Christopher is a self-described and self-taught “bird nerd” — which is what attracted him to bird habitat conservation work in the first place and what brought him to PLJV in 2003. After moving to New Mexico in 1984, where he is still based, he discovered a love of grasslands and became entranced by their hidden beauty. Working at PLJV in conservation delivery allows him to help maintain the prairie habitats that bring him such joy.

In his role at PLJV, Christopher promotes the use of North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grants throughout the region and provides partners with advice and reviews of grant proposals. He also collaborates with partners and PLJV staff to execute projects in New Mexico related to grassland and playa restoration. One project that was especially gratifying involved working with a variety of partners in southeastern New Mexico to convert no longer used roads back to grass.

Before joining PLJV, Christopher worked as the New Mexico Partners in Flight coordinator, where he compiled and wrote the first New Mexico Flight Plan and developed partnerships and habitat projects throughout the state including NAWCA proposals. He also worked for Hawks Aloft as the songbird coordinator, collaborating with a variety of federal and state agencies, and has conducted USGS Breeding Bird Surveys in New Mexico since 1988. He received an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Oberlin College in 1982.