Today we’re honoring New England Field Office’s Susi von Oettingen, an endangered species biologist who is making history in our agency and in conservation. Below, Susi shares what she loves about working for the Service and those that inspire her.
Susi studied biology and botany as an undergrad at the College of William and Mary, and studied wildlife management in grad school at the University of Massachusetts. If you can’t find her along the New England coast working with roseate terns, piping plover and northeastern beach tiger beetles, she’s probably counting bats in summer roosts and winter hibernacula. Susi splits her time working with partners to support these and other threatened and endangered species. She assists and consults with federal and state agencies, environmental organizations and private landowners to protect and recover New England’s protected wildlife.
Q. Who is your favorite hero? A. “Mollie Beattie is my ‘official’ female conservation hero, no doubt about it. But I have lots more!” Susi says. “I work with a host of outstanding women biologists in the Northeast Region’s endangered species program and refuges. All of these women are my conservation heroes, too.”
Q. What’s your favorite thing about working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service? A. I love working with the Service because of the opportunity to meet and work with the most extraordinary people. The dedicated and passionate biologists, landowners and conservation minded citizens with whom I work inspire me to keep plugging away at my job.
Q. If you could have one incredible animal adaptation, what would it be? A. I would love wings like a peregrine falcon so I could soar over wildlife refuges and watch plover chicks hatch and terns feed their young, and observe rare plants while never leaving a mark on the habitat.
