NEWSLETTER
NEWSLETTER
ABOUT US
ABOUT US
OUR TEAM
Liz Virgl
Texas Coastal Program Manager
American Bird Conservancy
Liz is the Texas Coastal Program Manager overseeing all of SPLASh’s educational programming. She earned a B.S. in Marine Science-Biology at the University of Tampa. As an educator, she is passionate about making the science field accessible and engaging for students of all ages and backgrounds.
Morton Sager
Texas Coastal Program Coordinator
American Bird Conservancy
Morton specializes in bridging the gap between complex environmental science and community action. With a degree in Environmental Science and a minor in Interpersonal Communications from the University of Houston, he excels at mobilizing the public to protect vulnerable species. Before joining ABC, Morton honed his expertise at the Bayou Preservation Association and the Galveston Bay Foundation, where he led innovative programs to stop waste and sediment from reaching critical waterways.
Anna Deichmann
Gulf Coastal Program Director
American Bird Conservancy
.jpg)
Sarah Belles
Gulf Coast Avian Ecologist
American Bird Conservancy
Anna is the Gulf Coastal Program Director at American Bird Conservancy (ABC). She has a B.S. in Wildlife and Conservation Science and an M.S. in Biology from Texas A&M University-Commerce. With a focus on ornithology, Anna worked as a Coastal Waterbird field technician and Osprey monitor for Massachusetts Audubon Society before moving to the Gulf Coast. For the past ten years she has worked along the upper Texas coast helping to protect, restore and steward coastal habitats, and educate the public about local bird conservation initiatives.
Celeste is the Education and Outreach Director at Gulf Coast Bird Observatory and assists in the the educational and outreach efforts of the SPLASh program. Previously a bird monitor and an environmental educator, Celeste loves teaching others about wildlife and the problem of trash pollution.
Kayla Pringle
Education Assistant
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
Amanda Hackney
Founder of Black Cat GIS
Kayla is the Education Assistant at Gulf Coast Bird Observatory in Lake Jackson, TX. Kayla has a B.S. in Anthropology from the University of Texas at San Antonio and an M.S. in Ecosystem Science and Management from the University of Michigan. Kayla has done research with U-M and the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies on tree swallows and their food availability in Homer, Alaska. Kayla grew up in the DFW area for most of her life, and now lives in the Houston area. She hopes to help educate people of any age on biodiversity and what we can do to reduce trash and waste in the Gulf Coast of Texas.
Black Cat GIS was founded in 2016 by Amanda Hackney to provide solutions to the geospatial demands of the conservation and business communities. Ms. Hackney has over 10 years of experience in the natural resources and GIS fields. A native of Nacogdoches Texas, her research specialties include: monitoring of endangered species, GPS field work, colonial waterbirds, coastal restoration projects, conservation based education programs, GIS analyses of coastal bird habitats/ estuarine erosion, and marine debris movement and accumulation in waterways.
As American Bird Conservancy’s Gulf Coast Avian Ecologist, Sarah works with local and regional partners to monitor and protect nesting shorebirds and seabirds, as well as migrating and wintering shorebirds. She also helps promote and implement local Bird City Texas initiatives and conservation efforts. Sarah earned a B.S. in Ecology for Environmental Science from the University of North Texas and has since gained experience monitoring a variety of bird species in several different places and habitat types across the country. When Sarah is not in the field protecting wildlife she enjoys being outdoors, birding, and exploring natural areas with friends!
FOUNDING PARTNERS
SPLASh was launched in 2020 through a partnership between American Bird Conservancy, Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, and Black Cat GIS. Click on the logos below to visit each partner's website.
