Tara is the Washington State Department of Transportation region wildlife biologist for the Olympic Peninsula and southern Puget Sound lowlands. Specializing in Pacific Northwest ecology, Tara has studied vertebrates, invertebrates and vegetation communities throughout the west since 1994. Her research interests are broad; they currently include projects in the prairie, shrub steppe, tundra and built environment studying raptors, songbirds and frogs. Tara is especially interested in conducting research that guides land management decisions and integrates science and policy.

A two-time alumna of The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, Tara earned her BS in Wildlife Biology in 1996 and MES in Ecology and Environmental Policy in 2004. She was introduced to SNVB through an undergraduate mammalogy course; membership was a course requirement. Tara attended her first SNVB meeting in 1996. Maggie, Tara's border collie mix, has accompanied her to all but one SNVB annual meeting. Tara has served on the organizational committee for several SNVB annual meetings and joined the board as a Trustee in 2002. Tara has organized highly successful workshops and symposia on small mammal research techniques, amphibian disease diagnostics and ubiquitous wildlife diseases. She spearheaded the student scholarship program in 2005 and is the chair of the scholarship committee. Only slightly obsessed with food and wine, Tara celebrates the birthday of the legendary Julia Child every August.