Jackson Barratt Heitmann

My love for wildlife and biodiversity started as a kid during my numerous travels around the world. My only constant was spending summers at the Jersey Shore in North Wildwood, NJ surrounded by Red-winged Blackbirds, Clapper Rails, and Laughing Gulls. This unique upbringing sparked my passion for wildlife across diverse landscapes — from chameleons and lemurs in Madagascar to lions and water buffalo in Zambia, to chimpanzees and gorillas in Cameroon.​

​

I discovered my passion for bird conservation during my final semester at Bard College in the Hudson Valley. After graduation, I worked in a variety of ecology positions, including with the Maine Natural Areas Program in Augusta, ME, where I supported efforts to manage invasive plants on state managed land, and with Audubon New York in New York City, where I introduced public school students to bird conservation through education programs.

​

After these positions, during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, I studied avian behavioral responses to artificial polarized light with Dr. Bruce Robertson at Bard College. Following this work, I pursued my MS degree at the College of Charleston in Environmental and Sustainability Studies with Dr. Daniel J. McGlinn, where I developed a strong interest in wetland ecology, ecological restoration, disturbance, and community ecology.​​

​

I’m currently pursuing a PhD in Wildlife Ecology & Conservation at the University of Florida with Dr. Corey T. Callaghan, where my research focuses on the metacommunity dynamics and macroecology of birds in wetland systems, using a combination of community science data (eBird and iNaturalist) and field-based studies.​​