Staff – Orbis Environmental Consulting

Meet Our Expert Team of Consultants

The Orbis Team has more than a century of combined experience providing clients with innovative solutions to complex environmental problems. They provide cultural resource management, botanical, ecological and wildlife surveys, and wetland delineation services, primarily in the Midwest U.S. We also offer training and workshops in plant identification and inventory, wetland delineation, approaches to restoration and mitigation, wildlife management, and archaeology.

J Ryan Duddleson

Senior Archaeologist, Principal at Orbis Environmental Consulting

Ryan is an archaeologist and founding member of Orbis Environmental Consulting, an ecological and cultural resources firm based in the Midwest U.S. Over the past twenty years Ryan has helped hundreds of clients manage impacts to sensitive natural and cultural resources.

His written work has appeared in peer-reviewed academic journals and industry trade publications. Ryan has been a featured speaker at conferences for the American Wind Energy Association and the Edison Electric Institute and has also presented at meetings of the Society for American Archaeology and the Midwest Archaeological Conference. He is also a member of the American Cultural Resource Association and the Indiana Archaeological Council.

Jeremy Sheets

Senior Wildlife Biologist, Vice President

Jeremy is a founding member of Orbis and directs its wildlife management services, bringing 20 years of experience in wildlife surveys with a focus on bat ecology and urban wildlife management. He has managed wildlife projects across wind facilities, pipelines, roadways, army bases, and airports, utilizing expertise in wildlife control techniques, species identification, and surveying and analysis of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects. As one of approximately 60 certified FAA Qualified Airport Wildlife Biologists, Jeremy develops Wildlife Hazard Assessments (WHA) and Wildlife Hazard Management Plans (WHMP) for airports and has completed several WHAs since his certification.

With 16 years of experience in bat identification, Jeremy is federally permitted to conduct surveys in USFWS Regions 3, 4, 5, and 6. His work includes acoustic surveys, mist-netting, portal surveys, and radio telemetry, and he has surveyed 13 bat species across ten states, including Indiana, Kentucky, and New York. Proficient in bat call identification and automated acoustic software, Jeremy applies his extensive skills to advance wildlife conservation and management efforts.

Megan Martin

Senior Wildlife Biologist

Megan has 17 years of experience conducting terrestrial wildlife surveys across the mid-western, eastern, and southern U.S., with a specialization in bats and additional expertise with birds, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. She helps government and private clients assess and mitigate ecological impacts, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations like the Endangered Species Act and contributing to regulatory documents such as Habitat Conservation Plans and Biological Assessments.

Her bat-related expertise includes habitat assessments, radio-telemetry, acoustic monitoring, mist-netting, and post-construction wind farm mortality studies, having worked with 13 bat species across 12 states. Megan also conducts auditory and visual bird surveys, including raptor nest monitoring, and has experience in pest bird abatement using falconry-trained hawks and falcons.

Brad Slaughter

Senior Botanist

Brad is a botanist and vegetation ecologist with nearly 20 years of experience managing and conducting projects, specializing in ecological and floristic inventories, rare plant surveys, and vegetation monitoring. He also performs wetland evaluations and teaches plant identification workshops. Brad is a coauthor of A Field Guide to the Natural Communities of Michigan and the 3rd Edition of the Floristic Quality Assessment of Michigan. In addition to his writings, Brad delivers presentations and leads field trips for a variety of audiences.

Elizabeth Straub

Archaeologist

Elizabeth has nine years of experience in archaeology, including both academic and private sector projects. She has had the pleasure of participating in archaeological investigations in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, and Georgia. She has taken part in archaeological surveys with the goal of helping both private and public sector clients to assess the potential impact of their projects on cultural resources, as required by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

She also works with nonprofit organizations to conduct archaeological investigations. This work includes assistance in project planning, grant writing, project execution, and reporting. She has extensive experience in collections research, artifact curation, and ceramic reconstruction. Her expertise is in precontact pottery, where she has utilized various forms of microscopy, including Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Petrography. She has experience in tribal consultation, community outreach, and human remains in archaeological settings.