Our Staff

Raised in the deciduous forests and salt marshes of New England, Tricia grew up camping and exploring the outdoors. Her undergraduate studies in ecology included field work on everything from turtles and coyotes to bats and birds–from Cape Cod to Queensland, Australia. She moved west and north, looking for wild places to work and play, and discovered a love of teaching along the way. She led backcountry and camping trips for kids and families from Massachusetts to Oregon, and eventually ventured north to Alaska where she led the the Alaska Bird Observatory’s education program for almost a decade. Tricia has been with the Alaska Songbird Institute since its inception in 2013 and has worked with ASI’s core projects for over two decades. She earned a B.S. in Biology from Boston College and an M.S. in Ecological Education from Lesley University.

Hailing from western Oregon, Robert’s passion for birds was sparked as an undergraduate student, after a study abroad program in Costa Rica and subsequent ornithology class. Since then, he has worked on avian monitoring projects across the U.S., spanning from California to North Carolina. While Robert’s primary research background is with seabirds––he studied the effects of environmental temperature and human disturbance on Least Tern incubation behavior in graduate school––he has become increasingly engaged with songbird banding and environmental education of late. Recently, he managed seasonal banding stations in southern California, Colorado and Nebraska, and he now looks forward to bringing this experience to his new role at the Creamer’s Field Migration Station. Robert earned a B.S. in Biology from the University of Puget Sound, and an M.S. in Biology from University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Originally from Great Britain, Carol Scott now calls Alaska home. Carol has always loved learning about the natural world, and is passionate about sharing knowledge and finding ways to engage students in relevant, active learning. Although Carol has worked as a high school and junior high school classroom science teacher for 20 years (the past 17 in Fairbanks), she came to teaching through her work with students in field science and trail construction programs. When not working with students, Carol spends as much time as she can hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, skiing or floating. Carol has earned two bachelor of science degrees in Hydrology and Environmental Conservation, and an M.S. in Natural Resources Management.

April grew up in the Pacific Northwest of Oregon in a very small town. From an early age she mainly just wanted to spend as much time as possible outside. In high school she discovered a love of science and birds and has been hooked ever since. After spending a couple years working in Oregon and California studying songbirds, she decided she should move to Alaska in 2005. Her research in Alaska has mainly been focused on breeding and migrating songbirds. During her free hours April spends time playing with her kids, collecting too many animals, gardening, camping, reading, canoeing, and walking around collecting edible wild foods. She helped found the Alaska Songbird Institute in 2013 and has happily been involved in various capacities ever since. April obtained a B.S. in Zoology from Oregon State University and a M.S. from Humboldt State University in Northern California.

Laurel is a retired Education Specialist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service where she developed a number of programs connecting youth to science and conservation. Since retiring, Laurel has continued her work volunteering throughout her community in support of kids, education, and birds, including with the Alaska Songbird Institute. Laurel was trained as a banding apprentice at the Creamer’s Field Migration Station and she is now an essential part of our banding crew! She is also an active member of ASI’s Events Committee and a bander and mentor on our Tree Swallow Nest Box Project.

Growing up in a small town in New Hampshire, Georgia spent her early days exploring the forests with her sister. Immersed in the intricacies of the world around them, she formed an appreciation for the way ecology tells the story of place. She continued this exploration as a Biology major at Middlebury College in Vermont. There, she developed her appreciation of flora and fauna, including songbirds, taking a class that brought her into the field mist-netting in the early mornings. Since moving to Alaska, her positions both conducting field research with the National Ecological Observatory Network, and as an educator at the Anchorage Waldorf School have built a love for the many landscapes of Alaska, and the strong communities within them. She has always been interested in observing, learning from, and asking questions about the world around her and her place in it. She especially enjoys sharing in this experience as an educator and facilitator and is so excited to be doing so with the Alaska Songbird Institute!

Larissa grew up in eastern Pennsylvania and always loved nature. As a little girl, she spent as much time as possible playing outside and watching the animals in the garden. In seventh grade, she discovered the joy of birding, and since then, birds have been at the center of everything she does. She obtained her B.S. in Biology at Dickinson College in PA, and shortly after graduating, started doing field work. She learned about bird banding during a conservation science apprenticeship in California and was hooked! She completed another banding season in North Carolina and is excited to now be working in Alaska! She loves sharing her passion for birds with others. When not in the field, Larissa enjoys hiking, birding, going on road trips, and painting.

Sarah grew up in Clinton, New Jersey and is a graduate from Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY with a B.S. in Environmental Science and a minor in music. She began her bird banding career at Powdermill Avian Research Center with Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Rector, PA as their avian outreach technician in Spring 2023. She hopes to continue in the field of avian outreach and bird banding, as well as going to graduate school and working in ornithology. She is very excited to continue bird banding and educating the public at ASI. Sarah loves birdwatching, knitting, crocheting, and anything music-related!

Alex graduated from Albion College, a small liberal arts school in Michigan, in May of 2021 with a degree in both Biology and Geology. Since then she has held many seasonal positions around the United States and just had the best summer ever in Denali National Park as a Science Educator! Alex spends her free time backpacking/hiking, kayaking, or really doing any sort of outdoor activity. She also enjoys cross stitching and attempting to be crafty. Belted Kingfishers are probably her favorite bird species; she has many fond memories of hammocking beside the Kalamazoo River observing them fly around and fish. She is very excited to be a Banding Intern this fall at Alaska Songbird Institute!