I joined Raritan Headwaters in October 2021 as the intern for the Raritan Headwaters Kestrel Partnership, funded through a grant from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The Kestrel Partnership is aimed at helping in the recovery of the threatened American Kestrel while also imparting best management practices on open space, including working lands, in the Upper Raritan Watershed. I work closely with Dr. Kristi MacDonald, RHA’s Director of Science, and Bill Pitts, Senior Biologist with NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife, Endangered and Nongame Species Program, on developing science and outreach material, conducting field work related to the NJ American Kestrel Nest Box Project, and engaging partners including land trusts and other non-profits, and county, municipal and private landowners in the Upper Raritan.

Before joining RHA’s Kestrel Project, I earned my Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources from Rutgers University’s School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS). I am an active volunteer for both Woodlands Wildlife Refuge and The Raptor Trust, where I’ve gained experience in animal rehabilitation and handling wildlife. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, bird watching, and gaming. I am very excited to be working so closely with American Kestrels, as I lean toward working on bird conservation, especially of raptors, as a career.