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.

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 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

A New Way to Stay Ahead of Predators
After we release our headstarted turtles back to the wild, we don’t just cross our fingers and hope for the best. We track several released individuals every year to collect information on how they adjust to their wild lives and … Continued

It’s a mouse! It’s a rat! It’s a…solenodon?
By Peter Zahler, Director of Field Conservation It’s not a mouse. It’s not a rat. In fact, it’s not a rodent, not even a little bit. It’s not a shrew, either. It has poisonous saliva like a viper, and glands … Continued

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

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