Southern Appalachian Raptor Research / Big Bald Banding Station
Mark Hopey
President
Mark Hopey is a birder living in the western North Carolina mountains, who manages programs for Blue Ridge Bird Observatory, including Big Bald Mountain Bird Migration Project and the Carolina Kestrel Partners program.
Rebecca Pearson
REBECCA PEARSON– I am currently an elementary school art teacher living in California. When I’m not teaching I enjoy the outdoors and always keep my eyes to the sky for birds. I joined the board in 2017 because I am passionate about the bird banding project on Big Bald. My parents, George and Cleo Mayfield, started bird banding there in 1978. Since 2007, I have volunteered at the station in the fall migration time. Although I’m still learning, one of my favorite parts of the banding project is watching hawks and learning to distinguish them using body shape and flight behaviors. I love sharing my passion for birds with my art students as well. Knowing that birds are a barometer for our environment inspires me to do my part to help preserve the environment for the kids!
Mary Desportes
Mary Desportes– I began birdwatching with my father. My early memory is learning to use binocs with him near Pawley’s Island SC looking at a male Painted Bunting.. I my favorite bird is probably the kestrel.
Julie Taylor
Trevor Lauber
Trevor has extensive experience working with natural resources throughout the United States, primarily birds, habitats, and water. He is excited to be part of the team at Borderlands Restoration Network, knowing that their work is making a positive impact on the landscape and in our communities.
Alex Wilson
Alex Wilson– Alexgraduated with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Fish and Wildlife Management Technology from Haywood Community College and a BS in Natural Resources Management from Western Carolina University. Alex has extensive experience with avian research, conservation, and endangered species recovery. He has conducted avian research and monitoring along the southern Channel Islands of California, the Sierra Nevada, Appalachian Mountains, Mid Pacific Islands, and southeastern bottomland forests
Hunter Saint Germain
A graduate student specializing in clinical mental health counseling with a specialty in expressive arts therapy, She is passionate about the relationship between nature and well-being. Birds have always been a source of inspiration to their life.
Rachel Crafford
Rachel Crafford is an ecologist whose work focuses on how disturbance shapes ecological communities, with an emphasis on managing for resilience in an era of environmental change. She has collaborated on avian research projects across the U.S. and Latin America and is passionate about community-based conservation. After moving to Asheville, North Carolina in 2025, she began volunteering with BRBO as a bird bander and joined the Board of Directors in 2026.
