About Us

We are a group of aspiring wildlife researchers attending Los Gatos High School in the South Bay Area. We have a great passion for the urban wildlife in the area, but the general public often overlooks these important species. ​​

We also present about urban wildlife to local schools and public spaces. Spreading awareness about our native wildlife is incredibly valuable, because many Bay Area residents fear the animals they encounter, often seeing them as pests rather than important members of the ecosystem. By providing education about the role these animals play in maintaining a healthy environment, we can help foster a positive relationship between people and wildlife.​

​Our Research

We are currently working on four different research projects in association with UC Berkeley, the Town of Los Gatos, and Santa Clara County Parks:

1. We are collaborating with a UC Berkeley PhD student on our largest research project, studying how urbanization in Silicon Valley affects wildlife occupancy in creeks.​​

2. We are collaborating with a Stanford professor to study interactions between urban coyotes and people in Silicon Valley, how their presence correlates with urbanization, the historical coyote population in the area, and what environmental factors lead to conflict.

3. We are beginning a study on how urban beaver dams filter out pollutants in creeks, reducing the amount of heavy metals in the water to contaminate the environment. 

4. We are studying how mange is distributed throughout urban coyote populations with the help of iNaturalist data.