Hull Lab University of California, Davis

Eric Lynch

Masters Student, Biology, Sonoma State University

A.S. Park Management, West Valley College

B.A. English, Harvard University

lyncher[at]sonoma.edu

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I spent the first nine years of my life in Salem, MA, before my family relocated to San Jose, CA. My relationship with natural resources began early in life going on summer overnight trips with my family in the Appalachian Mountains. However, my interest in a natural resources-focused career started later than most, after I had already attained a B.A. in English and was dissatisfied with the work opportunities available to me in the traditional industries of the SF Bay Area. I indulged in increasingly long day hikes in the coastal mountain ranges around the SF Bay and frequent backpacking trips to spice up my life. As my desire to spend time outdoors grew, I came to the realization that a career working with natural resource could provide me with an opportunity to be outside professionally and contribute positively to the places I loved. I enrolled in West Valley College’s Park Management program which led to an interest in studying local biology and ecology. By the time I completed the Park Management A.S. degree, it was clear that the next step in my new career was to attain a master’s degree in Biology

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I’ve always been fascinated and enamored with raptors. In 2014, a Park Management instructor at West Valley College suggested I volunteer to help study raptors with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory. GGRO offered an excellent way to interact more closely with these amazing creatures and contribute to their conservation. I quickly developed an obsession with the charismatic carnivores. When it came time to apply to graduate schools and choose a thesis project, I was determined to focus my studies on raptors. I was attracted to working with the Hull Lab partly due to the lab’s close relationship to the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory. I had also met Dr. Hull and some members of his lab through GGRO, and appreciated the open-minded and collaborative approach they took with their research. The members of the Hull Lab have been incredibly welcoming and helpful with my project as I pursue my master’s degree at Sonoma State University.

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My specific research interests are in wildlife biology, movement, and conservation ecology. I am currently investigating shifts in the timing of raptors migrating through the Marin Headlands. I have partnered with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory to analyze how long term and short term variations in climate and weather affect the timing of raptor migration at their site each fall. Identifying how raptors respond to different environmental conditions can help us predict how they will respond to future changes in their environment.

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​Beyond my research goals, I am interested in sparking public curiosity in our natural resources (especially raptors!) and the many beneficial roles they play in our lives. I hope to share the joy and inspiration I get from studying plants and wildlife with other people.

I have volunteered to band hawks with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory each fall since 2014. In the past, I have worked for the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, East Bay Regional Parks, and Santa Clara County Parks.

 

I was attracted to working with the Hull Lab partly due to the lab’s close relationship to the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory where I volunteer. I had also met Dr. Hull and some members of his lab through GGRO, and appreciated the open-minded and collaborative approach they took with their research. The members of the Hull Lab have been incredibly welcoming and helpful with my project as I pursue my master’s degree at Sonoma State University.