Julie Wiles-Felch

Julie grew up in Henniker, NH and has her BS degree in Wildlife Management (with a minor in Environmental Conservation) from the University of New Hampshire. While in college, she worked two summers for the Audubon Society of NH conducting breeding bird surveys throughout the White Mountain National Forest. She was also an undergraduate teaching assistant for ornithology and volunteered as a fawn caregiver at the Brentwood Wildlife Research Facility. After graduating from college, she worked as a Wildlife Technician at the Dartmouth College Second College Grant – a 27,000 acre property in northern NH where she created wildlife monitoring routes and conducted various wildlife surveys. Julie later moved to Pensacola, FL where she began working in wildlife rehabilitation. At the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida, she provided daily care to sick, injured and orphaned wildlife – including birds, mammals and reptiles. After moving to Clearwater, FL, she worked as an Aviculturist at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores where she was responsible for the daily care of over 500 avian residents. She later worked as an Aviary Keeper at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa where she was responsible for the husbandry and care of hundreds of native, exotic and domestic animals (primarily birds) in the aviaries. While working at Lowry Park Zoo, she also volunteered with the treatment, rescue and release of Florida manatees, and continued to raise and release orphaned baby birds. She has also gained office experience through the years while living both in New Hampshire and Florida.

After 6 ½ years living in Florida, she decided to move back “home” to New England. She started at VINS in January 2007 in the Business Office, and transferred to the Wildlife Services department in August 2007. She has successfully completed the IWRC Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation course, and is very excited about putting roots down in this area and being part of a great team providing wildlife care here at VINS!