Emilie Travis was born and raised in central NJ having always enjoyed watching birds but didn’t discover the hobby of birding until she attended University of Vermont for a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and Forestry. Emilie was first taken by birds radio-tracking double-crested Cormorants in Lake Champlain, VT. After graduating, Emilie birded her way between amphibian breeding grounds, acquiring some birding experience with several western species throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Emilie has assisted on bird banding projects in the Northeast and Midwest, gaining a tremendous amount of experience handling and identifying neo-tropical migrants. She acquired her Master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin – Madison studying the impact of communication towers to migratory birds. Emilie has also assisted on a variety of other wildlife research projects over the past 14 years so if bird activity gets slow, she is guaranteed to be distracted by a salamander, trying to identify a tree, or looking under a rock.

Emilie has worked with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission as a Wildlife Diversity Technician, coordinating the NC Bat Acoustic Monitoring Program, mist-netting and conducting summer roost surveys for bats, tracking bog turtles, conducting point counts for Cerulean Warblers, and assisting with salamander surveys. Emilie is passionate educating folks and getting them excited about the natural world. Emilie now resides in Delray Beach, FL so if you are looking for a weekend or week long bird venture to south Florida, contact us for more info!