KBO Staff

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – As Klamath Bird Observatory co-founder, John works with KBO’s Board of Directors, Research Advisor, Science Director, Outreach and Science Communications Specialist, and Executive Administrator overseeing all aspects of the organization’s efforts.

SCIENCE DIRECTOR As Science Director, Jaime oversees KBO’s long-term monitoring and applied ecological research programs. She works closely with staff to design, implement, and deliver conservation relevant science. Jaime collaborates with a diverse suite of partners to inform resource management strategies and conservation actions that improve outcomes for birds and ecosystems.

DIRECTOR’S ASSISTANT AND ADMINISTRATOR Jacob joined KBO in September of 2016 after moving to Ashland from the San Francisco Bay area in California. He wears many hats as the Office Administrator, including assisting the Executive Director. Jacob received a BA in Economics from the University of California, Davis in 2015.

RESEARCH BIOLOGIST Sarah manages several KBO programs monitoring birds at riparian and coniferous restoration sites, and studying the ecology of specific bird species of conservation concern. She uses multiple methodologies in her research, including point counts, spot-mapping, nest-searching, and new technology such as archival GPS tags; analyzes data; and delivers results to diverse audiences.

SCIENCE COMMUNICATION, OUTREACH, AND DEI MANAGER Elva joined KBO in December 2021. She works closely with the KBO team to communicate their work across social media platforms, websites, and news outlets. She leads outreach projects involving the local and international community with bird conservation. Elva helps lead KBO’s DEI mission internally and with our partners. 

Claire oversees all aspects of KBO’s long-term bird banding program that contribute to ongoing avian monitoring and applied ecology studies that advance conservation. She earned her M.S. degree in wildlife biology from Clemson University where her work focused on assessing Barn Swallow breeding phenology and investigating perspectives of birds and conservation-based management.

Tom McLaren joined KBO in October 2022 to support the Point-Count Program focused on the long-term monitoring of bird populations. He received his MS in Biology from the University of Colorado Denver in May 2022. His research focused on understanding Clark’s nutcracker habitat use in Yellowstone National Park, particularly concerning the species’ coevolved mutualism with whitebark pine.

RESEARCH BIOLOGIST Caitlyn joined KBO in August 2016 to assist with ongoing research, including the oak habitat conservation and species distribution modeling projects.

Sam joined KBO in January 2023 as part of the Point-Count program to assist in project support and conducting field surveys for KBO’s long term avian monitoring project. In 2020 she graduated from Portland State university with a BS in Biology, where she focused on avian ecology and wildlife conservation. Sam first joined KBO in 2021 as part of a project working with Oregon Vesper sparrows and earned her NABC Bander certification through KBO’s banding program.

INFORMATICS SPECIALIST Ellie helps manage KBO’s data and assists in organizing and running multiple projects during the field season including; the Trinity River project, the Point Count field season and Community Science effort. Ellie started as a KBO intern in April 2013 when she joined the field crew for the Trinity River Restoration Program.