Avery works to increase our understanding of bumble bee trends, ranges, and needs by leading the Southeast Bumble Bee Atlas in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. She coordinates with the public, land managers, and other biologists to gather data for this community science project.
Avery studied conservation biology at Prescott College in Arizona and continued her education as a graduate student at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where she completed her master’s thesis researching biodiversity in agricultural landscapes in the tropics. Before coming to Xerces, she spent many years as a field biologist for federal land management agencies where she worked on bumble bee and butterfly projects on public lands. She also participated in both the Pacific Northwest and Southeast Bumble Bee Atlases as a volunteer! Avery enjoys living in the Blue Ridge Mountains where she likes to go birding and botanizing as well as searching for the perfect swimming hole.