Sarah Wagner

Sarah Wagner

Project Staff

Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020 Salzburg

Email:

Room: E-2.083

 



Research interest

  • Community ecology (especially ornithology & entomology)
  • Collection and analysis of bird ringing data
  • National Park research and applied nature conservation (habitat protection)

My fascination with life began at a very early age. I have always been drawn to wildlife and animals. As I grew older, my interest expanded to include environmental protection, especially in times of global change. I am fascinated by how ecosystems function and enjoy learning about new connections within and between communities. In my future career, I aim to contribute to improving the living conditions of organisms and to support nature conservation projects.

Currently, I am working on a project funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management of the Republic of Austria. The project focuses on analysing the habitat requirements of the whinchat, skylark, and violet copper butterfly to further develop conservation and management strategies for farmland that supports these species.

Curriculum vitae

Professional Experience

  • 2025–2026: Relocation of herpetofauna, service contract with Revital Integrative Naturraumplanung GmbH, Austria (resettlement of herpetofauna, fence monitoring)
  • May 2025: Internship at the Swiss Ornithological Institute, Switzerland (care and conservation of injured or orphaned birds)
  • 2025–March 2026: Biodiversity advisor at the nature conservation authority in Berchtesgadener Land, District Office Berchtesgadener Land, Germany (installation of temporary water bodies for the yellow-bellied toad Bombina variegata; establishment of a network for building-dwelling birds and bats)
  • 2024–present: Project management ConnectPLUS, Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Austria (analysis and presentation of insect monitoring results from natural and water-filled tree holes in two Austrian national parks   –ConnectPlus – Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg).
  • 2024–present: Management of the Animal Ecology Certificate Salzburg, Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Austria (conceptualisation, coordination, and promotion of a publicly accessible species knowledge certificate of Salzburg’s fauna – https://www.plus.ac.at/umwelt-und-biodiversitaet/institutionen/artenkenntnis-zertifikat-zoologie/)
  • September–November 2024: Team member in the meadow bird monitoring project “Wiesenvogelprojekt”, Department of Ornithology, Haus der Natur Salzburg, Austria (data management, entry, and digitisation)
  • May 2024: Internship at the Federal State Government of Salzburg, Department 5/06 Nature Conservation Basics and Expert Services
  • October 2023–April 2024: Project team member ConnectPLUS, Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Austria (sampling, sorting, and identification of arthropods in water-filled tree holes)

Education

  • 2022–2024: M.Sc. Ecology and Evolution, Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Austria. Master’s thesis: “Temporal occurrence and abundance of arthropods at the mountain top Hoher Sonnblick (3100 m a.s.l.)” (Alpine insect communities – Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg)
  • 2016–2020: B.Sc. Biology, Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Austria (specialisation in ecology) Bachelor’s thesis: “Shift in the altitudinal distribution of Lepidoptera species due to climate change in the federal state of Salzburg (Austria)”

Software skills

  • MS Office
  • Statistics: R
  • Geographic Information Systems: QGIS, FinView

Language skills

  • German
  • English
  • Spanish (basic knowledge)

Publications

  • Poster presentation at the EOU Fledglings Meeting: Wagner SM., Gressel H, Neuböck E, Pöhacker J & Apfelbeck BA (27–29 March 2026) What Winter Ringing Reveals About Local Bird Populations: Results from the IWM Programme in Salzburg, Austria
  • Master’s thesis (submission; publication planned for 2026): Wagner SM & Petermann JS (2026) Temporal dynamics of arthropods at “Hoher Sonnblick” (3100 m a.s.l.)
  • Online talk at the UNESCO Chair Brown Bag Session, FH Kärnten: Wagner SM (21 January 2026) Life at 3100 Meters: Who Knew Bugs Could Be This Chill?
  • Poster presentation at ÖEG Colloquium: Wagner SM, Holzapfel L, Petermann J & Genettais D (22 March 2025)
  • Poster presentation at Tage der Biodiversität: Wagner SM & Petermann J (25–28 February 2025) Temporal dynamics and abundance of arthropods at the summit “Hoher Sonnblick” (3100 m a.s.l.)