Connor Vara

Research Technician III

2017 B.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Science, Paul Smith’s College

Connor grew up in a small town south of Buffalo, NY. His passion for wildlife and nature led to his decision to go to Paul Smith’s College and major in Wildlife Sciences in 2017. From the time he started at Paul Smith’s, he learned so much about wildlife conservation as well as caring for natural ecosystems that drive wildlife populations and influence their movements and decisions. He developed a passion for avian conservation, monitoring as well as conserving important natural resources. Starting in 2017, Connor worked several summers for Adirondack Watershed Institute on the stewardship side, protecting the lakes from aquatic invasive species which is key to keeping the Adirondacks, and its natural waterbodies healthy. Currently, he is a Research Technician III in the Environmental Research Lab of the AWI. Monitoring water quality and helping understand long-term trends within local Adirondack waters assists researchers and others important decisions on how to protect our natural resources so future generations can have the same experience and enjoy the beauty of the Adirondacks.