Houston Bumgarner
Wildlife Biologist
Education
B.S. North Carolina State University, 2023; Wildlife & Conservation Biology
Research/Career Interests
I joined IWS as a member of the Predator Research and Ecosystem Management program on San Clemente Island. The objective of the project is to control non-native predator species that pose risks to endemic species on the island, particularly the San Clemente Bell’s Sparrow and the federally endangered San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike.
Before IWS I was traveling the country exploring the unique ecosystems and landscapes, through wildlife conservation. I have been fortunate to work in some of America’s most iconic landscapes and experience them in a way most have not. I have driven thousands of miles on the Alligator River and Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Eastern NC collecting data on red wolves, driven across Oregon and Idaho to monitor stream habitat for bull trout and salmon, backpacked into the Sequoia and Kings Canyon Wilderness to help restore Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs, hiked/snowmobiled into the mountains of Montana; camera and live trapping Canada lynx on the doorstep of Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
I was born, raised, and educated in Raleigh, North Carolina. Captivated by the wildlife in my backyard from a young age, I spent my childhood exploring, hunting, and fishing throughout the state, from the shipwrecks and salt marshes on the coast, to the rainforest and rivers in the mountains. To this day I use my free time to read and travel as well as hunt, fly fish, dive, backpack, and photograph the natural world. I am fascinated by the unique ecosystems and wildlife this world has to offer and am passionate about preserving what we have now for future generations.