Hi, bird enthusiasts and nature lovers!

My name is Ada, and I am ecstatic to be writing for the Audublog this summer. I have just completed my sophomore year at Stanford University, where I study Earth Systems and Science Communication. As a Schneider Fellow with Audubon California, I will be focusing on renewable energy—and, of course, how renewable energy interacts with birds.

I first became interested in environmental issues on trips to the Rocky Mountains as a child. Year to year, I saw the forests ravaged by fires and floods and pine beetle epidemics. Seeing the habitats of birds and other mountain creatures destroyed truly affected me, and I became even more affected as I understood the human components of such problems. I am interested in energy because it underlies every part of American society, but also because energy—whether coal or solar—affects wildlife. We need to solve the climate problem, but we also need to think carefully about how we do so in order to avoid unnecessary damage to the wildlife we hope to ultimately protect.

Although  I grew up in Kansas City and am still somewhat new to the wildlife of California, I can’t wait to explore the potential for clean and wildlife-friendly energy in our great state and to share what I find. In the meantime, I am lucky that my favorite bird species is the incredibly intelligent American Crow, which can be found pretty much anywhere.