Staff

Originally from Ohio, Katherine first came to New York City to complete her master's degree work on weather effects on bird-window collisions. During her time as a master's student, she worked closely with NYC Bird Alliance's Project Safe Flight data and in spring 2022, coordinated the Project Safe Flight collision monitoring volunteers. In June 2022, she joined NYC Bird Alliance as the organization's community science and outreach manager.

A lifelong animal lover, Katherine enjoys new experiences working with all kinds of animals, from companion animals to livestock to wildlife. She is also fascinated with how humans interact with animals and vice versa and is excited to be helping create an urban environment that promotes coexistence among all species.

Katherine holds a BA in animal sciences from the Ohio State University and an MA in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology from Columbia University.

Email: [email protected]

Christine Cieslak is a seasonal field technician in urban bird conservation for NYC Bird Alliance's Herring Gull Conservation and Management Program at the Javits Center green roofs. Christine graduated with a B.S. from the University of Michigan in 2018, double majoring in Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity and Spanish. Before moving to New York and joining NYC Bird Alliance, Christine worked as a fisheries and wildlife intern with the U.S. Forest Service in Yakutat, AK monitoring a breeding colony of Aleutian terns. In this role, she developed her passion for the conservation of seabirds and species monitoring. Christine also has extensive experience in environmental education and most recently worked as an urban avian educator throughout NYC with Audubon New York.

Nicholas (they/them/theirs) is a wildlife scientist focused on the bioacoustic study of bats and birds. They began their career in conservation as a volunteer with NYC Bird Alliance’s Project Safe Flight. This experience led them to their first professional role as an avian monitoring technician with the National Park Service in the desert southwest. After returning to New York City, Nicholas earned a Master’s degree in biology. They developed an interest in bioacoustics through research on bird song and park soundscapes as part of their graduate studies. Nicholas’ research interests expanded to bats in 2020 after they were given the opportunity to survey bat populations in Westchester County. They have since published a study on acoustic bat detection and worked on bat conservation projects throughout the US and Costa Rica. 

Nicholas fulfilled a long-term career ambition when they joined the NYC Bird Alliance staff in 2023, where they assist with a variety of monitoring projects at green infrastructure sites throughout Manhattan. 

Matthew Coody (he/him/his) joined NYC Bird Alliance in April 2022 as the organization’s director of development. Originally from Texas, Matthew moved to New York City to attend graduate school and has since built a multifaceted career at not-for-profit organizations that focus on advocacy, community engagement, and preservation.

Matthew comes to NYC Bird Alliance with over a decade of fundraising experience in the heritage, culture, and open space spheres. Most recently, he served as director of external affairs at the Historic House Trust of NYC, a public-private partnership with NYC Parks. There he led all development and communications efforts, crafted impactful programs, and advanced strategic partnerships. Prior to that role, Matthew was executive director of the New York Preservation Archive Project, a grassroots organization that experienced significant growth under his leadership.

Matthew currently serves on the board of directors of the New York Preservation Archive Project and the board of advisers of the Historic Districts Council, and is a member of the Historic House Trust’s accessibility advisory committee. In the past he has also served as vice president for Columbia University’s Preservation Alumni, and has been awarded scholarships to attend several conferences and international study programs.
 
Matthew earned a BS in architectural studies from the University of Texas and an MS in historic preservation from Columbia University. He is a longtime resident of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where his most talkative neighbor is a crow that nests in a nearby tree. His fondest bird-related memory to date is snorkeling with Brown Pelicans as they dove for their lunch.

Email: [email protected]

Dr. Shannon Curley (she/her) leads NYC Bird Alliance's annual Harbor Herons survey and manages the analysis of the 40-year Harbor Herons dataset. Dr. Curley has worked and volunteered with NYC Bird Alliance since 2019. Outside of her NYC Bird Alliance work, Dr. Curley's research focuses on the impacts of anthropogenic changes on migratory birds. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where she uses weather radar to study offshore bird migration to inform effective and bird-safe wind energy development.

Michelle Davis (she/hers) joined NYC Bird Alliance as a Bird Survey Technician monitoring migratory and breeding bird use of green roofs and terraces in Manhattan. Michelle has been passionate about birds since early childhood, leading to a personal and professional fascination with the drama of songbird migration. She has worked on breeding and migration monitoring projects across a large portion of the United States, most recently in Cape May, New Jersey during the fall of 2023. In 2002 Michelle helped found the Cape Florida Banding Station, located near Miami, and is still involved remotely as a Co-Director and Advisor.

Michelle received a BA in Art/Scientific Illustration from the University of California, Santa Cruz and later studied at Florida International University, where she received a Professional Science Masters in Environmental Policy and Management in 2018. As a newly minted New Yorker, Michelle is excited to combine a long-term interest in migratory songbirds and their stopover ecology with an evolving passion for urban spaces and with sharing the wonders of birds and the natural world with others through community science projects. 

Myles first joined the NYC Bird Alliance team as field technician for our Herring Gull Conservation and Management Program in 2021. Subsequently, he completed a master’s degree in Conservation Biology, where he used wildlife trail cameras to understand how mammals are distributed throughout New York City’s greenspaces, and established a camera transect to monitor city wildlife across a gradient of urban intensity in the process. Myles returned to NYC Bird Alliance in May 2023 as our senior manager of green infrastructure.

 

Myles has worked on a wide range of ecological projects, from studying semi-wild Elephant behavior and ecotourism in Thailand, to Colobus monkey crop raiding in Tanzania. As a Brooklyn native, Myles is excited to channel his passion for conservation and outreach towards protecting the city’s avian habitats and connecting New Yorkers with the local bird community. Myles can often be found running in Prospect Park, bouldering, or eating at one of the city’s many food festivals.

 

Myles graduated from Colgate University in 2015 with a BA in Biology and from Columbia University in 2023 with a MA in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology.

Email: [email protected]

Aidan Donaghy (he/him/his) joined NYC Bird Alliance in June 2022 as the organization's development associate. A lifelong nature-lover, he came to New York from Kentucky in 2017 to attend university and has since enjoyed familiarizing himself with the City's diverse communities and beautiful public parks. He has volunteered at parks and community gardens across Manhattan and the Bronx and believes in the importance of preserving New York's built and natural environments so that they can be safely enjoyed by all its residents—bird, human, or otherwise! Having completed internships in education and nonprofit programming, he is excited to use his experience to ensure NYC Bird Alliance has the resources it needs to continue its amazing conservation and advocacy work.

Aidan holds a BA in anthropology and humanitarian studies from Fordham University, where he also served as secretary of the Environmental Club and president of the Humanitarian Student Union. His favorite bird-related memory is visiting a parrot and toucan sanctuary in Brazil.

Email: [email protected]

Monika honed her skills in accounting, office functions, and management through varied business services, working with accountants, auditors, business owners, and executives over the last 35 years. With her bachelor’s degree from New York University in biology, concentrating on field studies and with a minor in geology, working with NYC Bird Alliance is the realization of lifelong interests. She is very excited to have joined this grassroot nonprofit organization as controller, where her passions have finally met work life. Monika loves to travel and has visited many different states and countries.
 
 Email: [email protected]

Retired in December 2019 from her position as NYC Bird Alliance's director of conservation and science, Dr. Susan Elbin is an ornithologist who has worked in the field of behavioral ecology and conservation for more than 25 years. Susan's specialties are avian behavioral ecology and conservation of colonial waterbirds. She is the chair of the Ornithological Council and, locally, co-chair of the Harbor Herons Subcommittee of the Restoration Committee for the Harbor Estuary Program. Susan is an adjunct professor at Columbia University where she teaches courses in ornithology and migration ecology.
 
Before coming to NYC Bird Alliance, Susan was the director of the Wildlife Trust's New York Bioscape Initiative, a regional, landscape-level approach to issues of human health, wildlife health, and ecosystem health. She has also worked in several departments at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), including the Education and Ornithology Departments and the Science Resource Center of the Bronx Zoo. While at WCS she led a variety of projects including studies of avian ecology and behavior in disturbed or restored grassland habitats and of birds' social behavior and use of space in exhibits at the Bronx Zoo. Susan has also been involved with conservation on an international scale, working with biologists from Argentina to Indonesia to South Africa. She is currently active in conservation in her hometown, having served for five years on the planning board for five years for the town of Parsippany, NJ, and being currently on its environmental advisory committee.
 
Susan holds an MS degree in ecology from the Pennsylvania State University and a PhD in ecology and evolution from Rutgers University.

Steph Garib (she/they) joined the NYC Bird Alliance team in May 2024. Every weekend, she can be found on Governors Island, leading activities and discussions about local birding, engagement opportunities, conservation, and advocacy.

Steph’s passion for birds began when she visited Aotearoa, New Zealand. She was captivated by the diversity of birds and the government's impressive pest control and conservation efforts. While studying abroad, Steph and her peers conducted an environmental survey of Rāpaki, a Māori bay, assessing the mauri (life force) of the local bird community. She is an avid birder and participates in local citizen science projects.

Steph graduated from Smith College in January 2024 with a focus in Environmental Geosciences and Marine Science & Policy. Her favorite birds are the kererū and the kea. She hopes to further her love for birds by pursuing a master’s in conservation biology, aiming to work on conservation projects involving little blue penguins.

Emilia Zhang Heaton is a seasonal associate field biologist monitoring shorebirds for NYC Bird Alliance's Waterbirds of New York Harbor program. A native New Yorker, Emilia moved to Florida to get a BS in environmental studies and psychology from Eckerd College. Her studies lead to a passion for conservation psychology—the study of the reciprocal relationships between humans and nature, to encourage conservation. Since graduating and coming back to New York City, Emilia has been a research analyst at a brand strategy and marketing firm. Emilia started with NYC Bird Alliance by teaming up with conservation field biologist Emilio Tobón to survey the American Oystercatcher population in Queens, and now conducts field and lab work for several NYC Bird Alliance research projects.

Olivia Liang (she/her/hers) joined the NYC Bird Alliance team in September 2023. As Communications Associate, Olivia is working to grow our organization's visibility and reach new audiences by promoting our conservation, advocacy, and engagement work throughout the City.  

Before working for NYC Bird Alliance, Olivia was a Contributing Editor for SRQ Magazine in Sarasota, FL. She then wrote for the national nonprofit Green America, reporting on green finance, clean energy, green living, and environmental and social justice. 

Olivia graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2021, double majoring in English and Spanish with a minor in Design. In 2023, she completed her MFA for Nonfiction Writing from Columbia University.

Andrew Maas (he/him/his) is excited to be part of the incredible team at NYC Bird Alliance and work towards bird and environmental conservation in the City's five boroughs. Born and raised in New York City, Andrew has always appreciated the wilder side of the City, most notably Central Park. From his time at NYC Bird Alliance he has learned about many of the other natural wonders in the City, including Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Pelham Bay Park, and the "Harbor Herons" islands of Swinburne Island and the Brother Islands. 

 

Andrew holds a BA in communications and media studies from Fordham University.

 

Saman Mahmood (she/her) joined the NYC Bird Alliance team in August 2023. As the organization’s Director of Advocacy and Engagement, Saman’s extensive expertise bridging government relations, grassroots campaigns, and effective communication will bolster NYC Bird Alliance’s efforts to protect urban biodiversity and make the city more sustainable for birds and people.

 

In her previous role with the Richmond County District Attorney's Community Partnership Unit, Saman demonstrated exceptional skills in raising awareness about critical public safety issues. Saman’s collaboration with key stakeholders, including the NYPD, government agencies, and elected officials, has consistently fostered effective communication channels, enhanced relationships and promoting a positive public image.

 

In her role as Deputy District Director for Congressman Max Rose in the U. S House of Representatives, Saman managed complex operations involving staff, interns, and external stakeholders. Their expertise in constituent services, community relations, and legislative matters played a pivotal role in driving the congressman's mission. Saman's dedication to building and maintaining relationships across federal, state, and local levels showcases their strong networking skills and commitment to effective governance.

 

A native Staten Islander with a master’s in public administration from C.U.N.Y Baruch Marxe School of Public and International Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies from C.U.N.Y College of Staten Island, Saman combines academic rigor with practical experience to bring a holistic approach to community engagement, government relations, and public service. With a career marked by impactful contributions and a commitment to public welfare, Saman Mahmood continues to be a driving force for positive change and effective leadership.

Read more about Saman on our blog, The Urban Bird Call.

Email: [email protected]

Jesse McLaughlin (he/him/his) works to transform New York into a bird-friendly city through grassroots and city- and state-level legislative advocacy. He also manages the organization’s seasonal environmental center and Artist in Residence (AiR) program on Governors Island, a 172-acre public green space in the middle of the New York Harbor. 

 

Jesse is a PhD Environmental Psychology student at The Graduate Center at CUNY in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. He holds a BA in Individualized Study from NYU Gallatin.

Prior to his current role at NYC Bird Alliance, Jesse was the organization’s advocacy and engagement associate through the FAO Schwarz Fellowship.

Email: [email protected]

Prior to joining the NYC Bird Alliance team in 2024, Tasha has years of experience coordinating public programs and events at various of NYC’s vibrant green spaces, including Madison Square Park and Queens County Farm Museum. Earlier in her career, Tasha was an environmental educator with City Growers and the Gowanus Canal Conservancy.  As a proud New Yorker, Tasha is excited to connect people with the City’s incredible wildlife, nature, and green spaces. In her free time, you can find her running by the water or attending a dance class. 

Tasha earned her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont in 2017.

Email: [email protected]

Dr. Dustin Partridge (he/him/his), NYC Bird Alliance’s director of conservation and science, has worked with NYC Bird Alliance in various roles since 2014, starting with what was then a “pilot” project monitoring biodiversity on the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center’s green roof. As NYC Bird Alliance’s green infrastructure programming grew, so did Dustin’s role with the organization, as he led projects including Kingsland Wildflowers Green Roof in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and Justice Avenue’s bioswale in Elmhurst, Queens. Dustin also created and serves as managing director of the Green Roof Researchers Alliance (GRRA), a consortium of over 70 scientists and policy makers from 22 institutions providing unbiased outreach, advocacy, and scientific understanding of green roofs in New York City. Joining NYC Bird Alliance’s staff in 2022 in his expanded role of director of conservation and science, Dustin leads the organization’s team of on-the-ground scientists focused on species and habitat conservation and our signature Green Infrastructure, Project Safe Flight, and Waterbirds of New York Harbor programs.

 

Dustin’s research focuses on the role of green infrastructure in wildlife conservation, ecological community formation, and how to create high-quality habitat for birds in urban landscapes. His advocacy work focuses on the equitable distribution of green infrastructure across New York City. Early in Dustin’s career, he spent time banding birds throughout the northeast and studying marine mammal behavior in the Florida Keys. More recently, Dustin was a scientist at HDR Engineering, where his work focused on marine and terrestrial wildlife in and around New York Harbor. Dustin has been involved in many types of projects, including the monitoring of marine fisheries, renewable energy planning, endangered species surveys, and habitat restoration.

 

Dustin holds an adjunct position at Columbia University, where he teaches conservation biology and is an active mentor on committees at universities throughout New York City. He earned a PhD in biology and a certificate of advanced study in conservation biology from Fordham University. He is a lifelong resident of the New York area and currently lives in Morris County, New Jersey, with his family.

 

Anne Schwartz (she/her) joined the staff of NYC Bird Alliance in June 2017 as institutional giving manager. After growing up watching sprawl replace the fields and forests of the Hudson Valley, she has dedicated her career as a writer and editor to communicating about environmental issues. In the 1980s and 90s, she was an editor at Garden magazine of the New York Botanical Garden, which sounded an early alarm on climate change, tropical deforestation, and the worldwide loss of plant diversity, and at the National Audubon Society, where she edited the Audubon Activist. As the parks columnist for Gotham Gazette from 1999 to 2012, she covered policy, politics, and news related to the city’s parks and natural areas. She also produced digital and fundraising communications for environmental nonprofits including The Conservation Campaign and Open Space Institute. 

 

She has published articles in Audubon, Land & People, and other magazines, and is the author of Rescuing Wetlands Close to Home, published by the Trust for Public Land. A resident of Brooklyn, Anne always looks for a chance to get outdoors, whether to research a story, walk with a friend in Prospect Park, or hike and canoe in the wild.

 

Anne has a BA in literature from Bennington College, and a certificate in conservation and environmental sustainability from Columbia University’s Earth Institute.

 

Raia Stern (she/her/hers) joined the NYC Bird Alliance team in April 2024. She can be found on Governors Island each weekend leading activities and discussions about local birding, engagement opportunities, conservation, and advocacy.

Raia is a long-time bird enthusiast, starting with the smallest songbirds in fieldwork with chickadees and how human activity affects their communication, all the way to creating loving relationships with raptors through ambassador training and care programs at the Elmwood Park Zoo. She has also led educational programs at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Prospect Park Zoo, sharing her love of animals, plants, and the outdoors with scientific adventurers of all ages and backgrounds.

Raia graduated from Vassar College in 2023 with a focus in Animal Cognition and Cognitive Science. Her favorite birds are barn owls, and she loves to go birding in Brooklyn Bridge Park on the weekends and interrupt conversations to point out red-tailed hawks in the distance.

Junko Suzuki is a Bird Survey Technician assisting with a monitoring study of green roofs and terraces in Manhattan. She is excited to join NYC Bird Alliance’s urban biodiversity research, an interest that has emerged from over 20 years of birding and citizen-science research in New York City. 

Originally from Japan, Junko moved to the City in 1989. Encounters with a Mourning Dove and male House Finch on a fire escape feeder eventually led her to Central Park, where she became a keen observer of migration as well as the dynamics of its breeding birds. In particular, she has studied and become fascinated by the family behaviors of Eastern Kingbirds. Since 2019, she has volunteered for the Ornithology Department of the American Museum of Natural History, working with its collection of birds from Japan. She has also served on the council of the Linnaean Society of New York.

Junko’s professional background is in media consulting, marketing, and design. Her last job was for UJA-Federation of New York, where she worked as an in-house graphic designer for 12 years. She is also an accomplished writer in Japanese and reviewed New York theater for more than 10 years for Japanese media.

Michelle Talich grew up in Colorado where she honed a deep connection to and appreciation for the natural world. She moved to New York at the age of 18 and has called NYC home ever since. Several years ago, a chance encounter with a White-throated Sparrow in Manhattan's Bryant Park sparked a passionate fascination with birds. Michelle believes that spending a day outdoors looking and listening for birds is one of the most fulfilling, joyful, and meaningful things a person can do with their time. Her love of birdwatching pairs well with her love of travel. 

Becoming an avid birder inspired a strong interest in conservation and wildlife rehabilitation. Michelle volunteers for the NYC Plover Project, an organization that is committed to helping protect Piping Plovers and other shorebirds that nest on some of NYC’s busiest beaches, and The Raptor Trust, a wild bird rehabilitation and education center in Millington, NJ. She recently joined the dedicated team at The Wild Bird Fund as an Animal Care Manager. 

A graduate of The School of Visual Arts, Michelle holds a BFA in photography. She enjoys photographing the amazing nature and wildlife she sees on her adventures in NYC and beyond. As to be expected, her most favorite subjects have feathers.

Kiki is a seasonal field technician for NYC Bird Alliance’s Herring Gull Conservation and Management program. She graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz in 2022 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Biology. Since graduating, she has studied Wilson’s and Red-necked phalarope populations at Mono Lake. Her research with phalaropes has led her to participate in fieldwork across the Western Hemisphere, including sites in the Canadian prairie and saline lakes in South America. Kiki is passionate about building community through bird conservation and education.

Born in Mexico City, Emilio has studied seabirds all across the globe. His bachelor’s thesis at the National Autonomous University of Mexico was in the ecology and behavior of the Elegant Tern at Isla Rasa in the Gulf of California. His PhD research studied the ecology and behavior of the Magnificent Frigatebird during chick development in Isla Isabel, off Mexico’s Pacific Coast. For five years, he worked to study and conserve seabirds in the “Seabird Capital of the World,” New Zealand.

 

Emilio moved to New York City in 2008 and soon after volunteered on several different NYC Bird Alliance Harbor Herons projects under the direction of Dr. Susan Elbin. Since 2011, he has been conducting surveys of the American Oystercatcher population in Breezy Point, Queens, as well as assisting with field work for several other NYC Bird Alliance conservation projects, including testing bird-friendly glass at their testing tunnel at the Bronx Zoo from 2014 to 2016.

Andrea Trigueros is a collision monitor for NYC Bird Alliance assisting with monitoring buildings for bird collisions with windows. Originally from El Salvador, she moved to the U.S. in 2017 to pursue a career in the sciences. Andrea first got involved in bird research working as a seasonal bird technician at the Audubon Center at Riverlands, where she monitored birds in floodplain habitat along the Mississippi River. She has conducted bird-window collision monitoring in St. Louis and regularly volunteered at bird banding stations in Missouri and Illinois. 

She is currently working towards a PhD in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her research focuses on the range expansions of introduced species. When she’s not writing her dissertation, she enjoys birding and photography. 

Jessica G. Wilson (she/her) joined NYC Bird Alliance in January 2022 as the organization’s executive director. A lifelong New Yorker and birder, Jessica’s interest in urban wildlife has shaped her career focused on environmental impact, fundraising, and community engagement.

Jessica came to NYC Bird Alliance with deep experience with the City’s green spaces and natural areas. She joined NYC Bird Alliance from the Friends of Governors Island, where as chief development officer she led fundraising for the organization and built support for the Island’s broader climate, public space, and art initiatives. Prior to her work for Governors Island, Jessica was VP, development & marketing at the Prospect Park Alliance, where she developed partnerships and strategies to enhance outreach, build community, and drive fundraising capacity.

Jessica has also led engagement efforts in alumni relations at Columbia University and at the National Audubon Society, where she built brand awareness and expanded digital outreach and online fundraising efforts to reach a broader and more diverse audience. Additionally, Jessica worked for a number of years managing marketing programs for American Express and for several science education organizations in marketing and publishing.
 
Jessica earned a BA in biology from Amherst College and an MBA from Columbia Business School; she grew up in Manhattan and now lives in Brooklyn with her family.

Read more about Jessica on our blog, The Urban Bird Call.

Email: [email protected]

Tod Winston (he/him/his) wears several NYC Bird Alliance hats. In his role as Urban Biodiversity Specialist, Tod conducts bird surveys at several high-profile green spaces across the city including Madison Square Park and the Javits Center green roof.  As one of NYC Bird Alliance's birding guides, he teaches our Beginning Birding course and leads walks and trips around the city including the popular spring Birding by Ear series. Read more about Tod's work as one of our guides.

 

Tod began working with NYC Bird Alliance in 2007 as a volunteer writer for The Urban Audubon member newsletter and surveyor for the Harbor Herons Nesting Survey. Since then he has served in many roles including Associate Director of Content, Program Manager, Communications Manager, and Conservation Research Associate, where he led NYC Bird Alliance's Harbor Herons Nesting Survey and helped with wading bird and cormorant bird-banding. Tod also worked for several years at National Audubon Society, as Program Manager for the organization's Plants for Birds project. 

A lifelong birder who got to know the wonders of the natural world in the company of his nature-loving father, Tod is grateful to spend his time bringing new people to the joy of birds and aiding in their conservation. Tod holds a BA in psychology from Oberlin College and a certificate in postbaccalaureate basic sciences from Columbia University.