The following post was written by Laura Josler, our Winter Research Technician. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Laura made her way to the southeast to attend Eckerd College in Florida, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies. Since then, she has gained research experience through a variety of seasonal positions. Most recently, Laura worked with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources as a Black Rail Research Technician, a role that brought her right here to Nemours for some of her fieldwork!
Lucky for us, Laura was interested in staying in the ACE Basin and joined the Nemours team in September. She’ll spend much of this fall and winter helping with wetland sampling as we work to better understand the availability of waterfowl forage on the property and how waterfowl use our managed wetlands. We’re thrilled to have her on the team!
Meet Laura
Hello everyone! My name is Laura Josler, and I am the new research technician here at Nemours. Originally, I am from Cleveland, OH, but I moved down to St. Petersburg, Florida, to attend Eckerd College. I graduated in 2025 with a B.S. in Environmental Studies. While at Eckerd, I had many incredible experiences that allowed me to build my skills in the wildlife research field. I was ultimately able to publish a manuscript detailing the nocturnal foraging behavior of the Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) and Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias). In between my years at school, I held a few seasonal jobs in environmental education, restoration, and ecological data collection. After graduating, I moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I worked on wetland restorations and urban rain gardens before moving down to the ACE Basin area to work with SCDNR as a Black Rail research technician. It was through SCDNR that I was introduced to the Nemours Wildlife Foundation, as I would often come here to monitor for Black Rails. Now, I’m lucky enough to be a research technician here and explore more of what this beautiful property has to offer!
Picture 1: Laura in her graduation robes at Eckerd College.
Growing up in Cleveland, I was exposed to the natural world at a young age. Despite being a bigger city, its proximity to both Lake Erie and Cuyahoga Valley National Park, along with an incredible metropark system, offered many different places to explore. My family spent many summer days on the lake fishing, boating, and swimming, and all year round, we’d take our dogs for hikes at one of the various parks. In addition, Animal Planet was a staple in our household. I remember being captivated by the massive fish featured on River Monsters and the crocodiles on Crocodile Hunter.
Growing up I always had a different answer when someone would ask me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” but it always included some aspect of being outside in nature and any kind of animal. In college, I was introduced to the ecosystems of the Southeast and immediately fell in love. This is where my passion for the natural world combined with my need to always ask questions ultimately led me to pursue a career in wildlife research and conservation.
Picture 2: Laura and her brother fishing off their dock in Ohio.
One of my favorite things to learn about are birds! A species I love that calls Nemours home is the Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus borealis). They live in longleaf pine ecosystems and nest by carving out cavities, which can later be used as shelter by various other species. This is a bird I love to see, and I am excited to have that opportunity here at Nemours!
Picture 3: Laura and her wetland ecology classmates post swamp swim in Big Cypress National Preserve.
When I am not working, I can often be found reading. Currently, I am reading Shark in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn. I only just started it, but it focuses on the bond between three siblings in Hawaii, how they grow apart and reconnect, while incorporating old Hawaiian myths. Aside from this book, I love reading mysteries, historical fiction, and thrillers!
Picture 4: Laura holding a Florida Soft Shell (Apalone ferox) that was captured and released for a survey at Rainbow River.
I have loved working within the ACE basin and feel lucky to be able to continue participating in various research projects here. I know I will develop plenty of new skills while working with a variety of incredible species, from waterfowl to alligators. Nemours was the perfect next step in my journey, and I know I will carry everything I learn with me wherever I go next. I am incredibly excited to see what this season has in store for me!
Picture 5: Laura checking an ARU (autonomous recording unit) at the Nemours Wildlife Foundation’s Snipe Bog.
Internships at Nemours
At the heart of our mission is offering educational opportunities to young men and women embarking on their career paths. Our Research, Education, and Land Stewardship Internships are designed to be fully immersive experiences providing hands-on, practical training in conservation concepts, techniques, and methodologies. We invite undergraduate level juniors and seniors or recent graduates (≤ 2 years post-graduation) in the fields of biology, ecology, education, wildlife management, or other related field to submit an application for our internship programs.
If you would like to support our Research program, please click here to donate today.
