Updated: March 1, 2024

Sacha K. Heath

Research Interests

community, landscape, & avian ecology, biodiversity conservation, conservation effectiveness, trophic interactions, agroecology, urban ecology, habitat selection, multi-benefit quantification

Currently

I am a Senior Ecological Scientist with the Resilient Landscapes Program of the San Francisco Estuary Institute, focusing on evidence-based biodiversity support and habitat enhancement for multiple benefits in cities.

Education

2011-2018 PhD Ecology. University of California, Davis. Davis, California, USA

2009-2011 MSc Wildlife. Humboldt State University. Arcata, California, USA

1988-1992 BA Environmental Studies. University of California, Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz, California, USA

Employment

San Francisco Estuary Institute.

July 2023-presentSenior Scientist.

Feb 2022-June 2023Environmental Scientist.

Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University in St. Louis.

2019-2022Postdoctoral Research Associate.

Wild Farm Alliance

2018-2019Independent Contractor. Collaborating researcher and co-author.

University of California, Davis. Department of Plant Sciences.

2017Teaching Assistant. Undergraduate course: Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture.

2014Teaching Assistant. Undergraduate course: Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture.

Audubon California

2016Independent Contractor. Literature review and field research design.

University of California, Davis. Department of Environmental Science and Policy.

2016-2017Graduate Student Researcher. Lab of Dr. Marcel Holyoak.

2014Teaching Assistant. Graduate course: Principles and Applications of Ecology.

2013Teaching Assistant. Graduate course: Principles and Applications of Ecology.

University of California Cooperative Extension, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

2016Statistical Consultant. Lab of Rachel F. Long, Farm Advisor for Field Crops and Pest Management.

2013Lab Technician. Lab of Rachel F. Long, Farm Advisor for Field Crops and Pest Management.

Point Blue Conservation Science

2008-2010 Part-time staff ecologist. Eastern Sierra Nevada Program, Terrestrial Ecology Division.

2000-2008 Program Director. Eastern Sierra Nevada Program, Terrestrial Ecology Division.

1998-2000 Lead Project Biologist. Eastern Sierra Nevada projects, Terrestrial Ecology Division.

1997-1998 Field Research Supervisor, Field Station Manager. Palomarin Field Station landbird demography study.

H. T. Harvey and Associates.

Austral summers, 1997-2000 Research Assistant. Adélie Penguin Project, Antarctica.

National Biological Service.

Oct 1995, 1996 Research Assistant. Steller’s Eider survival study, Alaska.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

1995Research Assistant. California Condor Recovery Program.

Fellowships

2019-2022 Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship, Living Earth Collaborative.

2015-2016 Dissertation Year Fellowship, University of California, Davis.

2014-2015Graduate Research Fellowship, Graduate Group in Ecology, UC Davis.

2013-2014 Graduate Research Fellowship, Graduate Group in Ecology, UC Davis.

2010-2013 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

Awards & Honors

2013, 2014, 2015 Henry A. Jastro Research Scholarship, University of California, Davis

2014 Jeffery and Marsha Gibeling Fellowship, University of California, Davis

2013, 2014 Richard and Kate Faulkner Fellowship, University of California, Davis

2012 First Place, Student Poster Contest, The Wildlife Society Western Section

2012 Best Student Poster, UC Davis Ecology Graduate Student Symposium

2011 Koplin Award for Outstanding Graduate Student, Humboldt State University

2010 Mewaldt-King Student Research Award, Cooper Ornithological Society

2010 Alexander Bergstrom Memorial Research Award, Assn. of Field Ornithologists

1992 College Honors, Merrill College, University of California, Santa Cruz

1992 Senior Thesis Honors in Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz

Publications

Data & Code

Iknayan, Kelly, Sacha Heath, Scott Terrill, Daniel Wenny, Stephanie Panlasigui, Yiwei Wang, Erin Beller, Erica Spotswood. (2023). Patterns in bird and pollinator occupancy and richness in a mosaic of urban office parks across scales and seasons [Dataset]. Dryad. doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0k6djhb68

Heath, S. K., Fogel, Nina S., Mullikin, Jennifer C., & Hull, Trey. (2020). Data and code for Chapter 1: An expanded scope of biodiversity in urban agriculture, with implications for conservation. (Version 1.0.0) [Data set]. Urban Agroecology: Past, Present, and Future Directions in Interdisciplinary Research. Abingdon, UK: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3989949

Heath, S. K.. 2019. Data and Code for: Multiscale habitat mediates pest reduction by birds in an intensive agricultural region (Version 1.0) [Data set]. Ecosphere. Zenodo. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3374039

Journal Articles

Iknayan, K. J., S. K. Heath, S. B. Terrill, D. G. Wenny, S. Panlasigui, Y. Wang, E. E. Beller, E. N. Spotswood. (2024). Patterns in bird and pollinator occupancy and richness in a mosaic of urban office parks across scales and seasons. Ecology and Evolution 17(3)1-17. doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10958.

Hauber, M. E., S. K. Heath, and C. M. Tonra. 2020. Direct estimates of breeding site fidelity and natal philopatry in parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater). ARDEA 108(2):129-137. DOI: 10.5253/arde.v108i2.a6

Heath, S. K., and R. F. Long. 2019. Multiscale habitat mediates pest reduction by birds in an intensive agricultural region. Ecosphere 10(10):1-24. DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2884

Maas, B., S. Heath, I. Grass, C. Cassano, A. Classen, D. Faria, P. Gras, K. Williams-Guillén, M. Johnson, D. S. Karp, V. Linden, A. Martínez-Salinas, J. Schmack, and S. Kross. 2019. Experimental field exclosure of birds and bats in agricultural systems - methodological insights, potential improvements, and cost-benefit trade-offs. Basic and Applied Ecology 35:1-12. DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2018.12.002

Heath, S. K., C. U. Soykan, K. L. Velas, R. Kelsey, and S. M. Kross. 2017. A bustle in the hedgerow: woody field margins boost on farm avian diversity and abundance in an intensive agricultural landscape. Biological Conservation 212:153-161. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2017.05.031

Grof-Tisza, P., E. LoPresti, S. K. Heath, and R. Karban. 2017. Plant structural complexity and mechanical defenses mediate predator–prey interactions in an odonate–bird system. Ecology and Evolution 00:1–10. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2705

Holyoak, M. and S. K. Heath. 2016. The integration of climate change, spatial dynamics, and habitat fragmentation: a conceptual overview. Integrative Zoology. 11: 40–59. DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12167

Shuford, W. D., G. W. Page, S. K. Heath, and K. Nelson. 2016. Factors influencing the abundance and distribution of the Snowy Plover at Mono Lake, California. Western Birds 47(1):38-49.

Latif, Q. S., S. K. Heath, and J. T. Rotenberry. 2012. How avian nest site selection responds to predation risk: testing an “adaptive peak hypothesis”. Journal of Animal Ecology 81(1):127-138. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01895.x

Latif, Q. S., S. K. Heath, and J. T. Rotenberry. 2012. Effects of parents and Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) on nest predation risk for a songbird. Ecology and Evolution 2(12):3079-97. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.411

Latif, Q. S., S. K. Heath, and G. Ballard. 2012. The nest predator assemblage for songbirds in Mono Lake Basin riparian habitats. Western North American Naturalist 72(3):276-287. DOI: 10.3398/064.072.0302

Croston, R., C. M. Tonra, S. K. Heath, and M. E. Hauber. 2012. Flange color differences of brood parasitic brown-headed cowbirds from nests of two host species. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 124(1):139-145. DOI: 10.1676/11-019.1

Latif, Q. S., S. K. Heath, and J. T. Rotenberry. 2011. An “ecological trap” for Yellow Warbler nest microhabitat selection. Oikos 120: 1139–1150. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18835.x

Heath, S. K., L.A. Culp, and C. A. Howell. 2010. Brood parasitism and nest survival of Brown-headed Cowbird hosts at high elevation riparian sites in the eastern Sierra Nevada, California. Western North American Naturalist 70(3):364-376. DOI: 10.3398/064.070.0309

Tonra, C. M., M. D. Johnson, S. K. Heath, and M. E. Hauber. 2009. Does nesting habitat predict hatch synchrony between brood parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) and two hosts? Ecography 32: 497-503. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0587.2008.05736.x

Tonra, C. M., M. E. Hauber, S. K. Heath, and M. D. Johnson. 2008. Ecological correlates and sex differences in early development of a generalist brood parasite. The Auk 125(1):205-213. DOI: 10.1525/auk.2008.125.1.205

Latif, Q. S., J. L. Grenier, S. K. Heath, G. Ballard, and M. E. Hauber. 2006. First evidence of conspecific brood parasitism and egg ejection in Song Sparrows, with comments on methods sufficient to document these behaviors. Condor 108(2):452-458. DOI: 10.1093/condor/108.2.452

Ainley, D. G., C. A. Ribic, G. Ballard, S. Heath, I. Gaffney, B. J. Karl, K. R. Barton, P. R. Wilson, and S. Webb. 2004. Geographic structure of Adélie penguin populations: size, overlap and use of adjacent colony-specific foraging areas. Ecological Monographs: 74:159-178. DOI: 10.1890/02-4073

McCreedy, C. and S. K. Heath. 2004. Atypical Willow Flycatcher nesting sites in a recovering riparian corridor at Mono Lake, California. Western Birds 35(4):197–209.

Richardson, T. W. and S. K. Heath. 2004. Effects of conifers on aspen-breeding bird communities in the Sierra Nevada. Transactions of the Western Section of the Wildlife Society 40:686-81.

Heath, S. K. and G. Ballard. 2003. Bird species composition, phenology, nesting substrate, and productivity for the Owens Valley alluvial fan, Eastern Sierra Nevada, California 1998-2002. Great Basin Birds 6:18-35.

Book Chapters

Heath, S. K., N. S. Fogel, J. C. Mullikin, and T. Hull. 2020. An expanded scope of biodiversity in urban agriculture, with implications for conservation, in Urban Agroecology: Past, Present, and Future Directions in Interdisciplinary Research (Monika Egerer and Hamutahl Cohen, Editors). Abingdon, UK. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis.

Heath, S. K. 2008. Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia). In California Bird Species of Special Concern: A ranked assessment of species, subspecies, and distinct populations of birds of immediate conservation concern in California (W. D. Shuford and T. Gardali, eds.), pp. 332-339. Studies of Western Birds 1.

Heath, S. K. 2008. Sonora Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia sonorana). In California Bird Species of Special Concern: A ranked assessment of species, subspecies, and distinct populations of birds of immediate conservation concern in California (W. D. Shuford and T. Gardali, eds.), pp. 340-345. Studies of Western Birds 1.

Conference Proceedings

Heath, S. K. and G. Ballard. 2003. Patterns of breeding songbird diversity and occurrence in riparian habitats of the Eastern Sierra Nevada. In California Riparian Systems: Processes and Floodplain Management, Ecology, and Restoration (P.M. Faber, ed.). RHJV, Sacramento, CA.

Consevation Plans & Management Guides

Baumgartner, J. A., S. Kross, S., S. Heath. 2019. Supporting beneficial birds and managing pest birds. Wild Farm Alliance.

Supporting author on the following:

California Partners in Flight. 2005. Version 1.0. The sagebrush bird conservation plan: a strategy for protecting and managing sagebrush habitats and associated birds in California. PRBO Conservation Science, Stinson Beach, CA.

Riparian Habitat Joint Venture. 2004. Version 2.0. The riparian bird conservation plan: a strategy for reversing the decline of riparian associated birds in California. Version 2.0. California Partners in Flight.

California Partners in Flight. 2002. Version 2.0. The oak woodland bird conservation plan: a strategy for protecting and managing oak woodland habitats and associated birds in California (S. Zack, lead author). Point Reyes Bird Observatory, Stinson Beach, CA.

California Partners in Flight. 2002. Version 1.1. The coniferous forest bird conservation plan: a strategy for protecting and managing coniferous forest habitats and associated birds in California (J. Robinson and J. Alexander, lead authors). PRBO Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA.

Riparian Habitat Joint Venture. 2001. Version 1.0. The riparian bird conservation plan: a strategy for reversing the decline of riparian associated birds in California. Version 1.0. California Partners in Flight.

Selected Grants and Contracts

2018-2020 Wild Farm Alliance and Natural Resource Conservation Service Conservation Innovation Grant. “Key Learnings, Habitat Assessments and Conservation Opportunities for Using Beneficial Birds as Pest Control on Farms.” $64,181

2016 Audubon California. “Literature and field research design to investigate interactions between birds and almond orchards.” $7,500

Note: On the following grants or contracts, I was PI or Co-PI while employed by Point Blue Conservation Science (then PRBO Conservation Science).

2007-2008 Bureau of Land Management. “Off Highway Route Restoration Project: Avian Monitoring.” $75,000

2006-2007 Bureau of Land Management. “Bishop Resource Area Aspen Stewardship Project: Avian Monitoring.” $10,000, $7,270

2005-2007 Natural Resources Conservation Service Wetlands Reserve Program. “The key to adaptive restoration and management: all-bird monitoring on Adobe Valley, LLC Properties in Adobe Valley and Environs.” $14,000, $21,400, $21,400

2005-2007 Bureau of Land Management/United States Geological Survey/Joint Fire Science. “Evaluation of Pinyon Removal Effects Typical of a Wildland-Urban Interface Fuels Reduction Project, Mono County, California: Avian Monitoring Component.” $10,000, $10,000, $10,000

2003-2006 National Park Service Sierra Nevada Inventory and Monitoring Network. “Demographic bird monitoring in montane meadow and riparian habitats of Devils Postpile National Monument.” $16,000, $15,000, $15,000, $15,000

2006 National Forest Foundation and Friends of the Inyo. “Collaborative Jeffrey Pine Restoration Project.” $8,865

2005 Yosemite National Park and Sierra Nevada Inventory and Monitoring Network. “Non- Native Vascular Plant Inventory of Riparian Areas in Yosemite National Park, California.” $65,000

2005 Bureau of Land Management. “Eastern Sierra Riparian Songbird Conservation.” $35,000

1998-2004 U.S. Forest Service Region 5 Partners in Flight Program. “Eastern Sierra Riparian Songbird Monitoring.” $40,000, $30,000, $30,000, $30,000, $21,700, $21,687, $24,000

2004 Adobe Valley, LLC and Greenbridges, LLC. “Breeding bird assessment on Adobe Valley, LLC properties in Adobe Valley and environs.” $10,000

2003 California Department of Fish and Game. “Eastern Sierra Riparian Songbird Conservation.” $6,800

2003 Department of Defense, Mountain Warfare Marine Weapons Training Facility. “Riparian monitoring and habitat assessment in the West Walker River watershed.” $12,000

2003 Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. “Eastern Sierra Riparian Songbird Conservation.” $7,153

1998-2002 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Bureau of Land Management.“Eastern Sierra Riparian Songbird Conservation.” $50,000, $39,400, $39,400, $26,000, $30,000

2002 National Park Service Small Parks Grants. “Demographic Bird monitoring in montane meadow and riparian habitats of Devils Postpile National Monument.” $15,000

2002 Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Inyo County Water Department. “Riparian bird monitoring and habitat assessment in riverine/riparian habitats of the Lower Owens River Project.” $25,000

2000-2001 Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. “Riparian bird monitoring and habitat assessment in the East and West Walker River watershed.” $23,000, $23,879

Invited Symposia, Seminars, & Workshops

2020 Heath, S. K.. Functional green spaces: The Bring Conservation Home program in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Symposium: Creating and Designing Wildlife Friendly Cities. The Wildlife Society 27th Annual Conference. Virtual Conference.

2020 Heath, S. K.. Landscape cover and connectivity mediate avian body condition and overwinter survival in an intensive agroecosystem. Lightning Symposium: Protecting and restoring bird habitat in the agricultural matrix: net benefits for birds and farmers. 7th North American Ornithological Conference. Virtual conference.

2019 Heath, S. K. Avian conservation and pest reduction services boosted by multiscale habitat in farming landscapes. Biology Department Seminar Series. Missouri State University. Springfield, MO.

2019 Heath, S. K. Avian ecology and pest reduction services in an intensive agricultural landscape: inferences for conservation and farming. Seminar Series of the Living Earth Collaborative and Ecology, Evolution and Population Biology Program. Washington University in Saint Louis. Saint Louis, MO.

2019 Heath, S. K. A bustle in the hedgerow: exploring the dual effectiveness of farm scale biodiversity enhancement for avian conservation and pest control services in an intensive agricultural region. Inspire Session: Integrating ecosystem health and livelihoods: relationships between ecosystem management, ecology, and economic outcomes. Ecological Society of America. Louisville, KY.

2019 Heath, S. K. Avian ecology and pest reduction services in an intensive agricultural landscape: inferences for conservation and farming. National Great Rivers Research & Education Center Seminar Series. East Alton, IL.

2018 Kross, S. M. and S. K. Heath. Farm friends and foes: managing for pest control and damage from birds. 39th EcoFarm Conference. Asilomar, CA.

2017 Heath, S. K. Avian ecology and pest reduction services in agroecosystems of the Sacramento Valley: inferences for conservation and farming. Sacramento State Departments of Geology, Biological Sciences, and Environmental Sciences and U.S. Geological Survey Colloquium Series. Sacramento, CA

2015 Heath, S. K., R. F. Long, and M. Holyoak. Avian pest control in walnut orchards: does local scale biodiversity enhancement facilitate the provision of pest control services? Section Symposium: Integrating Ecological and Social Sciences to Support Synergies and Applied Solutions in Agroecosystems. Entomological Society of America. Minneapolis, MN

2015 Heath, S. K. Codling moth removal services by birds in walnut orchards. California Walnut Board, Production Research Advisory Council, Entomology Working Group. Stockton, CA.

2014 Heath, S. K., C. McCreedy, Q. S. Latif, and C. Tonra. Responses of riparian birds to (mostly) of passive restoration Mono Lake tributaries. Symposium: Successes and Challenges in Riparian Restoration - Birds as the Yardstick. Joint meeting of American Ornith. Union/Cooper Ornith. Soc./Soc. Canadian Ornith. Estes Park, CO.

2006 Heath, S. K., L. A. Culp, and C. McCreedy. Restoration of the riparian breeding bird community at Mono Lake, California. Technical Session: Mono Basin Restoration Ten Years Later. 13th Annual California Society for Ecological Restoration Conference. Santa Barbara, CA.

2006 Heath, S. K. Long term avian monitoring at Devils Postpile National Monument: opportunities for measurement of ecological change at multiple scales. 5th Annual Yosemite Hydro-Climate Workshop. Yosemite Valley, CA.

2006 Heath, S. K. It’s not just the water! Riparian bird habitat considerations in the context of watershed quality improvements. Rangeland Water Quality Conference. Sacramento, CA. (given by J. Furnish)

2006 Heath, S. K. and G. Ballard. Breeding bird species richness and occurrence in riparian aspen habitat of the eastern Sierra Nevada: are all aspen groves the same? Aspen Symposium. The Wildlife Society Western Section. Rohnert Park, CA. (poster)

Contributed Talks & Posters

2020 Robeck, E., S. K. Heath, A. Gamboa, S. A. Adalsteinsson. The red lines between us: How historic segregation in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, USA affects the distribution of data in iNaturalist. Entomological Society of America 2020 Annual (Virtual) Meeting.

2019Heath, S. K. Seminatural landscape cover and crop characteristics mediate pest reduction by birds in an intensive agricultural region. Ecological Society of America. Louisville, KY.

2018 Taylor, R. D., E. M. Wood, S. K. Heath, and D. House. Monitoring the response of riparian birds to restoration of the Lower Owens River, California. 136th Stated Meeting of the American Ornithological Society. Tucson, AZ. (R.D. Taylor delivered poster).

2017 Heath, S. K. and K. Strum. Almond Ornithology: A review of bird and nut tree interactions in Mediterranean climates worldwide to inform sustainability. Growing Advantage: The Almond Conference. Sacramento, CA. (K. Strum delivered poster).

2015 Kross, S., S. Heath, K. Velas, R. Kelsey, and C. Soykan. Links between on farm habitat, bird diversity, pest control and crop damage in California’s Central Valley. 27th International Congress for Conservation Biology. Montpellier, France. (S. Kross delivered talk)

2014 Heath, S. K., R. F. Long, and M. Holyoak. Avian pest control in walnut orchards: does local scale biodiversity enhancement facilitate the provision of pest control services? Ecological Society of America, Annual Meeting. Sacramento, CA. (poster)

2012 Heath, S. K. and M. D. Johnson. No top-down effects of insectivorous birds and bats on arthropods and sapling black cottonwoods in the context of restoration. (First Place Poster, Student Poster Award). Wildlife Society Western Section, Annual Conference. Sacramento, CA.

2012 Heath, S. K. and M. D. Johnson. No top-down effects of insectivorous birds and bats on arthropods and sapling black cottonwoods in the context of restoration. (Best Poster, Poster Contest). 5th Annual Ecology Graduate Student Symposium. Davis, CA.

2006 Heath, S. K. Songbird use of habitats managed for Greater Sage-Grouse in eastern California. California Partners in Flight. Bishop, CA.

2006 Heath, S. K. and A. Holmes. Bird responses to woodland removal projects on Steens Mountain, Oregon and Rancheria Gulch, California. California Partners in Flight. August 2006, Bishop, CA.

2002 Heath, S. K., G. Ballard, and C. McCreedy. How viable are yellow warbler populations in eastern California and what habitat features affect their nesting success? 3rd International Partners in Flight Conference, Asilomar, CA. (poster).

2002 Heath, S. K. and G. Ballard. Eastern Sierra Riparian Songbird Conservation Project: A case study in Partners in Flight Riparian Bird Conservation Plan implementation. 3rd International Partners in Flight Conference. Asilomar, CA.

2001 Heath, S. K. and G. Ballard. Vide supra. California Partners in Flight meeting. California Partners in Flight. Lee Vining, CA.

2001 Heath, S. K.., G. Ballard, and G. Geupel. Vide supra. Annual Meeting of the Western Section of The Wildlife Society. Sacramento, CA.

2001 Heath, S. K. and G. Ballard. Riparian songbird and habitat relationships in the eastern Sierra Nevada. Riparian Habitat and Floodplains Conference. Sacramento, CA.

1999 Ballard, G., G. Geupel, N. Nur, T. Gardali, and S. K. Heath. Current breeding distribution of passerines in riparian habitat in California’s Central Valley and Eastern Sierra: Range reduction and predictive models of habitat features. 117th Stated Meeting of the American Ornithologists’ Union. Ithaca, NY. (co-presenter of poster with G. Ballard).

Research Symposia Organization

2020Co-organizer with Matthew. D. Johnson. Lightning Symposium and Presenter Panel: Protecting and restoring bird habitat in the agricultural matrix: net benefits for birds and farmers. 7th North American Ornithological Conference. Virtual conference.

2006 Co-organizer with Kim Kreitinger. Conservation and management of upland birds and habitats in eastern California: a synthesis of issues and solutions for sagebrush, desert, and grassland bird populations. UC White Mountain Resaerch Station and Intermountain West Joint Venture, Bishop, CA.

2002Co-organizer with Sandra Scoggin. California Partners in Flight bi-annual meeting. Lee Vining, CA. 2002.

Peer Review

Publons Summary.

Sep 2021 - present Associate Editor, Ecology and Evolution

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment; Austral Ecology; Biological Conservation; California Agriculture; Ecological Applications; Ecology & Evolution; Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment; Global Ecology and Biogeography; Global Ecology and Conservation; Great Basin Birds; Integrative Zoology; International Journal of Pest Management; Journal of Applied Ecology; Journal of Field Ornithology; Landscape Research; Ornithological Applications; PLOS ONE; Royal Society Open Science; Science Advances

Society Membership

Ecological Society of America, American Society of Ornithology

Additional Leadership & Service

2020-2021Co-organizer The Living Earth Collaborative and Ecology, Evolution, and Population Biology Seminar Series. Department of Biology, Washington Unviersity.

2020Co-organizer The Living Earth Collaborative Biodivers-a-palooza. Summer Biodiversity Scavenger Hunt: COVID-19 Version.

2020Co-organizer The Living Earth Collaborative Presents: Adventures in Biodiversity Research.

2014-2016Grant proposal review. Mewaldt-King Student Research Award, Cooper Ornithological Society.

2002-2008Grant proposal review. Jeff Maurer Chautauqua Research Grant, Mono Lake Committee.

2003–present Board Member. Mono Basin Science Council.

2002 Co-Founder, Founding Board Member. Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge, a non-profit 501(c)(3) research, art, and conservation organization.

2013-2017 Co-Founder, Chair, Vice-chair. Diversity Committee, UC Davis Graduate Group in Ecology.

2012 Co-Chair. Graduate Student Symposium in Ecology, UC Davis Graduate Group in Ecology.

2012 Assistant. White Mountains Odyssey new student orientation, UC Davis Graduate Group in Ecology.

2011 Committee Member. Graduate Student Symposium in Ecology. UC Davis Graduate Group in Ecology.

2002-2008 Chair. Grant Selection Committee, Mono Basin Chautauqua Research Grant.

2004-2007Member. Sagebrush Bird Conservation Network. California Partners in Flight.

1997-2007 Member. Riparian Habitat Joint Venture. California Partners in Flight.

2002–2007 Co-Chair. Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua organizing committee.

2000–2006 Coordinator. Golondrinas de las Americas, Lee Vining Study Site.

2004-2005 Co-Editor. Scientific Research Column, Mono Lake Committee Newsletter.

Teaching

2021 Guest Lecturer. Undergarduate Course: Design Across Disciplines. Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis.

2020 Lecture. Lunch and Learn Summer Seminar Series. Tyson Undergraduate Fellows Program, Washington University. St. Louis, Missouri.

2017 Teaching Assistant. Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture (PLS 15). Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis.

2017Guest Lecturer. Undergraduate course: Society and Conservation. Environmental Studies Program, California State University Sacramento.

2015 Graduate Seminar Co-Instructor. Ecological Intensification in California Agriculture: from Science to Practice (ENT 290). Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis.

2014 Teaching Assistant. Principles and Applications of Ecology (ECL 200A). Department of Environmental Sciences & Policy, University of California, Davis.

2014 Teaching Assistant. Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture (PLS 15). Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis.

2013Teaching Assistant. Principles and Applications of Ecology (ECL 200A). Department of Environmental Sciences & Policy, University of California, Davis.

2011Undergraduate Mentor. Pollination Biology (BOT 458). Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA.

1997-2007 Lead Instructor. Landbird Monitoring Training Courses. PRBO Conservation Science.

1994Teaching Assistant. Natural History Field Quarter (ENVS 107). Department of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz.

1992Teaching Assistant. Environmental Ethics (ENVS 179). Department of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz.

1992 Teaching Assistant. Introduction to Contemporary Environmental Issues (ENVS 31). University of California Extension, Santa Cruz.

1992 Teaching Assistant. Practicum: Environmental Field Study (ENVS 14). University of California Extension, Santa Cruz.

1992 Teaching Assistant. Introduction to Cultural Geography (ENVS 21). University of California Extension, Santa Cruz.

Outreach

Talks, Webinars, & Workshops

2021 The birds and bees in St. Louis metropolitan area (oh, mosquitoes too!). Presentation to St. Louis Audubon Society

2021 Wild Farm Alliance and Davis Ranches (Virtual) Field Day presentation.

2019 Supporting beneficial birds and managing pest birds. eOrganic Webinar series.

2018 39th EcoFarm Conference. Asilomar, CA

2016 Sacramento Science Distilled. Sacramento, CA.

2015 California Walnut Board, Production Research Advisory Council. Stockton, CA.

2015 Hedgerow Workshop. University of California Cooperative Extension. Esparto, CA.

2015 Yolo County Audubon Society. Davis, CA

2015 Cache Creek Conservancy Board Meeting. Woodland, CA.

2014 Hedgerow Workshop. University of California Cooperative Extension. Winters, CA.

2014 Hedgerow Workshop. University of California Cooperative Extension. Winters, CA.

2010 9th Annual Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua. Lee Vining, CA.

2007 Parsons Memorial Lodge Summer Series. Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park, CA.

2007 6th Annual Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua. Lee Vining, CA.

2003 Mono Basin Field Station Seminar. Lee Vining, CA.

2002 2nd Annual Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua. Lee Vining, CA.

2001 1st Annual Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua. Lee Vining, CA.

Wild Farm Alliance, C. Haag, S. K. Heath. (Fall 2021). Video: Habitat Increases Birds’ Pest Control Services in Walnuts.

Heath, S. K. and R. F. Long. 2020. Managing walnut orchards for insect-eating birds. Sacramento Valley Orchard Source.

Long, R. F. and S. K. Heath. 2020. Encouraging beneficial birds in walnut orchards. West Coast Nut blog.

Heath, S. K. and R. F. Long. 2019. Birds are beneficial too! Green Blog: Green news from the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Heath, S. K. 2006. Fire: Evaluating New Tools for Habitat Management and Biodiversity. Observer: Quarterly Journal of PRBO Conservation Science. Number 144. Spring.

Heath, S. K. Measuring our restoration successes or shortfalls: why bird monitoring is important. The Rainshadow: Newsletter of the Owens Valley Committee. Vol. 2, No. 1.

Degenhardt, A. and S. K. Heath. 2004. Scientific research in the Mono Basin: news from the Mono Basin Field Station and beyond. Mono Lake Committee Newsletter. Fall. P. 10.

Heath, S. K. 2003. Mono’s tributary streams as songbird habitat: what is the appropriate measure of restoration success? Mono Lake Committee Newsletter. Spring. Pp 12 - 13.

Heath, S. K. 2002. Eastside story: the current era of bird conservation in the Eastern Sierra Nevada. Flightlog: Newsletter of California Partners in Flight. Number 11. Pp 2 -3.

Heath, S. K. 2001. From the field: notes from the Riparian Songbird Conservation Project. Mono Lake Committee Newsletter. Summer. P. 7.

Heath, S. K. 2000. Eastern Sierra Riparian Songbird Conservation Project: using songbirds as a tool to assess the health of Mono Basin riparian systems. Mono Lake Committee Newsletter.

Heath, S. K. 2000. Great Basin Riparian: songbird enhancement east of the Sierra. Observer: Quarterly Journal of PRBO Conservation Science. Number 121. Summer.

Research Media Coverage

Breining, Greg. (2021, Summer 21). At orchards and vineyards, birds are outperforming pesticides. Living Bird.

Coatney, Kathy. (2020, September 9). Birds help reduce codling moth larvae in orchards. AgAlert: The Weekly Newsletter fro California Agriculture.

Scott, J. (2020, June 26). Interview: Monitoring beneficial birds. My Ag Life Podcast.

St. Louis Audubon Society. (2020, June 5). Collaborators bring conservation (and science) home!

Hearden, T. (2020, March 18). Beneficial birds can control codling moth in walnuts. Western Farm Press.

Petree, J. (2020, March 3). Why you need to welcome bug-eating birds in your nut orchard. Growing Produce.

Warnert, J. E. (2019, November 18). How to attract bug-eating birds to farms. Fruit Growers News.

Morning Ag Clips. (2019, November 19). How to attract bug-eating birds to farms.

Warnert, J. E. (2019, November 18). How to attract bug-eating birds to farms. Green Blog, University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Bownman, S. (2019, November 8). Be bird-brainy: know your beneficial birds. Lancaster Farming.

Forrester, N. (2019, July 12). St. Louis researchers receive funding for new biodiversity projects. St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Heath, S. K. Interview with 90.3 KDVS, Local Dirt Radio. (2017, October 23). Davis, CA.

Case, E. (2014, May 8). Long time served: Farm adviser connects ag, research. p. A1. Davis Enterprise.

Christensen, R. and J. Matthewson (Directors). (2011). The Mono Lake Story. Research and Restoration extra feature. Bristlecone Media Production.

Neely, N. (2010, August 20). Of insects and exclosures. Mono-logue.

Lindsay, M. (2010, Summer). Anticipated restoration offers hope for Mill Creek. Mono Lake Newsletter

Lindsay, M. (2010, Summer). Bugs, birds, and cottonwoods. Mono Lake Newsletter

Sahagun, L. (2008, July 30). Mono Lake making a slow slog to health. Yellow warblers back: But recovery is no sure thing, and water must rise 8 feet. Los Angeles Times.

ABC (KGO) Assignment 7 television news. (2007, July 13). Mono Lake conservation attempts continue.

Cutting, L. and A. Degenhardt (2007, Summer) Setting the bar for science: PRBO’s Sacha Heath migrates on. Mono Lake Newsletter.

Kay, J. (2006, July 29). It’s Rising and Healthy: Three decades ago, a bunch of college students reported on and worried about the fate of Mono Lake. This month, they celebrated its recovery. San Francisco Chronicle.

Tekulsky, M. (2004, February 3). Birding Column: Banding Birds at Devils Postpile. National Geographic Daily News.