Simon Fillers
Knoxville
Summary
Dedicated avian rehabilitation volunteer at Owl Ridge Raptor Center, skilled in raptor husbandry and enhancing community outreach. Proficient in data analysis and habitat suitability modeling, I successfully contributed to the release of rehabilitated raptors while fostering teamwork and collaboration among volunteers and peers. Committed to advancing public involvement and education into the nuances of raptor rehabilitation, and the importance of ensuring that raptor populations remain healthy to sustain the planet's ecosystems.
Overview
1
1
year of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Raptor Rehabilitation Volunteer
Owl Ridge Raptor Center
Washburn
05.2025 - Current
- Extensive experience handling at least 10 distinct raptor species on the glove, including American kestrels, Eastern screech owls, barn owls, barred owls, great horned owls, red-tailed hawks, broad-winged hawks, Cooper's hawks, bald eagles, and black vultures.
- Extensive experience administering medical aid to several distinct raptor species, catching injured/ill raptors for medical purposes, feeding patients and ambassador species, as well as constructing and maintaining enclosures.
- Assisted in working community outreach events, enhancing community engagement with raptor rehabilitation and further outreach efforts.
- Assisted with and performed the release of several rehabilitated species, including broad winged hawks and Cooper's hawks.
- Assisted in furthering education of new volunteers on proper care procedures for patients, as well as proper enclosure care and maintenance.
Avian Point Count Technician
Ijams Nature Center
Knoxville
05.2025 - 08.2025
- Performed avian point count surveys at 7 distinct sites across location property.
- Point count surveys include documenting target species via sight, hearing, or both, in specific time intervals; as well as estimating distance from the survey location.
- Collaborated with team to compile data confirming property-wide diversity and distribution of target avian species, including scarlet and summer tanagers, yellow-billed cuckoos, indigo buntings, Northern parulas, and red-bellied woodpeckers.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Conservation Biology - Wildlife Management
Lincoln Memorial University
Harrogate, Tennessee, TN05-2026
Skills
- Raptor rehabilitation
- Wildlife handling
- Species identification
- Data collection and analysis
- Biodiversity assessment
- Habitat suitability modeling
- GIS mapping
- Community outreach
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Project management
- Organized and efficient
- Problem solving
Accomplishments
Awarded USTFCCCA All-Academic honors (Fall 2024 - Spring 2026).
Affiliations
Member of the LMU Chapter of the Tennessee Wildlife Society
Certification
GIS Certification - GIS Certification Institute
References
References available upon request.
Languages
French
Native/ Bilingual
Spanish
Limited
Timeline
Raptor Rehabilitation Volunteer
Owl Ridge Raptor Center
05.2025 - Current
Avian Point Count Technician
Ijams Nature Center
05.2025 - 08.2025
Bachelor of Science - Conservation Biology - Wildlife Management
Lincoln Memorial University