Ruby Hammond

Avian Ecologist II

My role at Point Blue as an avian ecologist is to coordinate field-based research in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, but my role as a conservation biologist and educator goes far beyond that. I was born with an unrelenting adoration for all things natural and outdoors, and that passion drove me to pursue a career in protecting, preserving, and restoring nature. A quick glance at my CV reflects this passion through a long and diverse (and very dirty!) career as a field biologist, largely studying endangered birds and birds inhabiting imperiled systems in extremely remote locations. Of course, my passion for nature extends beyond simply my experiences in nature, and when I am not working and recreating in nature, I can be found knee-deep in data and literature satisfying my curiosities about the natural world.

My research has broadly aimed to investigate how environmental factors cascade through ecosystems to affect animal behavior and vital rates, as both of these aspects of an organism’s biology are imperative to understand before implementing management. I earned a B.Sc. in Biology in 2004 from Middle Tennessee State University, and both my M.Sc. and Ph.D. at Northern Arizona University. My M.Sc. work included the first comprehensive breeding biology assessment of two recently-listed forest birds on the Island of Kauai, tagged onto the end of a 7-year stint of studying endangered forest and seabirds throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago. It was during my Ph.D. that I incorporated a new strategy into my conservation tool belt aside from field research… education and mentorship. Part of my research included a study exploring the usefulness of bird feeders as tools to connect non-bird enthusiasts to nature, with some success! Like other scientists at Point Blue, I appreciate the importance of interacting with non-scientists to help inform those who are not as involved in wildlife and resource conservation, and to increase interest in the natural world. I commit a great deal of time to interacting with, and educating, the general public and students of all ages, and also have 10 years of experience and a college educator.

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