Zoo New England

Field Conservation Blog


News from the Field


Welcome to Zoo New England’s Field Conservation blog! Here, we share some of the amazing work going on “beyond the zoo” at a variety of field sites around New England. Expect tales from the field, interesting nature facts, and the occasional guest post from one of our local – or international! – community partners.

A marbled salamander, its back dark gray with wide white bands, sits on wet fallen leaves and peers skyward, facing left.
Amphibians | Local Conservation

Marbled Salamanders Have Returned!

Regular readers may recall the exciting news from this past spring: baby marbled salamanders were found for the first time at the Middlesex fells since 1932, a strong indication that Zoo New England’s reintroduction program was succeeding. Due to the … Continued

A pale-skinned hand holds a small black turtle in the palm. The turtle is the size of a silver dollar with a skinny tail sticking out behind.
Local Conservation | Turtles

A Big Win for H.A.T.C.H!

Zoo New England is proud to announce that our Hatchling And Turtle Conservation through Headstarting program (also known as H.A.T.C.H.) won Top Honors for the AZA North American Conservation Award! The AZA (Association of Zoos & Aquariums) is the foremost … Continued

The large, dark shell of a turtle on a clipboard with paper data sheet including the turtle's weight and other measurements. Only the shell is visible as the turtle has withdrawn inside.
Local Conservation | Turtles

A Summer Blanding’s Bonanza

All of our headstarting efforts with native turtles share the ultimate goal of restoring populations in need. Our oldest such project with the Blanding’s turtles at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge has always served as a model for others, and … Continued

Covered in a thin layer of soil, a hognose snake curves its head back along its body to scoop a mass of loose dirt with its nose against a backdrop of turned earth and grass,
Local Conservation

Hognose Happenings

Have you ever heard of the eastern hog-nosed snake? Without the venomous bite of timber rattlesnakes and copperheads or the ubiquity of garter and water snakes, these interesting serpents often go overlooked. That’s a real shame, in our opinion, because … Continued

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Meet the Field Conservation Team!

Bryan Windmiller

Bryan Windmiller

Associate Director of Field Conservation

Bryan Windmiller is the Associate Director of Field Conservation at Zoo New England, where he helps oversee the Zoo’s local wildlife conservation programs and its support of international conservation efforts. Bryan earned a PhD in biology and a Master’s degree in Environmental Policy, both from Tufts University and he has worked in various roles as a conservation biologist in Massachusetts since 1987.
Field Conservation Team

Emilie Wilder

Associate Director of Conservation Engagement

Like all of us in the Field Conservation Department, Emilie wears many hats – from leading field trips to mucking through the swamp to making sure all our permits are up to date. Emilie attended Brandeis University and is interested in the human dimensions of wildlife conservation, especially in finding win-win ways to live alongside wildlife.
Matt Kamm

Matthew Kamm

Conservation Outreach Coordinator

Matt’s duties include nest monitoring, turtle tracking, giving educational programs and field trips, and making sure that as many people as possible learn about Zoo New England’s amazing local and international conservation work. As a PhD ornithologist (Tufts University), Matt is learning to appreciate reptiles and amphibians just as much as birds.
Field Conservation Team

John Berkholtz

Senior Field Conservationist

John is primarily responsible for our Blanding’s turtle and spotted turtle conservation projects, and he also leads our marbled salamander headstarting effort. Since 1992 he has been in the animal care field, working as a Keeper and Senior Keeper at Zoo New England and the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York City. Working in AZA zoos has given John a strong appreciation for the importance of public outreach and zoo’s active role in wildlife conservation.
Field Conservation Team

Cara McElroy

Research Associate

Cara received a BS in Zoology from Auburn University and earned a Masters in Ecology from the University of Georgia and is primarily responsible for crunching datasets and writing scientific reports. Cara also teaches many of our school programs. When she’s not in class or running our data analysis, she’s equally likely to be plunging through the swamps. If you want to talk sports or catch up on the latest pop-culture references, Cara is your best bet.
Field Conservation Team

Julie Lisk

Field Conservationist

Julie is a hugely dedicated and talented field scientist with a nose for turtles! Julie runs our eastern box turtle project, and there’s no one better at finding box turtles in the state (she even regularly beats our turtle-sniffing dog to the punch.) Julie also hatches many of our turtle eggs at her home, and turtles headstarted at Julie’s house grow up to be gourmands, and are treated to the finest wild mushrooms, slugs, and cantaloupe.
Field Conservation Team

James Welch

Field Biologist

Jimmy is our newest team member, but already outpaces all of us in turtle tracking skill and speed. He graduated from the University of New England with a degree in animal behavior and environmental science. He has worked with birds, prairie dogs, sea turtles, freshwater turtles, snakes, and more.