Biography for Karla Kinstler
(better known as Alice's Handler)
The Short and Sweet Version
Karla Kinstler can often be found in her pajamas at 2 AM, hanging out of her bedroom window in January, tape recorder in hand. She went over the deep end with owls after acquiring Alice the Great Horned Owl to use in educational programs at the Houston Nature Center, where she is the Director/Naturalist. She plays the role of Al ice's mate (Alice thinks she's a human), has a personal website about owls (owlstuff.com), coordinates an annual International Festival of Owls in Houston, and is doing a vocal study on Great Horned Owls (hence the bedroom window thing to record the wild neighbor owls.)
The Dry, Boring Version
June 1990 - Valedictorian of Spring Grove (MN) High School's class of 1990.
1990-94 - Attended Luther College in Decorah, IA, and worked as the assistant museum curator in the Hoslett Museum of Natural History. Graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
September 1994 - Published a research paper on the vocal behavior of Eastern and Western Meadowlarks in the Prairie Naturalist.
1994-98 - Worked as a seasonal naturalist at Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park near Preston, MN.
1995-96 - Worked as an instructor/naturalist at the Forest Resource Center (now Eagle Bluff) in Lanesboro, MN.
1995-99 - Flew American Kestrels as a licensed falconer.
1997 - Began planning the new Houston Nature Center on a part-time basis for the City of Houston.
1998-present - Acquired Alice the Great Horned Owl through an educational permit from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and began presenting educational programs with her.
2000-present - Hired on full-time as the Director/Naturalist of the Houston Nature Center.
2001 - Co-authored the Birder's Guide to Houston County with Fred Lesher.
2001 - Received the Brother Theodore Voelker Award for Special Achievement in Field Ornithology/Birding from the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
Spring 2002 - Co-authored an article documenting the first nesting record of a Eurasian Collared-Dove in Minnesota in The Loon.
2003-present - Coordinator of the annual Festival of Owls in Houston, MN.
2004 - Began a website and internet store to benefit owls (owlstuff.com).
2004 - Began research to document the complete vocal repertoire of the Great Horned Owl and look for regional variations in territorial hooting.
Spring 2005 - Testified before the Minnesota House and Senate Environment Committees to get Great Horned Owls removed from Minnesota's "unprotected birds" list. The bill passed unanimously and went into effect on August 1, 2005, with Alice receiving the first Great Horned Owl permit in Minnesota.
2006 - Received the Hall/Mayfield Award from the Wilson Ornithological Society to help fund vocal study.
2008 - Received a Bush Leadership Fellowship to work toward developing an International Owl Center in Houston, MN.