I am a wildlife biologist set out to research animals and their ecology, with a goal to help conserve and protect them. I’m also a birder, photographer, artist, pet mom, and pianist.

Hello! My name is Evelien de Greef. My preferred pronouns are she/her. In this blog, I aim to share my interest in animals, research, along with stories of my personal growth and adventures with my pets. I use my own photos throughout my blog unless otherwise stated or credited (please feel free to contact me if you would like to use any of the photos!).

Background

I come from a mixed background, but I mostly identify myself as a Dutch girl raised in California. Growing up, I moved around in many towns that I’ve lost count, bouncing between the Netherlands, California, and New York. After I fledged from the family nest to start my undergraduate career in 2011, I rooted myself in Davis, California, for seven years. During this time, I learned about awesome wildlife research opportunities and found my way into the world of birds. Internships from school and work beyond gave me field experience with birds ranging from songbirds to herons, and I developed interest to study their life histories, movements, and behaviours.

When I was ready to pursue a graduate degree, I moved to Winnipeg, Canada, in 2018, following my love for my partner Matt and my love of birds and research. As a student at the University of Manitoba, I continued to expand my field skills and learned how to use genomic tools to study populations and migration. After I graduated I had a few seasonal jobs for a year, going from whale genetics, rearing endangered butterflies, to bird mist-netting. I am currently working as a geneticist doing bioinformatic analyses with whales.