Meet the Archbold Crew
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Time to read 3 min
When we partnered with Archbold Biological Station on our Florida Collection, we knew we wanted to celebrate not only Florida’s remarkable wildlife, but also the people working every day to study and protect it.
For decades, Archbold scientists have helped advance our understanding of Florida’s rare scrub, dry prairie, and flatwoods ecosystems, as well as the critical role fire plays in maintaining them. Their work supports the conservation of what Archbold staff call the “Big Three”—the Florida Scrub-Jay, Florida Grasshopper Sparrow, and Red-cockaded Woodpecker—three federally protected bird species that depend on healthy, fire-shaped landscapes to survive.
The photos in this post were taken in the Florida scrub itself, an ecosystem of scrub oaks, saw palmettos, and scattered slash pines that serves as both a refuge for wildlife and a living laboratory for long-term ecological research. For the Archbold team, this isn’t just a backdrop. It’s their office.
Meet some of the researchers, field technicians, and interns working to better understand and conserve some of Florida’s most unique species and habitats.
Tori Bakley, Program Coordinator, Avian Ecology Program
Tori Bakley leads field operations for Archbold’s Avian Ecology Program and works directly with the Program Director, Dr. Sahas Barve, who is overseeing the long-term monitoring of Florida Scrub-Jays at Archbold Biological Station. Throughout the year, the team conducts monthly population censuses, tracking individual birds across the study site.
During nesting season, researchers locate every Florida Scrub-Jay nest they can find and carefully place identifying color bands on each nestling. These bands allow researchers to recognize individual birds throughout their lives, creating an extraordinary record of survival, reproduction, and family history.
This work has been ongoing since 1969, making it one of the longest-running studies of a wild bird population in the world.
Steven Thyme, Research Assistant
Steven Thyme is a Research Assistant with Archbold’s Avian Ecology Program and plays a key role in managing the day-to-day field work. During the breeding season, he’s out in the scrub every day locating nests, monitoring nesting activity, and tracking the movements and behavior of Florida Scrub-Jay families.
By closely following individual birds and family groups throughout the season, Steven helps collect the detailed data that make Archbold’s long-term Florida Scrub-Jay research possible.
Shelagh Lynch, Research Assistant
Shelagh Lynch is a Research Assistant with Archbold’s Avian Ecology Program, where she works on a collaborative project monitoring a translocated population of Florida Scrub-Jays.
Her work helps researchers understand how Scrub-Jays adapt to and establish themselves in restored habitats, providing valuable insights that support the conservation and recovery of this endemic Florida species.
Conor Moses, Maria Elisa Mendiwelso, Anna Boodee, and Hannah Peters, Avian Ecology Seasonal Interns
Conor Moses, Maria Elisa Mendiwelso, Anna Boodee, and Hannah Peters are the Avian Ecology Program’s seasonal interns, joining the team during the busy breeding season. They carry out much of the nest-finding, monitoring, and data collection that forms the backbone of Archbold’s long-term Florida Scrub-Jay research.
For generations, Archbold’s Florida Scrub-Jay project has served as a training ground for aspiring field biologists. Scores of interns and graduate students have learned the fundamentals of field ecology by conducting monthly population censuses, locating and monitoring nests, banding nestlings, mapping family territories, and collecting the detailed data that make this long-term study possible.
This season alone, the team has located nearly 200 nests and is following more than 100 Florida Scrub-Jay family groups. Their dedication, persistence, and countless hours in the field make this work possible. As Tori Bakley notes, “The project literally watches them their whole life.”
The Avian Ecology Program simply could not monitor this population at its current scale without the contributions of its interns, and the Archbold team is deeply grateful for both their hard work and the internship program that supports this vital research.
We’re grateful to the entire Archbold team for sharing their work with us and for helping protect Florida’s unique ecosystems and the species that call them home. To everyone featured here: thank you for the early mornings, long field days, and countless hours spent advancing our understanding of Florida’s birds.
