I was hired to teach in the MES program starting in 2016. I’ve been full-time faculty in MES every year, except for one year as the Acting Director while Kevin Francis was on sabbatical (2020-21, hello pandemic!). I have taught every required MES program at least twice, as well as electives including Urban Ecology, Wildlife Responses to Climate Change, and Data Analysis & Visualization in R. Through 2024 I’ve advised 46 MES graduates on their theses, on topics from modeling species distributions, to assessing habitat connectivity, to avian behavior and population changes, to Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly research. As an ecologist I try to collaborate across disciplines to understand the responses of native wildlife to land-use and climate change, especially in urban areas, in order to provide strategies for adaptation and mitigation. I use a combination of empirical data, modeling and quantitative tools, and spatial analyses in my work. With support from the Evergreen Foundation in recent years, I have completed collaborative research on shifts in the timing of Alaskan migratory songbird spring arrival, as well as changes in wildlife habitat due to forest landowners’ adaptive responses to projected climate change. Over the years I have especially enjoyed learning from MES students, as they work on class projects, papers, and of course thesis research. Outside of Evergreen, I enjoy hiking, pickleball, ultimate frisbee, and of course writing (and playing) parody songs.

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn at: @john-withey-47-tesc