Meet Our Team

Committed to carrying out Ripley’s mission to conserve rare & endangered waterfowl species

Sharp-winged teal (Anas flavirostris oxyptera )

  • Ashleigh Fernandez joined as our Executive Director in 2024 after spending several active years on our Board of Directors. Prior to joining the Conservancy, Ashleigh spent nearly two decades at Goldman Sachs helping organizations develop strategies to raise capital for growth. Ashleigh is passionate about animals, conservation, and her community.  She runs Foxhole Farm in Washington, where she raises goats, pigs, chickens, honeybees, and domestic ducks.  Additionally, she serves on the Board of Finance of Washington, CT, the Finance Committee of Steep Rock Association, and as Treasurer and Trustee of the Board of Directors of the Frederick Gunn School.

  • As Director of Aviculture, Logan is responsible for our overall collection strategy, conservation breeding program, and health and safety of our 500+ birds. A Litchfield County native and third-generation bird breeder, Logan began volunteering at the Conservancy many years ago as a freshman in high school. After graduating from Unity College with a Degree in Wildlife Biology, he returned to the Conservancy full time to build his career. Logan has a deep passion for wild waterfowl, particularly those species that are threatened or endangered, and knows every individual in his care. He has spent countless hours watching breeding behavior, improving our aviaries and protocols to encourage nesting , and learning the individual requirements of each of our 100 species for successful reproduction. His dedication ensures the success of our mission and the long-term survival of the species in our care.  Logan also serves on thes boards of the International Wild Waterfowl Association and Litchfield Hills Audubon Society.

  • Paxton Barnes brings decades of experience in non-profit management and program design. Prior to joining the Conservancy, Paxton has been a funder, fundraiser and strategic planner, to accelerate growth, build capacity, and expand impact for mission driven organizations. These include One Project, Children & Nature Network, Wildlife Conservation Society and Nickelodeon. Paxton is on the Board of the Red Hook Imitative, serves as an Advisor to the Yogi Foundation and is on the Conservation Commission of Washington, CT. She is committed to serving organizations using creative and innovative measures to increase well-being for people and the planet. 

  • As an aviculturist, Bre is responsible for the day-to-day care of all the birds at the conservancy. She spends most of her day in the aviaries with the birds and takes great care to ensure every bird is happy and healthy. During the breeding season, Bre manages the duckery and has the challenging task of duckling rearing. Bre attended the University of Vermont where she obtained a degree in wildlife biology and started her career at the conservancy several years ago as an aviculture intern. Although she has many favorites, her very favorite species is the Long-tailed duck.

  • Julia first got involved at Ripley as a volunteer during her sophomore year of high school. After graduating from the University of Montana with a degree in Environmental Science and Sustainability, she returned to Ripley to aid in coordinating Duck Camp and Conservation Academy. She now works in aviculture, which entails providing care for the conservancy’s collection through maintaining aviaries and performing daily husbandry tasks. Her favorite species at Ripley is the Red-crowned crane.

  • As Property manager, Dave is responsible for the care of the conservancy’s 200+ acre property and ensures the smooth operation of the 16-acre bird facility. Dave oversees all maintenance projects and is tasked with designing and constructing aviaries, nest boxes, and everything else that is thrown his way. Dave has an extensive background in domestic poultry and has spent most of his life raising birds for exhibition. Although he is relatively new to wild waterfowl, his favorite species at the moment is the Emperor goose.

  • As the Facilities assistant Luis works closely with Dave, caring for the conservancy’s 200+ acre property. Luis is responsible for much of the landscaping and can be credited for keeping the conservancy clean and beautiful. Luis also works closely with the aviculture team and, though he does not have a background in aviculture, he greatly enjoys being around the birds. Luis’s favorite species is the Australian Black swan.

  • Judy manages our Membership and Volunteer programs, as well as all our community-related events. Having recently relocated from Massachusetts, Judy has enjoyed exploring Litchfield County and developing relationships with many of our partner organizations. Judy walks the Conservancy every day and has too many favorite species to count.

  • Meghan is responsible for day-to-day functions that keep the Ripley Office moving! Having grown up with a passion for all animals and working with cats, dogs and farm animals previously, Meg has a love for the work that is carried out here at Ripley. Meghan is currently working towards a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in zoology from the University of Maine. Her favorite species here at Ripley is the Mandarin duck!

  • Bre is responsible for marketing and social media at the Conservancy. She graduated with a B.S. in Captive Wildlife Care and Education from Unity College in 2015 where she began her journey of working with wildlife. Bre also works in the field of conservation medicine, working in the clinic at a wildlife rehabilitation center in Maine. She has a deep knowledge of waterfowl and works with all species of birds through rehabilitation. Bre’s favorite bird to work with is the Barred owl, but at the conservancy her favorite species is the Spectacled eider.

  • Lowry is a Cereopsis goose (also known as the Cape Barren goose), which is a species native to Australia. Because of their large size, Cereopsis geese were nearly hunted to extinction in the early 1900’s. Today, the population has rebounded, but they are still one of the world’s rarest goose species. Lowry was hatched at the conservancy in 2014 and is imprinted (which means she is much more comfortable with humans versus her bird counterparts!), which is why she is so friendly. She takes her work as an ambassador of rare and endangered waterfowl very seriously, often accompanying our Aviculture team to schools and offsite to meet and educate her fans.

Join the Team

We are always looking for motivated volunteers and interns who are interested in waterfowl and conservation.

Think you might be a fit? Please reach out to start the conversation!

Board of Directors

Rosemary Ripley | Chair and Treasurer
Sylvia Ripley Addison | Secretary

MEMBERS​
Barbera Brooks
Amy Buckley
​Anthony Champalimaud
Elizabeth Dickey
Theresa Durso
Ashleigh Fernandez
Steve Gaines
Deirdre Grosscup  
Peter Grubstein
Baxter Lanius​
​Michael McGill
Meg Osius
Robert Schmidt
Brian Silver

ADVISORY BOARD
George Archibald, Ph.D.
Julie Bailey
Juliet Tammenoms Bakker
Thomas Baptist
Bruce Beehler, Ph.D.
​Melissa Brutting
Anthea Disney
​Dillon Ripley Lanius
Peter Litwin​
Julie Dillon Ripley
Andrew Roraback
​​T. Dennis Williams

Greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons)