Atlas Staff
Mike Burrell (Ministry of Natural Resources)
Atlas Coordinator
I’ve been birding for as long as I can remember, having been introduced to birds and nature by my parents as a kid outside Waterloo. During Atlas-2 we had a “family square” near home but I also atlassed elsewhere including Algonquin and Charleston Lake. I’ve always been interested in citizen science as a way for birders to “give back” to birds and bird conservation and love having “excuses” to go birding. I’ve been lucky to study and work on many bird-related projects around the province and have a special fondness for working in remote areas. I coordinate eBird and Christmas Bird Count quality control in Ontario and am a member of the Birds Species Specialist Subcommittee for COSEWIC. I’m on loan to Environment and Climate Change Canada to coordinate the final three years of Atlas-3, which I’m very excited about since I get to combine my love of birds, bird conservation, and citizen science and work with the province’s birding community. My home position is with the Natural Heritage Information Centre (OMNRF) and focuses on keeping track of rare species – where they are and how they’re doing, so I’m especially excited to see all the new information the atlas reveals.
Kaelyn Bumelis (Birds Canada)
Atlas Project Manager
I have always been drawn to the outdoors. However, my introduction to avian research was as a wildlife technician studying aerial insectivores during the summers of my Undergraduate studies. This led me to pursue a Master of Science in Biology at Western University studying niche segregation among sympatric Barn, Cliff, and Tree swallows. Being immersed in bird research encouraged me to pursue a higher degree of bird identification knowledge, and also fostered my love of bird watching. This is my first ever Breeding Bird Atlas – I am thrilled to be a part of such a widespread, collaborative project. I feel extremely fortunate to work alongside the dedicated volunteers, collaborators, and staff towards our shared goal of bird conservation.
Sarah Mueller (Ontario Nature)
Conservation Science Coordinator
I fell in love with birding after taking an ornithology course in my final year of undergrad at the University of Puget Sound. I got involved in the world of avian research after graduating, working as a field tech on a variety of projects that included bird banding and nest searching in California, Montana, South Carolina, and Australia. This eventually led me to pursue a PhD from the University of Guelph, where I studied post-fledging ecology of Savannah sparrows on Kent Island, NB. In 2026, I joined Ontario Nature as a Conservation Science Coordinator and became part of the Atlas-3 publication team. This is the first breeding bird atlas I have been involved with, and I’m very excited to be part of such a dedicated team of staff and volunteers.
Elizabeth Porter (Birds Canada)
Ontario Programs Engagement Specialist
From a childhood spent exploring the outdoors, to my current work in bird conservation, I believe that our relationship with nature is fostered through moments of wonder and discovery. Inspired by the unique pathways through which we each develop our love of birds and the natural world, my graduate research at the University of Guelph brings together ecology, science education, and an exploration of the lifecycle of volunteer science data. I’m excited to bring this experience to the Breeding Bird Atlas team to share the stories that the more than four million bird observations from Atlas-3 tell us about where birds are and how they’re doing in Ontario.
Claire Alarcon-Belanger (Birds Canada)
Data & Engagement Technician
I grew up in a rural area outside of Ottawa and have loved spending time outdoors, exploring the rich biodiversity of the Frontenac Axis, for as long as I can remember. My passion for the natural world and desire to learn more about it led me to pursue my Honours Bachelor of Science in Animal Behaviour at Western University, where I first began learning to identify the birds I had grown up admiring. I spent five summers working as a Naturalist with Ontario Parks, focusing primarily on snakes, turtles, and dragonflies, while also photographing and documenting just about anything else I could find. It was during this time that I was truly introduced to the ever-captivating world of birding and first learned about the Atlas-3 project. I’m excited to now be part of the team, supporting the publication phase and working together to conserve Ontario’s birds.
Database and Website
Denis Lepage
Catherine Jardine
Spatial Analysis and Mapping
Dean Evans
Former Staff
Mike Cadman
Atlas Coordinator (retired 2022)
I love Breeding Bird Atlases. Having coordinated the first two Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas projects, I’m thrilled and excited to be coordinating Atlas-3. My first recollection of an interest in birds was, when I was 5 years old and attending my first professional soccer game (in England), watching Rock Pigeons doing their fascinating mating displays in the rafters over the heads of my uncle and I. He wasn’t too happy that I was watching the birds rather than the game – but he’d probably be happy to know that these two activities (soccer and birding) remain a big part of my life. It’s wonderful to see how atlassing has developed in Ontario, across Canada and around the world. The new innovations being introduced for Atlas-3 are making it easier for volunteers to take part and increasing the value of the data. [Mike retired at the end of 2022 but his passion for the project remains and he continues his involvement through many aspects Atlas-3].
Karl Heide
Atlas Field Biologist
Scott Da Rocha
Atlas Field Biologist
Claire Atherton
Atlas Field Biologist
Ruby Schweighardt
Atlas Field Biologist
Andrew Couturier
Sandra Marquez