Jay Penniman: Project Manager
Jay Penniman earned a B.S. at Portland State University (Oregon) in 1977. He has worked as an independent contractor doing forestry, wildlife and vegetation surveys, management and assessment. At the Point Reyes Bird Observatory, he was employed as a biologist on South East Farallon Island, 26 miles west of San Francisco. There he was a member of the team of biologists who ran the remote research station monitoring 13 breeding bird species and 4 marine mammal species. He also performed at-sea surveys for seabirds and marine mammals in the near and offshore waters of the northwest coast of North America. Since 2006 he has worked for the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit of the University of Hawaii managing the Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project. When not recovering and rescuing seabirds Jay enjoys bird watching, reading, gardening, cooking and walking.
Jay Penniman with a White-tailed Tropicbird chick
Jenni Learned: Operations/GIS Specialist
Jenni is a broad-spectrum ecologist with experience working across diverse environments. She joins us from Arizona, where she was a research specialist at Arizona State University. Some projects she facilitated include invasive species impact studies in Nepal, chemical and biological characterization of isolated desert lakes in China, and land-use surveys to understand locust outbreaks in Australia, Senegal, and Argentina. Her bird history includes monitoring shorebirds on the eastern seaboard and endangered flycatchers in the desert southwest, and she is thrilled to contribute to the conservation of seabirds in Hawai’i. Jenni has Master’s degrees in both biology and GIS, and integrates spatial analyses and database management with sound, fundamental science to support the team. In her free time she’ll hike, read, travel, or just wander around and collect rocks and plants. She loves the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon and continues her pursuit to complete all of its named trails and routes (and whatever unnamed ones she may come across).
Martin Frye: Field Crew Lead
Martin is a 2010 Lewis & Clark College graduate with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Hispanic Studies. He is committed to the liberal arts ethos, and has sought diverse career experience within the field of conservation biology. Beginning with AmeriCorps, he led bilingual conservation crews in Utah, and did Spanish-language education programming at the Tahoe Environmental Research Center. He was introduced to wild bird conservation by the Institute for Bird Populations, with whom he spent four seasons doing multi-species point counts and surveying for Black-backed woodpeckers in the Sierra Nevada. He also made time to do subalpine botany and forestry with the North Coast and Cascades I & M Network Network, as well as fisheries and wildlife biology at Grand Canyon National Park. After many seasonal migrations, following biology work all over the mainland, Martin is excited to join MNSRP here in Maui Nui, where he will contribute to the ongoing efforts to conserve native Hawaiian wildlife.
Emily Severson: Outreach Liaison
Emily began her conservation efforts in Alabama with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, helping to complete the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail. In 2002 Emily started her fieldwork in Hawaii on the slopes of Mauna Kea with the U.S. Geological Survey -BRD, on the Palila Restoration Project. Since relocating to Maui, she has assisted in field studies through the University of Hawaii with the Maui Parrotbill and has immersed herself throughout Haleakalā National Park. First as a Park Ranger, and now as an advocate and enthusiast. Her love of nature began in the cold climate of Minnesota, and has grown exponentially while living aloha with her beloved family. Emily’s primary goals are protecting native species and habitats, exploring, and educating others about nature. She is happy in her role, Community Outreach Liaison at the Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project.
Karla Trigueros: Technician
Karla Trigueros earned her B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology from California State University, Monterey Bay. She has held multiple internships that have helped cultivate her passion for wildlife conservation. Karla’s ornithology experience started as a wildlife rehabilitation intern at the SPCA for Monterey County in California, where she assisted in the rehabilitation of songbirds, seabirds, and raptors as well as mammals. Her appreciation for native species grew as a KUPU intern for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service on the island of Kauaʿi. There, she monitored endangered Aeʿo (Hawaiian Stilt), managed a feral cat trapline and rodenticide bait stations to protect native birds from introduced mammalian predators, and responded to avian botulism affected birds. She is excited to work for MNSRP and to expand her experience and knowledge in native species conservation.
Cheryl King: Technician
Cheryl King has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in biology/psychology from Southampton College of Long Island University and a Master’s of Science degree in marine biology from Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center. Being on research teams in South Carolina, New York, Florida, Costa Rica, The Caribbean, Belize, Australia, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Cocos Island National Park, and Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge has significantly enriched her background experiences and inspired her love of being surrounded by seabirds in wild places. Although she is interested in everything ocean-related, she has specialized in Hawaiian endangered species research, rescue and management for the last 20+ years. She has developed a deep passion for ocean conservation, especially for sea turtles while working closely with them since her first sea turtle job in 1996. She runs the statewide photo-ID catalog for Hawaiian hawksbills (www.Hihawksbills.org) and her marine debris research and cleanup project can be viewed here: www.SHARKastics.org.
Cece Frisinger: Kupu service member
Cece earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2017. While a student, Cece had the opportunity to study abroad at the University of Wollongong in Australia. Australia is where she first discovered her deep admiration for coastal and marine ecosystems. Upon graduating, Cece set sail for North Carolina, where she spent a season as a Sea Turtle Intern at the Bald Head Island Conservancy. From North Carolina, she moved to Georgia where she served as an AmeriCorps Member at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. There, she gained knowledge in both wildlife rehabilitation and field research. All of these experiences only strengthened Cece’s passion for protecting endangered and native species. She is very excited to be embarking on a new conservation journey with the Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project for the 2019-2020 Kupu term.
Dr. David Duffy: Principal Investigator
Dr. David Duffy is a professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and is the Principal Investigator for Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project. He is the director of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit. For more information, please visit http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/facultypages/david_duffy.htm
David Duffy University of Hawaii
Dr. Fern Duvall: MNSRP Scientific Advisor and Maui Nui Program Manager – Native Ecosystems Protection & Management (NEPM), State of Hawaii DLNR/DOFAW
After receiving his B.S. from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Fern earned two graduate degrees in Zoology from The Free University of (West) Berlin. Fern worked for 12 years as the State Aviculturist for the Captive Propagation of endangered Hawaiian birds. In 1996 Fern became the Wildlife Biologist for the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife on Maui, working with native Hawaiian waterbirds, forest birds, seabirds, invertebrates, plants, and non-native vertebrates. Fern now works as the NEPM Program Manager, Maui District. NEPM protects the State’s most diverse, pristine, unique remaining natural landscapes and ecosystems, with all the native flora and fauna they house. Fern is responsible for the original conception and staffing of Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project, which fulfills seabird management and research mandates of the Division of Forestry & Wildlife.
Fern Duvall DLNR/DOFAW
