Programs & Conservation
Animals and wildlife have always been a passion for Jess. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, she was either riding horses or exploring the woods. Jess’s conservation career began during her undergraduate studies at Wilson College, investigating white-nose syndrome in bats and volunteering with the Pennsylvania Game Commission. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Biology in 2015 and immediately attended Antioch University New England to obtain her Master’s in Conservation Biology. Jess’s research focused on conducting the first spatial ecology study for Gulf Coast Box Turtles in the Florida Panhandle where she quickly fell in love with all reptiles and amphibians, dedicating her career to their conservation efforts. Jess has worked primarily in the Northeast, contributing to freshwater turtle status assessments and conservation planning. Jess’s role at ARC is to support all conservation programs and assist in prioritizing and developing new PARCA projects. During her downtime, Jess can be found traveling or hiking in a forest with her cats, Pip and Felix.