Deborah Finch

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Photo of Deborah Finch standing in a forest.

“One of my favorite science experiences was collecting bird and small mammal data on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Oregon and Idaho. While I was there, I lived in a trailer in the middle of a wilderness, surrounded by beautiful landscapes, and woke up each morning to singing by songbirds.”

“Another of my favorite science experiences is monitoring bird nests. I especially enjoy watching the adult birds build nests in trees and shrubs. I also like observing the nestlings grow and finally pop out from the nests and flutter to the ground.”

“Another favorite experience is mist-netting and banding songbirds. A mist-net looks like a large volleyball net. The netting is very fine and almost invisible. Birds fly into the netting and get caught. Birds are not injured by mist-nets. After I carefully take each bird from the mist-net, I measure it and put a little numbered metal band around its ankle to keep track of it over time. Then I love to open up my hands and watch the bird fly away.”

“One of my most favorite science experiences was climbing with pack burros to the top of El Triunfo, a Biosphere Reserve in southern Mexico. I was searching for the resplendent quetzal. The resplendent quetzal is a tropical bird with bright green feathers and a long tail. We were setting up a sister forest program with Mexican protected areas. This reserve was famous for protecting this spectacular bird!”

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