Hello! My name is Sam and I am this season’s streaked horned lark intern working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Streaked horned larks are a threatened songbird that range between Oregon and Washington. I’ll be working with the refuge biologist of the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex on monitoring larks during the breeding season.

Originally, I was born and raised in southern California in the San Fernando valley, bordering Los Angeles. Despite growing up in an urban area I have always been passionate about wildlife and conservation. The city was great but I knew I needed to pursue my passion in a much greener state. I attended Oregon State University, as a first generation college student, and recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fisheries, wildlife, and conservation science. During my undergrad I assisted on multiple mammal studies and research. The last project I worked on was an observational study using camera traps to identify how wildlife utilized log jams in old growth forests. I also completed an internship at a wildlife rehabilitation clinic my last year and continue to volunteer on the weekend. 

While working on the last project I discovered how much I enjoy field work and getting my hands dirty. With the streaked horned lark internship I’m excited to be in the field everyday and getting to experience working with a federal agency. I’m also looking forward to begin my career in working with threatened and endangered species. My main job will be nest searching and monitoring, which will be challenging but I can’t wait to see some chicks and track some successful nests.