Dia dhuit

Is ainm dom Lisa nee Leen

Hi there, my name is Lisa Leen, and I am the Wildlife Biology Technician at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge with Friends of Malheur for this summer. I’m currently a senior at Cal Poly Humboldt, majoring in Wildlife Ecology, along with a minor in Native American studies. May 2026 is my expected graduation date. I’ve been very fortunate to have had past experiences volunteering and interning in wildlife care and conservation in places such as Brazil, Costa Rica, Thailand, Texas, and my home state of California. I’ve had a mix of working in animal care facilities, such as sanctuaries and zoos, and field research collecting data. My latest work has been with the organization MMERP (Marine Mammal Education and Research Program), which Cal Poly Humboldt runs. I conduct beach surveys looking for stranded marine mammals, as well as assisting a graduate student with her research on elephant seals.

I’m very excited to spend the summer in Oregon working at Malheur NWR. I’m particularly excited to be working with U.S. Fish and Wildlife. I believe it is of the utmost importance that we put as much of our effort and resources into protecting the natural world that we live in as possible. Being a good steward of the land, as well as acknowledging and working with the original Stewards of the land, such as the Paiute people, is very important to me. Fostering good relationships between tribal leaders and federal agencies is a goal I’m hoping we can all come to.

I’m also very excited to put my bird and plant ID skills to use at Malheur NWR. There is so much I want to learn and gain from this internship. I also hope to explore the beauties of southeastern Oregon while I’m here. I feel very honored to be chosen for this position, and I look forward to serving the wildlife of Malheur.

Slán go fóill (Bye for now in Irish)

NOTE: I’m of Irish and Mexican descent, and I’m making it a habit to introduce myself in Irish.