Cristina Marciales, “Marci” to her friends, has always loved wildlife, ever since she was a child.
“I grew up in South Florida,” Marci stated. “So there’s lots of lizards and ducks and iguanas and all sorts of crazy wildlife down there. So I think that’s probably where it all started.”
“ I had jobs where I worked for the state and federal governments, but I wanted to try out the private industry,” Marci said. “So honestly, I found this job by Googling ‘Wildlife Jobs Near Me,’ but as soon as I realized it was a smaller company and that it did such a variety of things, I was very interested.”
So Marci applied for the job, got it, and has become one of GMEC’s valued Wildlife Biologists.
Cristina Marciales has a passion for the environment, a passion for wildlife, and a passion for her job. We wanted to get to know Marci a little bit more, so we asked her some questions:
How did you come to work at Grouse Mountain?
I was looking for a position that allowed me to get back to fieldwork while also having an important role or some responsibility and decision-making; I’m not just a grunt checking boxes for someone’s survey, I am a part of the planning, surveying, reporting, public involvement process, everything!
What do you do for Grouse Mountain?
My title is wildlife biologist. When a client needs environmental permitting or compliance for their project, I facilitate and participate in the necessary permitting, surveying, etc. that he or she needs to complete it.
What made you choose this career path?
I knew from a very young age that I wanted to work with animals. I studied wildlife science and natural resources in college and here I am!
What’s your favorite part about working at Grouse Mountain?
My favorite part about working at Grouse Mountain is that it’s a small company. Everyone works together to get projects done. Because of this, I find myself challenged by the variety of the work; even though I’m a wildlife biologist, I still work on fisheries, visual/scenery, soils, and wetlands reports too.
What’s an experience that stands out to you from working at Grouse Mountain?
I had never been to the state of Wyoming before working for Grouse Mountain; my first time in the state I was doing fieldwork and found an antelope skull. That was pretty cool.
What do you love about New Mexico?
From my experience, New Mexico is the most scenically beautiful state, while being the most affordable. I had always wanted to move to the mountains, but I figured out pretty quickly that Colorado and Montana weren’t gonna happen.
What are some of your hobbies?
I love horseback riding! In 2022 I was on a rodeo team where we traveled around a couple of states performing drill routines, like those gals on the horses with the big ol flags. That was fun. I also enjoy hiking with my 80-pound shepherd mix, Milo.
What are a few fun facts about you?
I’m fluent in Spanish, and I’m actually from the east coast! I grew up by the beach in sunny South Florida, and I went to UGA for my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Go dawgs!
What differentiates Grouse Mountain from its competitors?
Grouse Mountain has a local presence in New Mexico, something many competitors do not have. In addition, because of our small size, we are able to really focus on our clients and get the job done reliably every time. You can count on small company accountability.
If you could tell readers one thing about yourself and your job, what would that be?
I enjoy it! I know I’m lucky that I get to go hiking for work.
If you could tell readers one thing about Grouse Mountain, what would THAT be?
Everyone at Grouse Mountain is extremely friendly! Don’t hesitate to reach out to either of our Buffalo, Wyoming and Santa Fe, New Mexico offices if you have a question about your project’s compliance.
