Alex Hirth is a passionate and knowledgeable biologist who has graced Sequoia with his strong work ethic and positive attitude since 2016. He double-majored in Anthropology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. An experienced and skilled biologist, Alex has netted, hand caught, and assisted in the trapping of western pond turtles, dip-netted and seined for listed species including, California red-legged frog and California tiger salamander, and assisted in ultrasonically recording numerous bats for data processing in Anabat. Alex fell in love with the natural world through exposure to wild places, beginning with outdoor education right in his hometown of Berkeley’s proverbial backyard, Tilden Regional Park. First attending science camps, then becoming a Junior Ranger and finally an aide for the Junior Ranger Program with the Regional Park District, Alex led other young people on ecological and trails projects, hikes, backpacking trips, and exploration of the Bay Area’s outdoor places.

When asked what his favorite part about working at Sequoia is, Alex replied: “The variety! One week I’m in waders in a stock pond looking for tiger salamanders, and the next I am high in the mountains planting maples for a revegetation project.“ Although Alex is often hard at work coordinating projects or completing GIS tasks, he certainly still brings his expertise to the field on a regular basis. When out, he stays fueled up with his classic lunch, so familiar that many on the team can name the key components: a well-built sandwich, an apple, some carrots, and of course, a baked sweet potato, eaten plain and whole. Out of all the extraordinary animals with whom we share this planet, Alex feels he most identifies with the mountain goat because he has an irresistible and sometimes illogical desire to climb just about everything and loves alpine areas.

When he is not hard at work for Sequoia, Alex enjoys many hobbies and pastimes such as bouldering, rock scrambling, hunting, snow sports, camping, and generally being outdoors.

Alex’s favorite place in the world to enjoy nature is the mountains because “Granite is the best substance.” His most memorable field observation was when he was fortunate enough to spot an American badger. This observation really sticks out because the elusive, limping individual was just one of many rare observations that day on a private ranch.

Thank you, Alex, for all your hard work and dedication. We are so lucky to have you on our team!