Meet the team behind the Birds & the Trees
The Birds and the TRees Project lead
Photo credit: Alex Tran
Dr. Barbara Frei
(she/her/elle)
Barbara joined Environment and Climate Change Canada as a Research Scientist in 2021. Barbara’s research has explored species-specific behaviour, habitat associations, population ecology, as well as broader themes including patterns of biodiversity, ecosystem services, landscape ecology, climate change and migration, and ‘bright spots’ in human-modified landscapes.
She co-founded the McGill Bird Observatory (MBO) in 2004, serving as Director since 2012. Barbara is passionate about scientific communication, having training and taught hundreds of volunteers about birds and migration, given numerous public presentations on species-at-risk, is a frequent guest on local radio, and reached out to teach children about birds via classroom presentations and in guest appearances on children’s science TV show.
Barbara is The Birds and the Trees research lead, serving as PI for several ECCC-led projects, working with academics, NGOs, and communities to co-develop research collaborations, serving as a resource for local Indigenous-led research and conservation efforts, and co-supervising students from multiple universities.
Project co-leads and collaborators
Photo credit: Alex Tran
Dr. Carly Ziter
(she/her/elle)
Dr. Carly Ziter is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Concordia University, where she holds a University Research Chair in Urban Ecology and Sustainability. As a landscape and urban ecologist, her research asks how landscape structure, land-use history, and biodiversity impact multiple ecosystem services – the benefits we receive from nature – and their relationships in urban and urbanizing areas. Ziter and her students combine field-based studies, sensor and satellite data, community science, and synthesis approaches to understand the ways our urban forests and green spaces contribute to safer, healthier cities. Her work is highly interdisciplinary, including active collaborations with colleagues spanning urban studies, engineering, fine arts, communications, and political science, alongside a diversity of non-academic partners.
Ziter is also committed to integrating public engagement and science communication into her scientific work, and was recently awarded Concordia’s National Research Communicator of the Year. When she's not busy in the lab or field, Carly can be found enjoying the great outdoors, knitting, or at the community pottery studio. Carly serves as a co-lead on numerous urban forests The Birds and The Trees research projects.
Photo credit: Tom DiSandolo
Dr. Kyle Elliott
(he/him/lui)
Dr. Kyle Elliott is an Associate Professor at McGill University and Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Artic Ecology. Kyle has conducted research on four continents from the Amazon to the Arctic, but specializes in the Canadian Arctic where he has studied birds on 14 of the islands in the Canadian Archipelago over the past 15 years. Kyle’s research spans the spatial distribution of birds, long-term studies using top predators as indicators of environmental change, and using innovative technology to look at individual-based monitoring. Kyle serves as a co-lead on urban bird movement The Birds and The Trees research projects.
Dr. Rachel Buxton
(her/she/elle)
Dr. Rachel Buxton is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Environmental Science and Department of Biology at Carleton University. She leads the Biodiversity Conservation Solutions team that aims to generate knowledge to support and mobilize equitable conservation solutions. Her main research interests include soundscapes, seabird ecology, ecological restoration, and systematic conservation planning. She works with groups of practitioners, decision-makers, Indigenous peoples, and stakeholders to ensure my research is applicable for mobilizing effective conservation solutions.
In drawing from her experiences as a research scientist, mom, life-long learner, teacher, mentor, and community member, she is committed to making a difference for biodiversity conservation and environmental justice. Rachel serves as a co-lead on numerous conservation outcomes and urban bird conservation The Birds and The Trees research projects.
