Meet The Crew

AARON GIVEN, Wildlife Biologist; Bander-In-Charge (Master Bander)

Aaron has been a Wildlife Biologist for the Town of Kiawah Island since 2008.  He grew up in Oswego, IL (a far suburb of Chicago) and graduated with a B.S. in Zoology from Southern Illinois University in 2000.   Aaron went on to attend Southeast Missouri State University where he received a M.S. in Wildlife Biology in 2005.  In graduate school, he studied the wintering ecology of yellow rails in coastal Texas.  This is where he got his first exposure to bird banding and was fascinated with being able to study and observe the birds in such fine detail.  His primary research interest is in ornithology with a special focus on avian ecology and management, passerine migration ecology, and secretive marshbird ecology.  Aaron is a member of the South Carolina Bird Records Committee and is also a statewide eBird reviewer but focuses on Charleston and Berkeley Counties of South Carolina.  Aaron is also serving as President of the Eastern Bird Banding Association and a member of the South Carolina Birds Records Committee. When not working, he enjoys birding, creating wildlife habitat in his yard, and managing a small flock of chickens in his backyard.

MICHAEL GAMBLE, Wildlife Biologist (subpermittee)

Michael has been a Wildlife Biologist for the Town of Kiawah Island since February 2024. He grew up in Charleston, SC and has a bachelor's degree in biology from the College of Charleston and a Master of Science degree in wildlife biology from Louisiana State University. His graduate research investigated the movement ecology of golden-cheeked warblers in central Texas. Before attending graduate school, he worked on several avian ecology projects, which included seven migration banding seasons, four of which were at the Kiawah Island Banding Station.

LIZ HELD, Bander-In-Charge (subpermittee)

Liz (she/her) is from Madison, WI. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Lacrosse with a B.S. in Biology and is currently pursuing a masters in Conservation Biology and a GIS certificate at Antioch University New England. Liz is passionate about avian research and conservation and has worked as a bander for the last four years with a few different stations including Black Swamp Bird Observatory, the University of Montana Bird Ecology Lab, and the University of Utah. While she migrates to various research stations a couple of times a year, Liz's home is in Wisconsin and one day she hopes to use her knowledge and experience to fill in knowledge gaps in the midwest. In her free time Liz likes to sew, craft, and enjoy the outdoors. It's her first season with KIBS and she is so excited to join the team and work with some new species! 

ARDEN SCHNEIDER, Bander

Arden is from Dallas Texas and graduated from the University of North Texas with a B.S. in biology in 2023. She is a long-time bird enthusiast that has been banding with Boise State University since 2018 and has had the opportunity to band in Utah, Idaho, New York, and Texas. She is most hoping to catch a Yellow-throated Warbler this fall and is looking forward to seeing Prairie Warblers and Saltmarsh Sparrows up close for the first time. When not chasing birds, she enjoys crafting, reading, and playing games with friends. 

CAMILLE BECKWITH, Bander

Camille is from Great Barrington, Massachusetts and graduated from Wheaton College MA in 2021 with a B.A. in Biology.   Since graduating, she has worked various bird related field jobs, including avian point counts, working as a ranger and naturalist at a nature preserve, and bird banding. She started bird banding at Berkshire Bird Observatory in western MA, then banded at Manomet Conservation Sciences in Plymouth, MA, and recently trapped and banded raptors on Manitou Island in Lake Superior, MI with Keweenaw Raptor Migration Study! She loves all birds big and small, and is especially looking forward to seeing Painted Buntings and White-eyed Vireos at the station! In her free time, she enjoys birding, crafting, jigsaw puzzles, and spending time with friends and family.     

JEREMIAH SULLIVAN, Bander

Jeremiah Sullivan is from Byfield, Massachusetts and graduated from Boise State University in the spring of 2020 with a B.S. in Biology. For the past five years, he worked a variety of bird related jobs from monitoring Golden-cheeked Warblers in the Hill Country of Texas to surveying for American Goshawks in the Rockies and Sierra Nevadas, to radio-collaring Northern Bobwhites on the Florida-Georgia line.  While he has banded at previous jobs, Jeremiah is especially excited to be banding at a high-volume station like Kiawah. During his off-hours, Jeremiah lobes to explore the local landscape. He has hiked the Sierra Nevadas, sought out archeological sites in the Four Corners region, trekked through the Florida Everglades, and nearly crossed the path of a mama grizzly in Glacier NP. While on Kiawah Island, Jeremiah is looking forward to learning about the local history and ecosystems and will be crossing his fingers that some interesting waterbirds work their way into his nets.