Elevated Conservation
A Little About Me
My Story
My deep love for wild places has taken me down several paths, always in common, however, is the connection to nature. Ecology has been the foundation of my journey and has led me to pursue a graduate degree at the University of California Santa Cruz. I am fortunate to be able to combine some of my passions (mountaineering and birding) with my work. Currently, my research focuses on mountaintop species and climate change. As an ecologist, storyteller, and lover of mountains, I am working towards actionable change in conservation in California and beyond.
My Research
Sierra Nevada Rosy-Finch Project
North America's Highest Elevation Breeding Bird
Mountaintop animals are among the most vulnerable species to climate change. A warming climate forces organisms upward in elevation as they face an 'escalator to extinction'.
The Sierra Nevada Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch is one of the least studied birds in North America. They are also the highest-elevation breeding songbird on the continent, at altitudes of 3000 meters and above. In an effort to gain a better understanding of this species, my dissertation research focuses on the distribution and population of this high altitude songbird.
More broadly I am interested in understanding mechanisms that both limit extreme environment specialists and control their response to change, fundamental to anticipating species conservation threats and priorities
Communicating Science Through Stories
Conservation work is only as powerful as the people who get behind it and make change happen. Changing the way we view the world and our habits of everyday life is not an ordinary task. Throughout human history, stories have been a powerful tool to evoke action. Stories have the ability to make overwhelming problems seem smaller by bringing individuals and situations to life and making their struggles familiar and relatable.
Communicating complex science to a broader and more diverse audience has never been more important and relevant than at the present moment. My aim is to tell stories that will stoke the fire of conservation in you.
News & Resources
All the Latest and Greatest
2022 CAMINO interns and their research
October 30, 2022
Kevin Silberberg and Ryan Cheung joined the Sierra Nevada Rosy-Finch Project this summer as research assistants and did not disappoint! Both Kevin and Ryan contributed to another successful field season and carved out some research projects of their own. Check out what they have been up to!
Ryan Cheung's research project
Natural Reserve System was instrumental in biologist’s ascent to grad school
September 24, 2021
Striding across snowfields and rock scree atop eastern California’s highest ranges, this UC Santa Cruz graduate student seeks to understand why a sparrow-sized mountain bird is riding the “escalator to extinction.”.
“As climate change accelerates, species are moving toward the poles or up in elevation. I’m interested in species already using habitats at the highest elevations; they have no place to go,” Brown says.
Assessing Climate Vulnerability in the Highest-Elevation Breeding Birds on the Continent: North America’s Rosy-Finches
May 11, 2021
Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Lab (SNARL) Spring seminar series.
Public talk to illustrate that state of the research to date.
Refresing 'Ologists: North America's Rosy-finches and climate variability
August 28, 2019
In this presentation Tim will focus on the Sierra Nevada Rosy-finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis dawsoni) to answer two critical questions: what limits its breeding distribution to extreme elevations, and how does understanding these limits inform its conservation under climate change?
CAMINO students first research internship revealed a whole new field of study—Birds!
August 29, 2019
During a research trip to study Rosy finches in the Sierra Nevada, undergraduate Sarah Albright reflects on her first internship experience at Younger Lagoon Natural Reserve—where it all began.
2019-20 Mathias Graduate Student Research Grant awards
December 09, 2019
The 2019-20 Mathias Graduate Student Research Grant awards will help 18 students from seven UC campuses conduct field studies at NRS reserves.
By Kathleen Wong | UC Natural Reserve System
Research Project Aims to Understand Fate of Rosy-Finch
April 23, 2018
One bird species population maybe declining due to climate change. Researches are working hard to change that. KOTO’s Katie Klingsporn has more…
Contact Me
130 McAllister Way Santa Cruz, Ca 95060
Conservation Science & Solutions Lab
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, UC Santa Cruz
