by Dr. Lisa Ferguson, Director of Research and Conservation
This summer we are lucky to have two Research Assistants adding to projects in our Coastal Bird and Diamondback Terrapin programs. They each bring experience and energy that is helping our team get all the good work done!
Christine Albrecht, a recent graduate from Stockton University, is building on her studies in Environmental Science and Wildlife Management and enthusiasm for wildlife conservation by joining our Coastal Bird Program. Christine said it best: “Growing up in Cape May County, I can remember going on field trips in elementary school to The Wetlands Institute and being mesmerized with everything that it encompasses. This organization and its passion for research, conservation, and education, is one of the reasons why I have fallen in love with the natural sciences field. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work as the Coastal Bird Research Assistant, and it feels so full circle and so surreal. Working closely with birds has always been a dream of mine and now I get to fulfill that dream working with The Wetlands Institute!”
Sarah Broadway, a graduate from Colorado State University, brings her passion for turtle ecology and conservation and her varied experience studying herpetofauna to our diamondback terrapin and Eastern box turtle projects. Sarah shared: “Since receiving my Bachelor’s degree, I’ve held various seasonal positions and worked in many different environments, ranging from the high desert of central Oregon to the longleaf pine savanna of southern Georgia, and now the wetlands of southern New Jersey! I’ve assisted in the monitoring of six different turtle species across the eastern US, but none of them are quite like the diamondback terrapin. I’m so excited to learn more about these turtles, and all the species that inhabit this beautiful and unique ecosystem! This opportunity is a great way for me to gain a better understanding of wetland ecology and conservation.”
Research Assistants Sarah Broadway & Christine Albrecht preparing to repair terrapin fencing