As a tremendous lover of birds and wildlife, Mandy has dedicated her life to avian conservation. From the time she was a child, she collected natural history observations in her backyard in Pennsylvania. She began by volunteering at wildlife rehabilitation and education centers as well as rescuing countless unwanted pet parrots. She then earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from East Stroudsburg University and began conducting environmental education programs as a Naturalist, a Lead Conservation Educator at an AZA-accredited zoo, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, and a Bird Banding and Education Specialist at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.
She continued to broaden her scientific studies and field skills with the Ornithology Lab at Villanova University. Her passion for parrots led her to the remote forests of Manu, Peru, where she worked to save endangered macaws, as well as studying tropical ecology throughout Latin America.
She is grateful to have built a new life in Hawaii as a full-time professional bird and nature guide. She’s worked across the islands as a field technician, an avian ecologist, and a biological consultant. After juggling multiple jobs, working for several nature tour operators in Hawaii, and international birding tour operators, she took the leap to start up her very own birding tour company Hawaii Bird Tours. Since then, she’s led and managed birding tours in Hawaii for the American Birding Association, Rockjumper, Wings, Alvaro’s Adventures and many more, as their expert guide, local tour operator, logistics planner, and ground agent.
When Mandy’s not guiding, she enjoys promoting traditional Arabic performing arts, sharing laughs with her rescue cockatoos, hiking with friends, snorkeling, soaking up some sun on the beach, and collaborating with avian conservation initiatives around the world.
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