Rylie Strasbaugh

My interest in herpetology and ornithology has taken me from studying turtles in central Pennsylvania, to frogs and toads in Memphis, TN, and across the marshes, dunes, and swamps of the East Coast to study birds. I am particularly interested in applied conservation methods for threatened and endangered species, population dynamics, and wildlife conservation in the face of anthropogenic climate change.

For my graduate research, I am working closely with Dr. Connor Wood at the Yang Center and Dr. Zach Peery at UW-Madison to develop methods for monitoring the endangered Marbled Murrelet using Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs). Murrelets are small seabirds that nest high in the branches of old-growth coastal forests, making them difficult to detect through classic survey methods. I am excited to utilize ARUs in developing methods that will aid land managers in preserving crucial murrelet habitat.

When I’m not hiking through the redwoods, you’ll find me doing crafts, taking horrible/blurry pictures of wildlife, or wandering around a thrift store.