Chad Olson - Co-owner, Principal Biologist
Chad received a B.S. and an M.S. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana in 1996 and 2006, respectively.
Specialties:
Research and monitoring of raptor and other bird species
long-eared owl, many Buteos and pelagic birds, and endangered or special status birds such as California condor, greater sage-grouse, and northern goshawk
Wildlife habitat mapping and aerial survey
Experimental design and statistical analysis
Scientific writing (NEPA compliance, technical reports, and publication)
Big game translocations and population monitoring
Raptor winter ecology
Long-term monitoring of bio-indicator species for assessing ecosystem health
U.S. National Bird Banding Lab sub-permittee.
Jenn Hess - Co-Owner, Senior Ecologist
Jennifer received her B.S. in Zoology at North Dakota State University in 2003 and her M.S. at the University of Wyoming in 2011.
Specialties:
Greater sage-grouse ecology, habitat, and population dynamics
Pygmy rabbit habitat and occupancy dynamics
Habitat assessments for credit or debit projects
Aerial surveys (fixed-wing and helicopter)
Spatial analysis, experimental design and statistical analysis (i.e. site occupancy in Program MARK)
Noise monitoring to evaluate disturbance to sage-grouse and cultural areas
Density and Disturbance Calculation Tool (DDCT) for sage-grouse core areas and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD)
Scientific and technical writing (i.e. NEPA, reclamation and noxious weed plans)
Threatened and endangered plant species, soil sampling, reclamation monitoring, noxious weed surveys, and wildlife habitat mapping.
Logan Mcconnell - Co-Owner, Senior Natural Resource Specialist
Logan received his B.S. in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University.
Specialties:
Drone pilot
Reclamation monitoring, stormwater pollution prevention plans (SWPPP), noxious weeds, wetland delineation, and soil analysis
Radio telemetry to determine seasonal habitat use of sensitive, threatened, or endangered species
Scientific and technical writing (NEPA compliance)
Sensitive plant surveys including Ute ladies’-tresses, blowout penstemon, and Dakota skipper habitat
Small mammal capture, nest searching and monitoring, raptor counts, and habitat mapping for various bird and mammal species
Developing wildlife management/mitigation plans with operators and agencies
Wildlife training to clients and contractors on specific project regulations, best management practices, and wildlife awareness
Linda McClure - Office Administrator
Linda has 25 years experience as a professional office manager and business administrative assistant. At HWA, Linda is the first voice clients hear on the phone, she coordinates scheduling, maintains records and other databases, prepares payroll, invoices and reports, and performs a wide variety of other functions that keep HWA running smoothly.
Seth Harju - wildlife Biometrician
Seth received a B.S. in Wildlife Resources from the University of Idaho and an M.S. in Ecology from Utah State University.
Specialties:
Strong emphasis on study design and statistical analysis for applied monitoring and research programs
Skilled spatial analyst and biometrician with emphases in mixed, generalized linear, resource selection, and Bayesian hierarchical modeling
An active reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals
Mary Schvetz - Field Coordinator
Mary received a B.S. in Environmental Science Summa cum laude from Rocky Mountain College in Montana.
Specialties:
Strong background in avian biology, especially raptors, greater sage-grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, and songbird species
Experienced with telemetry and radio-tagging wildlife, mist netting and various trapping techniques for wildlife and fish, game cameras, fish surveys (seining, pit-tagging, electrofishing, netting), bird point counts, and various field techniques
Surveys for threatened/endangered species
Johanna Thalmann - Project Manager
Johanna received a B.S. in Biology from Centre College in Kentucky and a M.S. in Biology from Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho.
Specialties:
Drone pilot
Strong background in ungulate biology, especially black-tailed deer, bison, and bighorn sheep
Management of large, multifaceted projects, and data analysis in R and ArcGIS
Telemetry and radio-tagging wildlife including various trapping techniques, deploying game cameras, mortality investigations, and various field techniques
Habitat assessments, rare plant surveys, and measuring vegetation diversity and density in a multitude of ecosystems
Robert Spaul - Project Manager
Robert received a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from University of Vermont and a M.S. in Raptor Biology from Boise State University.
Specialties:
Skilled in avian ecology, including:
avian point counts, raptor migration counts/surveys, presence absence surveys, GPS tagging, nest and winter roost monitoring,
and overall bird identification (visual and auditory detections)
Strong background in terrestrial fauna inventories
Management of large, multifaceted projects, and data analysis in R and ArcGIS
GPS technology and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for wildlife applications
Data management and statistical analyses
BEnin Laliberte - Field Biologist
Benin received a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from University of Montana.
Specialties:
Skilled in avian ecology including avian point counts, presence/absence surveys, and overall bird identification (visual and auditory detections)
Strong background in bioacoustics focused on evaluating how forest gaps affect communication networks in birds
Vegetation monitoring including habitat assessments, plant identification, and collecting cover estimates (overstory, understory, and ground cover)
Threatened and endangered wildlife, especially desert tortoise
Data management
Megan Kruse - Field Biologist
Megan received a B.S. in Forest and Wildlife Ecology from University of Wisconsin – Madison
Specialties:
Skilled in avian ecology including avian point counts, presence/absence surveys, and overall bird identification (visual and auditor detections)
Bird trapping and banding including color band re-sighting, telemetry, and remote camera traps.
Vegetation monitoring including habitat assessments, plant identification, and collecting cover estimates
Data management