Outreach & News
Outreach has always been a personal passion and I truly believe that early (and late) exposure to evidence-based thinking in the classroom and beyond is essential to the creation of engaged members of any community. I love to interact with my community, both far and wide, by leading nature walks and sharing my research in and out of the classroom.
Video abstract summarizing our spatial learning and memory methods
From Sonnenberg et al. 2019
In the Press
Opinion piece in the LA times! - published through the Conversation (see below) and covered by the Times, this piece discusses how chickadees can signal future impacts of climate change in montane species.
Articles in Living Bird, BirdWatching magazine, and the Associated press
Spring 2022 cover story in BirdWatching magazine
Feature and video in Nevada Today
We found no negative effects on our local population of mountain chickadees due to supplemental feeding related to our ongoing study!
Article in July issue of the American Birding Association
Outreach
Formerly the Director of Environmental Education for a small non-profit
Lead open houses at UNR's Natural history museum
Teach wildlife identification classes via museum collection
Volunteer with multiple non-profits and within classrooms to share ongoing research
I work with the local Audubon Society giving talks and leading field trips
Contribute to field research classes at UNR
Received Volunteer of the Year award from the Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation
Give numerous talks to local organizations including the Great Basin Bird Observatory
Collaboration with Nevada Humanities
Along with others at UNR, I provided natural history accompaniment to a collection of nature themed poetry (Sagebrush to Sandstone: A Humanities Guide to Outdoor Nevada)
Notes from Skype with a Scientist!
Co-speaker alongside Dr. Carrie Branch
Contributed interviews and photography
American Robin biology in the Tahoe Basin
Contributed cover photo for
General and Comparative Endocrinology
Other invited informal talks
2023 Patagonia Science in the Wild Field Research Series
2023 Caching in: the amazing spatial learning and memory of mountain chickadees, Galena Creek Nature Center
2022 Introduction to Birding in Northern Nevada, Lazy 5 Regional Park, Washoe County Parks Department
2022 Owls of Northern Nevada, Lazy 5 Regional Park, Washoe County Parks Department
2022 Winter finches of the Sierra Nevada, Galena Creek Nature Center
2022 Introduction to birding by ear, Lahontan Audubon Society
2022 Mountain chickadees of the Sierra Nevada, Nova Scotia Bird Society
2022 How chickadees use their brains to hide seeds and survive harsh winters, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Academy
2021 Mountain chickadee food-caching and spatial memory, Western Field Ornithologists
2021 Mountain chickadee food-caching and spatial memory, Lahontan Audubon Society
2021 Development variation and future spatial cognitive abilities, Great Basin Bird Observatory
2021 Natural selection and spatial cognition in wild food-caching mountain chickadees, Tahoe Silicon Mountain
2020 Birds without borders: the journeys of Nevada’s neotropical migrants, University of Nevada’s FIESTA Celebration
2020 Mountain chickadees and selection on their food-caching behavior, Sacajawea Audubon Society
2019 Natural selection on spatial cognition, Great Basin Bird Observatory
2018 Mountain Chickadees and their caching behavior, Sacajawea Audubon