Overview

Hania Ahmed is a former middle school science teacher and currently works with the Texas Conservation Corps as the crew leader for the Houston Environmental Action Team. She holds a B.S in Education from Sam Houston State University. In her free time, Hania enjoys playing guitar, attending concerts, reading/collecting comic books, and learning about birds. Her favorite bird is the Horned Puffin.

As American Bird Conservancy’s Gulf Coast Avian Ecologist, Sarah works with local and regional partners to monitor and protect nesting shorebirds and seabirds, as well as migrating and wintering shorebirds. She also helps promote and implement local Bird City Texas initiatives and conservation efforts. Sarah earned a B.S. in Ecology for Environmental Science from the University of North Texas and has since gained experience monitoring a variety of bird species in several different places and habitat types across the country. When Sarah is not in the field protecting wildlife, she enjoys being outdoors, birding, and exploring natural areas with friends!

Abby Brown, Process Safety Engineer, Chevron

Abby graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in chemical engineering and has worked in the energy industry for 6 years. She is currently a facilities engineer supporting Chevron’s midstream operations in Baytown. Abby is a native Houstonian and attended Nature Camp at the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary every summer as a child. She’s excited to be back in her hometown and support conservation efforts through an organization that meant so much to her growing up. When not at work, you can find Abby planning her next outdoor adventure, playing board games, or practicing yoga. 

Sean Downs, Guidance, Navigation, and Controls Engineer, NASA

Sean Downs is an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center specializing in guidance and navigation systems. After graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2021, he moved to Houston and was almost immediately drawn to all the fascinating birds in the area. Since then, his interest in birds has only grown and he now annoys/enlightens all his friends and family with excessive bird facts and bird memes. Sean spends his free time rock climbing, running, hiking, backpacking, roasting coffee, and birding. His favorite bird is the Little Blue Heron.

Aleyda Galán is a career wildlife ecologist and currently works as an environmental and permitting manager at Repsol Renewables North America. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, dancing, making music, trying new things and being outdoors with her favorite beings (human and animal alike). Her favorite bird is the Eastern Whip-poor-will - the first species she removed from a mist net, her gateway bird.

Elizabeth Garza is a native Houstonian. She received her B.S. in Wildlife & Fisheries Science from Texas A&M University. After graduating, Elizabeth worked as a Summer Camp Guide at the Houston Zoo and gained an appreciation for the education side of the zoo & aquarium world. She currently works at the Downtown Aquarium as an Education Lead. Her favorite bird is the shoebill stork.

Court Hall currently works at Memorial Park Conservancy as the Conservation Operations Manager. She spent many years in wetlands across the Gulf of Mexico from her time at USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Texas A&M at Galveston, and TAMU-Corpus Christi. When not at work, she enjoys time on trails, walking her dog, and supporting ministry work. Her favorite bird is the American Kestrel (but its quite hard to pick just one!)

Robert Hammarberg serves as a Faculty Associate and Assistant Director of Public Health Practice and Engagement at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. He holds a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) from UTHealth Houston, a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Texas A&M University, and a Bachelor’s of Science (BS) in Business Administration from New York Institute of Technology. Originally from Long Island, New York, Robert has also lived in northern New Hampshire, but has resided in Texas for the last 11 years. Robert enjoys traveling, hiking, and watching live bird streams with his cat, Zara. 

Mikki Heckman, Project Architect, Powers Brown Architecture

Raised by a naturalist in the Midwest, Mikki has always loved being outside, but she fell in love with birding through a PE class at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology while earning her Bachelor of Architecture degree and Spanish Minor at Cornell University. Today, Mikki is a Project Architect at Powers Brown Architecture, passionate about Houston Audubon's Bird Friendly Communities Initiative and striving toward positive impacts in all her work. She is a Registered Architect in the State of Texas, a LEED Accredited Professional, and the Chair of AIA-Houston's Urban Design Committee. Mikki is incredibly honored to have been named by Houston Business Journal as a "Woman to Watch" for this year, though she still recommends keeping your binocs on the birds. Mikki's birding highlight of the year was traveling through Peru and Patagonia, observing everything from tiny hummingbirds and motmot to courting penguins and the great Rhea. 

Regina Lillibridge currently works with Texas Parks and Wildlife as an interpreter at Galveston Island State Park. She holds a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management. When not at work, Regina enjoys experimenting with abstract art, recreating in beautiful places, and looking for birds. 

Diego Lopez works in the Office of STEM Engagement at Rice University as a research specialist. He holds a master’s in public service and administration from Texas A&M. In his free time, Diego likes baking, reading, and hiking. His favorite bird is the Painted Bunting.

Daniel Marzluf currently works as the Community Outreach Coordinator for the wildlife conservation department at the Houston Zoo. Born and raised in Bolivia, Daniel came with his family to the U.S. for better opportunities and was able to get a degree in Biology from George Mason University. Daniel has extensive experience working with non-human primates under human care and has worked with several animals including orangutans, chimpanzees, lemurs, and other various primates.

In his free time, Daniel likes going on nature walks, watching movies, going to the gym, playing music, and spending time with his girlfriend, his dog River and their cat Maisy. Daniel loves several types of birds but his favorite are cassowaries, owls, hornbills, and herons.

Conor McKinney is a native Houstonian currently working at Latham & Watkins LLP as a risk management professional. He graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio with a degree in Economics, History, and Political Science (whew). Outside of work, Conor creates and hosts weekly trivia nights at a local craft brewery. He is also an (amateur) art collector, board and tabletop gamer (Wingspan and DND, to name a few), hiker, rock climber, and marathoner. 

Kate Merriman, PE, Highway Engineer, HDR Engineering, Inc.

Kate is a Highway Engineer with HDR Engineering, Inc., and is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Texas. She holds a Masters of Science in Civil Engineering from LSU. Kate has enjoyed a life-long love of birds together with all things living (or formerly living) and has a desire to play a still more active role in the protection of their habitat. When not at work, she enjoys cooking, reading, and of course birding. Her favorite local bird is the Carolina Chickadee and she loves exchanging pebbles with an unseen neighborhood Corvid.

Nova Morales is part of the conservation team at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, where she designs and implements restoration projects across its 155 acres. She holds a B.S. from Texas A&M University. Nova has served two AmeriCorps terms: one in the Pacific Northwest on post-wildfire trail maintenance and another with the Texas Conservation Corps on coastal restoration. Outside of work, she enjoys growing plants on her balcony, trying new restaurants, thrifting, botanizing around Houston with her prairie friends, and, of course, birding. Her favorite bird is the Tufted Titmouse.

Dani Newman (she/her) currently works at Rice University as a graphic and UI (user interface) designer. She holds a B.F.A. in Visual Communication from Northern Illinois University and is an AmeriCorps VISTA alum. Away from her computer, you can find Dani reading, camping under the stars, illustrating zines, or navigating her way to a coffee shop via treacherous Montrose sidewalks.

Isaac Phillips, Senior Director of Development, Grid United LLC

A Louisiana native, Isaac has spent the last decade building a life in Houston and settling with his partner and cat in the East End. As a Sr. Director of Development for Grid United, Isaac serves as the lead on the Southline Transmission Project, a new 280-mile powerline connecting communities across New Mexico and Arizona. In this role, Isaac manages project planning, environmental permitting, mitigation design and implementation, land acquisition, commercial negotiations, and stakeholder and local engagement. Isaac holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University and is an avid birder in his spare time.

Kassandra Robles is an artist and educator from Houston, Texas, and a graduate from the University of Houston. She has been teaching art since 2020 and is passionate about creativity. Kassandra enjoys finding inspiration in the abundance of nature, even while cycling. Kassandra loves to spend time exploring art museums, galleries, and street art in Houston, as well as discovering beauty in the outdoors—always with a good cup of coffee in hand.

Joan Sanborn, General Aviation Account Manager, bp

Joan Sanborn currently works for bp as an account manager for their jet fuel business. She has a B.S. in Geophysical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines and has held various positions in the hydrocarbon trading space. Joan always enjoys trying new hobbies, but regularly finds time to read, hike, cook for friends, and attend the opera. She and her husband also enjoy sharing their love of the outdoors with their two sons.

Kari Shearer, Trading Analyst Manager, Harvest Midstream

Kari Shearer currently works at Harvest Midstream as a Trading Analyst Manager. She holds a B.A. in Economics from Southwestern University. When not at work, Kari enjoys playing board games with friends, rock climbing, camping and hiking (basically anything that can also be combined with birding). Her favorite bird is the rufous motmot.

Zee Siddiqui, Senior Operations Analyst, Siepe

Zee currently works at Siepe as a senior operations analyst. She has earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Houston and an MBA from the European School of Management and Technology Berlin. Since coming back to Houston, she hopes to spend more time outdoors and dedicated to conservation efforts. In her free time, Zee loves to read, paint, and travel. 

Lauren Brooke Thompson ("Brooke") is a business litigation attorney at the international law firm, Clark Hill PLC. Prior to graduating from SMU Law with honors, she earned a B.S. in Political Science and a double minor in Sociology and Spanish from Texas A&M University. 

Brooke currently plays tennis in two local women's leagues. She enjoys walks at Edith Moore Nature Sanctuary; visiting historic sites and museums; taking hikes and bird watching in national parks; dining at unique restaurants; shopping at local art markets and boutiques; listening to a litany of podcasts ranging from "The Science of Birds" to "Swindled"; and reading novels that master the art of storytelling. 

Kirsten Vernin, Research Associate, Watershed Quality, Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC)

Kirsten Vernin is a Research Associate at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) focusing on watershed quality. She received her M.S. in Environmental Analysis with a concentration in Environmental Sustainability from Rice University and her B.S. in Zoology from Texas A&M University. Her favorite activities include birding, hiking, camping, and just being outside in nature. While she doesn't have a favorite bird, she loves chickadees, tits, and anything with a big beak, especially hornbills.  

Liz Virgl, Texas Coastal Education Specialist, American Bird Conservancy

Liz Virgl is the Texas Coastal Education Specialist at American Bird Conservancy. She is passionate about bringing engaging outdoor educational experiences to Houston's youth through birds! Her favorite bird is the common loon.