My name is JD Flores, and I’m from Mooringsport, Louisiana. I grew up spending a lot of time outdoors catching insects, camping with my family, birding with my mom, among other activities. I knew early on that I wanted a career that correlated with my hobbies and my love for nature. During high school, I volunteered at a local nature park where I got hands-on experience with handling wildlife species such as barred owls, Mississippi kites, and speckled kingsnakes, along with other species. This further solidified my dream of working with wildlife as a career, so I decided to continue down that path when choosing a college degree to pursue. 

I attended Louisiana Tech University where I graduated with a B.S. in environmental science. As a first-generation college student and the first of my family to seek out a career in a wildlife related field, I didn’t know the best path to reaching my goals, so I just took every opportunity that came my way. I Participated in multiple clubs such as the Wildlife Society, Forestry Club, and LA Tech Greenscape. At the start of my junior year, I got the opportunity to work in a lab where I conducted research on aquatic invertebrate abundances in ponds. This experience was invaluable because of the connections I was able to build during this time and the skills I was able to gain which I will continue to use in future jobs.   

Upon graduating in fall 2023 I knew I wanted to find a position that was in a cool location with diverse habitats to explore, and one that allowed me to broaden my experiences. When I saw the ad for the St Marks internship, I knew it would be a perfect fit for me. I’m thrilled to be a biological science intern at St Marks NWR for winter/spring 2024, and I cannot wait to spend my time working with frosted flatwood salamanders and red-cockaded woodpeckers.