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 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.

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’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.

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.

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.

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.

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.