Meet Alex and Csanyi
Meet Alex and Csanyi, the two newest members of the Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture family. Both are Habitat Conservation Specialists focused on supporting oak and prairie conservation work across Oregon. Alex and Csanyi are part of a collaborative effort between Pheasants Forever, Pacific Birds, and the Oregon Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Alex is bringing in-house capacity to the Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District and Yamhill County NRCS while Csanyi is adding capacity to the Douglas County NRCS program and the Umpqua Oak Partnership. Both are strengthening the Pacific Birds Western Forest program by filling much-needed capacity gaps in strategic locations and accelerating on-the-ground conservation of oak and prairie habitat across western Oregon. Csanyi covers Douglas and Lane Counties and will work closely with Eric Riley on the Umpqua Oak Partnership, while Alex is based in Yamhill County.
Growing Up
Alex grew up all across the country but spent some of his formative years in McMinnville, Oregon, where generations of his family were raised. He spent his free time outdoors, fly fishing, camping, and gardening, spurring a love of the outdoors from early on. He received a degree in biology from the University of Oregon, where his proximity to the McKenzie River eventually led to his interest in working in conservation. After graduating, he spent some time working as a professional tennis coach but was inspired to work to conserve rivers, waters, and other natural ecosystems, and went on to receive a master's degree in Conservation Leadership from Colorado State University.
On the other hand, Csanyi grew up in Louisiana, far from her current home in Oregon. Similar to Alex, her youth involved spending ample time outdoors, leading her to study Renewable Natural Resources, Ecology, and Management in Wildlife Ecology at Louisiana State University. While at Louisiana State, she found she had a passion for teaching, outreach, and conservation work as well as botany, and post-grad, became a Coastal Prairie Specialist for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Her work then brought her to Southern Texas for a short time, where she worked on vegetation research and helicopter deer captures, and as of last year, Oregon, where she worked on black-tailed deer and white-tailed deer projects with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Looking Ahead
When asked what they are most excited about in their new roles, Alex shared that he is excited to strengthen collaboration and work with community members to develop innovative conservation solutions for oak and prairie across the region. Csanyi echoed similar sentiments, in addition to sharing how excited she is to do outreach, conduct training, lead workshops, and connect with local tribal members, landowners, and other members of the public in Douglas County where she is based.
The passion both have for their work doesn’t end here, but feeds into their goals for the future. Alex envisions himself working in “roles that allow me to create and innovate with other people who are passionate about conservation” and shares he feels he’s found this in his current role working with partners at the Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District, NRCS, Pacific Birds and Pheasants Forever. Csanyi intends to earn her Master’s and PhD in fire ecology, sharing that “the reason [she] moved to the PNW was to be a part of the movement for "Good Fire" being returned to the landscape”.
For others looking to break into the conservation world, Csanyi shared that volunteering with organizations she was interested in and building relationships with them helped her figure out early what she was interested in, and get her foot in the door. She also learned that keeping yourself open and taking advantage of every opportunity helped her absorb local knowledge and become a better conservationist.
Outside of Work
As you can probably guess, outside of work, they both like to spend time outdoors – Alex is a self-declared “fly fishing bum” who takes every chance he can to spend time on the water, gardening, trail running, or playing tennis. Csanyi spends her time outdoors with her border collie and lab mix dog Friday and enjoys playing music and writing.
We’re looking forward to learning more about Alex and Csanyi, and seeing all that they accomplish to help conserve oak and prairie habitats in Oregon!
