Sarah Belles

Sarah graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor’s degree in Ecology for Environmental Science. During her time as an undergraduate student, she was introduced to the exciting world of avian research and conservation by volunteering with a professor at a nearby bird banding station. After graduating, Sarah joined Gulf Coast Bird Observatory in Lake Jackson, Texas as an Avian Science Intern. There, she discovered her love for shorebirds and their coastal environments through research efforts with Wilson’s, Snowy, and Piping Plovers, Least Terns, Black Skimmers, American Oystercatchers, and more. Before returning to the Gulf Coast, Sarah spent time as an AmeriCorps member with Ecostudies Institute in Washington State monitoring nesting Streaked Horned Larks on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. She also joined research efforts in Central Florida with Archbold Biological Station’s Conservation Science of Military Lands program, where she monitored Florida Scrub Jays and Florida Grasshopper Sparrows, among other avian species of conservation interest.