California Raptor Center Staff and Volunteer Newsletter *Overview * *Student Staff * *Volunteers * *What's New? * *Obituaries * *Babies * *Related Items * Laura Navarrete Laura is a senior in the Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology program. Whether urban or wild, animals have always been a part of Laura's life. With her Mother a UCD alumni and an avid birder, it was her volunteer work at the Oakland Zoo that brought her closer to birds. And a visit to the Raptor Center confirmed her decision to attend UC Davis. Laura with Spar Laura's work with animals began early. In grade school she was a Junior Ranger and at the Coyote Hills Center a Quail Project Volunteer working with Dr. Quack. Continuing her animal exploits into high school she signed on with Earth Watch where she travelled to North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains. The project: using black bears as an indicator species in trap monitoring to determine their pathways. It was her freshman year working in Yellowstone National Park as a Student Conservation Associate that resource management and conservation began to appeal to her as a career. This is where she may be headed once she graduates. Caitlin "Catie" Kroeger Caitie in the office In her third year in the Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology program, Catie is already thinking about graduate school. She's been looking into the Evolution and Ecology Graduate Group at UCD. Wildlife conservation and habitat restoration is an interest and so is vet school. She wants to do research in the states but has her eye on grad school in South Africa as well. Really, she wants to be in a program that needs help. But what lead her to the Raptor Center was a past job working with an avian specialist veterinarian who'd earned his degrees at UCD. Working with this vet she became hooked on birds. Courtney on a Saturday Courtney Wong Majoring in Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology and in her third year at UC Davis, Courtney has vet school aspirations. Specializing in small and exotic animals, she began volunteering at the Raptor Center in her first year. From her weekend and summer volunteer work at the San Francisco Zoo in high school, Courtney's compassion for animals grew. Hawk Hill in the Children's zoo area, the resident raptors, hawks, owls, and eagles, were put on display. She was part of that team. Handsome Thor We won't forget: Robin Compton Robin graduated fall 2005 with a degree in Avian Sciences. Winter 2006 was her last quarter at the Center so Robin in winterlet's all say good-bye and good luck out there in the big, cruel world. In a recent chat with Robin she told me she's probably going to stay in the area for a while. She'll apply to vet school and work locally in a veterinary clinic. Once in vet school, she'll specialize in birds, namely raptors and parrots. *Overview * *Student Staff * *Volunteers * *What's New? * *Obituaries* *Babies * *Related Items *