Every spring, our Field Conservation Department welcomes seasonal staff to our team! These emerging conservationists are already out radio tracking turtles and leading school students on turtle release field trips. Their hard work and enthusiasm are essential in helping us carry out our mission during the busy field season.
Marie-Sophie Rohwäder – Wood Turtle Field Technician
Hi, my name is Marie-Sophie Rohwäder, and I am thrilled to be this year’s Wood Turtle Field Technician with the Zoo New England’s Field Conservation Department. I recently completed my degree in Biodiversity Research and Ecological Modeling at the University of Potsdam in Germany and have since relocated with my family to Watertown, Massachusetts. I am extremely excited to roam New England’s wetlands and get to know its diverse species, with a particular focus on the local turtle populations. After spending several years simulating animal movement in fragmented habitats for my research, I am happy to be back in the field collecting primary data. I look forward to studying the wood turtles’ space and habitat use and joining the team’s research to shed light on wood turtle predation. On my weekends, I love to explore Massachusetts whether on foot, by bike, or in a kayak. I am also deeply committed to local habitat stewardship and spend my time volunteering for The Trustees of Reservations and serving on my town’s Conservation Commission. I am looking forward to a fantastic season in the field!
Fiona Rogers – Biologist Educator
Hi! My name is Fiona and I’m excited to be the Seasonal Biologist Educator working with Blanding’s, spotted, and wood turtles this summer. I’ve loved working at Stone Zoo with the Park Services team over the past winter, and now I’m excited to get out into our wetlands to start leading field trips with students releasing their Headstart turtles! As a passionate naturalist from New England with a background in outdoor education with Mass Audubon, I’m pleased to join ZNE’s Conservation Team working with the wildlife of Massachusetts. When I’m not out in the field you’ll find me enjoying traditional folkloric music and dance in my free time, or crafting giant puppets.
Katie Kelly – Biologist Educator
Hello! My name is Katie and I am one of this season’s Biologist Educators. I am currently studying biology at the University of Massachusetts Boston. I grew up in Dorchester, and in my sophomore year of high school began working and volunteering through the Zoo Teens program. I have been involved with the zoo ever since! As someone who once participated in HATCH (pictured is my headstart Mr. Worldwide), it is super exciting to get to bring that moment full circle by going out in the field. I am thrilled to have this opportunity and am excited to learn more this summer!
Keller Smith – Box Turtle Field Technician
Hello! My name is Keller Smith, and I am this year’s New Hampshire Box Turtle Field Technician. I recently graduated from Eckerd College in St Petersburg, Florida with a degree in biology. During my time there I participated in numerous research projects, many of which involved turtles and tortoises. From snorkeling for musk turtles, setting traps for alligator snapping turtles, and diving headfirst into gopher tortoise burrows, I thoroughly enjoyed my time living in one of the most turtle diverse regions in the world! I am excited to be back home to continue my involvement with turtle conservation studying the imperiled species we have in New England. Beyond turtles, I have assisted in surveys for eastern indigo snakes and eastern hognose snakes, as well as interned in the herpetology department of the American Museum of Natural History. Outside of fieldwork and research I enjoy hiking, camping, and thrifting. I look forward to an amazing season in the field helping to better understand and protect the eastern box turtle!
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