Mary Gustafson Obituary, Texas, Senior Avian Ecologist at LandHawk Consulting Has Died

Mary Gustafson Obituary, Death – Mary Gustafson of  Texas has reportedly passed away. Mary was a Senior Avian Ecologist at LandHawk Consulting. Family and friends took to Facebook to pay tribute to Mary. Right now, I’m at a loss for words. Mary Gustafson invited me to be a guide at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival in February of 2013. It was my first job as a festival guide! We assumed I’d have to travel from New Jersey to attend, but instead she helped me find a full-time job here, and I moved here in October. Soon after, I found myself renting a house on the farm where she boarded her horses, and as a result, we saw each other several times per week.

I had a great time with this group, learning and sharing nearly ten years of birding experience. From the frantic Red-legged Honeycreeper find at Estero to the missing Hook-billed Kites at Bentsen to a Variegated Flycatcher chase on SPI to arriving three minutes before sunset and still finding success to exploring the areas around Monterrey, Mexico to hijacking the Big Day van and transforming it into an Amazon Kingfisher van to tag-teaming Collared Plover visiting birder Mary, you are free to fly.

What a tragic and devastating loss for the birding community. I was invited to take part in a number of birding events, including a Big Day at Estero and a few others. What a wonderful person! You are one of many people whose lives have been enriched as a result of Mary’s friendship. She was a true trailblazer, bringing a new and diverse group of guides to the festival. She was astute in recognizing potential in those of us who were previously unknown, and she mentored and paired us with seasoned leaders until we found our footing. I will be eternally grateful to Mary for giving me the opportunity to work in this field over a decade ago.

Mary Gustafson Obituary, Death – Mary Gustafson of  Texas has reportedly passed away. Mary was a Senior Avian Ecologist at LandHawk Consulting. Family and friends took to Facebook to pay tribute to Mary. Right now, I’m at a loss for words. Mary Gustafson invited me to be a guide at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival…