buryatia (1)

 Expertise

    • Biodiversity Conservation
    • Avian Ecology
    • GIS & Spatial Analysis
    • Backcountry Field Research
    • Grassland & Farmland Biodiversity Conservation
    • Community-Based Conservation
    • Social-ecological Systems of Eurasia

About Me

I am a Certified Wildlife Biologist whose work currently focuses on the ecology and conservation of bustard species in Eurasia. I integrate spatial analyses and field data with an understanding of a region’s cultures, history, and economy to determine effective conservation policies.

My work with Great Bustards, the heaviest animals capable of flight, began in 2005. I earned a PhD in Biology from Arizona State University for a community-based research and conservation program that I spearheaded on the endangered eastern subspecies of Great Bustard in Mongolia.

My first experience in Eurasia was as a high school exchange student from Encinitas, California. I have since spent over seven cumulative years in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Uzbekistan. Much of this time has been in the remote backcountry, where I lead expeditions working with teams of local people. I enjoy learning languages, and speak advanced Russian and Khalkha Mongolian, intermediate Uzbek and Spanish, and have training in additional Central Asian languages.

Current Roles

I founded and direct the Eurasian Bustard Alliance, a collaboration for research and conservation, working to better understand and protect bustard species in the region. I also serve as Co-Chair of the IUCN Bustard Specialist Group.

I am currently engaged in projects related to the conservation of the Great Bustard in Central Asia as a National Geographic Explorer and a Title VIII Research Fellow.

I am available for consulting, speaking engagements, and writing assignments.