New eBird Project Leader Jenna Curtis
We are so pleased to welcome Jenna Curtis to Team eBird! Jenna will help with aspects of engagement and communication among eBirders, regional data reviewers, and project partners, with a focus on eBird’s help resources and best practices.
Jenna’s birding journey started at age 11 when she spotted a flock of Dark-eyed Juncos in her backyard. After briefly considering a degree in Interior Design, Jenna decided to turn her passion for birds into a career. She volunteered with Kori Bustards at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park and worked as a research and monitoring intern for Klamath Bird Observatory. Jenna received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Wildlife Science at Oregon State University, where she studied long-term changes in bird communities of Oregon and Panama. Jenna enjoyed exploring her home state via the Oregon 2020 Project – a statewide benchmark of Oregon’s birds using a combination of eBird data and professional surveys, developed by her team at OSU. Through her work, Jenna has gained a better appreciation of how birds unite us as a global community. She also enjoys watching the daily lives of local birds, submitting checklists from new places, and helping others discover the benefits of eBirding. Jenna is excited to join the team and promote eBird’s continued growth and diversification!