We are deeply saddened at the passing of Sandy DeSimone. Our first encounter with Sandy and her husband, Pete, was at a fundraising event at the Starr Ranch Sanctuary in Coto de Caza, a private preserve owned and managed by the National Audubon Society.

There, we saw Pete and a colleague, Scott Thomas, scurry up trees as if it were nothing and bring down baby birds to band them. The photographs in this post are of two of those birds: a red-tailed hawk and a barn owl. It is here we learned how important face feathers were for barn owls!

Sandy and Pete individually and collectively poured decades of their lives into the health, well being, and restoration of the Starr Ranch Sanctuary. Sandy focused on restoration, non-chemical methods of removing non-natives, was a devoted field biologist, and critical thinker.

We send our condolences to Pete, the Starr Ranch family, the Audubon family, and all who knew Sandy. She left quite a legacy for the land. We are so grateful to have been on the same team working for the health of the planet with her.