Matt Baumann
Matt is a native of the Land of Enchantment whose fascination with birds began early—sparked by a Cooper’s Hawk gliding over the playground during recess. That moment set him on a path of lifelong curiosity. Today, he continues to explore every corner of New Mexico, deepening his understanding of avian distribution across the state and […]
Ezekiel Dobson
Ezekiel discovered his love of nature at age 12 while living in the northern panhandle of Idaho. Growing up in a family that moved often, he had the opportunity to experience birds and habitats across the United States. In 2024, he completed a Lower 48 Big Year with an impressive 757 species. Drawn to Arizona’s […]
John Wilson
John grew up in a family that loved the outdoors and has been exploring nature for as long as he can remember. Raised in northeastern Arizona, he spent his childhood identifying anything he could find across the region’s varied landscapes. At age 15 he was introduced to birding, and since then he has traveled widely […]
Jake Thompson
Jake has lived in Arizona his entire life and has had the benefit of multiple generations of his family sharing their love for the state’s natural beauty – in particular, the White Mountains. Since finding himself in the grips of birding, he has locked down over 400 species in Arizona in a single year, and […]
Nell Smith
Nell’s early fascination with natural history in Maine sparked her love of birds, but she didn’t begin birding in earnest until moving to Arizona in her twenties. Since then, she has made up for lost time, birding everywhere from the Midriff Islands of the Gulf of California to the Arctic tundra of Alaska’s North Slope. […]
Michael Sadat
Michael Sadat is a lifelong Tucsonan with thirty years of birding experience in southern Arizona. He was introduced to backyard birds by his grandpa at age nine, and his local birding community through Tucson Bird Alliance. Since then, he has shared his love of birds widely, turning outings with non-birder friends and family into impromptu bird walks. Birding […]
Levi Plummer
A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Levi began birding at age 10 after receiving a bird book from his grandparents and was immediately hooked. He has birded extensively across the state, from the Sky Islands of the southeast to the White Mountains and the Grand Canyon. Levi enjoys focusing on bird photography and producing high-quality documentation […]
Nate Peterson
Nate is an Arizona native who developed a lifelong appreciation for the natural world, but became fully immersed in birding in 2020 after noticing a particularly bright Vermilion Flycatcher at a local park in Tucson. Since then, he has spent countless hours observing and listening for the species that make Arizona’s diverse landscapes so special. […]
Alex Patia
Alex was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois, where his obsession with birds began at age nine after watching a Great Horned Owl being mobbed by crows. His passion for sharing wildlife with others led him to earn a master’s degree in Environmental Education in 2013. Since then, he has worked in seven states, including […]
Eric Hough
Eric grew up in an Arizona family that loved nature, and he began birding at a young age. Fascinated by the state’s tremendous biodiversity, he has long been drawn to exploring seldom-visited areas and studying how vegetation and ecosystems are distributed across the landscape. His undergraduate and graduate work at Northern Arizona University, combined with […]
