Ashley Hansen, 2022

Thesis:

Use of an avian predator as a biological control agent in agricultural systems: Do barn owls (Tyto alba) impact rodent abundance in a vineyard setting?

Ashley studied how barn owls impact rodent populations within Napa Valley vineyards. Over the barn owl breeding season, she compared rodent populations and their activity in vineyards with and without barn owl boxes. She found that the presence of barn owl nest boxes significantly reduced gopher activity! Her research advanced our understanding of using barn owls as a method of pest control and helped establish that barn owls attracted to nest boxes in winegrape vineyards can meaningfully suppress the number of rodent pests. After graduating, Ash went on to work in the Alumni Office for Cal Poly Humboldt