Kelly DeForest

Kelly DeForest (they/them) is the Beach Watch Program Assistant. Kelly’s journey with Beach Watch began in 2019 when a love of marine birds and interest in community science led them to become a volunteer. Since then, they’ve worked in the field and behind a computer on several projects studying seabirds and marine mammals in the California and Humboldt Currents. They are currently pursuing an MS in Geographic Information Science from San Francisco State University where they are using community science data in their research to address marine conservation issues. Outside of work, they enjoy making music, birding, and cuddling up with their two cats, Misty and Squid.