Melissa Wolfe became a biologist for WEST in 2011. During previous work for WEST she conducted avian point counts; lek, aerial, and brood surveys for sage grouse and prairie chickens; owl/raptor surveys; avian/bat fatality monitoring; and report compiling/editing, in the Great Plains and inter-Mountain West. She currently assists WEST with writing and field work.
Prior to this, Melissa conducted and supervised field work for numerous avian research projects for state and federal governments and non-profit organizations in states such as North Dakota, Texas, Arkansas, Alaska, Utah, and Wisconsin, as well as the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean and Costa Rica. This work involved point/transect counts, mist-netting and banding, and vegetation sampling for projects exploring habitat use for birds in grasslands, sagebrush, tropical forests, and wetlands. Melissa has handled thousands of birds and enjoys learning about their life history characteristics.
In addition, Melissa has hands-on experience conducting prairie and wetland restoration projects for two non-profit land trusts in Wisconsin.
Melissa received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Luther College. She earned a master’s degree in zoology from Southern Illinois University, discerning the variables associated with songbird nest predation in fragmented forest habitats.
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