Jay Kaplan
Director
Jay Kaplan has been director of Roaring Brook Nature Center since 1975, and became director of the Wildlife Sanctuary at The New Children’s in 2012. Over a forty year period, he has presided over the wide range of changes in both facilities including exhibit renovations, expansion of the wildlife rehabilitation and wildlife care programs and increases in educational offerings. A graduate of Cornell University (BS 1971) and The Pennsylvania State University (MS 1974), Kaplan is a past president of the Hartford Audubon Society and the Connecticut Ornithological Association and remains active with both groups serving as Chair of the COA’s Avian Records of Connecticut Committee (ARCC). He currently serves as co-president of the Canton Land Conservation trust and is a member of the Town of Canton’s Conservation Commission.
Nick Barnett
Curator
Nick Barnett began taking summer classes at Roaring Brook Nature Center as a child, volunteered caring for the animals, working on the weekends and finally teaching summer camps in 2010. While attending Central Connecticut State University he worked part-time at Roaring Brook and, in 2012, was hired for an animal caretaker position at the Wildlife Sanctuary at The Children’s Museum. After graduating CCSU with a degree in Biology (BS 2014), Nick became Animal Curator.
Katelyn Stryeski
Naturalist & Wildlife Care Manager
Katelyn Styreski started her journey with the Roaring Brook Nature Center in 2006 as a seasonal employee and, after graduating from UConn with a B.S. in Agriculture and Natural Resources, she was brought on as a full time staff member in 2013. Katelyn is a certified Wildlife Rehabber at both the state and federal levels and has been invested in furthering her education in both natural sciences and wildlife rehabilitation.
Lisa Pichnarcik
Raptor Care Manager
Lisa has spent nearly 4 years assisting with the care, feeding, and rehabilitation of injured raptors at Roaring Brook Nature Center and is now a certified Wildlife Rehabber at both the state and federal levels.
Lisa has a MS in history and a Masters in library science. She has over 20 years of experience in research and education, and has taught classes for children and adults at various public libraries, public and private schools, and nonprofit organizations in Connecticut. Her experience also includes 10 years researching and assisting in the development of new business start-ups based on technologies developed at the University of Connecticut.
Alecia Langlois
Animal Curator
Alecia Langlois is the Animal Curator at the Roaring Brook Nature Center, providing care to the hundreds of orphaned and injured wildlife that comes through our doors in addition to caring for our exotic reptiles and amphibians.
Alecia has been an advocate for animals her entire life but in 2014 she found an orphaned grey squirrel in need of assistance. After finding this tiny, helpless squirrel she was inspired to become a wildlife rehabilitator.
In October of 2015 Alecia came to the Nature Center to begin her apprenticeship in wildlife rehabilitation in order to be certified in CT but soon found herself enthralled with every aspect of the Center.
Currently, Alecia is in charge of not just the medical care of the orphaned and injured wildlife that come into our clinic but also teaching and inspiring our visitors, interns and volunteers.
Ashley Clough
Mammal Curator
Ashley Clough began volunteering in the Wildlife Center at The Children’s Museum as a high school student from 2000 until 2003. She was then drawn back to the Wildlife Center, volunteering in 2013, was hired in 2014 as an Animal Caretaker and became the Mammal Curator in 2018. Since 2014, Ashley has been running camp at Summer Place at the University of Hartford where she brings in some of our Center residents and educates the campers about animals and nature.
Kate Barnett
Reptile Curator
Kate grew up just minutes away from Roaring Brook Nature Center and as a young child attended numerous summer enrichment classes, eventually joining the Center’s after-school animal care volunteer program. While attending Clark University, Kate served as a summer seasonal staff member, working both at the Nature Center, where she taught educational enrichment programs and assisted with animal care; and at The Children’s Museum, where she worked in the Museum’s “Winged Wonders” butterfly exhibit. After graduating in spring 2017, Kate now worked as a caretaker in our Wildlife Sanctuary and as a Museum educator. As of fall 2018, Kate was hired to serve as the Reptile Curator.
Victoria Scata
Animal Caretaker
Victoria grew up in the Farmington Valley and had a passion for nature and wildlife since she was a child. She knew she wanted to study biology and someday work with animals. Currently attending the Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, she is in her third year as a biology major. In the winter of 2017 she applied as a wildlife sanctuary volunteer, and after volunteering for several months Victoria was hired as a animal caretaker.
Volunteers
In addition to its staff, the Connecticut Wildlife Center utilizes volunteers who make everything that the organization does possible. Each week, 65 volunteers assist theConnecticut Wildlife Center with animal care. These volunteers provide between 85 and 100 hours of volunteer work per week in four areas:
- Animal Care Volunteers (5th graders – 12th graders): 30 volunteers
- Raptor Care Volunteers (18 years and up): 7 volunteers
- Wildlife Rehabilitation Interns and Apprentices (18 years and up): 8
- Wildlife Sanctuary Volunteers (18 years and up): 20 volunteers
Interested in becoming a volunteer or intern? Contact Nick at nbarnett@thechildrensmuseumct.org for opportunities in West Hartford OR Katelyn at kstryeski@thechildrensmuseumct.org for opportunities in Canton.