Jennifer L. Bristol is the author of Parking Lot Birding: A Fun Guide to Discovering Birds in Texas and Cemetery Birding: An Unexpected Guide to Discovering Birds in Texas. She co-authored her father’s book, Texas State Parks: the First 100 Years 1923-2023. She is the executive director of the Victor Emanuel Young Naturalist Camp Scholarship Fund that enables underserved youth to attend birding camps. Always willing to share her love of bird watching, she guides for Nature Ninja Tours.

Jennifer is the former director of the Texas Children in Nature network at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department where she developed a grassroots movement around the need to better connect children and families with nature for a healthier and happier future. For her efforts to connect youth with nature, she received the Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center Enduring Dedication Award and the Phil Hardburger Park Conservancy Nature Hero Award. In 2018 and 2019, she received the Greater Texas Birding Classic Most Valuable Birder Award. Having a deep sense of service, she has served on the Environmental Commission (secretary), Downtown Commission – (vice chair) for the City of Austin, Travis County Bond Citizen Advisory Board – (vice chair) and on numerous national and local boards. In her role on the Environmental Commission, she championed the Bird-Friendly Building Design resolution to define and improve building guidelines that reduce fatal collisions between birds and structures.

Bristol resides in Austin with her husband and five charismatic dogs.