Featured Scientist

Janene Colby, assisting thirsty lamb separated from its mother in border construction area.


Janene Colby, returning newborn lamb to its mother.


Janene Colby, hiiking in Harper Canyon, San Diego County.


helicopter delivering water for desert bighorn sheep project.

Janene Colby is an environmental scientist who studies bighorn sheep in the Peninsular Mountain Ranges of Southern California and southern mule deer in San Diego County. Working out of the CDFW San Diego office, she collects demographic data such as abundance, distribution, health status, survival and mortality causes on radio-collared and satellite collared bighorn sheep and mule deer.

She has a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Science from California State University, San Marcos and began working with CDFW in 2005.

You started your career with CDFW a little later in life than a lot of our scientists. What were you doing before joining CDFW and how did that experience help determine your career path?

I worked at a wild animal park as an animal trainer for a North American mammal show. I became very disillusioned with training wild animals to perform for the public. While these animals are supposed to serve as “ambassadors,” it seemed more like entertainment for profit at the expense of the animal’s well-being. It was very disheartening, so I decided to go back to school and become a wildlife biologist.

What do you enjoy about working in the desert?

I like the stark beauty of vast spaces and being able to see the horizon – the orange glow cast on the desert mountains each sunrise and the brilliantly colored sky each sunset. I am a loner at heart and enjoy the solitude and quiet. I never tire of observing the beauty, adaptability and resilience of desert plants and animals.

Your big project in the summer of 2021 was to coordinate the delivery of water to several dry guzzlers in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (ABDSP). Why was this important?

These particular guzzlers originally ran dry due to catastrophic failures in 2020 and were repaired, but there was not enough rainfall during the winter/spring months to refill the storage tanks in preparation for summer 2021. By September 2020, at least three radio-collared sheep had already died due to the dry guzzlers, and we recognized that there was an urgent need to get water into the two dry guzzlers before summer 2021. I did not want to witness more sheep deaths because we could not manage to find a way to get water into these guzzlers.

I reached out to California chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation and the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep for assistance. Without the assistance of these organizations, and the U.S. Marine Corps, the helicopter water haul would not have occurred this summer.

What did this operation entail?

The most difficult part of the job was the timing -- just trying to get CDFW and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (ABDSP) to act and get water into the wildlife water development system (guzzler) before the hot summer months when sheep would need to drink. ABDSP installed the guzzler in the 1980s but it had become dry due to lack of maintenance, and they were unable to commit the necessary time or money to get water to it. And while CDFW had good intentions, we are currently not set up with funding or the ability to quickly secure a helicopter contract for emergency water hauls to remote locations. When it became clear that our agency would not be able to get water into the guzzler before the end of summer, I contacted the California Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation (Cal WSF) and the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep (SCBS). These two nonprofits were able to secure funding for the project and reach out to the Marines at Camp Pendleton for help. 

On Aug. 27, a base camp was set up within the State Park that was approximately 10 miles from the guzzler. Temporary portable water tanks were set up and water trucks delivered 12,000 gallons of water. In the evening, the Marines Light Attack Training Squadron 303 (HMLAT-303) and 1st Marine Raider Support Battalion (1MRSB) arrived at base camp in a UH-1Y helicopter. A safety briefing was held, and the logistics of hauling water was discussed. At dawn on Aug. 28, the UH-1Y helicopter crew long-lined a stock tank 10 miles to the guzzler. Next, the helicopter crew dipped a “bambi bucket” that can hold up to 225 gallons of water into the portable water tank, flew the bucket of water to the guzzler and dumped it into the stock tank, which would then feed the water into the guzzler storage tank. This procedure was repeated seven times until it became too hot and windy for the helicopter to continue safely. By 11 a.m., approximately 1,600 gallons of water had been delivered to the guzzler. We really needed to get water to this endangered population of peninsular desert bighorn sheep at the beginning of the summer rather than at the end of the summer. However, it will hopefully help them out until the first rains arrive in November or December.

CDFW often states that wildlife should be left alone, with minimal human intervention. Why is this different? Why do we need to deliver water to species that should theoretically know how to find water on their own?

Wildlife can only find water on their own if there is water to be had! Bighorn sheep and other desert dwellers are well adapted to extreme desert conditions. In times of drought, bighorn sheep can adjust their behavior to conserve water and can seek out plants such as cactus and other succulents that contain a high concentration of water. However, an increase in mean temperature and decrease in annual precipitation within the desert due to climate change has resulted in a measurable decrease in the quality and quantity of natural water sources and vegetation available for use by desert bighorn sheep and other species.

So in this case, human intervention was necessary?

Most plants and animals on the endangered species list are there due to direct and/or indirect anthropogenic changes to their habitat. Peninsular bighorn sheep were federally listed as endangered species in 1998 due to human caused habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation, drought and disease introduced by domestic livestock. Humans created the problem. If we value wildlife, then it is incumbent upon us to help support these animals until we can find a more permanent solution by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and preserving and protecting the habitat that remains intact.

Was this a one-time operation or will it be necessary to repeat?

I hope it will not be necessary every year, or even every drought year. But until we study this in more depth we will not know. Due to climate change, it is more important than ever before to carefully monitor and maintain wildlife water developments and invest in more efficient systems with greater storage capacity. To achieve this goal, CDFW and other state agencies like ABDSP need to commit both money and personnel to this task sooner rather than later.

How did you feel upon the successful completion of the water delivery? Relieved? Satisfied?

I truly enjoy and am passionate about my job, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt “satisfied” with this job. If and when we can ensure bighorn sheep will thrive into the future, then I’ll be satisfied. But I don’t think we are there yet.

Outside of this major project, what other kind of work do you typically do?

Checking on the status of radio-collared bighorn sheep is time-consuming, as it entails driving on rough Jeep roads for four to six hours a day, followed by hiking in remote areas for several hours. In an average year, I conduct 40 to 50 sheep and deer mortality investigations. I spend a fair amount of time at my computer doing data entry, processing satellite and GPS data and creating home range maps in ArcGIS, and compiling and analyzing data for technical reports. I also help plan and implement sheep and deer helicopter surveys and captures.

What kind of projects are in your future?

With an unlimited budget and unlimited time, I would set up a long-term study to measure the impacts of climate change on bighorn sheep, and evaluate what management tools would be needed to alleviate or reduce impacts. But I’m not too far from retirement. Even after I leave the department, I will continue to be an advocate for protecting and preserving wildlife habitat. I have not yet had time to give this much thought beyond knowing that I will continue to be an advocate after I retire. I cannot just “relax” in retirement when there is so much more that needs to be done – that is just how I roll.

CDFW Photos

Preparing to plant 350 Mesquite trees at the Palo Verde Ecological Reserve.


A 10,000 gallon water storage tank before installation.


Water storage tank, and drinker box, during installation.

Richard Francis is a wildlife habitat supervisor for CDFW’s Inland Deserts Region. He’s based in Blythe, in eastern Riverside County near the California/Arizona state line. He was raised in the city of Corona, also in Riverside County, where he graduated from high school. As a young man Richard was anxious to have a career involving the outdoors, which is how he ended up working at a ski lodge in Mammoth, before spending 25 years as a fishing guide on the Colorado River, just south of Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. His love of the outdoors finally led him to CDFW in 2005 where he became a seasonal aide, then a technician, and eventually a wildlife habitat supervisor.

What does your job as a wildlife habitat supervisor entail?

I’m in charge of fish and wildlife technician seasonal aides, managing properties and making decisions on what to do with those properties. A large part of my job is creating food plots and habitat for wildlife. That means planting trees, growing food, putting in riparian habitat, and taking out invasive species and noxious weeds and replacing them with native plants and animals to create better habitat for wildlife. I have a few other duties, like habitat restoration along the Colorado River.

Much of the work we do is of direct benefit to hunters. Blythe has a good population of mule deer, and this is one of the premier white-winged and mourning dove hunting areas in the United States. We also have 60 acres of wetlands for waterfowl hunting. We plant those ponds with Japanese millet, which is basically a weed and can get up to 6 feet tall. It’s used for both waterfowl habitat and as a food source.

Why did you make the jump from being a licensed hunting and fishing guide to working for a fish and wildlife conservation agency?

It sounds kind of crazy to leave that because I really enjoyed guiding and helping people learn about hunting, fishing and conservation of our unique desert fish and wildlife, but it was time to grow up! There were some things missing in my life, like a monthly check. It’s very unusual but I’m one of few people in this work without a college degree. I believe I was hired because of my knowledge of fish and wildlife habitat, and because I have experience in the operations of farm equipment and farming practices.

Can you describe the property where your work takes place?

Our main focus is the Palo Verde Ecological Reserve. It’s farmland purchased in 2005 and consists of two units. One is north of Blythe and is approximately 1,500 acres that are planted in cottonwood and mesquite trees. Two hundred of those acres have been set aside for waterfowl and upland game bird hunting. The newest property, purchased in 2017, is approximately 400 acres of farmland, also in the Blythe area. It’s currently planted in wheat and 400 mesquite trees. The wheat will be cut weeks prior of opening of the first dove season, Sept. 1, and will be open throughout the entire upland season. Our game species include white-winged dove, mourning dove, Eurasian-collared dove, Gambel’s quail and rabbits. All are available for hunting on this property.

What’s a typical day for you?

It depends on the season. In the wintertime we irrigate duck ponds and clear the ditches of invasive species. We disc and plant wheat fields for our upland game bird program. We plant the wheat in the winter, and we irrigate and farm it like a crop, but we mow it rather than harvest it. When we mow it down, it attracts doves for dove hunting. It feeds everything – the deer love it. In the springtime we do a little bit of monitoring of the deer population and waterfowl. Monitoring in our area is done by visual surveys and game cameras placed in strategic high traffic locations. The cameras are checked on a monthly basis. Then in the summer, as the heat comes, we spend more time out in the desert. We have a series of wildlife drinkers that CDFW has installed to provide water for wildlife species in the hottest part of the year. We have to go out and do maintenance on those and make sure they’re full of water. If the water levels get low, we haul water into the desert and fill them up, and that happens all summer long.

Why is it important for CDFW to create and fix habitat, as opposed to allowing habitat to be created naturally?

It’s best to keep invasive stuff at bay, to keep areas like they were. We keep the noxious weeds out of there, and the native plants come back and the wildlife will follow. In the ’80s, the population of waterfowl (Canadian geese and duck) were in the hundreds of thousands. Then the numbers dropped off for no obvious reason. We believe they’re coming back now because we got rid of the salt cedars and phragmites (non-native reed or wetland grass) and replaced them with huge cottonwood and mesquite groves.

When the Palo Verde Ecological Reserve was established, there was a healthy population of desert mule deer living among mesquite on farmland across the river in Arizona. Now that our trees are grown, we see the deer swim back and forth to live among the mesquite, cottonwood, and giant willows that we planted. In a single day we might see 75 deer in the open and many more within the trees, where they take advantage of the cover.

What projects have you worked on that you’re the most proud of?

Installing and maintaining the wildlife drinkers is some of the hardest work I’ve done. A drinker is a 10,000 gallon underground storage tank with a drinker box connected to it. There’s a dam built uphill from the storage tank, so when it rains, the water collects and fills the storage tank. If the conditions are right in the desert, they can stay full for a long time but they often need maintenance or refilling in July or August. That’s really hard work because we sometimes need heavy equipment like excavators, up in the mountains to get it done. We have to keep a level head and work well together because it’s hot, exhausting and can be dangerous. But it’s rewarding to know the work will enable important species, like bighorn sheep and deer to survive. We also put in small-game drinkers for the birds that live in the desert.

How bad are the weather conditions?

Come July and August it will be up to 115 degrees in the desert and the humidity can make it feel like it’s 125. On those days, your time outside is very limited. You have to be finished by noon or 1 p.m. so we start at 5 a.m. or earlier, depending on what we’re doing that day. If we’re working way out in the desert checking drinkers, we might leave at 3:30 or 4 a.m. just to avoid the heat.

If you weren’t doing this – if jobs working with wildlife and the great outdoors didn’t exist – what else would you be doing?

Fishing and hunting mostly! Or maybe I’d be an executive chef at my own restaurant. It’d be a barbecue restaurant. My specialty is everything – brisket, ribs, pork butts. But I have 15 years in at CDFW. Though l can retire at 20 years, if they’ll have me I’d be happy to stay. I love this job. It’s awesome – I’m blessed.

CDFW photos. Top Photo. Richard Francis, in a wheat field at the Palo Verde Ecological Reserve. 

Alisa Ellsworth holds a newly-collared bobcat for the Eastern Sierra Bobcat Project.


Alisa Ellsworth and crew working on Fish Slough Ecological Reserve restoration project.

CDFW Senior Environmental Scientist Alisa Ellsworth supervises the Inland Desert Region’s Northern Lands Program. Based out of the Bishop office, Alisa oversees 10 employees who perform a wide variety of activities including land acquisition planning, coordinating mitigation for incidental take, and managing over 120,000 acres of state ecological reserves and wildlife areas in Inyo, Mono and San Bernardino counties.

A Central Valley native, Alisa grew up in Visalia. She attended both undergraduate and graduate school at Fresno State, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in botany in 1993 and a master’s degree in biology in 1995. Her thesis focused on vernal pool ecology in Madera County.

What inspired you to become a biologist?

My interest in science first started in high school when I had to do an insect and plant collection for my biology class. I really enjoyed learning how to identify things in nature. When I started college, I was naturally drawn to biology courses and my path was set. I met a group of people that liked to go out botanizing and birding on the weekends and a whole new world opened up for me.

My first wildlife job was in 1992 with Pacific Southwest Research Station, estimating the density of spotted owls in Sequoia National Park. This is where I learned how to hike at night using a compass and topographic map, as there weren’t GPS units back in those days. The work also involved gathering vital rate data (reproduction and mortality) as well as characterizing diets from regurgitated pellets. In 1993, I spent an amazing summer working for the US Forest Service. I hiked all over the Sierra National Forest, mapping vegetation types and looking for rare plants.

How did you come to work for CDFW?

I worked as a scientific aide for the Habitat Conservation group in the Central Region for a year and a half when I was in college. After I graduated, I began working as a private consultant until 1996 conducting rare plant surveys, wetland delineations and revegetation projects. Around that time, I caught the travel bug and applied for a research assistant position focused on field studies of the guanaco, a South American wild camelid related to the llama. This took me to Torres Del Paine National Park in the Patagonia region of southern Chile, where I worked on guanaco reproductive strategies, spacing strategies and movement. We radio collared young guanacos (called chulengos) and monitored for survival and cause-specific mortality. This involved watching a mother give birth to her baby and then soon after running in and grabbing the baby and quickly putting a radio collar on it. Most of the mothers were pretty mild mannered, but one tried stomping on us and spit all over us, which was quite smelly!

Afterward, I joined the Peace Corps and stayed in Ecuador until 1999, working on environmental education projects in schools. When I returned to the United States, I worked briefly as a consultant again, and then took an associate biologist position with Caltrans in Fresno. When a position opened up in CDFW’s Bishop office, in the streambed alteration agreement program, I jumped at it. I was hired in 2001 and have never wanted to leave Bishop since.

Over my career with CDFW, I have managed the X9B and X9C deer zones, the Owens Valley tule elk zones and the White Mountain bighorn sheep hunt zone. I have collected and analyzed wildlife population data for upland game birds, mule deer, tule elk and Nelson bighorn sheep. I’ve provided harvest recommendations and direction for population management of those game animals. Since 2008, I’ve been with the Lands program, working on acquisition projects, writing grants and working with the Wildlife Conservation Board and other non-governmental organizations on projects of shared interest.

We sometimes say that the Eastern Sierra is “the most beautiful part of California you’ve never seen.” What is unique about this ecosphere?

The Eastern Sierra is comprised of mostly public land with very little development compared to many other areas around California. This allows for intact wildlife populations to exist in vast expanses of native habitat. For example, the federally endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep can be found in the high alpine environment in the summer months. They then move downslope in the winter to take advantage of available food not buried under snow. More than 600 bighorn in 13 occupied herd units can now be found in the Sierras, compared to 1995 when there were only 105 left after being devastated from diseases transmitted from competing domestic livestock in the high alpine meadows.

The sheer beauty of the tall mountains and the abundance of wildlife make it a truly special place. I enjoy hearing the tule elk bugling in the fall evenings near the Owens River. If you really want a treat, you can wake up before the sun rises to go observe the greater sage grouse congregate on their leks (meadows or barren areas with little cover) during the spring breeding season. The males put on quite a display in hopes of attracting a female by puffing out their chest, inflating air sacs and making unique sounds that I equate to drops of water.

What kinds of projects are conducted on the reserves and wildlife areas you manage?

Our activities are quite diverse, including managing water rights and grazing, controlling invasive species and performing various wildlife surveys. I serve as the lead for the Eastern Sierra bobcat study, which was initiated in 2014-2015 as part of a three-year project to assess current populations in Inyo and Mono counties. Specific data collected during the study include bobcat population size, density and age structure, as well as home range size, habitat selection, prey base and reproduction.

I also am also the lead for the low-elevation mesocarnivore survey project. This involves the use of remote cameras to capture detailed images of wildlife species such as bobcat, coyote and gray fox. The surveys help us estimate the percent of the study area that a species of interest occurs by placing one camera within a 10.4 Km cell and surveying 100 cells over multiple weeks. The data collected provides occupancy of the species surveyed. Capture-mark-recapture surveys can be done using this method with species such as bobcats that can be identified because of their unique coat patterns.

Inyo and Mono counties have been divided into eight study areas using geographical boundaries that the mesocarnivore surveys will be rotated through. Initially, these surveys will provide occupancy and abundance of individual species within each study area. Over time, data collected from the surveys can be useful to identify population trends.

What has been the most satisfying part of your CDFW career?

I really enjoy working with outstanding people who are focused on managing and conserving the state’s most important places and wildlife. I’m particularly proud of the conservation work that’s been conducted for the benefit of the Round Valley deer herd. We purchased several important properties within its winter range in Rovana and Swall Meadows, with the goal of protecting an intact migration corridor for them to move up and down in elevation to and from their winter and summer ranges.

What projects would you undertake if you had unlimited money and resources?

I am passionate about conserving natural areas for the perpetuation of healthy ecosystems and the wildlife populations they support. California is an incredibly biologically diverse state and these places are truly unique. By protecting them, we will allow them to be enjoyed generations to come. My most recent focus has been working to conserve the greater sage grouse through land acquisition and conservation easements. Funding all of the proposed actions in the Bi-State Action Plan for Greater sage grouse would be a dream come true.

CDFW photos.
Top photo: Alisa Ellsworth works a Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep capture.