Avalon Cook

Conservation Monitoring Ecologist

As Conservation Monitoring Ecologist with the Soil Research and Conservation Program, my work focuses on developing and implementing rigorous, accessible monitoring plans for assessing the impact of conservation practices. My team’s work emphasizes organic carbon as a master indicator of ecosystem and soil health on agricultural lands – as such I spend my time reading and thinking about the biomass and productivity impacts of commonly recommended management practices and the most effective and practical ways to measure meaningful change over time. Whether a program or land steward’s goal is to publish a scientific paper, demonstrate suitability for certifications, or validate land ethic claims for marketing, I work to tailor the latest science to the task. When I’m not designing projects, sampling in the field, or processing in the lab, I work with my teammates to interpret and harmonize monitoring data across projects to facilitate broader scientific discovery around the regional effectiveness of conservation and provide meaningful context for land stewards.

I completed a B.S. in Conservation and Resource Studies at U.C. Berkeley where I contributed to projects focused on the genetics of amphibian disease, rangeland management, and spatial data analysis. I quickly dove into ornithology and spent my early career working with acorn woodpeckers along the central coast, blackbirds in the ag fields of central North Dakota, and waterfowl habitat mapping in the Sacramento area. I came to Point Blue as a technician in 2022, excited to contribute to a project designed to evaluate the impact of habitat restoration projects on rangelands across California.

When I’m not at our Petaluma headquarters, you can find me at various haunts and hangouts along the lower Russian River. I’m probably taking the kayak for a spin or working on my Guerneville cabin. If I’m out of the office for a few weeks over the summer, it’s a safe bet I’m the road with my country rock band.

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