Meet the Learn to Bird Team

Ty Allen

Birding Guide

Ty is an avid birder and photographer living in North Central Texas. He got hooked on birding at age eight. He’s currently working as a sales associate at Wild Bird Unlimited. He joined the Birding with Extension team after being a camper at Rio Diablo Birding Camp! Serving as a birding buddy, and as an assistant guide Ty has learned from some of the best Birding with Extension guides and is excited to share his local birds with birders at Learn to Bird 2024. He loves birding the under birded counties of Texas with the goal of filling in the data gap in eBird for those counties. He also enjoys learning bout other wildlife including, but not limited to herps, butterflies, moths, dragonflies, and damselflies.

Favorite local bird: Green jay

Favorite birding spot: Davis Mountains

Favorite local food: Tex-Mex

Birding Buddy – Coming Soon!

Emily Grant

Program Coordinator

Emily Grant is a 4-H County Extension Agent in Gillespie County and our Birding with Extension Program Coordinator. Originally from Springtown, Texas she graduated from Texas A&M University. Emily has dedicated her career to education, first as an agriculture science teacher and now as a county agent who has a passion for the sheep and goat industry. As a county agent, she leads youth education programs in agriculture and natural resources. Given the choice, Emily prefers looking at sheep and goats over birds; however, she learned that she is a good spotter and has grown to enjoy going out with our birders and learning!

Favorite local bird: Painted bunny (the first time I saw a painted bunting I thought Mrs. Bader told me it was called a painted bunny and it’s just stuck)

Favorite birding spot: Devils River State Natural Area

Favorite local food: Steak

Rainey Bingham

Program Coordinator

Rainey is the Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for Real County, TX. She develops programs for agricultural producers, 4-H youth, and other members of the community. Rainey grew up in South Texas, and went on to earn her undergraduate degree in Agricultural Science from Texas A&M University, followed by a master’s degree in Agriculture at Angelo State University. Through her educational career, Rainey has worked for AgriLife Extension since 2018, and was an active member of 4-H in both Uvalde and Medina County. She and her family have a ranch in southern Atascosa County where they raise cattle. Rainey began her Birding with Extension adventure at Birding the Border 2023. By joining the team, she hopes to learn more about birds as well as eco- and agritourism operations, so she can better support her county.

Dani Miller

Communications & Event Coordinator

Dani currently provides support to the Birding with Extension team through management of event communications, marketing efforts, and logistics. She previously studied conservation social science as a graduate student at Texas State University and worked as a wildlife biologist at the Stiles Farm Foundation for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. She has a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and a minor in Tourism Management from Texas A&M University, and first became interested in birding while working there as an undergraduate assistant for Dr. John Tomeček on his bobwhite quail PhD research in the Rolling Plains. She joined the Birding with Extension team for Birding the Border 2021 and has since assisted with multiple in-person and virtual programs, including Rio Diablo Birding Youth Camp and the Warbler Week seminar series. When not looking for birds and other wildlife while out in the field, Dani can be found cooling off in the nearest river or lake.

D. ‘Chad’ Cummings

Agriculture and Natural Resource Agent – Grayson County

Chad completed his collegiate education with degrees in Crop Production (B.S.), Forage Weed Science (M.S.), and Conservation Science – Invasive Species Ecology/Fire Ecology (Ph.D.) at Oklahoma State University.  He graduated from OSU in 2007 and accepted a position with Dow AgroSciences LLC (now Corteva Agriscience) as an Integrated Field Scientist in the southern region (covering AR, LA, MS, NM, OK, and TX).  Chad worked in research and development for 14 years with Cereals, Range and Pasture, Industrial Vegetation Management, and Forestry agricultural chemical products in the region, cooperating with university researchers and assisting sales personnel in these markets.

Chad started as the Grayson County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) in April 2022.  Chad’s passions for agriculture, wildlife habitat restoration, and pollinator habitat conservation are what brought him to the Extension Service, and he hopes to guide north Texans in their agricultural endeavors.

Within his career as a professional weed scientist, Chad has made over 70 major presentations at regional and national agricultural meetings, completed 8 peer-reviewed publications, and presented numerous Corteva Agriscience and industry-wide training presentations.  Chad served as the Constitution, Bylaws, and Op Guide Advisor to the Western Society of Weed Science (WSWS) Board of Directors (2020-2023).  He also served with both WSWS and the Society of Range Management (SRM), ensuring continuity between weed science and range management objectives, goals, and product stewardship.  Chad served as Chair of the SRM Rangeland Invasive Species Committee (RISC) in 2011 and again in 2021.  Chad also served as an inter-societal committee chair for the WSWS Ad Hoc Invasive Species Committee, bridging the gap among western societies, government agencies, and academia by leading a 13-member team of invasive species professionals (2020-2023).

Currently, Chad is the advisor to the Grayson County Master Gardeners and the Bluestem Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist.  Chad is the Chair of the District IV 4-H Horse Camp Committee, and Educational Presentation Committee for District IV 4-H, and the Co-chair of the Grayson County Small Ruminant Validation Committee.