Meet the team - Kateri Bilay
We’re excited to introduce our new Intern, Kateri Bilay, to the team! We asked Kateri to answer a bunch of questions so we could get to know her better, and learn about her previous experiences with raptors and other wildlife.
Please introduce yourself!
I am a Treasure Valley native with a Bachelor of Science from Boise State University. I graduated from the Biological Sciences program with an emphasis in zoology. During my time in undergrad I had the opportunity to intern with The Peregrine Fund as a conservation education intern at The Worlds Center for Birds of Prey. During this internship my love for conservation and birds of prey was ignited.
Since graduating, I have been working as a biological field technician with a focus on raptors and conservation science. I have had the privilege of working in places like Spain, Puerto Rico, Florida, Georgia, and right here at home in Boise, ID.
In my free time I enjoy being with family and friends and recreating outdoors; namely rock climbing, hiking, birding, and engaging in local community events.
(C) Kateri Bilay Hiking in the Boise Foothills
What is the best nature experience you have ever had?
This is a difficult question to answer as there are so many options to choose from. More recently, I worked in Puerto Rico on The Peregrine Fund’s Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawk recovery program and getting to hike into the mountain forests of Puerto Rico to observe and monitor their nests was spectacular. The solitary hikes through the tropical mountain forests, and the sessions of quiet observation in a truly wild and magical landscape were awe inspiring and life changing.
(C) Hana Weaver Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawk handled for research purposes
What is your favorite raptor species?
This is a difficult question to answer as I don't have a true favorite! The world of Birds of Prey is so incredibly diverse and charismatic and so it is hard to choose just one! Getting to know some of these species more intimately through past field jobs has definitely placed snail kites and Puerto Rican sharpies in my group of favorites. Snail kites are incredibly interesting raptors who live in one of the world's most unique ecosystems, the Florida Everglades. And the sharpies are incredibly spunky and charismatic. Another species that I have an incredible fondness for is the red-tailed hawk. They are powerful generalists who find a way to not only survive but thrive practically anywhere, and they are incredibly diverse with 16 recognized subspecies that result in a gradient of plumages.
(C) Christine Waas Releasing a red-tailed hawk caught at Lucky Peak Research station for research purposes with Intermountain Bird Observatory
Who would your three dream dinner party guests be?
I would love to sit back and listen to a conversation between Bernie Sanders, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and Paul Stamets. I have always admired the Dalai Lama’s perspective on the marriage between religion and science and Paul Stamets offers a fascinating perspective through the world of fungi and the interconnectedness of all living things. Bernie Sanders is a charismatic and funny activist whose views on politics would provide an interesting perspective and stimulating debate.
Having these three minds in the room would be a recipe for deep intellectual conversation and I'm pretty sure they could put a manifesto for world peace together in a single session over a good Italian pasta.