Rachel is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Environmental Science and Department of Biology at Carleton University. She leads a team that aims to generate knowledge to support and mobilize equitable conservation solutions. Her main research interests include urban bird conservation, soundscapes, ecological restoration, and the link between human health and biodiversity. She works with groups of practitioners, decision-makers, Indigenous Peoples, and stakeholders to ensure her research is applicable for mobilizing effective conservation solutions. In drawing from her experiences as a research scientist, mom, life-long learner, teacher, mentor, and community member, she is committed to making a difference for biodiversity conservation and environmental justice.

Barbara is a Research Scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada . Barbara’s research has explored species-specific behaviour, habitat associations, population ecology, as well as broader themes including patterns of biodiversity, ecosystem services, landscape ecology, climate change and migration, and ‘bright spots’ in human-modified landscapes. She co-founded the McGill Bird Observatory (MBO) in 2004, serving as Director since 2012. Barbara is passionate about scientific communication, having training and taught hundreds of volunteers about birds and migration, given numerous public presentations on species-at-risk, and making guest appearances on local radio and children’s science TV shows. Barbara has worked with academics, NGOs, and communities to co-develop research collaborations, serving as a resource for local Indigenous-led research and conservation efforts, and co-supervising students from multiple universities.

Joseph is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences and Department of Biology at Carleton University, and a co-director of the Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Laboratory. Research in his lab focuses on conservation prioritization, invasion ecology, optimal monitoring, biogeography and spatial statistics. He has a particular interest in research to help protect threatened species, control invasive species, and create better environmental policies at the national level. He also designs optimization tools to help managers better achieve their conservation goals. His research is being used by numerous governments and non-governmental agencies, to help set their conservation priorities.

Jayme Lewthwaite completed a PhD with Dr. Arne Mooers at Simon Fraser University, where her research combined spatial ecology and phylogenetic information to help evaluate the biodiversity impacts of anthropogenic change on Canadian butterfly species. Her postdoc will expand on this work by constructing detailed modern and historical occupancy maps for each of these species in order to prioritize conservation actions. She is currently serving as a member of the Arthropod Species Subcommittee for COSEWIC (the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada), and loves to hang out with her senior pup, Ava, and chase insects in her spare time.

Jen is the Research Director for the new Centre for Conservation Solutions at Carleton. She is a sustainability scientist with an environmental planning and policy background. Previously, she completed a Mitacs postdoctoral fellowship at Brock University studying human-nature connections in the Niagara region. She also served as a postdoctoral fellow on the Management and Governance team of NSERC ResNet, a pan-Canadian project to advance actionable ecosystem research in working landscapes. Her research currently focuses on how environmental knowledge is used by decision makers and communities to make tangible changes in policy and practice.

Chris has a background in both the natural and social sciences and is dedicated to finding solutions to wildlife conservation issues. Chris completed his MSc. with Dr. Buxton in 2025. His thesis explored the ecological role of vacant lots in Detroit MI using bioacoustic analysis, and how management of vacant land can achieve positive social and conservation outcomes. He currently serves as a Lab and Research Assistant for the Biodiversity Conservation Solutions lab.

Alyssa completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a specialization in Ecology at the University of Ottawa. Her undergraduate honours thesis focused on how mouse activity changes in different weather conditions. She has a strong interest in conservation and ecology and has worked in several government agencies, including Environment and Climate Change Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. At Carleton, she is working on identifying barriers in the Species at Risk Act process in Canada, as well as how we can overcome them. Alyssa enjoys knitting, baking, and reading, and showering her cat with (sometimes unwanted) affection.

Kristen completed her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences at Brock University. Her undergraduate thesis looked at the impact of urbanization on black-capped chickadee distribution in Southern Ontario. She has worked on a variety of research projects ranging from behavioural work with three-spine stickleback in Alaska to banding and monitoring Darwin’s finches in the Galápagos Islands. Kristen grew up camping and hiking every summer in Southern Ontario, which fostered a lifelong love for the outdoors. She is interested in exploring how anthropogenic influences such as urbanization and climate change impact vulnerable species and ecosystems. For her Master's project, Kristen will be studying bird nesting and reproduction in urban environments using Etuaptmumk, two-eyed seeing. When not completing research, Kristen enjoys drawing, reading, writing and getting lost in the woods.​

Caitlin completed their undergraduate degree at Mount Holyoke College, where they researched the effect of anthropogenic disturbance on avian habitat use in US East Coast saltmarshes. Driven by their desire to connect with animals, nature, and community, they have spent the last seven years farming and maple sugaring. Most recently, they conducted avian point-count surveys with the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies in the Wyoming backcountry, and worked as a wildlife technician studying Arctic breeding birds with Environment and Climate Change Canada. Their MSc at Carleton will focus on strengthening our understanding of the abiotic and biotic interactions that impact the distribution of Arctic bird populations.

Wren completed her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Policy at St. Edward’s University, where she led a research project monitoring bird diversity at habitat restoration sites. She grew interested in bird conservation as an Ecological Research Assistant at the Wild Basin Creative Research Center in Austin, Texas, where she worked on a project measuring songbird fear responses to anthropogenic sound. For her Master’s, Wren will be collaborating with Environment and Climate Change Canada. She will be studying wild bird communities on poultry farms in Ontario to find potential solutions to minimize the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza. When she isn’t working, Wren is an avid birdwatcher, amateur nature photographer, and loves arts and crafts like embroidery and cross-stitching.

Alex was born in Deloraine, Manitoba, about as far as you can get from the ocean, but has always had a passion for marine animals. After graduating from the University of British Columbia in 2019 with a double major in Creative Writing and Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice, she returned to school to pursue her interest in seabirds. At Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, Alex's honours research in marine biology focused on a mass mortality event affecting Thick-billed Murres (Uria lomvia) in the region during spring 2022. Her MSc will involve analyzing long-term acoustic data from White-Chinned Petrel colonies in the South Georgia Islands. School and birding take up most of her time, but she also enjoys cooking, reading, tending her sourdough starter, and trivia.

Sarah completed her Master of Forest Conservation at the University of Toronto, where she researched the potential of Miyawaki forests as green infrastructure. Her zeal for nature conservation has led her to work with environmental and urban forest non-profits, contributing to initiatives that promote nature-based solutions and greener communities. At Carleton, her PhD focus is on exploring the biodiversity benefits of tree plantings in urban settings. 

Val is a landscape ecologist and research software developer interested in ecological modeling and reproducible science. He holds an MSc in Biology from McGill University, where he studied the impacts of land use change on ecological connectivity. His other project experience includes landscape connectivity conservation at the national scale, R package development and maintenance, camera trap data management, fisheries productivity and distance sampling modeling, as well as applications of computer vision. In the BCS lab, Val's PhD focuses on how birds migrate through cities and the threat they face while doing so.

Tyson grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, and received a Diploma in Conservation Biology from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in 2022. Since then, he has been fortunate to perform bird-focused field work in various parts of Canada including Northern Alberta, Coastal British Columbia, Georgian Bay Ontario, and the Napanee Limestone Plain. These opportunities have ignited a passion for birds which extends both academically and recreationally. This inspired him to return to school where he is currently working towards his Bachelor of Science Honours in Biology, specializing in Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour. This summer, Tyson will be using data from paired bird productivity surveys and acoustic recordings to gain insight into how autonomous recording units may be used to assess the breeding status of detected species in Gatineau Park. In his free time, Tyson can most often be found birding, hiking, camping, or watching hockey.

Josh completed his Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Psychology at Carleton University in 2025. As an undergraduate, he assisted in research on social-competitive behavior in Ruby-throated Hummingbirds through a USRA with Roslyn Dakin, and helped conduct field surveys investigating bird-window collisions. His honours thesis focused on predictive modeling of bird-window collision risk at the building facade level in urban environments. Passionate about all things avian, Josh is especially interested in how birds respond to urbanization, the challenges of climate change, and conservation efforts. For his Master’s research, he will be investigating how tree planting initiatives in the Ottawa area influence local bird biodiversity and related factors. Outside of work, Josh enjoys wildlife photography, birding, video editing, reading, and gaming with friends.

Jessica is doing her MSc in Biology at Carleton University, supervised by Dr. Vivian Nguyen and Dr. Rachel Buxton. Her thesis explores the perceptions of ecosystem services and disservices of urban trees in Ottawa. Before beginning her MSc, Jessica pursued her interests in Biology, Philosophy, and Media Studies while completing her BSc at Queen’s University. She is a believer in the importance of interdisciplinary research and community-based knowledge and is passionate about science communication. Through her research, Jessica hopes to contribute to finding solutions for conservation issues that support people’s well-being.

Laura is currently completing her Bachelor of Science Honours in Biology at Carleton University. Her academic interests include conservation, ecology, and natural history. Last summer, she had the privilege of working in the National Herbarium of Canada as a Collections Assistant, where she digitized lichen and vascular plant specimens for the Letters from Lowlands project. Having grown up in the Gatineau-Ottawa region, Laura is excited to be working as a Field Technician in Gatineau Park, where she helps monitor biodiversity by conducting roadkill surveys and collecting acoustic and camera trap data. Her undergraduate thesis will explore the outcomes of traffic mitigation on road mortality in Gatineau Park. When she is not outside observing cool creatures, you can find Laura drawing, crafting, or collecting trinkets.

Roya is currently completing their Bachelor of Science Honours in Interdisciplinary Science and Practice, with a double minor in biology and chemistry at Carleton University. Their academic interests include conservation, analytical chemistry, science communication, and education. Having grown up in Ottawa, Roya spent much of their childhood volunteering at Petrie Island and working with staff on conservation initiatives. Their undergraduate thesis will explore the public’s perception on the active use road closures within Gatineau Park. In their free time Roya enjoys Rubik’s cubing, painting, wildlife photography, and reading.

Chelsea is currently completing her BSc Honours in Environmental Science at Carleton University. Her academic interests include mycology, climate science, conservation, and ecology. She grew up in the Ottawa area where she volunteered and worked with organizations based in the interest of environmental conservation. Her undergraduate thesis will explore how vulnerable different bird species are to window collisions. In her free time Chelsea enjoys plane watching, music, gardening, and puzzles.