Holli Holmes

Holli was born and raised in Colorado and received her B.S. from Colorado State University in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology in 2019. After undergrad, she spent six field seasons working for different federal agencies in the intermountain mountain west as a biological science technician on a wide range of taxa including fish, birds, small mammals, reptiles, ungulates, and wolverines. In 2021, she joined the bird and bat program in Glacier National Park where she started working on Harlequin Ducks. Later that season, she was invited to a Northern Rockies Harlequin Duck working group where she was able to put together a M.S. research project in collaboration with Glacier National Park, the U.S. Forest Service, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Montana Natural Heritage Program, and Montana Audubon to address a region wide research need. She then took her objectives to the University of Montana where she worked with Dr. Joshua Millspaugh as a Boone & Crockett Fellow to assess non-invasive survey methods for detecting breeding Harlequin Ducks in Montana and Idaho, and to build a predictive spatial distribution model to help managers plan monitoring efforts. Both her survey methodology and model are in active use by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Once she completed her M.S., she decided to continue working with Dr. Millspaugh as a Camp Fire Conservation Fellow in Syracuse, NY and pursue an MPA because she was interested in learning more skills that would allow her to put science into action and policy throughout her career.   Outside of research, Holli is a trail runner and loves to swim and mountain bike. She loves to put together fun adventure events with friends, like multi-sport day with stops along the way where you perform silly tasks (like a talent show)!