New policy intern joins TWS government affairs team

TWS recently welcomed its spring 2024 Joe Burns Memorial Policy intern, Hannah Henry.

Hannah Henry was born and raised in Orlando, Florida and spent her early career studying diverse ecosystems at the University of Florida (UF). While at UF, Henry worked on research and conservation projects for several species, such as green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and the St. Vincent Amazon parrot (Amazona guildingii). Henry spent her senior summer with the Florida International University Tropical Conservation Institute in the Caribbean archipelago of St. Vincent and the Grenadines researching endangered species conservation. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from UF in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology and conservation.

Throughout her career, Henry has worked at multiple conservation organizations, including the Sea Turtle Conservancy, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Texas A&M Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies. She is currently a master’s student in Natural Resources at the Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment where she researches wildlife policy like the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act in industries around coastal Alabama. She is passionate about creating successful conservation solutions that suit many stakeholders’ needs.

Henry aspires to make a tangible impact on policy and management decisions, enhancing conservation efforts and the well-being of those directly engaged with natural resources. She hopes to develop these interests further with The Wildlife Society. Outside of work, Henry is an avid outdoorswoman who enjoys hunting, fishing, scuba diving and skiing.

During her internship, Hannah will track policies that impact wildlife and wildlife professionals, and engage in coalition meetings, legislative hearings and agency briefings. Through this internship she will have the opportunity to enhance TWS policy resources and assist in writing policy briefs to engage TWS members, as well as write articles about wildlife policy developments for www.wildlife.org.

Stay tuned as Hannah Henry embarks on this exciting journey, contributing to positive impacts in the field of wildlife policy!

The Joe Burns Memorial Wildlife Policy Internship helps advance TWS policy priorities and provides professional experience to students and recent graduates looking to expand their network and expertise. The program is named in honor of one of TWS’ first policy interns, Joe Burns. Burns devoted his career to federal service and spent over 20 years working on behalf of conservation programming within the U.S. Forest Service. Visit wildlife.org/policy to learn more about the program and current offerings.