Type “butterfly” into Etsy, and a kaleidoscope of color flutters across the screen. Delicate wings captured in art, jewelry and vibrant décor sell for $5 to over $50. Pinned behind glass, real butterflies sit motionless in display boxes, sold by the dozens as decorative curiosities. But it’s the murky underworld behind the beauty that recently drew federal attention, as authorities charged a butterfly smuggler who trafficked rare and endangered species and sold them on eBay, Etsy and other online marketplaces. Charles Limmer pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle wildlife. He had directed overseas conspirators to falsely label imported insect and butterfly shipments as decorative wall coverings, origami paper craft and wall decorations to smuggle them into the country. The species involved included 2,400 endangered butterflies from the Solomon Islands protected under CITES, an international treaty regulating trade in endangered species. In a press release, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced that Limmer was sentenced to two years of home confinement and a $5,500 fine. He forfeited 17,000 butterflies valued at more than $200,000.
When Hurricane Helene hit the Asheville area in September 2024, JJ Apodaca was stuck without power for several weeks and had no water for nearly three months. But heavy on his mind was the fate of a salamander species he and his colleagues had just described a few years before that lived in the nearby Hickory Nut Gorge. Surveys had only revealed a couple dozen populations of the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander, which is sensitive to minute changes in temperature driven by the loss of tree cover—a common occurrence during tropical storms.
Landslides and tree falls had destroyed or blocked the roads to Hickory Nut Gorge, but a GIS expert ran models on the hurricane’s path of devastation, and things looked grim for the area that represented the salamander’s entire distribution.
About a month after the storm, Apodaco and his team finally got a drone into the air, and the images, like the one above, confirmed their worst fears. “Immediately we realized that it was a total loss,” said Apodaca, a TWS member and the executive director of the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy (ARC). They would have to rescue the population—as much of it as they could find, at least.
Apodaca led the team that first described the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander (Aneides caryaensis) scientifically in 2019. These salamanders, formerly considered to be the same species as other green salamanders (A. aeneus), are only found in their namesake gorge. There are only about 20 to 25 populations, and some of these are so small they only consist of a few individuals. The ARC estimates only 300 to 500 exist in the wild, based on years of sampling and population modeling. “Their total range size is a tenth the size of Disney World,” Apodaca said.
The species is currently under review for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act due to a shortage of habitat. They typically live in steep, rocky, cliff-like areas with good tree cover. “When they are in their crevices, they look just like moss on rocks—they are a completely beautiful salamander,” Apodaca said. Any loss of tree cover or damage to the cliffside can alter the local temperature, making it unsuitable for the amphibians.
So when Hurricane Helene hit the area, Apodaca and his colleagues feared the worst. It was late spring 2025 by the time a team from the ARC and its partners finally got into the area with a team of safety and rescue staff. “We had to basically go straight up this mountain that was a complete tangle of trees,” Apodaca said.
They began collecting individual salamanders—on the first trip they found just a pair. Over eight trips they collected 15 individuals, including four females with eggs, which they have brought to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro—but it wasn’t easy. The U.S. Department of Transportation had to rebuild part of the road, and the team had to cross a newly formed river channel and pick its way through poison ivy, boulders and other debris. The hurricane had uprooted trees and caused landslides throughout the area.
It’s difficult to say what happened to this population, which before the storm was the second largest, with about 10% of the estimated total number for the species. The area is a permanently protected site run by the Nature Conservancy, but the destruction means it’s unlikely to be suitable for many salamanders again in the near future. “We have no way of knowing how many we lost,” Apodaca said, adding that two other smaller populations also disappeared.
In the zoo, the new captive population is doing well. “They are all gaining weight and getting healthy,” Apodaca said.
For now, the partners are going to work on establishing a breeding colony at the zoo as an insurance population. While Hurricane Helene was a rare occurrence, Apodaca said that rainstorms in general have been getting more severe, causing landslides in the steep areas that Hickory Nut Gorge green salamanders prefer. “In some ways, it is a freak accident, but it’s becoming more the norm,” Apodaca said. “We’re seeing huge rainfall events that never occurred before.”
In the future, the researchers hope to find viable habitat to reintroduce the salamander. “We’re going to try to establish a breeding colony, and within the next year or two or three years, we are going to start searching for viable habitat and plan for long-term reintroductions,” Apodaca said. “We can no longer feel good about a couple of sites under state protection or land trust.”
This photo essay is part of an occasional series from The Wildlife Society featuring photos and video images of wildlife taken with camera traps and other equipment. Check out other entries in the series here. If you’re working on an interesting camera trap research project or one that has a series of good photos you’d like to share, email Joshua Rapp Learn at jlearn@wildlife.org.
I was born and raised in Brazil near the Pantanal, the largest contiguous freshwater wetland in the world. My first memory of this unique landscape dates back to when I was three years old, visiting my godfather’s lodge and cattle ranch in the Northern Pantanal. What began as a childhood visit quickly turned into a tradition. During school breaks and holidays, I would return to the lodge to assist with cattle ranching and tours at the lodge. These visits shaped my upbringing and how I came to understand my relationship with nature.
As I grew older, I gained an official role at the lodge. Having learned English, I assisted with wildlife observations, supporting tour guides on hikes, canoeing, horseback riding and other activities. In between working with tour groups, I would take a day off to immerse myself in the Pantanal. During that time, I ventured to the farthest reaches of the 7,000-acre property by horseback to find wildlife to photograph and observe. I recall encountering peccaries, vermillion flycatchers (Pyrocephalus obscurus), jabiru storks (Jabiru mycteria), ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) and giant otters (Pteronura Brasiliensis). Each encounter reinforced my love for the Pantanal’s biodiversity and deepened my appreciation for its natural wonders and traditions. These experiences sparked a burning passion that made me want to dedicate my life to its conservation.
Credit: CAFLS
Initially, I believed the best path was to become a tour guide. It felt like the perfect way to stay connected to the Pantanal while supporting conservation. I intended to study animal science in college to strengthen my chances of becoming a competitive guide. Yet, in the winter of 2017, everything changed when a tour group of senior ecologists from the U.S. arrived at the lodge. What transpired during the following weeks was a pivotal moment that made me want to become an ecologist. Over two weeks, I accompanied them on hikes, canoe trips and safaris. In return for sharing my love and knowledge of the Pantanal, they shared their love of ecology.
I was still green to this type of science, with little more than curiosity and a love for nature, but their insights changed everything. They asked questions about the Pantanal’s ecology that I had never considered. One late afternoon, as we hiked together, one of them asked me, “If you were a trained ecologist, what would you do?”
That question resonated with me. I realized I did not want just to guide others through the Pantanal; I wanted to study it and protect it through science. I told them I wanted to be a wetland ecologist, focusing on wildlife, soils, hydrology and forestry. My answer made their eyes light up, and with their support and encouragement, my academic journey in the U.S. began.
Aruã Y. de Castro Ferreira knee-deep in mud while delineating a wetland for his summer field experience as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Courtesy of Aruã Y. de Castro Ferreira
Reflecting on the Caribbean Heritage Month, I feel privileged to have met the right people at the right time. I know many other Latinos share the same desire to conserve areas like the Pantanal but may not yet have had the opportunity. I want to continue advancing research that contributes to the management and conservation of wetlands, and I want to open the door for others. One day, I aspire to lead a research lab, where I can mentor and inspire students, just as I was once inspired.
Wildlife Vocalizations is a collection of short personal perspectives from people in the field of wildlife sciences. Learn more aboutWildlife Vocalizations, and read other contributions.
Submit your story for Wildlife Vocalizations or nominate your peers and colleagues to encourage them to share their story.
The Wildlife Society has award fellowships to 10 wildlife professionals for 2025. The Wildlife Society gives TWS Fellows Awards each year to individuals who have “distinguished themselves through exceptional service” to the profession and have been members of the Society for at least 10 years.
Larissa Bailey is an associate professor at Colorado State University whose research has advanced amphibian conservation. She has co-authored over 120 publications and the influential book Occupancy Estimation and Modeling and has been the de facto science advisor to the Southern Rocky Mountain Boreal Toad Conservation Team for close to two decades. A dedicated mentor, Bailey has guided dozens of students and professionals across academia and wildlife agencies. She is also a board member of the Biometrics Working Group and faculty advisor to the Colorado State University Student Chapter. Bailey has previously been awarded the Biometrics Working Group’s Award of Excellence and the Douglas L. Gilbert Award for Outstanding Achievements in Wildlife Science from the Colorado Chapter.
Alex Beatty
Alex Beatty is the Liard Regional Biologist for the Yukon Government, based out of Watson Lake, Yukon. Beatty primarily focuses on monitoring fish and wildlife species that are locally harvested, including large mammals and freshwater fish. This work also includes assisting in co-management planning for key species with Yukon First Nations. As an undergraduate, she served as the vice president and webmaster for the University of Alberta Student Chapter. After graduating, Beatty joined the executive board for the Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife Society, where she held multiple leadership roles, including secretary-treasurer and president. Following her participation in the TWS Leadership Institute Class of 2023, Beatty is now the president of the Canadian Section of TWS.
Jeffrey Beck
Jeffrey Beck is a professor of wildlife habitat restoration ecology at the University of Wyoming. His award-winning research on sage-grouse ecology has influenced state and federal policy, including the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s final Resource Management Plan for the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). A prolific mentor, he has guided 18 graduate students as their primary advisor. He’s collaborated with a wide range of stakeholders and developed research projects resulting in 125 publications, 32 of which were published in TWS journals. In 2024, his Wildlife Monograph on greater sage-grouse response to sagebrush reduction treatments received the award for best monograph by the TWS Publication Awards. Since his days as an undergraduate, Beck has been involved in TWS, including the Rangeland Wildlife Working Group for nearly two decades and reviewing 23 manuscript submissions to TWS journals.
James Cain
James Cain is the Unit Leader of the U.S. Geological Survey’s New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and an affiliate professor at New Mexico State University. His research includes the effects of fire on ungulates and carnivores, desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) lambing and foraging, Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) reintroduction and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) migration. He also serves on the local project action committee of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the advisory board of the Habitat Stamp Program Citizen Advisory Committee. He has authored over 78 peer-reviewed publications, secured over $8 million in research funding and received 17 awards, fellowships and scholarships. Cain has served in various capacities within TWS, including president of both the New Mexico Chapter and Southwest Section. Most recently, he helped plan the Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona and New Mexico Chapters and is actively involved in collaborations with TWS’ Mexico Chapter.
John Eadie
John Eadie is a distinguished professor at the University of California, Davis, and the D.G. Raveling Chair of Waterfowl Biology Emeritus. During his tenure, he has taught thousands of students with a focus on immersive field and lab experiences and researched wetlands, waterfowl and cavity-nesting ducks. His work resulted in 130 peer-reviewed publications that have been cited more than 6,000 times. Eadie was also the only U.S. academic that was invited to help implement the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, serving on a Joint Task Group whose mission was to link harvest and habitat management in establishing conservation goals for North American waterfowl. Eadie also advised the UC Davis Student Chapter for nearly 10 years and served as an associate editor for The Journal of Wildlife Management and Wildlife Society Bulletin from 2004 to 2005.
Kelly Fitzgerald-Holland
Kelly Fitzgerald-Holland is a senior wildlife biologist and environmental compliance expert at GEI Consultants in Sacramento, where she leads the biological resources team. She specializes in facilitating federal and state Endangered Species Act consultations, conducting impact analyses and assisting with habitat mitigation planning. Before working at GEI, she spent four years working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, conducting Endangered Species Act consultations and assisting with critical habitat designations and species reviews. She has also served in the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the Peace Corps. From 2019 to 2022, Fitzgerald-Holland served as the president of the Western Section. She has also served as the Conservation Affairs Committee Chair and Ombudsperson Program ad hoc Chair for the Western Section. She is the current co-chair of the TWS Certification Review Board.
Tyler Harms
Tyler Harms is a wildlife research biometrician for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, where he guides research, analysis and modeling to inform harvest management of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Iowa. He is very active in the community, serving as executive director of Iowa Young Birders since 2014, an organization that fosters youth engagement in ornithology. Harms has held leadership roles with the Iowa Ornithologists’ Union, served as a board member for a chapter of Pheasants Forever, and volunteered on other conservation and outreach programs. A 2015 TWS Leadership Institute alumnus, he is an active mentor within TWS. He also served as president of the Iowa Chapter and North Central Section.
Robert Lonsinger
Robert Lonsinger is a federal research wildlife biologist and an Assistant Unit Leader of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. He also serves as an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Oklahoma State University. His research focuses on applying quantitative methods to study carnivore ecology and predator-prey dynamics. An active TWS member over the last two decades, Lonsinger was one of the founding members of the Molecular Ecology Working Group and is actively engaged in other working groups. He is currently the faculty advisor to the Oklahoma State University Student Chapter and routinely brings his students to TWS conferences. A strong mentor, eight of Lonsinger’s students have received TWS awards or grants for their achievements. He has also served as an associate editor for the Wildlife Society Bulletin for the past five years.
Garth Mowat
Garth Mowat is the Large Carnivore Specialist for the Province of British Columbia and an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. He researches population dynamics of terrestrial carnivores, including brown bears (Ursus arctos), wolves (Canis lupus) and cougars (Puma concolor). An early adopter of genetic tools in wildlife research, Mowat conducted some of the earliest DNA-based grizzly bear estimates in western Canada. With 56 peer-reviewed publications—including 12 in TWS journals—he received the 2018 Journal Article of the Year Award for his research on human-grown fruit creating a death trap for grizzly bears. He has also served in leadership positions in the Canadian Section of TWS and the British Columbia Chapter since their inceptions. He was vice president of the Canadian Section and has been an active volunteer throughout the organizations.
Paige Schmidt
Paige Schmidt works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Headquarters in Science Applications and the Native American Program, where she serves as the Indigenous Knowledge Coordinator. In her current role, she evaluates how the USFWS provides financial assistance to Tribes. She has also played a key role in developing government-wide Indigenous Knowledge training and advancing Indigenous data sovereignty in natural resource policy and practice. Schmidt, who is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoma, has served in numerous leadership positions within the Native Peoples’ Wildlife Management Working Group and focused on increasing the number of Indigenous wildlife biologists. She has held additional leadership roles within TWS, including as an associate editor of the Wildlife Society Bulletin and member of the Editorial Advisory Board for The Wildlife Professional for more than a decade.
The Wildlife Society has submitted formal comments opposing key elements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed reorganization plan, citing insufficient information, potential impacts to conservation professionals, and threats to science-based natural resource management.
In August 2025, the USDA released its reorganization proposal (SM 1078-015), emphasizing cost reduction and administrative efficiency through consolidation of regional offices and research facilities. However, as TWS noted in its comments, the plan contains significant gaps in implementation details. This lack of detail makes it nearly impossible for stakeholders to meaningfully evaluate the proposal. As TWS noted, bypassing established Federal Register processes in favor of email submissions removes all transparency from the review process.
TWS members, whose comments were compiled into the Society’s final submission, provided feedback highlighting how the proposal would impact conservation programs implemented by the U.S. Forest Service in particular.
“The Forest Service’s network of forest research labs is renowned worldwide for its critical delivery of science focused on forest systems, biodiversity, and conservation of wildlife habitat. Much of this research has been, and continues to be, implemented across years and decades. The consolidation of research stations and elimination of regional infrastructure could significantly impair the Forest Service’s ability to conduct place-based research and provide essential knowledge to management recommendations tailored to local ecosystems and conditions.”
TWS comments to the USDA also highlight broader concerns about the devaluing of skilled conservation professionals and the lack of prioritization of science in agency decision-making. The loss of regional USDA staff resulting from the proposed reorganization could undermine scientific input in land management decisions affecting millions of acres of public lands and the wildlife they support. TWS provided several specific recommendations to the USDA before proceeding with reorganization, including maintaining the regional research infrastructure of the Forest Service, conducting a thorough impact assessment to identify potential impacts to wildlife and habitat conservation, and supporting a thorough and transparent stakeholder review process.
The Wildlife Professional is an exclusive benefit of membership in The Wildlife Society. Published six times annually, the magazine presents timely research news and analysis of trends in the wildlife profession.
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In the Athabasca oil sands region in the boreal forests and wetlands of northeasten Alberta, oil and gas companies are exploring the area for those commodities. But in doing so, they are altering the ecosystem. In the September/October issue of The Wildlife Professional, we explore how seismic lines are opening spaces for traveling wolves, who opportunistically eat caribou who are on the decline. We also delve into how tailings ponds, where waste ends up from the oil extraction process, can be a detriment to migratory birds that land on the water.
Our special focus for this issue examines urban wildlife conservation. Articles focus on using technologies like cell phone apps and social media for wildlife conservation in cities, gardens acting as sanctuaries in urban areas, an endangered mouse dealing with the challenges of city living and much more.
Watch for the issue in your mailbox, or log in and check it out online.
The Trump administration is seeking to rescind a rule that dictates public land use, removing an emphasis on conservation to support “responsible energy development,” ranching, grazing, timber production and recreation.
“The previous administration’s Public Lands Rule had the potential to block access to hundreds of thousands of acres of multiple-use land—preventing energy and mineral production, timber management, grazing and recreation across the West,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in a recent press release on the proposed rescission. “The most effective caretakers of our federal lands are those whose livelihoods rely on its well-being. Overturning this rule protects our American way of life and gives our communities a voice in the land that they depend on.”
The Public Lands Rule aimed to put conservation on equal footing with other types of land use, like livestock grazing, oil and gas drilling, mining on U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands and recreation. “As pressure on our public lands continues to grow, the proposed Public Lands Rule provides a path for the BLM to better focus on the health of the landscape, ensuring that our decisions leave our public lands as good or better off than we found them,” said Biden administration-era BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning in 2023 when the Public Lands Rule was first proposed. The rule was intended to protect the most intact and functional landscapes and restore degraded habitat.
The Wildlife Society has played a key role in shaping and supporting the Public Lands Rule. TWS CEO Ed Arnett was nominated for, and selected to serve on, an advisory committee that would have guided decisions on implementing the rule. But that advisory committee was disbanded by the current administration earlier this year. TWS submitted formal comments during the development of the rule guided by the expertise of the Rangeland Wildlife and Habitat Restoration Working Groups. Those comments supported the use of conservation leases to restore and enhance public lands and emphasized that conservation is compatible with other land uses. Additionally, The Wildlife Society signed on to comments led by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership alongside several hunting, fishing, and habitat conservation organizations and professional societies, expressing broad support for the rulemaking and offering recommendations for the effective implementation of conservation leases.
The Trump administration’s proposed changes to this rule state that the BLM exceeded its statutory authority by “placing an outsized priority on conservation or no-use at the expense of multiple-use access.” The press release states that the new proposal will restore the BLM to fulfilling its legal mandate.
The administration is accepting public comments on the proposed rescission until Nov. 10, 2025.
TWS members interested in providing feedback to inform TWS’ engagement with this rulemaking are encouraged to do so via policy@wildlife.org. Section and chapter members can also reach out to their unit’s Conservation Affairs Committee to support local engagement with this issue.
This is the first time the Tarleton Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society has won this award, but it’s well-deserved, said Heather Mathewson, an associate professor at the university and the chapter advisor.
“We structure our activities and our events around The Wildlife Society’s mission and goals because we represent The Wildlife Society,” Mathewson said, adding that the chapter partners with entities like the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the East Foundation and the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation to get students doing fieldwork, like habitat restoration, bird-banding, deer capture and reptile surveys. The student chapter also provides plenty of hunting and fishing opportunities, including mentored hunts for first-timers. They also offer opportunities for first-time hikers.
“They provide a lot of opportunities for students who are often first-timers on something,” Mathewson said. “They just really create opportunities with the diversity of their membership in mind.”
Chloe Delahoussaye, chapter president of the 2024-2025 school year, said that a major focus for the chapter is to give members skills that put them ahead when they graduate. Finding out what their members want, whether that means mentorship, fieldwork or other perks, is a very important part of their work.
“It gears people up to want to do more and keep going,” Delahoussaye said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is beginning the process to repeal the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule by issuing a notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and beginning rulemaking on the management of roadless areas in the National Forest System. Written comments on the scope of issues that should be evaluated are due by September 19, 2025, with a proposed rule, draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and associated public comment period expected by March 2026.
The 2001 Roadless Rule restricts road construction, reconstruction and timber harvest on about 44.7 million acres of inventoried roadless areas, except where state-specific rules exist. At the time of final rulemaking, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service recognized the restricted practices as having “the greatest likelihood of altering and fragmenting landscapes, resulting in immediate, long-term loss of roadless area values and characteristics.”
If the rule is fully rescinded, decisions about road building and logging in these areas would shift to local forest officials and be guided by individual forest land management plans. The notice of intent explicitly states that eventual rulemaking will remove the Tongass National Forest in Alaska from the 2001 Roadless Rule, following Executive Order 14153, which aims to boost resource development in the state.
Janice Gardner, the executive director of Sageland Collaborative and a tireless advocate for wildlife, has received the Jim McDonough Award for her contributions to the state of Utah and across the Intermountain West.
The award is an annual recognition created in honor of Jim McDonough, who has been a leader in the Northeast Section and New England Chapter for many years. Like Gardner, the award winners must be members of TWS—both the national organization and the local chapter where they live—as well as Certified Wildlife Biologists®. Award winners are recognized for involvement in the Society as well as being a “true professional.”
“I am beyond grateful to The Wildlife Society for recognizing our community because it is so important we celebrate the wins in our work,” Gardner said. “I feel honored to receive the Jim McDonough Award and be part of an impressive list of other wildlife professionals who have received this recognition.”
Janice Gardner poses while planting native plants at the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation’s Wuda Owga restoration site in Idaho. Credit: Sierra Hastings
Gardner has worked in the field of natural resources for more than two decades, including a stint as an environmental consultant. During this time, she helped to conserve the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) lek in Henfer, Utah, from development and helped residents around Salt Lake City’s Miller Park ensure that nesting and breeding birds would not be disturbed by ongoing restoration work. She’s also served on the board of directors at Great Salt Lake Audubon.
In her current role at Sageland Collaborative, she launched the Riverscape Restoration program that heals riparian systems and reintroduces beavers (Castor canadensis); the Rosy-Finch Project, a multi-state effort including community science surveys to study the elusive alpine bird; and the Intermountain West Shorebird Survey, a monitoring program that monitors critical habitat for migratory birds at Great Salt Lake and beyond.
“There is no single individual in the state of Utah more qualified for this honor, as Janice’s distinguished service to wildlife conservation has been felt by everyone that works in this sector,” said Austin Green, a conservation biologist at Sageland Collaborative, in his nomination letter for Gardner. Nomination letters also poured in from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Great Salt Lake Audubon and Utah’s Hogle Zoo touting her strong yet empathetic leadership skills and commitment to inclusivity in wildlife management and conservation.
Janice Gardner surveys for shorebirds through a monoscope at Great Salt Lake as part of the Intermountain West Shorebird Survey. Credit: Sierra Hastings
Gardner has been involved in TWS since her undergraduate days when she was a part of the University of New Hampshire’s student chapter. TWS left a lasting impression on her and helped her develop her professional identity as a wildlifer. “I am deeply invested in keeping the profession we love strong because our wildlife and lands need us,” Gardner said. “I encourage us all to support The Wildlife Society because of how they are supporting our hard work in return.”
For Gardner, one of the many highlights of her job is the people she works with. While working in conservation can be challenging—and the setbacks often discouraging—having positive and uplifting collaborators motivates her to keep fighting to protect the natural world. “I am grateful that I work with an organization and team that invests in appreciating each other, through achievements big and small,” she said. “I am thrilled when I can uplift my peers in the community, and I am so humbled they nominated me for the Jim McDonough Award.”
