Bob Sallinger Memorial Summer Fellowship

Scroll to meet BCO's 2026 cohort! ↓

The Bob Sallinger Memorial Summer Fellowship honors the life and work of one of Oregon's most dedicated and effective conservation advocates. This fellowship supports emerging conservationists between the ages of 18-25 who demonstrate Bob's passion for protecting birds, other wildlife and the habitats they depend on.

Bob Sallinger spent decades as a tireless voice for wildlife in Oregon, leading transformative conservation efforts, advocating for protection of birds, other wildlife, and their habitat, and working with diverse stakeholders to find common ground. His work combined scientific rigor, a collaborative spirit, and an unwavering commitment to being a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.

BCO will release information on our 2027 summer cycle in the fall. In the meantime, please sign up for our email list and reach out if you have questions.

Photo by Scott Carpenter

Meet BCO's 2026 Summer Fellows

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Kylie Lanuza

Kylie has a bachelor's degree in biology from Oregon State University. She is currently pursuing a Master of Fisheries and Wildlife Administration / Wildlife Management Certificate from OSU, and is in OSU's Master Melittologist and Master Gardener Programs.

Kylie will spend the summer strengthening the Rare Carnivore Tracking Program, tracking wolf movement in the Ochocos National Forest and doing scat surveys on the Sierra Nevada Red Fox in the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests. Kylie's work will include building out the volunteer program for both tracking efforts. The program is hosted by Think Wild and supervised by will be supervised by Dr. Maureen Thompson, BeaverWorks Program Manager, with support from Cascadia Wild, with field efforts coordinated with ODFW and USFWS.

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Lee Sinskey

Lee attended Reed College, where he received a bachelor's degree in biology. He is currently a Research Assistant at Pietro D’Amelio's Lab at Reed College, studying the Spotted Towhee.

This summer, Lee will conduct a descriptive study on nest predation of Bushtits and Spotted Towhees across three locations in Portland, with supervision from Dr. Sarah Sloane at the University of Maine and Dr. Pietro D'Amelio at Reed College. Birds will be tracked via physical monitoring, PIT tags, and audio-equiped trail cameras.

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Gabriel Watson

Gabriel is currently a completing his Associate in Applied Science at Walla Walla Community College, with plans to transfer to the University of Idaho College of Natural Resources in fall 2026. He has spent two years volunteering with the Umatilla Burrowing Owl Project, assisting with photography, banding, and maintenance of artificial burrows. The area houses sixty nest sites with eighty breeding pairs.

Gabriel will spend the summer working at the Umatilla site, installing trail cams and engaging in daily monitoring of burrowing owl nest sites, with support from Dr. Lindsey Chiono, Restoration Ecologist at Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Gabriel will also build out a social media presence for the project, allowing him to combine his passions for photography and conservation.