Please join us in welcoming our seasonal coastal conservation technicians, Rachel Myers and Grace Yaros! Rachel and Grace will work at our coastal sanctuaries through the end of spring, helping with maintenance, habitat restoration, and day-to-day operations. Be sure to introduce yourself and say hello if you see them around our sanctuaries! Read on to learn about our new technicians.
Rachel Myers was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. She received her bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology from Clemson University. In college, she assisted with research on Eastern Hellbenders in the lower Appalachian Mountains and Bobcats in Kiawah Island, SC. However, Myers fell in love with birds after going birding for her ornithology class. After discovering her passion for birds, she interned for the National Eagle Center in Minnesota, later helping her ornithology professor with his study on Bowerbirds. After graduation, she interned at the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge and monitored the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker population. Rachel is happy to be at High Island and looks forward to what she will experience and learn at the sanctuaries!
Rachel answered a few questions for us so everyone can get to know her a little better.
1. What are your hobbies?
Like all people in this field, I love to be outdoors! I love to hike, camp, travel, and of course go birding. I love spending time with friends, trying new food/restaurants, and trying new experiences. Recently I went whitewater rafting, did ropes courses, and went zip-lining with my friends and it was so much fun! I also loved to foster cats while in college and would love to again when I have a more permanent place to live.
2. What was the last book you read?
The last book I read was A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold. It was a book that I would always hear my teachers talk about in college, so I decided to give it a read and it was great! Aldo Leopold is an inspirational conservationist and writer, although I know he had many more titles. His ability to paint a scene with words really drew me in and of course, I really liked the bird related parts! It is an important piece of literature in the beginnings of conservation and much of what is written in it still holds true to this day.
3. What motivates you to work hard?
What motivates me to work hard is knowing that what I do will have a positive impact in conservation, and that doesn’t always mean physically working with birds or managing habitat, although they are very important parts to conservation. Increasing awareness through outreach is another crucial part in effective conservation. Receiving gratitude from the public not only makes me feel good about myself but lets me know that I am making a positive impact by making them more interested in birds, and thus their conservation.
4. Do you collect anything?
I collect so many things! I used to be very interested in geology and would collect many minerals from around the world. My favorite mineral would have to be fluorite as it can be practically any color of the rainbow! Though many of my minerals are packed away, I hope to display them when I get a house. I also love collecting lapel pins, stickers, and mugs. Recently, I have become interested in collecting old bird art prints and antique bird books.
5. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?
I would travel back to the 1900s where the Carolina Parakeet was not extinct. It’s crazy to think that South Carolina (and the southeastern U.S. as a whole) had its own native parrot species. It would be amazing to see these birds in the wild and would feel like I’m in a tropical forest. I would want to help prevent its extinction and increase awareness for the bird. I also think it would be interesting to see more of the native habitats and wildlife that South Carolina used to have.
Originally from New Jersey, Grace Yaros graduated in May 2023 from the University of Vermont with a BS in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology. She has been an avid birdwatcher since 2016, and spent this past summer working for two graduate students studying Sage Thrashers, Brewer’s Sparrows, and Sagebrush Sparrows in southwestern Wyoming. She’s thrilled to join the Houston Audubon team! Learn more about Grace in these questions she answered for us!
1. What is your favorite bird?
It’s hard to pick just one! Some of my favorites are Cedar Waxwings, American Kestrels, Brown Creepers, American Woodcocks, and Smooth-billed Anis!
2. What is your proudest accomplishment?
During my time at the University of Vermont, I completed an undergraduate thesis studying artificial nest box use by American Kestrels. I built all of the nest boxes myself, conducted surveys to get estimates of the number of kestrels in the area before and after nest box installation, and monitored the nest boxes to see if they were being used. It was an incredibly rewarding experience, and kestrels definitely hold a special place in my heart!
3. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?
I would definitely travel to South America during the Pleistocene, to hopefully see some terror birds and sabre-toothed cats!
4. If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?
The power of flight! I wouldn’t have to drive a car, could reduce my carbon footprint, and have a fun time doing it!
5. What’s your favorite movie?
It’s a tie between Lilo & Stitch and Treasure Planet!
Welcome to the team, Grace and Rachel!
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