Julian Hardage-Vergeer

Julian (They/He) tends to the grounds and facilities at the Randall Davey Audubon Center and Sanctuary in Santa Fe. In addition to coordinating volunteer groups and facilitating site rentals, Julian spends much of their time working in the garden to provide habitat for native birds and bugs.

Originally a Northern Californian, Julian fell in love with nature via the Redwood Coast: misty canopies, the crunch of pine needles underfoot, conspicuous brigades of colorful fungi, but a vacation to the New Mexico was all it took for Julian to become entranced with the Southwest, its vibrant deserts and imposing mountains.

In 2019, Julian graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in Theater Tech and Performance Arts Education—just in time for the pandemic to stop all live performance in its tracks. In the following days, Julian worked on a produce farm, learning how to irrigate crops and tend to a natural landscape and its inhabitants.

Excited to put this knowledge to use, Julian joined Audubon Southwest in May 2024 and is looking forward to getting to know all about the fascinating nature and history of the Randall Davey Center and Sanctuary as well as the people who breathe so much life into it.

Julian’s favorite bird is the Greater Sage-Grouse, so much so that they dressed as one for Halloween before even joining Audubon!