Photo: Sam smiles while holding a large catfish on a research boat, with water and a tree-lined shoreline in the background. Courtesy of Sam Urquidez.
BY SAM URQUIDEZ
Tell us a little about yourself. Family? Where do you live and work?
I grew up in a super rural area in Arizona (I mean super rural), which was fine by me since as a child I was way more interested in chasing lizards and tracking darkling beetles than doing anything else. Later, my family moved to Yuma, which is where I spent the majority of my teens before moving to Tucson to attend the University of Arizona.
Throughout college, during my summers, I worked for Arizona Game and Fish with aquatic invasive species. That really cemented the importance of invasive control methods early in my career. In 2021, I moved to Kansas to work in fisheries for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and have been in the Midwest ever since.
After working in fisheries, I knew I wanted to go back to school, so I pursued my master’s at the University of Dayton in Ohio. My thesis project focused on the effectiveness of pollinator recruitment methods on urban farms. This was my passion project and where I first got excited about working in community conservation.
After graduating, I took a position with the International Crane Foundation and moved to Fishers, Indiana, with my fiancé and our dog, Fish. We still live in Fishers, and I mainly work from home, which Fish prefers since he can’t go more than 20 minutes without some ear rubs or belly scratches.
What got you interested in birds and birding?
It wasn’t until college that I really got interested in birds. Growing up, I was pretty familiar with most of the common species in Arizona but never really considered myself a birder or was interested in going out to actively look for birds.
This changed for me during a study abroad trip to Namibia, where my professor was adamant about all of us being birders because “even if there are no other wildlife to see, there are always birds.” He wasn’t wrong, and I was excited to see a whole new world of birds in a different area of the world.
Coming back from that trip, I was much more interested in identifying the birds I was seeing in my day to day life. Personally, I’ve always struggled trying to pick just one spark bird—from the Black Phoebe I loved to watch through my kitchen window as a kid to the Crested Francolins I fed at campsites in Namibia. Birds just have a special place in my heart as they do for so many people all over the world.
What excites you most about stepping into your Bird Programs and Partnerships Role?
I am most excited about having the opportunity to grow Indiana Audubon’s statewide programs and connect with new community partners. There are so many great programs already in place, like Project Owlnet, that I am eager to bring my ideas and perspectives to the table.
I am also excited to take the lead on initiatives like Bird Town Indiana and work with communities to come up with solutions to bird conservation issues in their areas.
How do you see your work with fisheries, pollinators, and cranes contributing to the perspective you bring to our programs and partnerships?
Working with several different species in my professional career has given me a unique perspective when tackling issues or even when connecting with new potential partners.
When thinking about birding habitat and bird conservation, I can’t help but also think of the bigger picture. Protecting habitat for birds doesn’t just benefit bird species but all wildlife in the area. Restoration projects that promote native plants and remove invasives are great for birds but also help our native pollinator populations and even our fish populations.
Plants like invasive honeysuckle can lead to issues such as poor water quality that can negatively impact all wildlife in the area. Being able to connect with people and discuss all the angles that bird conservation supports ecosystems and the animals that call them home are skills I am happy to bring to Indiana Audubon.
As Indiana Audubon expands its conservation initiatives across the state, where do you see the greatest opportunities for impact in the coming years?
Indiana Audubon has so many great initiatives, so this is a hard question to answer. I would have to say our Bird Town Indiana initiative, which inspires local community members and organizations to rally around conservation efforts in their community.
A program like this has the greatest opportunity for impact because it creates communities that are passionate about conserving natural areas and the wildlife that call it home. Future generations growing up in towns where there is this culture of conservation creates youth who feel connected to and inspired by the natural world. These kids then grow up to become the voices for our voiceless wildlife, which is truly how we create meaningful change.
Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing that helps you recharge or connect with the natural world?
I enjoy doing so many things. I am a huge reader and am currently at 81 books and counting for this year. I also love to bake and am constantly working on perfecting my chocolate chip cookie recipe, although my snickerdoodles are the most requested in my household.
I am also big on crafting and am currently learning (very slowly) how to crochet. Another art form I love that connects me to nature is pinning insects. I spent a lot of my master’s studies pinning and identifying native bees so now I love to ethically collect insects and pin them in little nature domes for display.
I have also taken this interest to another level with my recent exploration of taxidermy and specimen preservation for educational purposes. In November, I’ll attend a taxidermy workshop and am excited to learn more about the process.
And of course, I love to go hiking with my partner and our dog to explore all of the beautiful places Indiana has to offer.
Sam looks forward to connecting with communities across Indiana. Email her at [email protected] with questions about Bird Town Indiana certification or to explore partnership opportunities.
Tags: meet a member Q&A
