Allen Calvert, Network Program Manager
Primary Network Responsibilities: Oversees all network projects and programs
Active Projects: Pilot Bat Monitoring Plan
Education and Areas of Expertise: MS, Environmental Policy and Management (emphasis in natural resource management), University of Denver; BS, Biological Sciences (emphasis in ecology and evolution), University of Nevada - Las Vegas.
I began working as the Program Manager for the Mojave Desert Network in 2016. I have the opportunity to be involved with all facets of the network, overseeing our great team and interesting projects. Since 2018, I have been actively coordinating with the network parks to develop and now implement a network bat monitoring plan. Prior to moving to the National Park Service, I was a biologist with the Bureau of Reclamation, overseeing conservation efforts for bats, small mammals, and amphibians along the lower Colorado River. While I was born in Wisconsin, I have spent the majority of my life living in southern Nevada. I spend most of my time with my wife and four children. I also enjoy watching and occasionally playing hockey, snowboarding, biking and hiking.
Mark Lehman, Data Manager
Primary Network Responsibilities: Data stewardship; database development; data documentation, dissemination, and visualization
Active Projects: SQL database development, GIS and mobile data collection tool development
Education and Areas of Expertise: MS, Environmental Science, Indiana University; MS, Information Science, University of Pittsburgh; Certificate in GIS, University of California, Riverside.
After working in IT for many years, I became interested in getting outside occasionally and was inspired to complete an M.S. in Environmental Science at Indiana University. I landed at the Mojave Desert Network in 2014 after nearly nine years of GIS and Data Management work for the National Capital Region I&M Network. When I am not focused on solving Data Management problems, I enjoy biking, hiking, backpacking, photography and watching old movies.
Jeff Galvin, Vegetation Ecologist
Primary Network Responsibilities: Lead for all vegetation protocols.
Active Projects: Integrated Uplands, Aspen, White Pine, and Spring Vegetation
Education and Areas of Expertise: BA, Biology (emphasis in plant ecology), Drew University.
I began working as the Vegetation Ecologist for the Mojave Desert Network (MOJN) in the summer of 2021. Prior to MOJN, I worked with the Sonoran Desert Network for nearly a decade as lead on many of their vegetation mapping projects, as well as serving as a field crew lead for all the vegetation related protocols. Before working with the National Park Service, I served as the Botany Program Lead for the Western Riverside Country Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan. In that position, I was the lead on all vegetation protocols, primarily focused on surveying for, and monitoring, 63 federal and state listed plants species. Although I grew up in coastal Massachusetts, I’ve come to love the desert southwest. I’ve spent close to two decades working in vegetation communities throughout the Mojave, Sonoran, and Great Basin Deserts. In my free time I enjoy rock climbing, botanizing, cooking, canyoneering, road biking, and kayaking.
Sarah Wright, Data Scientist
Primary Network Responsibilities: Data exploration, analysis, and visualization through development of R packages, R Shiny apps, and R Markdown automated reports
Active Projects: Developing R packages for accessing and analyzing long-term monitoring data, leading a data science community of practice
Education and Areas of Expertise: BS, Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
I first joined the Mojave Desert Network as an intern in 2014, then served as Assistant Data Manager from 2016-2020. As Data Scientist, my time is split between Mojave Desert Network and the rest of the Inventory and Monitoring networks in the Pacific West Region. My focus is on reproducible data analysis, visualization, and reporting in R. Although I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, I have fallen in love with the Mojave Desert. When I’m not at work, I’m hiking, rock climbing, learning to mountain bike (emphasis on learning), or brewing a batch of homebrew hard cider.
Jennifer Bailard, Physical Scientist
Primary Network Responsibilities: Develop, coordinate, and implement data collection, QA/QC, analysis, and reporting for water resources in the Mojave Desert Network; Project Lead for the hydrology protocols
Active Projects: Selected Large Springs, Desert Springs, Streams and Lakes
Education and Areas of Expertise: BA, Science of Earth Systems (Biogeochemistry), Cornell University.
I joined the Mojave Desert Network in 2013 as an intern with the Student Conservation Association. I have also worked as an interpretive park ranger at Death Valley National Park, where I developed an interest in sharing environmental science with the public. My hobbies include amateur botany, astronomy, and birding. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, I have fallen in love with the wide open spaces, spectacular wildflower blooms, and colorful geology of the Mojave Desert. One day, I would like to visit all of the major deserts in the world!
Joseph Ladd, Biological Science Technician
Primary Network Responsibilities: Field logistics, data collection, analysis, and reporting for biological resources in the Mojave Desert Network; protocol development and field implementation
Active Projects: Integrated Uplands Vegetation, Spring Vegetation, White Pine, Aspen, Bats, and Invasive Species Early Detection Monitoring Plan
Education and Areas of Expertise: BA/BS, Ecological Science and Chemistry, The Evergreen State College.
My decade-long career with the National Park Service has allowed me to work for two different Inventory and Monitoring Networks and at five National Parks across the country. In my early career as a Student Conservation Association Intern and Washington Conservation Corps Crew Member, I performed a variety of tasks including exotic plant control at Saguaro NP, trail construction and maintenance at Mount Rainier NP, vegetation monitoring for a long-term glacial retreat study at Denali NP, and backcountry road resource management at Lake Mead NRA. I have served as a Vegetation Monitoring Crew Lead at the North Coast and Cascades Network in the Pacific Northwest and at the Northern Great Plains Network in the interior Dakotas. Most recently I took a break from NPS to work on a remote sensing project with NASA at Langley Research Center in Virginia and as a Natural Resource Specialist in the Front Range of Jefferson County, CO. I am excited to bring my experiences from different parks, networks, and agencies to MOJN and return to living in the landscape in which I was born and raised. I love hiking in remote desert wildernesses, kayaking the Black Canyon when it is too hot to hike, and finding new and interesting locations to explore around the southwest.
Kyle Smith, Vegetation Technician
Primary Network Responsibilities: Assisting in vegetation protocols implementation.
Active Projects: Integrated Uplands Vegetation, Spring Vegetation, White Pine, Aspen, and Invasive Species Early Detection Monitoring Plan
Education and Areas of Expertise: BS, Environmental Science, Oregon State University
Prior to joining the Mojave Desert Network at the start of 2020, I worked seasonal biology jobs across the western US, usually through non-profit organizations. I worked with fish and salamanders in the Pacific Northwest as well as the Redwood Coast of California; collected vegetation data in northeast Nevada; worked as part of a conservation crew in southern Nevada; assisted with vegetation protocol implementation in Colorado; and assisted with collecting biological data related to endangered desert animal species in Southern California. After growing up in the Pacific Northwest, with its persistent drizzle, I have gained an affinity for the desert southwest of the US, with its year-round sunshine and wide open spaces. I spend my free time outdoors climbing, hiking, road tripping, and generally enjoying all the wonderful public lands nearby.
Irene Foster, Data Science Assistant
Primary Network Responsibilities: Creating dashboards and data visualization tools, contributing code to R Packages
Active Projects: Providing data science support to all MOJN protocols
Education and Areas of Expertise: BA, Statistical & Data Sciences, Smith College
In addition to data science, I am also passionate about environmental science and spending time outside. During college I was able to combine these interests by working at a software engineering lab and doing research for a marine biology lab. I am excited to continue to combine data science and environmental science at MOJN by assisting with any data needs and occasionally helping out with fieldwork. Having spent my whole life in the Northeast, I am enjoying the different climate and scenery of the Mojave Desert! In my free time I enjoy running, hiking, skiing, and exploring nearby parks.
Sofia Elizarraras, Ecology Assistant
Primary Network Responsibilities: Deploying acoustic bat detectors and mist-netting bats to sample for white-nose syndrome
Active Projects: Bat monitoring
Education and Areas of Expertise: BA, Biology, Kenyon College
I grew up in Northern California, which meant my childhood consisted of tide pooling and catching frogs in my backyard. I wanted to keep doing this as an adult, so I got my degree in Biology with an emphasis on wildlife and fieldwork! Throughout my undergraduate years, I mist netted birds in Ohio, conducted avian and amphibian surveys in Texas, trapped small mammals in Tanzania, monitored bears and wolves in Alaska, and collected nesting data for sea turtles in the U.S. Virgin Islands. I’m so excited to be joining the Mojave Desert Network for the 2024 field season! In my free time, I enjoy traveling, dancing, hiking and wildlife photography.
Ashleigh Green, Wildlife Technician
Primary Network Responsibilities: Bat Monitoring Field Lead
Active Projects: Acoustical monitoring, mist-netting, white-nose sndrome sampling
Education and Areas of Expertise: BS Range and Wildlife Management, BBA Computer Information Systems, Certificate in GIS, Texas A&M University-Kingsville
My first bat project was in 2006 as an undergraduate, and it was love at first sight. In the intervening years, I’ve been lucky enough to combine that with a love of technology, travel, and the outdoors by being involved with a broad variety of research, conservation, and education projects on one of the neatest and most diverse groups of creatures on the planet - bats. I’ve done bat-related projects in 15 states and 3 countries, specializing in capture, telemetry, and acoustics. I love getting to experience all the different habitats bats can be found (everywhere except Antarctica!). During the rare times I’m not off in the middle of nowhere chasing the world’s only flying mammals, I’m a huge gaming nerd for both table top and strategy PC games as well as an avid reader. I also really enjoy hiking, camping, and backpacking, though work usually gets me plenty of opportunities for those. My Chihuahua and I love the warm places of the world best, so we’re very excited to be in the Mojave and to explore all the desert has to offer!
Adam Watson, Ecology Assistant
Primary Network Responsibilities: Assisting in vegetation protocols implementation.
Active Projects: Integrated Uplands Vegetation and Spring vegetation.
Education and Areas of Expertise: BS, Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution, Saint Cloud State University.
This is my first season working for the Mojave Desert Network. Prior to this year I spent two summer seasons working for the Forest Service in Central Idaho as a fisheries technician. Being from Wisconsin, the Mojave Desert is unlike anything I have worked or lived in before. I am very excited to do some veg work and expand my knowledge on the native plant communities of the Mojave Desert! When I am not working, I love backpacking, hiking, traveling, and fly fishing in our public lands.
Ayden Kelly, Ecology Assistant
Primary Network Responsibilities: Assisting with vegetation monitoring protocols.
Active Projects: Integrated Upland Vegetation, Spring Vegetation
Education and Areas of Expertise: BS, Biology - Ecology, Conservation and Evolution track; Minor in Statistics; Certificate in GIS, University of Central Florida.
Before starting with MOJN, I worked with the Cumberland Piedmont I&M Network (CUPN) as the forest vegetation monitoring intern as my first position out of college, where I developed a passion for exploration and travel through seasonal fieldwork. From growing up and going to undergrad in Florida, to my position with CUPN in Kentucky, grew a desire to experience new regions of the US and work in a diversity of landscapes. As someone who’s never lived outside the Southeast US, I am excited to see the ecology of the Mojave Desert and explore the American Southwest. While I’m fascinated in all aspects of ecology in all types of ecosystems, my true interests are landscape, fire and soil ecology, with a special interest in forest ecosystems. During my undergrad, I researched carbon storage in wetland soils and served as the urban forestry student coordinator, both of which helped me develop an interest in studying carbon storage in forested ecosystems, which I hope to pursue through graduate school. While I love living in new places through my seasonal work, my hope is to eventually settle in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. When I’m not hiking or traveling in my free time, I love baking and playing board games and Dungeons & Dragons.
Athena Lynch, Ecology Assistant
Primary Network Responsibilities: Assisting in vegetation protocols implementation.
Active Projects: Integrated Uplands Vegetation and Spring vegetation.
Education and Areas of Expertise: BS in Environmental Science and Conservation Biology, UCLA.
I grew up in California and have worked in various parts of the West. My most recent position was focused on monitoring and restoration of wetlands and estuaries near Santa Cruz, CA, so I'm jumping to a very different ecosystem here in the arid southwest. I discovered my love for the desert through field programs based in the Mojave and Anza Borrego during college. I'm excited to start work with MOJN this season and get to know the deserts in southern Nevada and California better. I plan on exploring the nearby parks in my free time. I also enjoy crafting, playing sports, and reading.
Alex Herzog, Ecology Assistant
Primary Network Responsibilities: Assisting in vegetation protocols implementation.
Active Projects: Integrated Uplands Vegetation and Spring vegetation.
Education and Areas of Expertise: BS Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
I grew up in Phoenix, but I started my career in ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2020. I quickly gained an interest in both botany and ornithology, and I spent much of my school time birding in southern Wisconsin forests and prairies. I graduated with a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology in May 2023, after which I spent one field season collecting vegetation data for the National Ecological Observatory Network in northern Wisconsin. After that, I moved back down to Arizona for a short time before I landed a position with the MOJN Vegetation team. My career is still very young, but I’m very excited to spend some time closer to home and learn more about desert ecology! When I’m not outside looking for cool plants, birds, or herptiles, I like to read fantasy books, play PC games with friends, and lift at the gym.
Linda Mutch, Science Communication Specialist
Primary Network Responsibilities: Science communication (shared with Lise Grace)
Active Projects: Monitoring project briefs or summaries, biannual newsletters, social media, web page content, science symposium planning, and occasional intern mentoring.
Education and Areas of Expertise: MS, Watershed Management, University of Arizona; BA, Biology, University of Oregon; Elementary Teaching Credential/Middle School Science Certificate, California State University - Fresno.
I began working with the Mojave Desert Network (MOJN) in the winter of 2020, providing science communication support remotely a quarter of my time. I have worked as a science communication specialist with the Sierra Nevada Network since 2010. I live in Three Rivers, California, just outside of Sequoia National Park. From 2001-2009, I served first as the Inventory Coordinator and later the Inventory & Monitoring Program Coordinator for the Sierra Nevada Network. Prior to that time, I was a forest ecologist with the USGS Sequoia & Kings Canyon Field Station, with research interests in forest demography and fire ecology. Although I love my recent jobs, some of my favorite years with the National Park Service were my summers as a seasonal employee doing fieldwork in Alaska and in the Sierra Nevada, and varied jobs providing hiker information or working on fire crews in Mt. Rainier, Redwood, Yellowstone, and Whiskeytown. Spending most of my time working outdoors in national parks left me with so many memories of those beautiful places and the people I shared them with. While I grew up in Montana, I have grown to love the Sierra Nevada and the Great Basin and Mojave deserts (just not so much in the summer!). In my free time, I enjoy hiking, birding, bicycling, lake kayaking, and occasional animal rescue volunteer work.
Lise Grace, Biological Science Technician
Primary Network Responsibilities: Publications, website, and science communication (shared with Linda Mutch)
Active Projects: Website updates, monitoring project briefs or summaries, NPS report series manuscript formatting, assist with biannual newsletters.
Education and Areas of Expertise: MS, Environmental Science with emphasis in landscape ecology, Western Washington University; BA, Studio Art, Colorado College.
I have worked with the Mojave Desert Network since the fall of 2012, remotely and in a part-time capacity. I have provided a range of support including GIS spatial analysis; report editing, formatting, and publication in the National Park Service (NPS) Natural Resource Publication Series; website content updates; and science communication support. My NPS career started in 2002 at North Cascades National Park, and in 2005, I joined my primary Inventory and Monitoring network, the North Coast and Cascades Network. Prior to joining the NPS, I worked in a variety of seasonal fieldwork positions with the US Forest Service and municipalities. I have always had a deep appreciation of the natural world and had a conservation ethic instilled by a family of outdoors lovers since a young age. I thoroughly enjoy experiencing the Mojave and Great Basin deserts—virtually—in my work with the Mojave Desert Network and the enthusiastic staff! When I’m not at work, I enjoy bicycling, backcountry skiing, birding, visiting other national parks, and hiking with my Texas rescue dog.
Last updated: April 12, 2024