Friday, April 11, 2025
Meet Ashley Giron, an outstanding senior ecology major here at UNT. She's also member of UNT Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) and Chair of the UNT Bird Campus Committee, a We Mean Green Fund-supported, student-led organization on campus working to promote conservation and appreciation for birds and their role in the ecosystem.

Meet Ashley Giron, an outstanding senior ecology major here at UNT. She's also member of UNT Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) and Chair of the UNT Bird Campus Committee, a We Mean Green Fund-supported, student-led organization on campus working to promote conservation and appreciation for birds and their role in the ecosystem. The UNT Bird Campus Committee had a large role in the recent establishment of Denton as an official Bird City in Texas and will be celebrating this distinction with an event on April 15 in UNT's Environmental Education, Science & Technology Building (EESAT).  

Ashley Giron“The UNT Bird Campus Committee promotes research opportunities for students, maintains conservation projects, and hosts community outreach. We work with various partners across DFW, such as the Trinity River Audubon Center and Texas Conservation Alliance,” said Ashley. “The event will be a fun way to bring all these organizations together to celebrate our achievements and continue to educate the public about sustainability and conservation.”  

Though she's always been passionate about animals, Ashley found herself especially drawn to birds while volunteering at the Dallas Zoo her sophomore year of college. She has now worked as a field tech for numerous projects relating to ornithology as an undergraduate and looks forward to pursuing a Ph.D. after she receives her bachelor's degree next fall.  

“As a Mexican American, I didn’t grow up with many people who birdwatched or were knowledgeable in ecology, and I still don't see much Latine representation within the field of ornithology in the U.S.,” said Ashley. “Knowing this and looking into the many opportunities at UNT, I felt very encouraged to continue expanding my knowledge of ornithology."  

Ashley’s first research experience with birds focused on the nesting habits of Painted Buntings under the guidance of Dr. Jim Bednarz and received the support of two Undergraduate Research Fellowships. She now works closely with Dr. Jaime Baxter-Slye, who introduced her to the Bird Campus Committee, and Dr. Andrew Gregory, with whom she is beginning a new research project this semester.  

“I will be monitoring avian behavior in relation to power lines in urban settings. This research involves conducting observational surveys using tools such as thermal imaging and acoustic monitoring,” she said.   

Ashley recently co-led an initiative to set up livestream cameras to observe a pair of nesting Black Vultures at UNT’s Discovery Park with funding from the We Mean Green Fund and The National Audubon Society’s Audubon in Action Grant. Though it is not certain if it’s the same pair, Discovery Park staff have confirmed that Black Vultures have chosen to nest near a window of the building for at least twenty years.  

Working with fellow senior undergraduate Mack Davis, supervisory faculty Dr. Jaime Baxter-Slye, and UNT staff, Ashley is pleased to share that the 24-hour vulture nest livestream will soon be available online. “There are currently two hatched chicks about one week old, and we expect them to start taking flight around Mid-June to early July,” said Ashley. “Our goal is to educate the community on the significance of Black Vultures in our ecosystem, as well as the importance of protecting them under the Migratory Bird Act of 1918.”  

So far, Ashley has presented her research at UNT’s Scholar’s Day, the 2024 Texas Society of Ecological Restoration conference in Houston last fall, and the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting this spring, where her poster on Painted Bunting nesting success placed 3rd in the undergraduate competitive poster category.  

“I am hopeful that all the experiences I’ve gained in my undergrad projects, whether it’s grant writing or scoping Painted Bunting territories, put me in a great position to pursue graduate school,” she said. “I’m interested in working on projects that focus on nesting ecology, migration, or molt of passerines, shorebirds, or even waterfowl. I hope to one day become a professor and conduct my own research, while also providing mentees the skills and resources they’ll need for their own goals, the same way my professors here at UNT have helped me!”

For more information about UNT's Bird City Celebration Event on April 15, visit: https://calendar.unt.edu/event/denton-bird-city-celebration