Meet #ScienceWoman Julie Devers

Our #ScienceWoman campaign kicked off during Women’s History Month, and we’re going to keep on rolling! We’re looking forward by honoring women across the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and female conservationists who are making history in our agency and in conservation. With each #ScienceWoman, we’ll share a photo and a couple questions and answers about her work. Stay tuned for more posts later this week honoring Hurricane Sandy Women in Science.

Meet science woman Julie Devers, a fisheries biologist at the Maryland Fisheries Resource Office.

Julie studied Fisheries and Wildlife Science at Virginia Tech. Her thesis research compared the condition of freshwater mussels in the wild to those held in captivity at White Sulpher Springs National Fish Hatchery.

Q. What’s your favorite part of working for the service? A. The people that I have met.  I enjoy meeting new FWS employees and partners who are making a difference in the conservation of coastal and freshwater species through new and innovative approaches.  I am constantly impressed by the dedication and creativity that people bring to the field of conservation.

Q. What’s your favorite species and why? A. I have to pick a group of species: freshwater mussels.  Each species has unique and incredible adaptations that allow them to survive in streams and rivers and provide important ecosystem services.  Many freshwater mussel species have overcome incredible odds, including sedimentation, industrial pollution, overharvesting and dams, to persist in stabilizing stream beds and filtering our nation’s fresh water.

See more #ScienceWoman profiles.

Meet #ScienceWoman Daffny Pitchford

Celebrate Women’s History Month with us! This year, we’re looking forward by honoring women across the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and female conservationists who are making history in our agency and in conservation. With each #ScienceWoman, we’ll share a photo and a couple questions and answers about her work. Stay tuned for posts throughout the month! Meet Daffny Pitchford, our refuge manager at the Potomac River National Wildlife Refuge Complex. She earned her degree at North Carolina Central University, where she studied biology.

Daffny considers Mamie Parker, former Regional Director of the Northeast, as one of her conservation heroes. “Her encouragement and wise words are always remembered on those busy days,” says Daffny.

Daffny became interested in nature and “all things wild” when she was young. Her and her father would often explore her backyard or go fishing in nearby creeks. She says her “favorite times as a youngster were spent either up a tree or in a creek catching frogs and crayfish.”

Her favorite species is the cardinal, because it was easy to identify as a child. Also, it’s the state bird of her home state, North Carolina.

Tune in again for more #ScienceWoman posts later this month!