Liz Payne
A first-grade show-and-tell project—assembled with cheesecloth, milk cartons, caterpillars, and milkweed—activated Liz Payne’s lasting fascination with natural history. Later, Searsville Lake’s oak-studded trails and nesting Red-tailed Hawks sealed her curiosity about things al fresco. A biology degree followed, and during an ornithology class a brilliant Wilson’s Warbler snared her. Initial birding stints included surveys for the Oregon Breeding Bird Atlas and long hours in Portland Audubon’s cramped wildlife rehab trailer.
Liz has wide-ranging travel industry experience. She’s also seriously adept at hustling through airports, and is thrilled to have birding tourism in the mix. Currently serving on the Tucson Audubon Society’s Board of Directors, Liz is a local field trip leader and an Important Bird Areas team leader. Nicaragua proved a recent birding buzz; she’s also birded throughout New Zealand, Fiji, and parts of Australia. Down time is often spent sharing the Sonoran Desert with her husband, Robert. Current read: The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce, and Obsession. Dog of choice: Spinone Italiano.