Jordan is active on campus in Campus Ambassadors, track and field, and the Rod and Reel Club, a fisherman's conservation and outdoor club. After graduating from Willamette, Jordan intends to pursue a Masters or Doctorate of Ecology and has dreams of going into research in the field.

AVIAN CONSERVATION ACROSS AN URBAN-RURAL GRADIENT
IN THE CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY

Mountain ecologic pressures posed by urban sprawl into once rural areas are threatening many indigenous bird populations worldwide. Urbanization of rural lands poses many dangers to birds including shrinking habitats, loss of limiting resources, and predation by introduced species. The goal of this project was to collect baseline data for studying the relationship between urbanization and bird diversity across an urban-rural interface in the Willamette Valley. Sites were chosen based on regional conservation interest and identifying strong long-term partners. On the Jefferson Oak Savannah Project our methods involved monitoring reproductive success of violet-green (Tachycineta thalassina) and tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) in boxes. All chicks were given USFWS bands and data were collected on wing length, weight, and plumage development. At the Fairview Sustainable Associates property we conducted a series of point counts to measure variation in avian abundance and diversity across different habitats. Baseline data were also collected from a smaller set of points established in Bush Park, Pringle Park, and on the Willamette University Campus. Average diversity and population from point counts at Fairview yielded 6.73 species and 9.32 total birds per point. For Bush and Pringle park, the respective numbers were 6.58 and 10.42. For Willamette, they were 2.77 and 4.85. This study should provide a foundation for the continuing study of bird conservation and perhaps restoration in rural lands that face development. Our baseline data will help determine the efficacy of current wildlife conservation techniques for urban developments and should be valuable references for changes at these and comparable sites in the Willamette Valley.