Hello, my name is Julia — or Roze, depending on whom you ask. My first name is Julia, so if you’re looking for my city email, it will be Julia.Shipman. My family and friends, however, call me Roze, which seems appropriate since I am the new Natural Resource Specialist at the Nature Center, focusing on the greenhouse project and all things plant-related! But I will answer to either.
After growing up in Abilene, Texas, I attended Tarleton State University to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife, Sustainability and Ecosystem Science, with an emphasis in Sustainable Agriculture, and a Master of Science in Agriculture and Natural Resources in collaboration with Texas A&M AgriLife Research, where I battled Coastal Bermuda to reestablish native warm-season pastures for wildlife habitat, specifically Bobwhite Quail.
After graduating, I accepted a position with SWCA Environmental Consultants in Salt Lake City, Utah, where I conducted pre-construction surveys for rare plants and endangered animals, flora/fauna monitoring during construction, and restoration monitoring post-construction in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming.
After three years of traveling and exploring the West, Texas called me home, and I’m happy to apply my knowledge and experiences in native restoration to my new position. Surprisingly, I had never been to the Nature Center before seeing the position posting, but I was amazed to find such a vast and wild place full of diversity so close to the Metroplex. I’m excited to foster and improve the ecosystem at the Nature Center so visitors can explore and enjoy this little piece of native Texas wildland for generations to come.