Sofia Monteiro

Hi everyone! My name is Sofia Monteiro, and I am one of the 2025 interns at St. Marks NWR! I grew up in Georgia visiting many of the National Parks and National Forests in the Southeast. I often went hiking, birding, or herping and was determined to learn all I could about the wildlife around me. My time spent outside grew my passion for wildlife conservation.

I am especially interested in birds and herpetofauna. My interest in birds began when I started doing wildlife photography on my hikes. I wanted to learn more about my subjects in order to best capture them in their element and better understand their behaviors.

I attended the University of Georgia and graduated with a B.S.F.R in Fisheries & Wildlife with a Wildlife Science Emphasis in May 2025. I plan to gain more experience doing fieldwork and working with a variety of taxa before I apply to graduate school. I did undergraduate research at UGA and want to pursue a career in research, likely with birds.

I am excited to work on managing and restoring habitats to contribute to recovery efforts for frosted flatwood salamanders and red-cockaded woodpeckers at St. Marks! These along with many of the other species here are in need of our help to manage their habitats and restore their populations! I am especially excited to gain more experience with red-cockaded woodpecker management and go on to continue working with birds in my future.

This internship will help me develop the skills I need for graduate school and help me dive deeper into my passions. I am grateful for the opportunity to work in such a beautiful place and learn so many new things. I am certain that my time at St. Marks will be beneficial to both my future and the future of the wildlife we are trying to protect!