Introducing Katelyn Luff – Wildlife Biologist, CWHC Western/Northern

Katelyn Luff has recently joined the CWHC Western Northern as a Wildlife Biologist.

Katelyn holding a Lesser Scaup duckling during a banding drive.

Her work will include participating in ongoing projects such as Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance, and Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) monitoring. As well as a variety of other projects based out of the Western Northern region.

Katelyn recently completed her Master’s in Biology from the University of Saskatchewan where she studied factors that influenced variability in mercury levels of arctic-breeding shorebirds. Prior to that she completed her Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology at the University of Guelph.

Katelyn is no stranger to the field and has spent several field seasons in Nunavut working with Arctic birds, as well as northern Ontario where she completed everything from shorebird migration surveys to bear poop collection (for diet determination). She’s familiar to the Prairies, and has spent time working on AIV surveillance projects with waterfowl, and shorebird migration projects in Saskatchewan.

A male King Eider, Ahiak-Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Nunavut.
Photo credit: Katelyn Luff

In her spare time, Katelyn enjoys photography and spending time outdoors hiking, camping, and birding.