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.
Zanzibar: Day 6
Today we were supposed to teach science and conservation topics to children, but some large cracks had formed in the tubing to the school’s main water supply, so the priority was shifted to fixing it. We spent the afternoon digging … Continued
Hatchlings Head to School
It’s back-to-school season, and not just for kids! This year, we are raising over 100 threatened Blanding’s, wood, and spotted turtles in more than 30 Massachusetts schools. Classes give these hatchlings a “head start”, helping them to grow bigger and stronger before releasing them … Continued
Zanzibar: Day 6
Today was a long day, but it was quite fun! I first worked at a local plant nursery doing some weeding, planting palms in pots, and organizing their stock. It was an impressive nursery. I saw tons of butterflies here, … Continued
Zanzibar: Day 5
Today we started out by weeding a local organic garden that contained banana, papayas and eggplant. I noticed some of the plants I weeded out were some we have in New England, including couch grass, lantana, and Asiatic dayflower. It … Continued
Zanzibar: Day 4
Today we hiked to a fruit orchard that’s used by the camp and local community for food. They grow lemon, banana, and papaya saplings, which we helped water this afternoon. It was exhausting work, as there were many trees, only … Continued
Zanzibar: Day 3
Good afternoon! Today was a very busy day. First, we rode bikes to the turtle conservation center to do some work there. We cleaned the green sea turtles’ shells, scrubbing the surface to get the algae off. It was tiring … Continued
Meet the Field Conservation Team!
Bryan Windmiller
Director of Field Conservation
Bryan Windmiller is the Director of Field Conservation at Zoo New England, where he oversees the Zoo’s local wildlife conservation programs and its support of international conservation efforts. Bryan earned a Ph.D. 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. Bryan is an adjunct professor at the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and has taught at several Massachusetts universities.
Emilie Wilder
Field Conservation Program Manager
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 is interested in the human dimensions of wildlife conservation, especially in finding win-win ways to live alongside wildlife.
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. Trained as an ornithologist, Matt is learning to appreciate reptiles and amphibians just as much as birds.
Join us.
If you’re passionate about contributing to the protection of natural treasures right here in New England, we invite you to become a charter member of our new Conservation Society. Roll up your sleeves, and bring the family for a day or evening in the field, or relax and take in expert lectures by our Field Conservation staff and partner organizations.