Audubon Science

Producing actionable science for bird conservation.

Our science is our differentiator.

Audubon’s national science team works to deliver conservation-relevant science in partnership with Audubon’s national conservation strategy leadership and with science and conservation staff located in state and regional offices as well as external partners.

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Audubon National Science Team

Chad Wilsey

Vice President and Chief Scientist

Brooke Bateman

Brooke Bateman

Senior Director, Climate & Community Science

Bill DeLuca

William DeLuca

Senior Manager, Migration Ecology

Jill Deppe

Jill Deppe

Senior Director, Migratory Bird Initiative

Jenni Fuller

Project Coordinator

Joanna Grand

Joanna Grand

Director, Spatial Conservation Planning

Photo of Carrie Gray smiling at the camera. She is wearing a gray knit beanie, a white and red patterned scarf, and a blue winter jacket.

Carrie Gray

Boreal Conservation Specialist

Erika Knight

Erika Knight

GIS and Data Science Specialist

Geoff LeBaron

Geoff LeBaron

Director, Christmas Bird Count

Amanda Long

Spatial Ecologist

Tim Meehan

Tim Meehan

Senior Manager, Quantitative Science

Nicole Michel

Nicole Michel

Director, Quantitative Science

Zachary Posnik

Spatial Ecologist

Photo of Shannon Reault

Shannon Reault

Senior Associate, Climate Science

Sarah Saunders

Sarah Saunders

Senior Manager, Quantitative Science

Nat Seavy

Nat Seavy

Director of Migration Science, Migratory Bird Initiative, National Audubon Society

Melanie Smith

Melanie A. Smith

Director, Digital Science & Data Products

Chad Witko

Chad Witko

Senior Coordinator, Avian Biology

How We Work

We aspire to practice translational ecology whenever possible and believe, through our collective experience, that the best science is produced in collaboration with diverse stakeholders. This includes our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Western science, as a discipline, has a long history of marginalizing those who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), profiting from colonialism, contributing to discrimination, rewarding patriarchal structures, and promoting white supremacy culture. A lack of representation, blatant inequities, and burdens placed on minority scientists to fix diversity and inclusion issues are the norm within the scientific community. Many of us on the national science team have arrived at where we are today because we were privileged by our race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, or other identities aligned with dominant culture.

Acknowledging these truths, Audubon is working to create a professional culture that is equitable and inclusive, recognizes the value of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints, celebrates and embraces our differences, and fosters belonging within our organization and the broader scientific community. We will consider the impacts, both intentional and unintentional, of our science on communities of marginalized identities, investigate white supremacy in science, welcome difficult conversations, and evolve to consider the human dimensions of conservation in our work. In doing so, we will work to ensure that our conservation efforts benefit both birds and people.