Bird studies came early for Carlton woman

One of the most important things a person can do in their life is to find their passion. Some people spend years experimenting and seeking out their passion, while a lucky few find what they are passionate about at a young age. One's passion can range from painting to riding bikes to stargazing or, in Carlton resident Abbie Valine's case, bird watching.

A homeschooled student, Valine discovered her interest in birds while fulfilling her second-grade science curriculum, which touched on insects and birds and critters in the world around us. She began to observe the birds that flew and lived around her house. Valine learned more and more about the local birds and eventually became better at identifying them.

Her interest in birds grew gradually over the years. She read books on birds and started doing her own birding research. At age 14, Valine began volunteering at the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, banding and researching the birds of northern Minnesota.

"Birding began to open up a world to me that many people don't get to see," she said, adding that she soon realized that she could take her passion another step forward by turning her interest into a career.

Valine started the journey to make a career out of birding by studying biology at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul. While at the school, she got involved with some of the college's research opportunities. One project she was involved with studied the relationship between species of woodpeckers and the emerald ash borer. The project tried to determine if the woodpeckers in the surrounding forest would act as a natural regulator against the growing ash borer infestation. While the project didn't yield any conclusive results, Valine said that she learned a lot about the data collection process and how studying as an ornithologist works.

Just a few months ago, Valine was working as a seasonal field technician in central Texas. Her project was focused on the golden-cheeked warbler. The warbler is the only species of bird that breeds exclusively in Texas. However, the bird faces threats from habitat loss, and was placed on the endangered species list in 1990. Valine spent her time monitoring and banding the warblers in hopes of understanding where they were going to escape the habitat loss.

The young Carlton resident's time and effort in the birding community has not gone unnoticed. In 2018, Valine was named the Minnesota Ornithologist Union Young Birder Award.

Moving forward, the 22-year-old plans to earn a graduate degree and continue researching birds.

But for the time being, this passionate bird watcher will take her knowledge to her internship at the Hawk Ridge Observatory, where she hopes to continue to learn about the birds in our own backyard.