Jenny has lived in Loudoun for over 30 years, having graduated from one of the four high schools in the county at the time. She has seen a lot of change here over the years, and her focus is helping some of our overlooked and often misunderstood wildlife: local reptiles and amphibians.

After attending George Mason University with a major in Biology, Jenny began her career in the zoological field. She spent many years as a behavior specialist, working with species including elephants, rhinos, big cats and bears, Red Wolves and marine mammals.  Then she worked as a herpetologist specializing in crocodilians, turtles, and one of her favorites, the Eastern Hellbender. In addition to her zoological work, she participated in field research projects including Red Wolves, Grizzly Bears, Desert Tortoises and rattlesnakes in Southern California.

She is very excited to be leading the Reptile and Amphibian Program. The program includes the national FrogWatch program (monitoring frog and toad calls) and the LWC Reptiles and Amphibians iNaturalist project (which allows anyone to sign up and participate in collecting information.) She also leads surveys at JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary and other Loudoun locations to gain
updated data for local herpetology populations, including the elusive Eastern Spadefoot.

When she is not hanging around the vernal pools, Jenny enjoys kayaking, paddle boarding, hiking, photography and learning how to identify bird species. She also participates in state and regional herpetology projects. Jenny is a member of the Virginia Herpetological Society and is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist with the Banshee Reeks chapter.

Contact Jenny at jerickson@loudounwildlife.org.