Spring is here, and so is the nesting season! The 2025 CARES (Cavity Adopting Raptor Ecology Studies) season has officially kicked off, and so far, it’s been owl-some. We already have some early Western Screech-owl owlets and a momma Northern Saw-whet Owl on eggs in another one of our boxes. Across our Utah and Arizona study areas, we have just under 70 nests with eggs or nestlings, although there may be more hidden away under some fluffy owls!
Every year, we bring on a team of interns and a technician to support our full-time staff members and network of community scientists during this extremely busy field season. Throughout the spring and summer season, our interns and technician gain essential experience for the conservation field, including bird banding, volunteer management, leadership skills, and more.
Now, let us introduce you to our incredible 2025 team!
Doris Rodriguez, Technician
Education: B.S. in Ecology for Environmental Science from the University of North Texas
After acquiring a degree in ecology, Doris quickly found her passion for raptors and the importance of their preservation through her internship at the Raptor Rehab Center in Northern Texas. Her interests quickly led her to banding songbirds in coastal California, rehabilitating and banding Critically Endangered seabirds on the island of Kaua’i, and chasing down Spotted Owls and American Goshawks in the Sierras. Eventually, these interests landed her at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, MN. There, she fell in love with migration and continued pursuing her ongoing curiosity about raptors. Her adventures took her back to her home state of California to work another migration season, this time at the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory. She is now excited to spend time with HawkWatch International! In her free time, Doris loves to rock climb, hike, and zen out on a yoga session.
Natalie Fink, Intern
Education: B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Utah
Natalie grew up in Park City, UT, where she quickly developed a passion for the natural world by spending all her time outdoors. She fell in love with raptors after visiting the Goshute Mountains HawkWatch migration site in 2023, and this past fall had the amazing opportunity to be an official crewmember there.
In her free time, Natalie is a ski bum who also loves biking and backpacking in remote areas. She spent a year ski patrolling at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City. Natalie is super excited to continue working with raptors and learning as much as possible this season.
Arlene Vargas, Intern
Education: B.S. in Wildlife Management and Conservation, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt
Arlene became interested in wildlife conservation and avian ecology through her university’s ornithology and conservation biology courses. Growing up in Los Angeles County, she became intrigued by urban wildlife ecology and wanted to learn more about how wildlife is influenced by increasing urbanization. Her fieldwork experience includes working on a raven ecology project, a marine mammal stranding network, and a killer whale ecology project.
Arlene is excited to be part of the HWI CARES team this summer because the program captures her passion for conservation research, community scientist involvement, and urban ecology.
In her free time, Arlene likes to birdwatch, hike, go to museums, and spend time with her cats.
Sarah Needles, Intern
Education: B.A. in Environmental Studies, UC Santa Cruz
Sarah took an ornithology class during her junior year and was inspired by her professors’ research projects to pursue a career in bird conservation and research. During undergrad, she interned at a few songbird banding stations and conducted bird surveys at salt ponds and a protected beach. Since graduating, she has worked in a variety of field positions. In the fall of 2023 and 2024, she worked at Hawk Ridge in Duluth, MN, where she banded diurnal raptors and owls. She also spent the spring and summer of 2024 at Point Blue Bird Observatory in Bolinas, CA, as a songbird banding apprentice. Sarah is excited to spend this season in Utah working with kestrels and other cavity-adopting raptors.
In her free time, you can find her crocheting, reading, or riding her bike.
Thanks to our partners at the Anticoagulant Rodenticide Task Force, Rocky Mountain Power, and supporters like you, we can provide these opportunities for up-and-coming biologists. If you would like to support this work, consider sponsoring a box in our network through our Adopt-a-Box program. With your donation, you’ll help replace or repair a box in our network that has decayed due to years of exposure to the elements: https://hawkwatch-international.myshopify.com/products/adopt-a-box
This blog was written by Sammy Riccio, our Communications Manager, as well as our 2025 CARES team. You can learn more about Sammy here.
