jennifer frey mississippi museum of natural science — Jennifer Frey

Conservation Resource Biologist

Originally from Pennsylvania, Conservation Resource Biologist Jennifer Frey now calls Mississippi’s Gulf Coast home. Jennifer has loved the outdoors since childhood and now works to protect Mississippi’s endangered species. Read on to get to know Jennifer better.

jennifer frey mississippi museum of natural science gopher tortoise

HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR THE MUSEUM?

I first worked for the museum in 2013-2014 for 1.5 years in the Natural Heritage Program, and now for over a year as a Conservation Resource Biologist in South Mississippi.

WHAT’S YOUR WORKDAY LIKE?

Always something different, from surveying state, federal, and private lands for gopher tortoises, gopher frogs, or black pine snakes, to installing relocation pens for turtles, nest searching, making maps, and doing frog call surveys.

jennifer frey gopher tortoise mississippi museum of natural science

ANY FUNNY WORK STORIES?

I like hearing from people about what it was like growing up in South Mississippi, how many critters we used to have, and the things they saw. Recently, I was told I was trapping tortoises incorrectly, and that they prefer cheeseburgers - that was a new one!

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND EDUCATION

I grew up in small-town Pennsylvania between the Amish and the Appalachians.

I received my undergrad from Louisiana State University in wildlife and fisheries and my Master’s from the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.

Once I came to the gulf coast, I haven’t left!

I love paddleboarding, hiking, fostering dogs, visiting breweries, and teaching my son about nature - though he cares more about firetrucks right now.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER?

I have always been an outdoor child - spending many days flipping rocks to look for salamanders - and still love doing this today.

Now, I get to protect their habitat and help secure that they have a future as well.

gopher tortoise mississippi museum of natural science

HOW DOES YOUR JOB CONTRIBUTE TO CONSERVATION?

I work with endangered species. We try to relocate animals only if needed and release head-started juvenile animals raised in captivity back into areas under habitat management to help augment natural populations.

ANY ADVICE FOR A STUDENT INTERESTED IN A BIOLOGY OR MUSEUM CAREER?

Volunteer, that way you find out what you like and what you don’t want to do.

You’ll also meet people with jobs you never knew existed!