My name is Emily McGuirt, and I am originally from Southwest Virginia! This is my 5th season as a Wildlife/Field Technician, and I am privileged that these positions have taken me all across the U.S. I started my field journey during undergrad where I was an intern in Michigan for the Forest Service. I completed my degrees in Zoology & Wildlife Biology and Conservation & Environmental Biology with a dual minor in Biology and Psychology. After this I decided to go back to the same station in Michigan and complete another field season restoring native savannas for an endangered butterfly.
My next season took me to Eastern Oregon and the surrounding states as a backcountry stream technician for the Forest Service again, where I sampled streams and rivers that hosted loads of local fauna and flora. My crew and myself were not homeless during this time, but “Car-full” as we liked to call it. Because of this mobility I was able to travel all over the Western U.S. and hit some major bucket list destinations. My 4th season took me to the Eastern shore of Virginia, where I was able to work in Chincoteague National Park, NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, and a few other coastal locations. This project was about assessing the reproductive success of an endangered songbird, the Saltmarsh Sparrow.
Even though I have only been at Kuaihelani for 2 months, I can truly say this place has changed my life. The intense diversity of wildlife at the atoll is truly astonishing and sometimes overwhelming (especially during Sooty Tern season). I cannot say I have a favorite species here yet, but I am quite fond of the Nudibranchs and Sea Cucumbers. I am extremely grateful for the USFWS staff, Chugach staff, and the best crew leads you could ask for. Thank you Friends of Midway Atoll for your help in getting me here!