Melissa Tu is an ecologist with more than 25 years of experience in conservation biology and habitat restoration. She is passionate about her work and wants to share her knowledge with others. She enjoys conducting general bird surveys, nesting bird surveys, collaborating on how to minimize impacts to birds and protecting nesting bird habitats, and teaching others about surveying for birds, avian biodiversity, and conservation.

Melissa’s other areas of biological expertise include surveys for and managing sensitive wildlife populations including mammals, reptile, and amphibian species; plant ecology (plant identification, rare plant surveys, vegetation mapping, invasive species management, and revegetation); and vernal pool, coastal dune, wetland/riparian, and upland habitat surveys and restoration.

Melissa has extensive experience conducting coastal California gnatcatcher surveys and has been permitted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) (PER0008918-0) since 2011 to perform these surveys. Melissa is also qualified to conduct least Bell’s vireo and arroyo toad surveys.