Ever stepped in the wrong spot and ended up soaked? Conservation biologist CJ Hillard has - thanks to a sneaky pond hole during frog surveys! From pond mishaps to protecting endangered species, his work is all about conservation with a splash of adventure.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR THE MUSEUM?
I started working for the Museum in August 2024.
WHAT’S YOUR WORKDAY LIKE?
My workday will vary depending on the time of year. Most of my work is in the field and will alternate between projects and species as the seasons change.
Winter and early spring are by far my busiest months and my favorite time of year. Surveys and existing outside is much more enjoyable when it’s not 100 degrees every day! Between December and April, you will typically find me on a healthy longleaf sandhill surveying for and scoping Gopher Tortoise burrows for population monitoring. I also use this time to search for upland snakes such as the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake that use the Gopher Tortoise burrows during the colder months. If it rains enough you will find me in an ephemeral pond helping collaborators survey for Dusky Gopher Frogs.
I often help train incoming technicians and interns as well, ensuring the next generation of young biologists have a good understanding of endangered species conservation. If I have enough time I will also work with private land owners and survey their lands for Ornate Chorus Frogs, a species once thought to be extirpated from MS.
As spring turns to summer, my daily habits switch to upland longleaf surveys, especially for Gopher Tortoises. They typically lay eggs in May and June and I help collaborators collect up to 100 eggs every year for captive rearing and headstarting. I also survey healthy uplands and recent prescribed burns for Black Pinesnakes and Gopher Tortoises. Recently, I started radio telemetry with a female Black Pinesnake. I track the snake once a day hoping to learn about their movement and habitat use and especially find out when and where they lays eggs.
As summer turns to fall, I once again switch my focus to Dusky Gopher Frogs and help coordinate pond improvements, restorations, and general habitat improvements for my focal species. Fall is typically a slower field season so I tend to have more meetings to coordinate the winter and spring objectives for the conservation of reptiles and amphibians of south Mississippi.
ANY FUNNY WORK STORIES?
“Funny” is relative to who you ask, but the Gopher Frog ponds have provided some fun comedic relief and karma.
As in any natural pond, there are small holes and imperfections in the pond floor. I usually warn visiting friends and biologists where they are, but I got distracted once talking about the frogs and one of my friends fell into a stumphole, flooding their waders with cold January pond water. As they ran out of the pond making screeching sounds I didn’t know were possible, the rest of us laughed and told him to “watch out for that hole”.
Unfortunately, there was another hole a few feet away, and I was its next victim. I tripped and fell in completely submerging in the (very cold) January pond. I got up making the same screeching sounds and went back to the truck cold and defeated. That specific day and event is the sole reason I keep a towel and a change of clothes in my work truck every day.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND EDUCATION
I grew up in south Louisiana as an avid outdoorsman hunting and fishing whenever possible, so I was always outside and seeing wildlife of all kinds. I often saw the species I work with now, and even as a kid I had a curiosity about them and wanted to know more.
That curiosity carried me through college and a master’s degree at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. I made a lot of close friends and eventual colleagues in Lafayette. Those friends are certainly a major contributor to my career and success so far.
I eventually landed in Mississippi where I am now, working on the Dusky Gopher Frog for several years before being offered my current position.
If I’m not at work you will probably find me at the gym, hiking and looking for wildlife, or swimming in a creek!
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER?
I grew up seeing snakes and herps in general but not understanding why they were so feared and misunderstood.
My curiosity about reptiles and amphibians grew into a hobby and I eventually realized that I could support myself while doing what I love. This career and lifestyle is a great blend of my favorite hobbies and making a living for myself and my family.
I thoroughly enjoy working outside and with wildlife, so finding a career that allowed me to do what I enjoy while contributing to science and conservation was a very easy choice.
HOW DOES YOUR JOB CONTRIBUTE TO CONSERVATION?
My position gives me a fantastic platform to directly contribute to the conservation of many species in south Mississippi. I am able to directly contribute to population bolstering of the endangered Gopher Tortoise and Dusky Gopher Frog through egg collections and headstarting. I am able to collect and provide data that improves our knowledge and understanding of multiple other species so that the best management strategies can be used.
My position also gives me a platform and a voice to advocate for species and habitats to help ensure the proper management and conservation strategies are being used in a given area. I collaborate with multiple agencies and entities so that conservation can remain strong in Mississippi. While I often focus on a select few species, most of my work contributes to the betterment of the ecosystem as a whole.
ANY ADVICE FOR A STUDENT INTERESTED IN A BIOLOGY OR MUSEUM CAREER?
While it can be intimidating to reach out, my best advice is to seek out local biologists or even graduate students and ask to see their work or volunteer to help with their projects. Most biologists are happy to take volunteers and help young scientists gain experience. I definitely benefited from several biologists letting me volunteer and learn about the projects and species that they were working on.
You should also diversify your knowledge and experience to ensure you actually understand what the career entails and how to best qualify yourself for the position that you want.