As part of the American Conservation Experience (ACE), Jacob Baker from Mechanicsville, Va., will be assisting biological science technician Avery Renshaw at J.N. “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Fla., through mid-November this year as a wildlife monitoring member.
ACE, a nonprofit organization that helps recent graduates and those interested in environmental fieldwork, connects and finds internships with organizations such as the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
“For the most part at ‘Ding’ Darling, I set out cameras to monitor marsh rat species and assist with rookery bird surveys, restoration project planning, and many other aspects of the biology research, both on and off refuge,” said Baker.
He graduated from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va., in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies. Baker comes to the refuge from the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana where he worked on a wild turkey research project for Louisiana State University.
“I really appreciate the habitat and wildlife of Sanibel Island,” Baker said. “So many of these species are completely new to me. In particular, I find the mangrove hammocks fascinating, both in terms of their natural beauty, but also how they function as part of a broader aquatic ecosystem.”
ABOUT DDWS
As a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, DDWS works to support J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge’s mission of conservation, wildlife and habitat protection, research, and public education through charitable donations and Refuge Nature Shop profits. To support DDWS and the refuge with a tax-deductible gift, visit dingdarlingsociety.org or Ann-Marie Wildman at 239-789-8991 or [email protected].
