Oregon Institute of Technology

Thesis

Working with the United States Forest Service through Oregon Institute of Technology to build a nest stie habitat suitability model for American Goshawks (Astur atricapillus) in the Fremont-Winema National Forest of south-central Oregon. The goal of the model is to accurately predict where high- and low-quality nesting habitat is located as goshawks are a management indicator species, with their nesting presence indicating old growth forests. Goshawk surveys are resource intensive, but using modeling, we can get the same (or better) results allowing resources to be alloted to other needs. So far, the use of the model has led to the discovery of 11 new nest sites, an increase over the two total found in the two years prior to adaptation of the model.

Relevant Coursework

Foundation in Conservation, Fire Ecology, Advanced Data Analysis, Risk Management and Wilderness First Aid, Grant Writing, Ecological Restoration and Monitoring, Advanced Data Analysis II

Presentations

Burton, K., Goheen, K., and Bickford, N. Leveraging Habitat Modeling to Boost Goshawk Survey Efficiency. Oregon Chapter Wildlife Society Conference 2025.

Burton, K., Goheen, K., and Bickford, N. Designing and ARU Protocol for American Goshawk Surveys. Oregon Chapter Wildlife Society Conference 2025.

Awards and Grants

NASA Oregon Space Grant Consortium Graduate Fellowship