Colleen Martin, M.S.

Biography

I was born and raised in southern California at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, where I grew up hiking, horseback riding, and fishing. I graduated from California State University Chico in 2007 with a B.S. degree in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in wildlife biology. I have been working in the professional field for seven years and have done a variety of work, including riparian restoration, avian and bat studies, wildlife and botanical surveys, and habitat and special resources assessments. My particular passions are bird banding and working with bats. In my free time I enjoy reading, hiking, birding, camping, and cooking.

My research focuses on the post-construction impacts of wind energy facilities on bat and avian species, as well as the effectiveness of altering the standard cut-in speed of wind turbines to decrease bat fatalities. I am excited about our country's shift to renewable energy, but through my work experience with wind energy and solar power I am also aware that these types of projects can have detrimental environmental impacts on wildlife. Wind energy facilities are being built worldwide. I hope to be a part of the research that generates management practices to minimize impacts and conserve wildlife populations and ecosystems while supporting renewable energy growth.