Marcie Carter

The forests of north central Idaho are Marcie Carter's passion and laboratory.

Marcie is a Nez Perce tribal member and currently works full time for the tribe as a wildlife biologist. She also is a University of Idaho graduate student. Her research of the forests makes her the first person to assess how timber harvesting is affecting birds on Nez Perce and adjacent lands.

Marcie is studying the Northern Goshawk, a short-winged hawk that is potentially sensitive to habitat change.

"This work will help us answer the question of whether we are managing forests for the wrong species or perhaps for the wrong reasons," said Marcie. "One of my goals is to work with tribal leadership to ensure that revenue is produced while conserving habitat for these species."

Marcie has trapped and radio-tagged birds in a three-country area of North Central Idaho to determine why birds use certain habitats. She will sample random areas to reveal what factors influence the birds' preferences, such as canopy cover, the density or number of trees, vegetative understory, and tree diameter.

Carter did not grow up on the Nez Perce Reservation, but says she has a passion for conserving the non-game species that occur there.

"I enjoy the start-up aspect of new conservation programs ... and I like to work at the grassroots level," she said.

Carter came to the University of Idaho on the advice of natural resources alumnus, Dave Dankel, a retired environmental resource specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"He was right," said Carter. "I have found my professors are extraordinary in their expertise, and students in CNR (College of Natural Resources) are well prepared for their careers. It's a good fit for me as a working professional because of the high level of quality," she said.