Dr. Kristen Dybala
Principal Ecologist
Point Blue Conservation Science
3820 Cypress Drive, Suite 11
​Petaluma, CA 94954
As Principal Ecologist in the Pacific Coast and Central Valley Group of Point Blue, I lead strategic research that provides a scientific basis for effective conservation and restoration strategies. My research is primarily focused on riparian and wetland ecosystems in California's Central Valley, and includes wildlife responses to restoration, climate change impacts, and carbon sequestration. I am increasingly interested in interdisciplinary research that can reveal win-wins for local communities and ecosystems alike, such as through conservation strategies that simultaneously contribute to water quality, groundwater recharge, wildlife habitat, and carbon sequestration. 

I grew up in Houston, Texas and attended Rice University, where I got my first taste of ecological research. I earned my Ph.D. in Ecology from the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology at UC Davis, where my dissertation research focused on projecting the impacts of climate change Song Sparrow demography. My postdoctoral work at the UC Davis Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology demonstrated the effectiveness of Putah Creek habitat restoration efforts in more than doubling the number of birds using the creek.

I have published 17 peer-reviewed scientific papers in journals including Global Change Biology, Ecology, and Journal of Applied Ecology. I am also currently an Associate Editor for The Condor: Ornithological Applications.

I am always interested in new collaborations across disciplines, and I am open to advising graduate students. Please get in touch for more information about current and past projects.

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