Jedda, Trainee

Jedda can be found wherever there are birds! She has lived across the eastern United States, from the cypress swamps of Florida to the suburbs of Chicago to the Pennsylvania Ridge and Valley. No matter where Jedda finds herself, she is fueled by a desire to explore and learn more about the natural world around her. Even better if she can share that passion with others! Her most recent stop was the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where she recently received her B.S. in Wildlife Biology from Lees-McRae College. Her fascination with birds began on a bird club trip to the Outer Banks and was only strengthened every subsequent fall, where Jedda helped count thousands of migrating broad-winged hawks. Birds are not Jedda’s only interest, and during her time at college, she worked at the May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center helping rehabilitate hundreds of injured and orphaned animals. She also participated in several salamander research projects and designed a study investigating snake fungal disease. One of her best summers was spent catching, marking, and taking data on free ranging snakes to better understand how fungal disease affects high-elevation populations. In her free time, she is an avid hiker, artist, herper, and general appreciator of nature. Jedda is stoked for her first season with Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory this fall. She is looking forward to seeing more northern bird species and helping track them on their magnificent journey.