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Author: Elva Manquera

Keeley Kirkendall

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in KBO Board.

Keeley brings a lifelong interest in problem-solving, community service, and the natural world to his work on the Klamath Bird Observatory board. He began his career as a consulting chemical engineer, then earned an MBA in Finance and moved into the financial industry. He spent much of his career lending and investing in the development of affordable housing nationwide.

Since retiring in 2010, he has stayed active in nonprofit and volunteer work. He served for six years on the board of ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum in Ashland, including two years as Board President, helping promote science education for people of all ages. He has also volunteered with the Small Business Development Center in Medford, working with local entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses, and has served on several nonprofit boards focused on affordable housing and community development.

He joined the Klamath Bird Observatory board because of his strong belief in the importance of conservation and education, and his desire to help advance bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships.

Elva Manquera-DeShields, MS

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in KBO Staff.

SCIENCE COMMUNICATION, OUTREACH, AND COMMUNITY CONSERVATION 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 received her Bachelors of Science in Zoology from Oregon State University in 2012. where she became passionate about conservation during her work with amphibian diseases. She got her Master’s of Science from Southern Oregon University in Environmental Education. During her masters, Elva interned at KBO helping to organize the 2018 and 2019 Wings and Wine Gala. Before returning to KBO she was the program manager of another local nonprofit. 

Martín López Aguilar

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in KBO Staff.

LEAD BANDER – Martin started as an intern in KBO’s banding program in 2017. Now he trains the next generation of bird banders and manages five banding stations in the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion. Martin studied Natural Resources and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Guadalajara (Jalisco, Mexico). He started his journey interested in agriculture and ecology and biology became his profession and passion. Martin has been a hummingbird and passerine bander since 2016 and is focused on bird and habitat conservation in western North America. He believes that teaching is an essential element of conservation.
– Birds don’t recognize political boundaries, just healthy habitats to thrive. 

Tom McLaren, MS

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in KBO Staff.

Point Count Project Lead – Tom McLaren joined KBO in October 2022 to support the Point-Count Program focused on the long-term monitoring of bird populations.

Tom 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. Additionally, Tom performed analyses to determine the effectiveness of a long-term monitoring protocol for Clark’s nutcracker in the park. Since graduating from Montana State University with his BS in Fish and Wildlife Management, Tom has worked for various agencies including the National Park Service, California State Parks, and Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. Tom’s work has taken him to many exciting areas across the Rocky Mountain Region and the Northwest.

Click here to contact Tom McLaren

Elijah Hayes

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in KBO Staff.

Elijah Hayes discovered birding in a college ornithology class and has been hooked ever since. After an eventful season with KBO, during which he did nest searching, point counts, and banding, Elijah joined the crew as a full-time field technician and will assist with a number of projects throughout the field season and beyond. Elijah has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the Oregon Institute of Technology.