We are happy to announce the creation of three brand new positions at Audubon California. Travis Abeyta, Desiree Loggins, and Ariana Rickard will be Chapter Network Managers. These kind folks will be there to help Audubon California work with chapters to make all of our efforts for conservation bigger and better. Here's a little about them:

Travis’ favorite birds are the Buteo hawks, especially the Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks. Whether riding the wind’s currents high above the tangled branches of an oak woodland or stoically perched atop a light post skirting a congested LA freeway, he appreciates how Buteos teach us how to fly to great heights while still keeping your feet on the ground. Native Americans believe that hawks deliver messages that can lead to your life’s purpose. The week that Travis was hired, a large male Red-shouldered Hawk landed in his front yard. Message received!

Travis will be working with Southern California chapters.

Desiree’s favorite birds are the Clark’s Nutcracker and the Mountain Blue bird. Both are charismatic species that are content to forage and thrive in the brisk thin air of alpine ecosystems. Desiree enjoys seeing the shock of brilliant blue darting across rocky grey hill sides, or the sight of a Clark’s Nutcracker gleaning seeds from a White Bark Pine. Desiree is an avid outdoorswoman who picks mountainous landscapes as her favorite. Deep in the high-mountains these familiar species provide comfort when she finds herself surrounded by vast wilderness.

Desiree will be working with Central Valley and Sierra chapters.

Ariana’s favorite birds are the Yellow-billed Magpie and the Blue-footed Boobies. She first saw the Yellow-billed Magpie when she and her husband were driving to Pinnacles National Park. They stopped the car in the middle of the road to try to take a photo of these magnificent, gorgeous birds. Luckily not many cars were around that day! Ariana visited nesting colonies of Blue-footed Boobies when she was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador at La Isla de la Plata and saw them again in the Galapagos. She is happy that they also visit the coast of California.

Ariana will be working with coastal chapters.