Alexandra (Allie) Weill
Allie is the Outreach Coordinator and Science Communicator at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center.
Biography
EDUCATION
PhD Ecology (fire ecology), University of California, Davis, 2018
BA Biological Sciences, BS Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, 2011
Science and Products
WERC Newsletters
USGS Western Ecological Research Center newsletters ran from 2012 to early 2016. Explore the archives for exciting information on projects, events, and news interviews involving our scientists.
Research Handouts
USGS Western Ecological Research Center compiles one-page handouts on WERC scientists' projects involving high-profile topics like renewable energy, drought, climate change, and more. These handouts are perfect for conferences and meetings with partners and resource managers.
Outreach Coloring Sheets
Our center has prepared wildlife coloring sheets for the classroom and field trips. Click the image or title of each sheet to download a PDF.
Research Spotlight: Ignitions and Wind Speed are Strongest Drivers of Area Burned in Santa Ana Wind Fires
New research from USGS scientists and collaborators has found that the number of wildfire ignitions and wind speeds outweigh temperature and precipitation in determining the area burned in Southern California’s Santa Ana wind-driven fires.
Animal Crossing: New Research Guides Efforts to Protect California’s Amphibians and Reptiles from Road Danger
Roads can be dangerous for California’s reptiles and amphibians, but a five-year study and new video show that there are effective strategies to help these animals cross roads safely.
Biofilm is on the Kids’ Menu, and Other Lessons from the Western Sandpipers of San Francisco Bay
USGS scientists are studying what western sandpipers in San Francisco Bay eat to fuel up for their migration. This research can inform conservation and management efforts for this tiny shorebird.
Research Spotlight: Dabbling Ducks Prefer Managed Wetlands and Pond-Like Features in Suisun Marsh
A recent study by USGS scientists found that dabbling ducks in Suisun Marsh, California, spend about 98% percent of their time in managed wetlands, consistently selecting managed wetlands over tidal marsh habitat.
Research Spotlight: New Habitat Maps Inform Endangered Least Bell’s Vireo Recovery in California
A new report from USGS ecologists analyzes the suitability of California habitat for the federally endangered Least Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus) across its current and historic range. The resulting maps identify the 6% of the state’s riparian habitat most likely to be used by the Least Bell’s Vireo and help meet federal recovery objectives for this species.
You've Heard a Bird Sing, But Have You Heard a Jerusalem Cricket's Drum?
You’ve probably heard a bird singing to find a mate, or even a frog. But have you ever heard a Jerusalem cricket’s drum?
12 Days of Conifer Bonus: Spiky Leaves Aren't Just For Conifers
Nothing like a baker’s dozen, right? As a bonus for 12 Days Of Conifers we have…. hey! That’s not a conifer!
12 Days of Conifers: Lodgepole Pines and Mountain Meadows
For Day 11 of 12 Days Of Conifers, we present the lodgepole pine. Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) is the only pine in the Sierra Nevada with needles in clusters of two, making it relatively easy to identify in that region.
12 Days of Conifers: Where the Forest Meets the Sea: Seabirds, Conifers, and Wildfire
It’s Day 12 of 12 Days Of Conifers and today we feature a tale of land and sea, involving two conifers and the little seabird that nests in their highest branches.
12 Days of Conifers: Pines of Santa Rosa Island's Cloud Forests
For Day 10 of 12 Days Of Conifers, we’re leaving the mountains and heading to a completely different ecosystem: the cloud forests of Santa Rosa Island, one of the California Channel Islands, located about 26 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara.
12 Days of Conifers: A Tale of Two Conifers: Incense Cedar and Sugar Pine
For Day 9 of 12 Days Of Conifers, we feature two very different conifer species: incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) and sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana)--and the role of tree species in determining what trees die during drought.
12 Days of Conifers: Whitebark at Risk
It’s Day 8 of 12 Days Of Conifers, and our featured species today is the whitebark pine (Pinus albucaulis), a high elevation species that often forms the upper treeline in the Sierra Nevada, Cascade, Warner, and Klamath ranges.