Larisa’s Journey with WEST
I first worked for WEST in the summers of 2012 and 2014 as a federally permitted bat biologist, conducting presence/probable absence, mist-net, and telemetry surveys for proposed projects in Ohio, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. I briefly did some qualitative call identification out of the Bloomington, Indiana, office but moved to the Laramie, Wyoming, office by September 2014 to work as a bat biologist primarily compiling white papers, conducting acoustic call analyses, and writing and reviewing bat proposals and survey reports.
By 2018, I was managing wind and solar projects, focusing on the technical expert pathway. Now, as a Senior Bat Biologist, I provide technical skills to facilitate renewable and conventional energy development; integrating risk assessment, minimization, and mitigation strategies for bats, while facilitating client, agency, and biologist conversations to address construction and operational challenges.
Getting to work with such amazing, inventive, talented, and brilliant colleagues in a company that revolves around scientifically supported data has been incredible. My advice: Be intentional about the career path you want to forge for yourself and communicate effectively, which requires different strategies for different people.
Memorable Projects
- Desert Mine Surveys: Using rock climbing skills to check walls or drop into pits and unidentified features to identify western bat species (and usually other unexpected animals) for risk assessments.
- Tracking Bats: Tracking hoary bats, Rafinesque’s big-eared bat, eastern red bats, and little brown bats to unlikely roost locations rather than just the usual threatened and endangered species.
- Bat Population Take Modeling
- New Species Co-roosting Discovery
- Full Spectrum Call Library Development
- NLEB Tower Telemetry
- Thermal camera surveys for threatened and endangered bat roost detection
- Hibernacula Surveys
- Development of Optimized Smart Curtailment Strategies
- Virginia Big-eared Bat Colony Detection
- Documenting NLEB Use of Downed Logs
- Species Range Expansion Documentation
- Detector Detection Comparisons
These experiences have been invaluable in shaping my career and contributing to wildlife conservation efforts.
