Join Environmental Science and Management for a winter seminar series on pollinators. Our series continues with Samantha Derrenbacher, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Newport. Her talk is titled, "Management for Endangered Butterflies."
Samantha (Sam) Derrenbacher is a Wildlife Biologist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service where she serves as the Oregon silverspot butterfly lead biologist. She spends warm summer days researching the butterfly, planting native species, assessing habitat quality, and working alongside partners for a net positive effect to the habitat. No day is the same in her line of work and when stuck in the office, she is often leading the range-wide working group, consulting on species take, and writing grants to fund critical research and recovery tasks. Sam was born and raised in New Hampshire and prior work included studying three listed butterfly species for the NH Fish and Game, researching climate change impacts to estuaries for the Marine Biological Laboratory, and backpacking with underprivileged youth. Her love of the environment and strong desire for conservation are built into her DNA. Her conservation heroes are her parents — they both dedicated their lives to teaching others about the beautiful natural world and eliciting a passion for conservation in the next generation. When not working, Sam can be found hiking, biking, skiing, and paddling across the great outdoors with her husband, Perry, and two pups, Ike and Tumalo.
This series is supported by a generous donation from alum Steve Wille.