Sydney Spence

Supported daily farm operations through livestock care, livestock guardian dog training, tractor operation, and facility maintenance.

Farm Laborer - Hawkins Farm - Hendersonville, NC

(2024-06)

• Supported daily farm operations through livestock care, livestock guardian dog training, tractor operation, and facility maintenance.

Wetland Field Technician - EnviroScience - Hendersonville, NC

(2026-05 - 2026-09)

• Completed vegetation assessments for the National Wetland Condition Assessment by identifying plant species, estimating cover, and collecting plant specimens for EPA lab verification.
• Collected water samples, evaluated wetland hydrology, and assisted with soil characterization by digging soil pits, collecting soil samples, and recording horizon features using the Munsell Soil Color Book for the southeastern United States following EPA sampling protocols.
• Navigated remote field sites using GPS, field maps, OnX, and a compass to set up vegetation plots and sampling transects and worked efficiently in diverse and challenging wetland environments with rotating field crews.
• Assisted with wetland delineations and endangered species surveys.

Student Fellow - Mars Hill University - Mars Hill, NC

(2025-09 - 2025-12)

• Collaborated with the career center to plan and speak at a networking event for botany students and coordinated a field-based educational event with a local ecologist to strengthen students' problem-solving skills in the field.

Surgical Technician - Asheville Humane Society - Asheville, NC

(2023-11 - 2024-05)

• Served as a veterinary technician at a startup, high-volume spay and neuter clinic, serving shelter and community dogs, cats, and rabbits to control population.

Zookeeper II - Chattanooga Zoo - Chattanooga, TN

(2021-07 - 2023-08)

• Worked extensively with chimpanzees and a diverse collection of mammals, birds, and reptiles while attentively monitoring animal welfare and promoting wildlife conservation through public education.

Veterinary Technician - Pruyn Veterinary Hospital - Missoula, MT

(2018-12 - 2020-10)

• Performed patient assessments, venipuncture, anesthesia monitoring, and laboratory procedures at a fast-paced veterinary hospital.

Zookeeper I - The Chahinkapa Zoo - Wahpeton, ND

(2017-11 - 2018-11)

• Provided daily care, training, and enrichment for a diverse collection of wildlife, including successfully hand-rearing a rejected red kangaroo joey.

Sloth Technician - The Sloth Institute - Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

(2016-12 - 2017-03)

• Completed 1,137 hours of field research tracking individually collared sloths using radio telemetry, conducting behavioral ethograms, and collecting habitat data.
• Assisted in the rehabilitation and release of brown-throated three-toed and Hoffmann's two-toed sloths.
• Responded to sloth rescue and emergency calls throughout the local community.

Brown and Black Bear Technician - Fortress of the Bear - Sitka, AK

(2016-07 - 2016-10)

• Assisted in training eight rescued brown and black bears using positive reinforcement to aid in husbandry and routine medical exams.
• Educated visitors on brown bear conservation, wildlife legislation, natural history, and human–bear coexistence.

Zookeeper I - Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo - Gainesville, FL

(2014-08 - 2016-05)

• Provided husbandry, behavioral management, animal training, and public education for a diverse collection of wildlife at an AZA-accredited teaching zoo.

Bird of Prey Volunteer - Western North Carolina Nature Center - Asheville, NC

(2023-03 - 2023-09)

• Supported the care and conservation education of captive raptors, including owls and vultures, at a local wildlife center.

Falconry Assistant - The Peregrine Falcon Institute - Missoula, MT

(2018-11 - 2019-05)

• Assisted with transporting, handling, conditioning, and preparing peregrine falcons for flight.

Sea Turtle Volunteer - The Marine Science Center - Ponce Inlet, FL

(2017-05 - 2017-09)

• Assisted a veterinarian with the rehabilitation and release of injured sea turtles.
• Maintained rehabilitation facilities by cleaning and disinfecting sea turtle tanks, filtration systems, micron filters, and sumps to support turtle health and water quality.

Field Researcher - Ashton Biological Preserve - Archer, FL

(2015-05 - 2016-05)

• Conducted camera-trap monitoring to assess wildlife use of gopher tortoise burrows.
• Assisted with wildlife surveys and invasive plant removal in longleaf pine ecosystems.
• Engaged with the local community through outreach programs focused on gopher tortoise conservation and native wildlife education.

Bachelor of Science - Ecology and Conservation Biology; Minor in Environmental Studies - Mars Hill University (2024-08 - 2026-12)

Associate of Science - Zoo Animal Technology - Santa Fe College (2014-08 - 2016-05)