LCF is pleased to welcome Isabella Baumann, Hanna Sturdivant, and Amy Heflin as our new fall interns. All of these new additions bring great experience to LCF’s animal husbandry program. We are very appreciative that they have joined us during this challenging time and we’ve implemented ongoing precautions to keep them and our staff safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our thanks to Isabella, Hanna, and Amy for following our protocols, which have included a ‘mini quarantine’ period that prevented them from shadowing husbandry staff for one week after their arrival at the reserve. Additionally, with their adherence to LCF PPE requirements, we provided them with presentations and activities that did not directly involve lemurs during the transition. Presentations included a general orientation, animal welfare, and enrichment, while projects included caring for our newly expanded browse/vegetable garden, cutting new branching for the lemurs, and preparing materials for our 2021 World Lemur Festival.
Read about their accomplishments and why they were attracted to LCF’s internship opportunities.
Isabella Baumann
Isabella hails from Schiller Park, IL and is a graduate from the University of St. Thomas with a degree in Neuroscience. She previously interned with the Como Zoo Park & Conservatory in Minnesota where she worked with the Primate team. There, Isabella gained a strong interest in working with primates and studying their cognitive abilities. Isabella plans to pursue a career studying animal behavior to better understand animal welfare for zoos and sanctuaries. She is looking forward to gaining more experience working with lemurs and learning about their behaviors at LCF.
Hanna Sturdivant
Hanna is from Roxboro, NC and graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Psychology and minors in Anthropology and Biology. She previously interned at the Great Plains Zoo in South Dakota where she spent her time working with birds, reptiles, and primates. Hanna is particularly interested in pursuing a career in animal behavior and conservation and is looking forward to gaining further experience with lemurs at LCF.
Amy Heflin
Amy comes to us from Lexington, KY and graduated from Morehead State University with a degree in Animal Science. She previously interned at a facility in Wisconsin where she was able to work with a few exotic animals and gain a better understanding of basic animal care. While in Wisconsin, she quickly became interested in lemurs and porcupines. Amy looks forward to gaining more experience at LCF that will help her animal care journey, wherever it may take her.