The Influential Woman in Wildlife Award

Joan E. (Diemer) Berish retired in 2014 after an exemplary 33 year plus career with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. She grew up in Maryland, graduated from Murray State in Kentucky and earned her master’s degree at Auburn in Alabama (thesis on the eastern indigo snake). Joan arrived in Florida in 1980 to study the gopher tortoise and focused on that species for her entire career, with additional projects on softshell turtles and rattlesnakes. As author or coauthor, she has published ca. 30 papers in professional journals, a book chapter, and a substantial number of FWC reports. Joan presented dozens of talks about gopher tortoise ecology and management, as well on Eastern Indigo Snakes and Southeastern rattlesnake conservation.

Toward the end of 2019, Texas A & M University Press published her 250-page autobiography, _Fire and Fauna: Tales of a Life Untamed_. An excerpt from the dust jacket:

“From an early age, Berish knew she wanted to study and work with animals. Yet the world of wildlife research was an almost exclusively male field. With the matter-of-fact style of a scientist, she describes the sexism and sexual harassment that were—and to a degree still are—commonplace for women scholars in the field. Despite these challenges, Berish found her dream job as a wildlife biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Through vivid tales of working with fellow scientists and local experts in the Florida backcountry, Berish enlightens readers on wildlife behavior, ecology, research ethics, and conservation.”

In summary, Joan has been a highly productive and dedicated wildlife biologist who continues to serve as a role model to women scientists in Florida and the Southeast. Her recently published life story will continue and expand that influence far beyond the state and region. In 2012, Gopher Tortoise Council established its student presentation awards in her name, evidence of her significant achievements and her ability to inspire future generations. Although she shared the Paul Moler Award in 2008, because of her overall groundbreaking career, she also deserves this individual honor: The Influential Woman in Wildlife Award 2021.