The Scarlet Knight Herons

MEET THE TEAM

Brian Clough (bclough84@gmail.com) is an ecosystems ecologist studying the effects of land use on ecosystem-level functions, such as carbon cycling. He also works for Duke Farms as a part of their Natural Resources Team. Brian has a wide breadth of interests including (but not limited to) birding, ecosystems ecology, botany, and local agriculture.

Bill Lynch (newjerseyoutdoors@gmail.com) is currently writing an exhaustive literature review on the breeding success of wetland birds on the east coast. He is also assisting the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife with their current survey of inland heron colonies. Bill is passionately interested in birding, wildlife conservation, and photography.

David La Puma (david@woodcreeper.com) has been working closely with the federally endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow and how fire processes in the Everglades affect the species. He also started Woodcreeper to track bird migration using radar. David is an avid birder and photographer.

Charlie Kontos (ckontos@njfishers.org) is THE fisher expert in the state of New Jersey. He is credited with the first verification of fishers in NJ, and has also conducted research on bobcats, coyotes, timber rattlesnakes, and red knots. Charlie holds a Master's in Biology from Montclair State University and is a recent convert to birding.

All four gentlemen are currently enrolled in the Ecology & Evolution Graduate Program at Rutgers University. They are planning to compete in the 2009 World Series of Birding to help raise money for their Graduate Student Association. The GSA is a valuable member of the scientific and local communities. They run weekly student seminars on interesting ecological research, help to manage and conserve vital habitats (including Helyar Woods and Hutcheson Memorial Forest), and much more.

If you would consider donating, please feel free to contact any of the team members or to click on the donate link on the right-hand side of this page. If you have donated and have a business or other site you would like advertised on this page, please contact Bill with a website link or small button/logo. Thank you everyone for reading and for donating!