May 13, 2021—People are a critical part of Audubon’s work as they work their magic behind the scenes advancing conservation in our area. Over the last year, the Montezuma Audubon Center has benefited greatly from having the help and expertise of two wonderful women who will be “fledging the Audubon nest” and moving on in June.

Véronique Couttee, originally from Ile aux Aigrette, Mauritius (an island off the coast of Madagascar), is a self-proclaimed conservation scientist, environmental blogger, and social butterfly. She has spent her time with Audubon as an ESRI Dangermond Fellow, working on digital mapping solutions through the lens of equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Vero has also created a virtual tour of the Montezuma Audubon Center and led a mapping project to update the approximately 30 miles of trails found throughout the Montezuma Wetlands Complex.

Jessica Newman has been serving as an AmeriCorps service member at our center, learning the ins and outs of running a center, greeting guests, planning events, taking care of the live animals on display, and lending a helping hand however needed. She also was instrumental in assisting Véronique in the logistics of onboarding volunteers for the mapping project. At the end of her service, Jessica will be moving to Utah this summer to pursue a career in wildlife conservation.

We thank them so much for their service, time, and talent. To both Vero and Jess, you will be missed and best of luck!