Volunteer Spotlight: Wyatt Downey, Land Stewardship Assistant
Before joining us as a part-time Land Stewardship Assistant, Wyatt Downey began his work at Sycamore as a volunteer intern in October 2023. A dual master’s student in Environmental Science and Public Affairs at Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, with a background in child advocacy and EMT certification, Wyatt is combining a strong academic foundation with hands-on field experience at Sycamore to advance conservation in southern Indiana.
Wyatt has accomplished so much in just two years of working alongside our Land Stewardship team! He helped to construct and install our new Motus radio telemetry tower at the Sam Shine Foundation Preserve in Monroe County, connecting Sycamore to a global research network tracking migratory animals to aid in their protection. He is monitoring newly-discovered populations of endangered Kirtland’s snakes on our nature preserves along Beanblossom Creek through a partnership with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish & Wildlife. He helps survey the very rare and threatened cypress firefly at our Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve, the most northern site this species is known to occur and one of only two known locations in Indiana, and monitors populations of endangered rough green snakes at Amy Weingartner Branigin Peninsula Preserve.
An expert birder, Wyatt’s ongoing point counts at our nature preserves are helping to expand our understanding of the bird species that rely on these protected areas. Point counts are a survey method where an observer records all birds seen or heard from a fixed location within a set time period, helping monitor bird populations and habitat use. At the Sam Shine Foundation Preserve, he has already recorded over 130 bird species!
Wyatt surveying endangered rough green snakes. Chris Fox
He also helps monitor our bird boxes, conduct surveys to record the presence of small mammals on our preserves, review motion-triggered wildlife camera footage, and helps with various stewardship projects including tree planting, trail building and maintenance, native plant planting, invasive plant removal, and much more.
“My time spent with Sycamore has provided me with countless memories, opportunities and experiences, and skills that I will carry with me as I enter a conservation-centered career, but more importantly, Sycamore provided me with a sense of belonging and a renewed sense of purpose. For as long as I can remember, I have always held a deep love and appreciation for the natural world, but it wasn’t until I entered graduate school that I decided to take a chance on turning that passion into a career. It was a nerve-racking time because while the passion was there, I had little formal, environmentally related experience, so it felt like I was starting from scratch. Nonetheless, Land Stewardship Director Chris Fox took me in as an intern in October of 2023, and from my very first moment in the field with Sycamore, I felt that I was finally in my element. Not only that, but I was surrounded by a team that shared the same passion. This team quickly developed into a family, and with their support, I began to see enormous growth in myself. The growth went beyond the skills and knowledge I was gaining by working on our various projects; Sycamore, by allowing and encouraging me to fully embrace my passion for wildlife and their habitats, helped me return to my roots and gave me the space and opportunity to thrive. I will be forever grateful for my time spent here.”
Wyatt’s commitment to wildlife conservation extends beyond Sycamore. He also volunteers with the Indiana DNR to monitor secretive marsh birds and support threatened wood thrushes through the Chasing Melody Project, and volunteers with Indiana Audubon’s Echoes of the Night Sky to track nocturnal bird migration.
Wyatt expects to graduate in December 2025 with a goal to lead bird conservation efforts through research, public engagement, and science-based action. He hopes to pursue a PhD in bird conservation and dreams of working with organizations like the National Audubon Society or the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, or even sharing his passion with future students as a professor. We’re grateful for Wyatt’s many contributions and can’t wait to see what he takes on next… whether it’s a PhD, fulfilling his dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail, or both!
This article is from the Summer 2025 issue of The Twig, “The Volunteer Issue.” Read the issue at sycamorelandtrust.org/twig.
