[Bristol-Birds] An introduction of Zac Poulton as a Virginia Birds editor
- From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'Bristol Birds'" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2015 16:21:54 -0400
Virginia Birds, a quarterly publication that documents bird sightings
throughout the state, has taken a welcomed step into the future by
appointing a talented, experienced and bright avian biologist as the
regional editor for Southwest Virginia.
The Virginia Society of Ornithology Board approved the publication of the
journal to record bird sightings in Virginia with the first reporting period
in the Summer of 2004. VSO members receive the publication as part of state
membership.
Zac Poulton small image.jpgZac Poulton has taken over the Southwest Region
editorship beginning August 1 of this summer and will first report on the
Fall Season (August - November).
Zac, of Bristol Virginia, is one of eight regional editors for the
publication.
The state editor is Bill Williams who has a B.A. in Biology from Emory and
Henry College and his M.A. in Biology from the College of William and Mary.
Williams is a Research Associate at the Center for Conservation Biology at
William and Mary and on the Board of the Virginia Society of Ornithology.
Virginia Birds serves as an ornithological record of sightings in the
Commonwealth of Virginia. Please send your unusual, interesting, early,
late, etc. sightings for the Southwest Virginia counties and cities to Zac
at <mailto:dzpoulton@xxxxxxxxx> dzpoulton@xxxxxxxxx The deadline for his
first Fall report is December 15.
He is a former naturalist with the Steele Creek Park Nature Center in
Bristol Tennessee where he worked (April 2006 - November 2007), taking
responsibility for animal exhibits, park facilities and nature trails as
well as leading planned interpretive wildlife hikes.
Zac brings an unmatched wealth of ornithological talent, personal skills,
objectivity and keen insight to the position of Southwest Region editorship.
He will bring a fresh compilation and synthesis to the Region's birding
reports, reflecting not only experience but a broad insight and balance to
regional bird findings reported in the journal's four seasonal issues. His
appointment is effective immediately.
He is aware and understands birding in Southwest Virginia and is subscribed
to Bristol-Birds Net and posts to the list.
He is the Lead Avian Field Technician at The Center for Conservation Biology
where he shares his skills from a vast array of past experiences in
ornithology and academic studies.
His academic background includes: Virginia Highlands Community College (2005
- 2006); <http://www.linkedin.com/edu/school?id=33237&trk=ppro_sprof>
Lees-McRae College Bachelor's Degree,
<http://www.linkedin.com/edu/fos?id=100642&trk=prof-edu-field_of_study>
Wildlife Biology (2003 - 2009);
<http://www.linkedin.com/edu/school?id=18014&trk=ppro_sprof> University of
Denver Master's Degree,
<http://www.linkedin.com/edu/fos?id=100061&trk=prof-edu-field_of_study>
Environmental Policy and Management (2015 - 2016).
At The Center for Conservation Biology he began work in March 2015 and
continues research at the Outer Banks, NC studying and creating mapping of
locations of the Black Rails and inventorying marsh species by sound. He
also worked on the project as the lead technician during the spring and
summer of 2014, using playback calls at night for Black Rails.
He worked during fall and early winter of last year and the previous year
with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation at Cape Charles,
VA inventorying the habitat migrating songbirds were using during stopover.
He also led bird walks during a Fall Wildlife Festival.
During the late spring of last year, he worked for The Center for
Conservation Biology at Fort Lee, VA, surveying Army training areas for
wintering population of avian species.
He also worked during that time as an Offshore Field Technician with the
Center surveying seabirds off the coast of Virginia in a proposed wind
turbine area surveying on line transects and recording flight direction and
height.
As part of a study of
<https://www.linkedin.com/title/winter-population-marsh-bird-surveyor?trk=pp
rofile_title> Winter Population Marsh Birds he was a surveyor
in Coastal Virginia, using a rope drag to survey winter populations of marsh
sparrows to target banded birds using mist nets.
During August and September 2013, Zac surveyed Whimbrels foraging from a
small outboard engine boat during low tide, recording all activity,
including steps taken, number of probes, and prey caught. During the spring
of 2013 he worked in Accomack County, VA investigating nest predators of
high marsh avian species. Nest search for grounded nesting birds at 14 study
sites in high marsh and deployed artificial nest to track predation rates.
He spent three fall season as a Saw-whet Owl bander with the center
(2010-2012) on the Eastern Shore, VA with a night banding station at three
sites.
Zac worked with the Institute of Wildlife Studies as and Endangered Island
Fox and Rodent biologist (July 2012 - September 2012) at San Clemente and
San Nicolas Islands, CA where he conducted fox trapping on San Clemente
Island and San Nicolas Island, both active Navy training facilities. The
study included mortality radio collars placed on age class zeros which had
not been previously vaccinated. Rodent trapping was conducted on San
Clemente Island using grids of Sherman live traps, checked daily.
He did similar research with the endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow at
the Archbold Biologist Station where he worked at an active Air Force
bombing range. He researched effects of cattle trampling on grassland birds
and coauthored a peer review research paper on the subject.
At the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory, during the fall of 2009 and
2010, he was a raptor observer for three months at the Kiptopeke State Park
hawk watch on the Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge.
He was also employed by Penn State University in the summer of 2010 at
Altoona, Pennsylvania color banding Grasshopper, Henslow's, Vesper, and
Savannah Sparrows and providing data to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
At the University of Delaware, he worked three months in the greater
Washington D.C area recording species of birds with the National Park
Service.
He has worked summer camp at the Buckeye Recreation Center at Beech
Mountain, NC and as a naturalist on the staff at Grandfather Mountain,
working planned interpretive programs.
He will be editor for the Southwest region which encompasses the counties
of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Floyd, Grayson, Lee, Russell,
Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe and the cities of
Bristol, Galax and Norton.
His father is Dr. Gary Poulton, a former History Professor at Virginia
Intermont College in Bristol, Virginia and a past president of the college.
Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
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