Laura Molles

Originally from Southern California, Laura grew up in a neighborhood bordered by three freeways and a river with concrete banks.

Despite this urban setting, Laura found that nature was always present, with interesting critters to observe even in the middle of the city. Over the years, Laura has had the opportunity to study animals in various environments, including deserts, forests, and grasslands in the US, tropical dry forests in Costa Rica, and several remarkable locations across New Zealand, where Laura has lived for more than 20 years.

Before joining Digilab, Laura served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Waikato, a Senior Lecturer at Lincoln University, and a Natural Environment Advisor at the Christchurch City Council. Laura's main research areas are animal behaviour and conservation, with a particular emphasis on acoustic communication. Laura has investigated vocal behaviour across a wide range of bird species, from tropical songbirds to penguins, aiming to understand how they use their songs to communicate with friends, mates, and rivals. At Digilab, Laura is involved in combining her expertise in vocal behaviour with cutting-edge technology to develop accurate, non-invasive acoustic monitoring tools.

Laura will be supporting the Makarora Mohua Mahi masterclass at the Wao Summit 2024.