Ecological Services

Sarah Stai is a freelance consultant offering services in the areas of ecology, written communications, and environmental education.

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Ecological Services

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About Us

EcoSmith Consulting’s ecological services include the following:

Research and monitoring
Plant and animal surveys
Behavioral modification and enrichment

Sarah has worked in diverse ecosystems, from tropical wetland to Midwestern prairie, and with a variety of animals, from ducks to butterflies to bottlenose dolphins. Her core training in behavioral ecology has expanded into two applied interests: using the concepts of community and landscape ecology to increase the sustainability of human development; and how an ecological approach to agriculture can feed the world more sustainably. Her experience in research, ecology, and animal behavior includes the following:

Wetland buffer effectiveness, impacts of development on avian communities, and watershed restoration at Westwood Professional Services
Animal welfare standards for ducks in commercial production through the Animal Welfare Institute and Whole Foods Market
Breeding biology of Muscovy ducks in the Brazilian Pantanal
Reproductive physiology of Muscovy ducks at the Smithsonian Institution’s Conservation and Research Center
Development of microsatellite DNA markers at the University of Miami
Woodland restoration at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Breeding and foraging ecology of wading birds through Manomet Observatory for Conservation Sciences
Exotic aquatic plant control and chemical deterrence at the University of Minnesota
Grassland biodiversity and succession at Cedar Creek Natural History Area
Tropical woody species diversity at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Breeding biology of temperate waterfowl at Delta Waterfowl
Breeding biology of monarch butterflies at the University of Minnesota
Behavior and biology of bottlenose dolphins at Cape Lookout, North Carolina
Natural resource inventory for City of St. Paul Forestry Unit

Whether the goal is to protect water quality, build a high-performance building, or restore a native habitat, the science of ecology has much to offer the post-industrial world. Sarah’s advanced training in ecological principles and her extensive experience with applied science provide her with the qualifications to consult on a variety of projects.

The first rule of intelligent tinkering is to keep all the parts. –Aldo Leopold