-Let’s meet Robert! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi everyone. My name is Robert/Rob Worsham. I retired from the Army after 28+ years of active service, including over 20 years outside of the U.S. In the Army, I enjoyed the great privilege and fortune to serve the U.S. as a diplomat, a leader, a coach and mentor, an arms control specialist, a political advisor, an analyst, a writer, and more. My career took place well outside of the world of conservation and wildlife preservation. My last assignment, working out of the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, afforded me the opportunity to travel all over the Arctic. It was during these adventures that I re-discovered what had been a long-buried passion for wildlife and conservation. My wife and I have made numerous trips all over the north together, and plan to head back this summer. There is nothing quite like experiencing a polar bear up close in a treeless landscape.
After retiring, I worked both as a groundskeeper and volunteer at a wolf sanctuary and simultaneously earned a veterinary technology degree in 2024. I passed the licensing exam and became a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) in Pennsylvania. My experience with the wolves and wolfdogs pushed me back in the direction of wildlife conservation, however.
In the fall of 2024, I started working as an Outdoor Educator at Outdoor Classroom (OC) [https://outdoorclassroom.com/] in Groton, Massachusetts. This job enabled me to blend my years of experience as an educator with my passion for wildlife. My favorite aspect of being an outdoor educator centered on leading kids into the forest for several hours at a time on discovery and experiential learning hikes. My favorite conservation-oriented classes that I taught included endangered egg-babies (endangered species); beaver fever (with some discussion on otters); birding; fishing; forest fires; animal tracking and stalking; dissections (i.e., sharks, skates, perch), and other lessons on protecting the earth’s water, land, and ecosystems. During my first two semesters working at OC, I started work on ABI’s wildlife rehabilitation program.
-How did you benefit from your experience at ABI?
My ABI studies deepened my understanding of wildlife preservation and education. I now use the knowledge gained through all of my combined experiences to broaden the perspectives and understanding of the kids that come through our program, as well as to shape their critical thinking skills.
-What was your favorite course?
I appreciated all my ABI courses, with three courses having direct relevance to my current mission. I would argue that ABI 142 Environmental Education & Outreach has probably provided the greatest relevance so far, as it dovetails the most with my current work in education. ABI 262 Wildlife Management and ABI 331 Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach have provided similar relevance (as well).
-How did you complete your field experience?
I completed my field experience as an Intern at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary. This was an approximately 9-week program where I was privileged to work with wild black bears that migrate in/out of the sanctuary every year. I was there during the bears’ hyperphagia season, where they were focused on eating in preparation for hibernation. My primary duties included feeding the multiple generations of bears that visited, preparing bear food, cleaning up after the bears, and providing Bear-101 deck-talks for the public during visiting hours on the sanctuary’s viewing platform. I researched and provided several special presentations on wolf-black bear and wolf-bear interactions and competition for resources.
-What have you been doing since you graduated from ABI?
I still working at OC, though now as an Assistant Program Coordinator in Groton, Massachusetts. This includes interfacing with visiting school leadership at the camp; coordinating on-site student education; supervising and training OC staff; developing curriculum; leading student field groups; and teaching classes as needed. Our OC program mostly delivers education to local and regional 1st -8th graders in natural history, conservation, and science and social science subjects.
I attended the 2025 Wildlife Rehabilitation Conference in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (PA). This conference shared significant insights regarding numerous aspects of wildlife rehabilitation. I attended many of the seminars that focused on the hands-on portion (of rehab). I would like to get into this aspect of wildlife rehabilitation one day and volunteer at a center near my home in PA. I have yet to work that into my schedule however.
-Would you recommend ABI to others?
Yes. ABI provides a great foundation to get started in the field. The program opens your eyes to countless diverse opportunities that exist. It brings to life the needs of our wildlife. I was fortunate to meet many classmates, all coming (from) a wide variety of starting points in the field. All of my classmates seemed to have a great ability to use their unique backgrounds as an advantage to their studies. I know they will do well.
LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-worsham-0959281b4/
YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@RobWorsham-TVT/shorts