Sample report
A desktop review memo
A complete example for a fictional property: the maps, the findings, and the plain-language recommendation you’d receive.
See my current sample report package →Desktop Review
Find out if your property needs a golden-cheeked warbler or nesting bird survey, usually within 1 business day, before you spend anything on fieldwork.
$395 flat
Up to 100 acres
Credited toward any fieldwork
Back in about 1 business day
Permitted wildlife biologist · Central Texas
- USFWS golden-cheeked warbler recovery permit (ESPER32178096-0)
- Nine years at a national environmental consulting firm
- Golden-cheeked warbler research with the University of Illinois
What you receive
Big-firm experience, independent pricing. You work directly with me from the first call to the final memo.
- A review of your property boundary, aerial imagery, and habitat
- A check of county, state, and federal species records
- A clear answer: survey likely needed or not, and why
- A short written memo with a project map
- Recommended next steps and timing, including the spring survey window
Scope and add-ons
The base review covers the golden-cheeked warbler and nesting birds.
Very large or unusual properties are quoted individually.
Full deliverable details
Exactly what’s inside your desktop review memo, so you know what you’re paying for.
- Project summary
- Property location, acreage, and what you’re planning to build or clear.
- Maps
- A project location map, an aerial image with your property boundary, and a map outlining any woodland that could be warbler habitat.
- Habitat evaluation
- A look at woodland type (Ashe juniper mixed with oaks), canopy cover, patch size, and connection to nearby woodland, the features the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uses to describe warbler habitat.
- Species records
- A check of the Texas Parks and Wildlife natural diversity records, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service project planning tool, and known warbler records near your property.
- Local plans
- Whether a regional habitat conservation plan covers your county, which can offer a simpler path if habitat is present.
- Nesting birds
- Whether clearing could affect nesting birds, and the times of year that are safest to clear.
- Clear conclusion
- Survey likely needed, not likely needed, or a habitat assessment recommended, with the reasons in plain language.
- Next steps and timing
- What to do next, when the spring survey window falls, and how I can coordinate with the agencies for you.
- Limitations
- What a desktop review can and can’t tell you. It’s based on available imagery and records, not a site visit, and it isn’t an agency decision.
What you get back
- PDF memo
- PDF maps sized for printing or sharing with your builder
- GIS files on request (KMZ or shapefile) for your engineer or surveyor
- A short call to walk you through the results, if you’d like one
Turnaround and price
- $395 flat, properties up to 100 acres
- Typically delivered within 1 business day of receiving your property boundary
- Credited toward any habitat assessment or survey you hire me for
How it works
Three simple steps, and fieldwork only if your project actually needs it.
1
Send your property
A parcel map, a pin on a map, or a KML or shapefile is plenty. Tell me what you’re planning to build or clear.
2
I review it
I look at aerial imagery, habitat, and species records, the same way large consulting firms do.
3
You get a clear answer
A short memo and map, usually within 1 business day, with your next steps spelled out.
I handle the agencies
If your project needs agency input, I coordinate with Texas Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for you. You won’t be left decoding requirements or waiting on callbacks.
See the work before you book
Everything you’d want to know about how I work, in one place.
Video
Watch me in the field
Searching for golden-cheeked warblers on a Central Texas survey.
More on my YouTube channel ↗︎Reviews
From clients and colleagues
What people I’ve worked with say about the work.
“Her meticulous attention to detail ensured that all biological data met our rigorous research standards.”
Since 2013Wildlife field experience
9 yearsAt a national environmental consulting firm
Federal permitUSFWS golden-cheeked warbler recovery permit
Common questions
Do I need a survey before I clear or build?
Not always, and you may not even need a desktop review. Start with a free 15-minute call. Tell me where your property is and what you’re planning, and I can often tell you right then whether you have anything to look into. If the answer is clear, it costs you nothing. If it isn’t, the desktop review gives you a definite answer in writing.
Didn’t the federal rules change? Do I still need to check?
Two federal changes, in 2025 and 2026, narrowed what agencies treat as illegal “take.” Deliberately harming birds or destroying active nests is still prohibited, projects with federal permits or funding are still reviewed, state and local rules still apply, and the changes are being challenged in court. I explain it in plain language in what the federal rule changes mean for your project.
What if my property does have warbler habitat?
You’ll get clear next steps. That may be a habitat assessment or a spring protocol survey, and I’ll explain the timing and options so you can plan your project around them.
Why does timing matter?
Golden-cheeked warbler surveys can only be done during the spring breeding season. Checking early gives you the most options and helps avoid delays.
What do you need from me?
Your property location or boundary, what you’re planning, and your timeline. A parcel map or a pin on a map is enough to start.
How does the fieldwork credit work?
If you hire me for a habitat assessment or survey after your desktop review, the $395 review fee is credited toward that fieldwork.
Know before you clear.
Book a free 15-minute call and we’ll figure out your next step together.