, western pond turtle, Monterey dusky-footed woodrat, bats, nesting birds, and more. A critical aspect of this project was the rescue and relocation of California red-legged frog as a result of the required dewatering of the Carmel River. Our team relocated 63 tadpoles and 11 adults over the course of the first phase of the project, via seine and dipnetting and hand capture. Individuals were relocated to an area upstream of the project area where river flows will last long enough for the tadpoles to metamorphose. This site was chosen after evaluating ponds and other river sites based on ecological considerations for California red-legged frog. | Techniques / Pathology / Herps Thursday 2:35 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Adelina: Adelina graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in Zoology and has a foundation of animal behavior, husbandry, and rehabilitation work across zoological institutions, aquariums, and whale watching expeditions. She now works as a field scientist at Terracon Consultants, specializing in species surveys, habitat assessments, and conservation strategies for threatened and invasive species throughout Central California. Adelina considers herself an eternal scholar and actively contributes to the Conservation Affairs and Professional Development Committees of the California Central Coast Chapter, where she advances public engagement and strengthens regional conservation initiatives. Mason: Mason graduated from California State University Monterey Bay and is employed as an Assistant Scientist at Denise Duffy & Associates, Inc. He is knowledgeable and experienced in biology, natural history, conducting biological monitoring, collecting, and handling special status species including California red-legged frog and California tiger salamander. His experience includes conducting construction monitoring and pre-activity surveys within sensitive habitat areas and projects with threatened and endangered species. Mason is familiar with general construction best management practices (BMPs), erosion control methods, and materials; and identification and ecology of central California wildlife and botanical species. | FROM THE CITY TO THE FOOTHILLS: THE EFFECT OF URBANIZATION ON HAEMOSPORIDIAN INFECTIONS IN HOUSE FINCHES (HAEMORHOUS MEXICANUS) | | Anneliese N Roth; annelieseroth@mail.fresnostate.edu; Xue Her, Joel W.G. Slade | Urbanization can affect ecological dynamics and wildlife health, especially in parasite-host interactions. House finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) inhabit urban, suburban, and rural environments and are susceptible to vector-borne haemosporidian parasites (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon). In our study system, blood smear analysis revealed that house finches in suburban and rural habitats have higher haemosporidian prevalence and parasitemia than urban habitats, but the distribution of specific parasite variants remains unknown. We aim to genetically characterize haemosporidian lineages along three categories of urbanization. We hypothesize that haemosporidian diversity will differ by habitat, with distinct variants emerging in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Specifically, we will amplify the Cyt-b gene from roughly 87 positive samples using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sequencing is currently underway. We will check sequence quality with Geneious and identify variants with BLASTn, followed by haplotype networks and statistical analyses in R. Ultimately, this research will offer insight into whether urbanization shapes the distribution and diversity of avian haemosporidian parasites and to better understand how environmental change influences parasite lineage distribution. This project helps conservation efforts and may help guide urban planning to promote biodiversity and contribute to understanding how parasite-host dynamics are altered at the human-wildlife interface. | Techniques / Pathology / Herps Thursday 2:55 PM | | Student Paper |
| Speaker Bio:
I am a 4th year undergraduate biology major with a passion for conservation, ecology, and genetics. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biology at California State University, Fresno as a Smittcamp Family Honors College (SFHC) President’s scholar, and I plan to pursue a Ph.D. upon graduation. I am currently part of the Biology Honors Program, and am conducting research on the effects of urbanization on haemosporidian parasite interactions with house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus). I am excited to network with everyone at this event in order to find Ph.D. opportunities and gain new connections! | AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS ANTIBODIES IN A BARRED OWL: A CASE FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA | | Christina P Varian; Integral Ecology Research Center; cvarian@iercecology.org; Mourad Gabriel, Jeffrey Chandler, Steven Volker, Alan Franklin, Daniel Hofstadter, Angela Rex, Emily Fountain, Vitek Jirinec, Zach Peery, Greta Wengert | Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), particularly the H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b strain, has continued to threaten both wild and domestic birds and mammals since its emergence in North America in 2022. As part of a Barred Owl (Strix varia) management and space-use study conducted in Northern California from 2023 to 2025, we screened 125 individuals for avian influenza virus (AIV) using serological (ELISA) and molecular (RRT-PCR) methods. One adult male, GPS-tagged in May 2024 and removed in July 2024, tested seropositive for AIV antibodies but negative for active infection by PCR. A previous blood sample from May 2024 was seronegative, suggesting exposure occurred between May and July—coinciding with the Pacific Flyway’s late spring migration period. This case represents the first reported AIV seropositive Barred Owl in California and potentially the only known HPAI-positive raptor reported in Northwestern California since the introduction of this virus in 2022. The transmission route is likely attributed to the species’ generalist diet, which includes known AIV reservoirs, such as waterfowl. These findings support multi-year surveillance efforts and offer valuable insight into AIV exposure patterns among wild raptors in remote, understudied regions. | Techniques / Pathology / Herps Thursday 3:15 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Dr. Christina Varian earned her Ph.D. in Comparative Biomedical Sciences from the University of Georgia and holds a B.S. in Wildlife Biology and Vertebrate Ecology from Humboldt State University. Currently, she is a Research Scientist at the Integral Ecology Research Center in Blue Lake, California, where her work focuses on a variety wildlife disease ecology questions. | THE POWER OF A STATE SYMBOL: TRANSLATING THE GIANT GARTERSNAKE DESIGNATION INTO TANGIBLE CONSERVATION ACTION | | Michael G. Starkey; Save The Snakes; contact@savethesnakes.org; | The recent designation of the giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) as California’s official State Snake marks a monumental conservation victory for this endemic, highly aquatic gartersnake species of the Central Valley. This increase in public awareness is critical as the giant gartersnake is in dire need of greater conservation action. Its population has declined by more than 90% in the past century due to critical threats including habitat loss, water diversion, pesticide pollution, and predation by non-native species. Spearheaded by Save The Snakes (www.savethesnakes.org), a global organization dedicated to protecting threatened snake populations and mitigating human-snake conflict, this designation provides an unparalleled platform to amplify the giant gartersnake’s public visibility and drive conservation engagement. This presentation details Save The Snakes’ post-designation roadmap, focusing on how we will leverage this new state symbol to ensure conservation action is taken for this imperiled snake species. Specifically, we will outline the implementation of a robust, statewide school curriculum designed to educate millions of students, alongside strategies for community-based action that benefits the species. This unique approach demonstrates how strategic promotion of a state symbol translates directly into tangible conservation outcomes and a renewed commitment to protecting California's most imperiled wildlife. | Techniques / Pathology / Herps Thursday 3:55 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Michael G. Starkey is a conservation biologist, ecological consultant and public speaker working to educate and involve our society in wildlife conservation issues. Drawing on diverse field experience, including working with species like giant gartersnakes and rattlesnakes, he recognized the critical need for dedicated snake advocacy. Michael founded Save The Snakes, a nonprofit organization dedicated to global snake conservation, and serves as Executive Director. Michael leverages his expertise in snake ecology and a positive, enthusiastic attitude to inspire audiences worldwide, nurturing a society that respects and appreciates these beautiful and misunderstood animals. | MOJAVE DESERT TORTOISE USE OF CALIFORNIA'S ABANDONED MINES | | Trinity N Smith; California Department of Conservation; trinity.smith@conservation.ca.gov; | Legacy hardrock mining in California has left more than 200,000 abandoned mine features (e.g., shafts, adits, prospecting pits) throughout the state, with a larger concentration in California’s deserts. These mine features pose a hazard to humans and the environment if not remediated, but these features have also become habitat for wildlife. The federally - and state - listed Mojave Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) use abandoned mine adits for refuge, as well as being found alive and dead in mine shafts and in pits as shallow as two feet deep. The California Department of Conservation’s Abandoned Mine Lands Unit (AMLU) collaborates with partner agencies to protect people from abandoned mine hazards in California, while preserving mining history and wildlife habitat. Human safety and bat habitat are often the primary considerations when planning closures; however, desert tortoises should also be considered, especially within their critical habitat. Using information from inventory and wildlife surveys, land managers can modify bat gates and fences within the species’ range. Modifications such as tortoise “doors” in mine gates, filling shallow prospecting pits, and the addition of tortoise fencing at mine shafts are some initial steps to allow continued habitation and protect this listed species, respectively. | Techniques / Pathology / Herps Thursday 4:15 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Trinity Smith is a Senior Environmental Scientist with the California Department of Conservation. She serves as the wildlife biologist for the state abandoned mine lands program. She assists agency decision makers with abandoned mine remediation planning, helping strike a balance between protecting humans and conserving wildlife habitat. She holds a M.S. in Natural Resources: Wildlife from Humboldt State University and a B.S. in Wildlife Science from Utah State University. | GRASSHOPPER ABUNDANCE AND BNLL ACTIVITY | | Emily E Bergman; Fresno Chaffee Zoo; EBergman@fresnochaffeezoo.org; Steven Hromada, Ranae Sullivan, Michael Westphal, Rory Telemeco | Grasshoppers are common prey for endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizards (Gambelia sila; BNLL). Fresno Chaffee Zoo began annually releasing and monitoring captive-reared BNLL at Panoche Plateau in 2023. In recent years, the San Joaquin Desert experienced variable rainfall ranging from extreme drought to abundant rainfall. Dense invasive grass cover from a recent high-rainfall year (2023) hindered the success of repatriated BNLL and presumably affected grasshopper densities. To control invasive grass, we grazed four plots (2-ha each) with sheep in spring of 2025 and protected 4 additional control plots. To understand the effects of grazing treatment and invasive grass cover on the prey base for BNLL, we conducted monthly grasshopper surveys beginning in July of 2025 using USDA protocols across grazed and ungrazed plots. Despite observing abundant grasshoppers in previous years, no grasshoppers were observed in any survey (July – September 2025). Monitored adult wild-born lizards, normally active from March-July were not surface-active past May and reemerged in September, and we detected no hatchlings despite focused surveys. Moreover, captured lizards did not display sign of grasshopper consumption. These observations suggest that prey abundance was abnormally low in 2025 contributing to reduced activity and reproduction in BNLL regardless of grazing treatment. | Techniques / Pathology / Herps Thursday 4:35 PM | | |
| Speaker Bio:
Emily E Bergman is the Conservation Manager at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. She earned her M.S. in Biology from Fresno State University in 2024 and has experience working in conservation, zoo keeping, and environmental consulting. Her main interests are conservation biology and herpetology. | |