Alicia S.
I am so excited to combine two of my biggest passions—running and raptors—by running the NYC Marathon this year for the Peregrine Fund. Ever since I was little, I've loved birds (evidenced by the endless avian tchotchkes I've accumulated from childhood on) and especially raptors. I started birding as an adult and fell in love with the act of waiting quietly for a lifer to appear. As my friends know and often joke about, I'd do anything to spot a hawk, falcon, or owl, sometimes traveling hours to catch a rare visitor for just a few minutes (most recently, a long-eared owl! It was worth the trip). I also have gotten involved with advocacy efforts for bird conservation. In grad school, I took a job recording evidence of window collisions to help determine which buildings posed the greatest threat to birds and were therefore in greatest need of remedial measures like window stickers. The Peregrine Fund does incredible work around the world for the types of birds I love the most. I am truly honored to be running with their team this November to support their efforts to protect the most vulnerable raptors.
