After almost thirty years studying northern spotted owls in Oregon forests, Rita has taken on an administrative role for the Lesmeister Lab where she continues to fight for the survival of the spotted owl on the landscape. Rita finds herself deeply connected to spotted owls, understandably so after watching them for so many years and researching individual birds throughout their lifespan. Her compassion for the forest and the health of the ecosystem where she lives and works is palpable. She calls herself an emotion biologist, feeling the wins and the losses with each nesting season. Studying these birds she holds dear can take its toll, but she refuses to give up and plans to continue fighting for the birds and old growth forest however she can.
Rita’s three decades of field work occurred in the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest where she served as a crew lead for many years. She worked under Eric Foresman (former Principal Investigator) and feels lucky to have researched northern spotted owls when things were brilliantly exciting and dynamic. Rita’s specialty is in dissecting owl pellets and identifying the mammalian and avian skeletal remains within. She delights in this complex and minuscule work, and has happily assisted OSU undergraduate students in pellet dissections of their own.
Rita’s three decades of field work occurred in the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest where she served as a crew lead for many years. She worked under Eric Foresman (former Principal Investigator) and feels lucky to have researched northern spotted owls when things were brilliantly exciting and dynamic. Rita’s specialty is in dissecting owl pellets and identifying the mammalian and avian skeletal remains within. She delights in this complex and minuscule work, and has happily assisted OSU undergraduate students in pellet dissections of their own.