Alder Haus, Naturalist

Heya! My name’s Alder and I’m from Ankeny, Iowa. This is my second year at Hawk Ridge. I look forward to days of birding and environmental education. When I’m not working, I plan to venture around Minnesota even more.

Alder grew up in Ankeny, Iowa and earned a B.S. in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University. Their first experience with birds began on the family farm where they helped raise chickens and turkeys for meat and eggs. On special occasions, Alder spent time with their dad hunting for pheasant or geese. All of that changed when they went to ISU. Alder became the taxidermist for the student ornithology collection and worked there for four years. Many of the specimens collected were window strike birds including their spark bird – the Common Yellowthroat. Alder’s interest in birds grew deeper, leading to them volunteering at Iowa Bird Rehabilitation and interning at Iowa Young Birders (IYB). The highlight of their college experience was studying at the University of Montana for a semester. They loved to take Ornithology and Rocky Mountain Flora. When Alder wasn’t doing homework, they enjoyed participating in campus organizations, including Birding Club, Taxidermy articulation and Preservation Society, and Environmental Education Club. They would serve as co-president of EEC during their final year.