Jesse McLaughlin (he/him/his) is a PhD student in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the CUNY Graduate Center and Senior Advocacy Associate at NYC Bird Alliance (formerly named NYC Audubon). McLaughlin's research seeks to understand the social/political phenomena and processes of urban wildlife conservation, specifically the conservation of migratory birds. He’s interested in urban public space as more-than-human contact zones mediated by institutions, as well as the ways in which migratory species trouble geopolitical boundaries. In his role at NYC Bird Alliance, he works to transform New York into a bird-friendly city through grassroots and city- and state-level legislative advocacy.McLaughlin received his Bachelor of Arts in Individualized Study from NYU Gallatin. His areas of study were Multispecies Ethnography, Queer/Trans studies, Science and Technology studies, and Ontologies of Art and Art-making. His Senior Colloquium topic was “Compassionate Art Practices as Transspecies Ecojustice.” Jesse was awarded a 2022-2024 FAO Schwarz Fellowship for social impact in the environmental field.Research interests: Wildlife conservation; Public space; Governance; Political ecology; Queer geography; Institutions; Migratory birds; Wildness; Endangered species; Ethnography; Qualitative methodology; New York City