Geography has shaped who I am. I was raised in Gulf Breeze, FL, on the shores of Pensacola Bay on land that the Duncans homesteaded in the 1880s when they came down from Kentucky. The land that remained in the family – where my parents now live – happens to be one of the best spots for birding in the US.

I am the Executive Director of Alabama Audubon, a conservation non-profit doing innovative work throughout Alabama to ensure birds and people can thrive side-by-side.

I have been privileged to work on research projects in some of Earth’s most beautiful places. I’ve captured and tagged seals in Antarctica, netted sea turtles in Panama, and studied hunting strategies of mangrove fishes in Costa Rica. I’ve documented tool use by Burrowing Owls in Florida. Learn more about my research career.

I began birding before I was born. My parents were avid birders by the time I was in utero, and I heard many muffled, but vigorous, debates on the finer points of bird identification before I hatched. I got serious about birding when I was eight (notebook entries included "Red Start" and "Pee Wee"). Decades later, birding is my favorite pastime, bringing me tremendous joy through adventure and discovery.