Please join NERRA in welcoming Rookery Bay’s new Research Coordinator, Jay Black, to the family!

Jay received her M.S. in Biology from Purdue University and has worked across a variety of projects, allowing her to get up close and personal with some of her favorite creatures. She’s tracked snakes through pine forest, walked hundreds of miles of beaches looking for nesting sea turtles, canoed through lakes and wetlands to discover the spatial use of freshwater turtles, and spent countless hours boating and canoeing through estuaries searching for crocodiles.

And how does she feel about working at the Reserve? “It’s a childhood dream come true,” says Jay.

Jay’s research has provided the opportunity for her to meet community members and listen to their stories about protecting the environment, showing her the effects of climate change firsthand. 

“I’ve created studies to spread that knowledge, while getting to know individuals involved in all levels of conservation, even if it’s just loving the areas they hold dear,” says Jay. “I look forward to continuing to be involved in environmental studies and protection at the Reserve.”