About Us

Through her leadership at MFBRP, her scientific contributions, and her advocacy for sustainability, Dr. Hanna Mounce plays a crucial role in the fight to save Hawaii’s unique and endangered bird species from extinction. Originally from the mainland U.S., Dr. Mounce developed a passion for island ecosystems and ornithology during her undergraduate studies in California and New Zealand. Hanna gained experience in the public and private sectors of avian conservation as a biologist and master bander across the US and Costa Rica before moving to Hawaii. She later earned her Ph.D. in biodiversity management and became a leading voice in Hawaii’s conservation community. She has spent 20 years working to protect and restore the habitats of Hawaii’s critically endangered forest birds, particularly the kiwikiu (Maui Parrotbill) and other native avian species. Hanna has experience designing, coordinating, and conducting large research and monitoring projects with diverse stakeholders and under her leadership, MFBRP has undertaken groundbreaking field research and implementation of novel recovery techniques in collaboration with organizations like the State of Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. While coordinating the recovery actions for MFBRP, Hanna also oversees an active volunteer program and develops public outreach for the Hawai‘i community and beyond.

Hillary has over 10 years of experience in data management and utilizing GIS for the conservation of various species, including manatees, sea turtles, whales, and currently, Maui’s native forest birds. She earned her B.Sc. in Biology from Longwood University in Virginia and a M.Sc. in Environmental Studies from Evergreen State College in Washington. Her master’s research focused on analyzing Distance sampling data to estimate the abundance and density of humpback whales. Hillary joined MFBRP in July of 2021 and is responsible for the data management of all projects, creates maps for reports, presentations, and trip planning, and develops and manages data collection and field navigation apps. She is passionate about using her expertise to support the conservation of Maui’s forest birds.

Lilli’s passion for wildlife and conservation is rooted in her childhood experiences growing up in the biodiverse ecosystem of the southern Oregon Siskiyou Mountains. Lilli graduated from the University of Puget Sound with dual degrees in Biology and Environmental Policy. Lilli has spent the past three years working with MFBRP, taking on various roles that have allowed her to deepen her commitment and appreciation to Hawaii's native flora and fauna. In her roles as a Kupu and Field Technician, Lilli has gained hands-on experience in key projects such as Kiwikiu collections, mosquito monitoring & deployment, as well as 'Alala release monitoring. Now in her current role as Safety and Field Operations Coordinator, she works to ensure the health and safety of field teams while coordinating volunteers and supporting critical conservation efforts. Lilli is dedicated to maintaining high standards of safety and efficiency while advancing MFBRP’s mission of protecting and restoring native species.

Originally from Colorado, Tess grew up exploring the outdoors and back-yard birding with her mom. After graduating from Colorado State University with a degree in Zoology, Tess began her career in aviculture working at the Denver Zoo as a bird keeper. She later moved to Hawaii to continue her work in avian husbandry with the Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program. After taking a couple years away from Hawaii to work at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Tess is excited to return to Maui and apply her skills in aviculture to help with kiwikiu recovery efforts.

Jessica is passionate about ecosystem and community health. She is deeply smitten with island ecology and super excited to join this Maui team. Jessie is a media producer who has worked as a wildlife biologist for state, federal and tribal agencies, from the arctic to the tropics. She has also initiated projects to document Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous languages, understanding that centering Indigenous biocultural knowledge in conservation efforts fosters resilient and lasting ecosystem health.  In her spare time, she loves to snorkel and spend time on a potter's wheel.

Sharona's interest in birds began in 3rd grade with one very polite little budgie, and another who preferred expressing himself using colorful metaphors.  Since then, she has earned a degree in ecology and population genetics, with a focus on animal behaviour, and accumulated over 16 years of captive husbandry experience -- including 10 years at the Maui Bird Conservation Center.  After taking a brief hiatus to educate the public about the science behind distillation and the virtue of Art in the community, Sharona excited to be back in conservation, supporting Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project's field crews!

Paul has been interested in birds since a young age. He pursued his passion for feathered creatures in a professional capacity and now has more than 30 years of experience in the fields of avian ecology and conservation biology. He has worked on numerous avian research projects, many involving threatened and endangered species throughout the U.S., Pacific, and West Africa – and in his free time, continued to chase birds even farther afield. Paul has spent the past 17 years involved in conservation based avian research projects in Micronesia and Hawai‘i and received a Ph.D. in avian ecology from Edith Cowan University in the greater Perth area of Western Australia. As a wildlife biologist with the Division of Fish and Wildlife, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, he developed and implemented a conservation translocation program to safeguard the native and endemic forest birds of the Northern Mariana Islands from the threat of the invasive brown tree snake previously introduced to nearby Guam. He will bring this experience to MFBRP and use it to plan a conservation translocation of ‘ākohekohe with the intent to similarly safeguard this species from extinction via avian malaria.

Sonia graduated from the University of Kent with a B.S. in Wildlife Conservation and gained her M.S. in Wild Animal Biology at the University of London in the U.K. Her passion for ornithological research and island conservation has taken her around the world to conservation projects in Mauritius, Malta, and Mexico, where she worked in the recovery of endangered songbirds and seabirds. She also volunteered as a bird bander at migratory bird observatories in the U.K. and Canada. With an interest in veterinary medicine, Sonia worked at a wildlife center in Italy and now volunteers with local vets to learn more clinical skills. Sonia joined MFBRP in November 2021 working with the honeycreeper team. When she’s not looking for birds, she enjoys surfing, cycling and playing pickleball.

Martin was born and raised in Missouri, and attended Lewis & Clark College in Oregon, earning  B.A. degrees in Environmental Studies and Hispanic Studies. After serving in AmeriCorps, he sought diverse field experience in conservation biology, ranging from forest pathology with the Institute of Forest Genetics, desert fisheries with Grand Canyon National Park, and alpine botany with the North Coast and Cascades Inventory and Monitoring Network. He was initially introduced to avian monitoring while working for the Institute for Bird Populations. Martin came to Hawaiʻi nei to work for the Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project in 2017, eventually transitioning to the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project in 2024. Among his favorite pursuits are baseball, the Spanish language, and playing the drums.

Nathaniel’s journey into avian research started during undergrad at Lees McRae College in his home state of North Carolina. Initially, his journey led him to animal husbandry and care but focused predominantly on birds. Working through undergrad he learned his actual passion was in avian field work. Since graduating in 2018 with a B.S. in Wildlife Biology Nathaniel has been working non-stop in the field. Projects include but aren’t limited to: Breeding ecology and egg patterning of King Rails, breeding ecology and territorial mapping of Black-capped Vireos, and breeding ecology/home range use of Eastern Whip-poor-wills, and monitoring/trapping migratory Red Knot’s (Rufa). Nathaniel is nothing but elated to be joining such an amazing team while being able to aid in the conservation of such a crucial group of birds.

Natalie completed her undergraduate degree in Biology from Truman State University in northern Missouri, with a focus on ecology and field studies. Passionate about wildlife conservation, she pursued several professional field experiences through various state and federal government agencies, which led her to Texas, Oregon, Alaska, and finally Hawai'i. In 2020, she learned much about conservation challenges specific to Hawaiian birds while working as a biological science technician for Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and volunteering for the USGS Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center. She began volunteering for MFBRP in 2021 and transitioned into multiple forest bird focused positions before finally graduating to her current role as  'Alalā field and data technician.

Faith graduated from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School in 2020 with a dual B.S. in Marine Science and Biology. During study abroad with the UGalapagos program she discovered her passion for island conservation and the protection of endemic species. Upon moving to Hawai’i she volunteered with Hawai'i Marine Animal Response on O'ahu and became part of the Kupu ‘Āina Corps program where she gained experience in aviculture with critically endangered Hawaiian forest birds, including the ʻalalā, at the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center in Volcano. Then she worked as the assistant wildlife biologist for the Catalina Island Conservancy gaining fieldwork experience with a variety of island species including seabirds and island foxes. She returns to Hawai'i to join MFBRP, eager to once again work with the ʻalalā in hopes of seeing them thrive in the forest of Maui.

Alexandria’s passion for conserving endangered species has shaped her career in avian fieldwork and recovery. Originally from Colorado, Alexandria earned her B.S. in Biology at Colorado State University-Pueblo, where she focused on avian demography and conservation ecology. Her hands-on experience spans across multiple endangered species recovery projects, including roles with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project. Alexandria joined the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project to contribute to critical conservation efforts for Hawaiʻi’s native birds, including but not limited to the kiwikiu. She is thrilled to help protect these species and play a part in preserving Hawaiʻi’s unique ecosystems.

Gus grew up in Colorado’s mountains, where his love for wildlife and the outdoors blossomed through fly fishing, hiking, and wildlife photography. He earned a B.S. in Biology from Adams State University, playing soccer all four years. He then pursued a master’s degree at Colorado State University–Pueblo, his thesis focused on the habitat needs of the Cassin’s Sparrow. Gus has worked with endangered species like the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow and contributed to conservation efforts of Kauaʻi and Maui's native birds. Now, he’s excited to assist the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project once again, working to protect Maui’s endangered species.

Christa returns to MFBRP as a disease ecologist with a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of California Santa Cruz, and was inspired to pursue a scientific research and conservation career after chasing around Kiwikiu during her KUPU AmeriCorps internship with MFBRP in 2012-2014. Her Ph.D. research focused on the Hawaiian avian malaria system and ideally qualifies her to coordinate mosquito control and monitoring efforts for disease suppression in Hawaii. She additionally brings over 10 years of experience conducting avian and island conservation projects in New Zealand, Madagascar, the Galapagos Islands, and California with private, public, and industry partners. Christa looks forward to building a science-based mosquito management program for biodiversity conservation in Hawai’i.

Mia is originally from Montana and grew up loving the outdoors. She graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2023 with a B.S. in Marine Biology. With a passion for conservation, Mia focused her studies on native wetland plant restoration. Mia has experience in terrestrial conservation working with Montana Conservation Corps, the Kupu ʻĀina Corps, and the Maui Invasive Species Committee. Mia was a member of the KUPU Conservation and Leadership Development Program at the PaePae O He’eia Fishpond. This experience has opened her eyes to the importance and need for Native Hawaiian cultural and environmental restoration.

From a young age, Sophie has been drawn to conserving wildlife. She earned her B.Sc. in Biology at Royal Holloway University of London, where she conducted a research project on the conservation of the Red Kite (Milvus milvus). After moving to Maui in 2022, Sophie worked as a Naturalist with the Pacific Whale Foundation, where she developed her passion for educating others about conservation and Hawaiian wildlife. She also gained international field experience through a Wildlife Conservation Internship with GVI in South Africa, contributing to avian diversity research at Karongwe Private Game Reserve.

Sophie joined the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project in 2024. Her work focuses on mosquito control to help protect Hawaiʻi’s forest birds from avian malaria and she is passionate about supporting conservation efforts that give Maui's endangered species a chance to survive and recover.

Eva graduated from the University of Washington in 2024 with a B.S. in Environmental Science & Resource Management. During her time at school she was involved in ecological restoration and bioremediation research, working with native trees and microorganisms to remove pollutants from an old landfill. Her work in restoration as well as growing up on Maui has influenced her love and interest for native species and their roles in their ecosystems. Her love for her home and desire to work in conservation and restoration has led her to join the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project. Eva is excited to learn and grow as part of the MFBRP team!

Sadie graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2024 with a B.S. in Environmental Science. During her undergraduate studies, she acquired an internship with the USGS, where she was introduced to fieldwork and conducted research on the growth patterns of native plant species along the Colorado Plateau. Sadie's academic and professional experiences have strengthened her desire to engage hands-on in the field, and she finds work that serves a purpose as profound as nature to be highly rewarding. Her love for the ocean and the outdoors has led her to pursue a career in conservation on Maui, where she is excited to apply her knowledge and skills to a new realm of environmental work with MFBRP.

Eden’s story begins in Utah, where his parents immigrated from South Africa before settling in California at the Alpine Dog Ranch in San Diego. Growing up surrounded by animals, Eden developed a deep passion for wildlife and dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. His journey took him to Maui during his teenage years, where he attended high school at King Kekaulike and discovered a love for the islands’ natural ecosystems. After studying wildlife ecology and management at Utah State University, he worked on projects involving mule deer in Zion National Park and tree mortality in Yosemite, Wind River, and Cedar City. Following a stint managing his family’s dog boarding business, Eden returned to the field and found his calling with MFBRP. Inspired by the impi (Zulu for “warriors”) dedicated to saving Maui’s endangered forest birds and the spirit of ubuntu (“I am because we are”), he thrives in this collaborative, purpose-driven community.

Originally from rural Oklahoma, Ronie developed a passion for wildlife and natural resources from a young age. This passion led her to Oklahoma State University where she obtained her B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Management with a minor in Plant Biology in 2022. With a heart to aid every conservation project, she has spent her time working as a research technician on projects investigating the efficacy of wildfire predictions, interactions between small mammals and wild hogs, and the population decline and monitoring of wild turkeys across Oklahoma. She spent much of her time after graduation researching American Black Bears across the Ozarks to better understand how climate change is affecting them at lower latitudes. Ronie's true passion has always been conservation of non-game species and is beyond excited to contribute to conservation efforts of native birds and forest with MFBRP. She hopes to continue to better Maui's native ecosystems and populations.

Karla earned her B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology from California State University, Monterey Bay. Karla’s ornithology experience started as a wildlife rehabilitation intern at the SPCA for Monterey County in California, where she assisted in the rehabilitation of songbirds, seabirds, and raptors. Her appreciation for island conservation grew as a KUPU AmeriCorps member with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the island of Kauaʿi and with the Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project, where she monitored Hawai'i's endangered wetland birds, seabirds, and managed invasive species control operations. She first joined MFBRP in 2022 before heading to Colorado, where she gained additional husbandry skills as a bird keeper at the Denver Zoo. Karla now returns to MFBRP to continue assisting with efforts to protect Maui’s native birds.