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Author: KBO

John Alexander, PhD

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.

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Jaime Stephens, MS

Director of Conservation

As Director of Conservation, Jaime integrates a foundation of forest ecology, bird conservation priorities, and regional avian science to inform land management decisions. She collaborates with a diverse suite of partners to guide resource management strategies and conservation actions that improve outcomes for birds and ecosystems.
Her current work focuses on oak woodland restoration in southwest Oregon and northern California and, more broadly, across the Pacific Northwest; oak habitats host some of our most at-risk bird species. At the local level, she coordinates the Klamath-Siskiyou Oak Network, a partnership with a proven track record of leveraging multi-million-dollar projects to restore imperiled oak habitats. She is also involved in several forest collaboratives working to restore forests to reduce wildfire risks, increase climate resilience, and enhance wildlife habitat.
Jaime works closely with the science team at KBO to answer the most pressing questions to inform efforts to halt the decline of western birds. As science continues to elucidate the causes of decline for at-risk bird species, Jaime ensures we take the next steps to co-produce outcome-oriented conservation efforts that are inclusive of not only conservation decision-makers but also impacted communities, interested parties, and rights-holders.
Jaime has 25 years of experience working in ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. She earned her BS in Zoology and Conservation Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She joined KBO in the spring of 2002 as a Master’s student at Southern Oregon University. She completed a thesis comparing the effects of various timber harvest prescriptions of forest interior songbirds. From 2008-2022, Jaime was KBO’s Science Director, overseeing and growing our long-term monitoring and applied ecology programs. During that time, she published more than 20 papers examining focal species; bird communities related to environment and climate; and avian response to grazing, wildfire, hazardous fuel reduction, and restoration. Her publications have also examined migratory movements, connectivity, spatial and temporal components of molt, and site fidelity. In addition, she has authored five conservation plans that are the foundation of her current work.
Klamathbird.org/jaime-stephens

Jacob McNab

DIRECTOR’S ASSISTANT AND ADMINISTRATOR

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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.

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Shannon Rio, President

Shannon Rio is on the board of the Klamath Bird Observatory because of its work to preserve birds and wild places in nature. She is a wildlife educator with a goal to connect people (and herself) with nature so that they will want to protect what they love.

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Sarah Rockwell, PhD

SENIOR RESEARCH BIOLOGIST

Sarah Rockwell bio cropped (72ppi 4x)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.

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Caitlyn Gillespie, MS

RESEARCH BIOLOGIST

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

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Ellie Armstrong

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.

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Dick Ashford, MS

DIRECTOR EMERITUS

Dick first joined the KBO Board in Spring 2005.  He served as Board President from 2007 to 2009, when he was elected as Board Chair of the American Birding Association, a position he held until late 2010. Shortly after completing those duties, he was re-elected as KBO’s President in December 2010 and served again until 2013.

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US State of the Birds Reports

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Klamath Bird Observatory staff members serve on US North American Bird Conservation Initiative State of the Birds committees, collaborating with our country’s leading bird conservation agencies and organizations to produce U.S. State of the Birds Reports. These reports represent political, popular, and scientific recognition that birds serve as high-level indicators of the health of the country’s natural resources.

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Kate Halstead, MS

RESEARCH BIOLOGIST

Kate partnered with KBO on her Master’s thesis project, a study of songbird communities in the diverse oak habitats of the Rogue Basin.  Her research contributed to the Land Manager’s Guide to Bird Conservation in Oak Habitats of the Pacific Northwest, as well as the A Guide for Private Landowners: Restoring Oak Habitat in Southern Oregon and Northern California.  Through this work, Kate pursued her desire to use applied research to aid current avian conservation efforts.

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