Meet the 2025 Crew: Bonney Butte HawkWatch

Gracie is from the Philadelphia area and is a graduate of Juniata College with a degree in Wildlife Conservation. She started counting hawks at Bake Oven Knob in eastern PA, then moved to the Great Lakes region, where she spent plenty of time as a hawkwatcher, naturalist, and volunteer owl and songbird bander. She worked at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, MN, and spent the last four springs on Mackinac Island in Michigan with the Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch. After spending so much time in the Great Lakes, she is excited to spend a fall migration season in Oregon. In her free time, Gracie likes to hike, paddleboard, read, and crochet. She looks forward to gaining raptor banding skills, seeing western Red-tailed Hawks, and hopes to catch a glimpse of some Rough-legged Hawks—her favorite raptor!

Adam graduated from the University of Oregon, where he studied cavity nesting birds in hazelnut orchards. Since graduating, he has worked as a field technician on a number of avian conservation projects across Oregon, most recently monitoring oak obligate birds in the Rogue Valley. Last fall, Adam volunteered for a season of banding and migration monitoring at Thunder Cape Bird Observatory in Ontario, Canada, where he banded Sharp-shinned Hawks and Northern Saw-whet Owls. It was an amazing experience, and he is excited to have front-row seats for another fall migration, this time back home in Oregon. When not chasing birds, Adam enjoys playing board games, reading fantasy novels, and cooking. His favorite raptor is the American Kestrel.

Carrie is returning for her third season with HWI after two beautiful Falls at the Manzano Mountains HawkWatch! Originally from California, Carrie moved to Scotland for her bachelor’s in Ecology & Conservation and a master’s in Animal Behaviour at the University of St. Andrews. This spring, she assisted with diurnal raptor and owl trapping efforts during the incredible migration on Manitou Island, leading her to feel prepared for her first position as banding lead. In addition to raptor migration, she also monitored condors with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, seabirds on the Farallon Islands, and breeding Bald Eagles in Arizona. In her free time, Carrie enjoys surfing, hiking, and yoga. She is excited to explore a new site and to continue the hunt for Bigfoot in another hotspot. Her biggest hope for this season is to catch her favorite raptor, a Prairie Falcon.

Matt graduated from the University of Vermont in 2023 with a BA in Biology and a minor in Environmental Studies. During college, he participated in bird banding and conservation work with the Wildlife and Fisheries Society, and a program connecting college students with local kids to spark interest in birds, nature, and outdoor play. Since graduating, he’s worked as an island caretaker in Maine, apprenticed as a carpenter in Vermont, and is now pursuing his passion for raptor research with HWI. Aside from birding, he enjoys mountain biking, reading, dancing, basketball, canoeing, and trying new things. Ever the fan of good teamwork, Matt’s favorite bird is the Harris’s Hawk, which is unique in its cooperative hunting style. This fall, he’s excited to handle his first raptor, learn from the team, and engage with visitors at the Bonney Butte HawkWatch!

Marliese Baer grew up in New Hampshire and recently graduated from St. Lawrence University with a degree in Conservation Biology and Statistics. She’s spent time doing fieldwork in a range of places, from researching Common Eiders on remote Finnish islands, to studying American Kestrels in upstate New York, and learning about African Elephant conservation in Kenya. She has volunteered with the Cape May Raptor Banding Project for over a decade, helping spark her passion for avian conservation. She’s most excited this season to spend every day outside doing fieldwork in the Pacific Northwest and getting to know a new migration flyway. Outside of fieldwork, Marliese enjoys skiing, backpacking, climbing, biking, paddling, and getting creative with art. Her favorite raptor is the Northern Harrier.