Meet Alex Tash (she/they), a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin who is an intern with Pacific Birds this summer. The internship is also the capstone project for their Master’s program. Alex is supporting Pacific Birds initiatives in the United States and Canada and helping the Joint Venture communicate science to a variety of audiences. We are so excited to have Alex as part of our team, even for just a short time!
A Bird's Eye View: Meet Alex Tash
Alex grew up in Tucson, Arizona, in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. Early experiences camping in nearby Saguaro National Park and exploring the National Park System with their parents gave them a profound love of nature. Following in the footsteps of their grandparents, who were biologists and ecologists, their first job was at the Reid Park Zoo as a teen docent.
These early experiences inspired Alex to pursue a biology degree at Oberlin College. After taking their first ecology course, Alex realized she could contribute to protecting animals and the environment. An ornithology course further deepened Alex interest, as they became enchanted by the incredible migratory journeys of some birds, which they described as a connecting force for conservation across landscapes. This passion for ecology was further strengthened through a summer research experience at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory.
After graduating college in 2021, Alex continued to explore the great outdoors by working on trail crews in Oregon and Colorado. Alex then returned to the Southwest to work as an animal caretaker at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, which has a breeding program for endangered Masked Bobwhite quails (Colinus virginianus ridgwayi).
Spreading Her Wings at the University of Wisconsin
Alex began a graduate program at the University of Wisconsin in May 2025. This specific program at the University’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies appealed to Alex, because instead of preparing students for research careers in academia, it focused on pre-professional education. Alex has gained a variety of applied skills in project management, conservation planning, grant writing, GIS mapping, and implementing restoration projects.
All students in this program must select a leading environmental organization for an applied conservation project that matches their professional goals. Alex’s classmates had previously worked with other Migratory Bird Joint Ventures, and Alex was deeply impressed by this collaborative conservation model. Alex connected with Pacific Birds through Coastal Wetlands Coordinator Laura Farwell, who immediately recognized Alex’s bright light and passion for conservation. Alex will receive an MS in Environmental Conservation after completing their internship with Pacific Birds in August—and Pacific Birds is proud to be part of Alex’s journey.
Supporting Science Communication at Pacific Birds
During the first part of the internship, Alex helped develop a communications plan for Pacific Birds’ forthcoming Fish-Birds Restoration Guidance. This document, which will be launched in Fall 2026, brings a bird-friendly lens to coastal restoration efforts focused on salmon recovery by providing practical guidance for restoration planners and practitioners. Alex built an ArcGIS StoryMap featuring case studies of restoration projects that integrated bird habitat considerations without compromising core salmon objectives.
For the second half of their internship, Alex will develop a StoryMap showcasing the results of a Pacific Birds data synthesis project on migratory birds movement across the Pacific Flyway. The project compiled tracking data from over 2,000 individual birds representing 49 shorebird, waterbird, and waterfowl species. The StoryMap will highlight connectivity hotspots, providing an accessible tool to help conservation organizations and public agencies better understand and coordinate investments in migratory bird conservation across the Flyway.
Alex has really enjoyed working with Pacific Birds, and cites the Joint Venture’s focus on building relationships between partner organizations and individuals as an inspirational model for conservation. She appreciates the emphasis on doing more together, and the focus on building capacity and promoting collaboration in order to accelerate conservation. Alex firmly believes that investing in people is key to successful conservation.
“I am so lucky to have found such supportive project partners, and to have the freedom to learn and ask questions about so many aspects of their organization….Each piece of this internship has been a unique opportunity to test and grow the skills I developed in the Environmental Program program before I fully spread my wings! "
- Alex Tash
You can learn more about Alex through these three other blog posts, which Alex posted on the University of Wisconsin website:
We look forward to releasing Alex’s communications products later this year. Thank you, Alex, for helping all of us at Pacific Birds!
