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.
You pick up a peculiar scent in the marsh today. Delicious, you muse with interest, and the thought sets your turtle-tummy a-rumbling. Bright yellow dots adorn a smooth carapace, and this pretty turtle shell glides just under the surface of … Continued
The Northern Diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is a species of brackish turtle that is native to estuaries and coastal marshes in the southeastern United States. They are active during early spring to summer and hibernate in the colder months. Their … Continued
This suburban ball field is home-base for a small population of wood turtles. The wood turtles live in the woods (of course) and stream nearby, but come up into the lawn next to the ball field to lay their eggs. … Continued
Like all animals, food availability is crucial to the quality of Blanding’s turtle habitat. Particularly for our head started juveniles, a fast growth rate and large shell size is key to avoiding predation. We noticed that some of our sites … Continued
Every summer for five years now, ZNE conservation biologist have wadered up and trekked out into the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University ponds to survey their biodiversity. To learn more about how this collaboration began and our first years of … Continued
For many folks, their introduction to Zoo New England’s Field Conservation Department came with the charming, golden-throated smile of a Blanding’s turtle. In 2003, Dr. Bryan Windmiller and colleagues started studying a small population of this threatened turtle at Great … Continued
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.
Jimmy Welch
Senior Field Conservationist
Jimmy leads on both our Blanding's turtle and Hognose conservation projects, and he is known for his impressive turtle tracking abilities. 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.
Matthew Kamm
Associate Director of Field Conservation
Matt is currently devising, planning, supervising, and executing a research project intended to increase our understanding of the dynamics of mammalian predation on juvenile and adult wood turtles. His goal is to devise methods that may decrease the rate of this predation. As a PhD ornithologist (Tufts University), Matt is learning to appreciate reptiles and amphibians just as much as birds.
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.
Peter Zahler
Director of Field Conservation
Peter has a long history of working around the world on wildlife conservation. He has designed, implemented, and supervised programs on the conservation of large and small mammals (ranging from Amur tigers and snow leopards to grasshopper mice), birds, and reptiles on four continents. He is also a noted expert on helping to build capacity for conservation among local communities. Peter’s current role is focused on helping Zoo New England achieve its vision of becoming a true global conservation leader.
Anna Sorgie
Field Biologist
Anna leads the box turtle and habitat enhancement conservation projects in MA and NH. Anna graduated from University of Rhode Island in 2022 with a Bachelors of Science in wildlife conservation biology. Past projects she has worked on include shorebird monitoring, horseshoe crab sampling, New England Cottontail population studies, and investigating the habitat use and nesting ecology of several early successional bird species.
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.
Kirsten Ward
Conservation Outreach Coordinator
Kirsten'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. Kirsten received an honors in biology from UMass Boston in 2022 and since then has been out on beaches protecting coastal waterbirds, in college lecture halls teaching biology, and now out in the field with us on an enthusiastic mission to share her passion for conservation.
