Megan Senour

Education

• B.Sc. Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology: Colorado State University 2017

• Research/Career Interests

I joined IWS as a biologist on the Island Fox Monitoring Program in August 2024. Our team collects island-wide demographic data, samples for pathology investigations, administers vaccinations, and equips individuals with radio collars for year-round monitoring. We also provide veterinary care for sick and injured foxes in our wildlife research hospital, better known as the 'Foxpital'. All data collected is analyzed and monitored to identify any immediate threats or declines to the SCI fox population.

I was born in Denver, Colorado, but raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Each year I would spend a few weeks in Colorado visiting family which lead to an interest in wildlife and the outdoors. Growing up in a highly urban environment and then attending Colorado State University, which is located within the urban-wildlife interface, I was always curious about human-wildlife interactions and our impact on wildlife behavior and movement. This cultivated a strong interest in large carnivore ecology and management, particularly with bears. Over the years, I have worked for multiple federal and state agencies, including the United States Forest Service conducting raptor surveys and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game collaring grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, as well as tagging beavers in central Idaho in the Copper Basin. I have spent the majority of my career with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, primarily working in black bear and mountain lion conflict in the Bay Area and Southern California. 

In my free time I enjoy sewing clothes using repurposed fabrics, crocheting, reading, fly-fishing, birding, and backpacking. I am excited to be a part of the IWS team on San Clemente Island working in island fox conservation!

Contact

msenour@iws.org