James Siford graduated from Muskingum in 2011 with a bachelor’s of science degree in conservation science. Siford chose to come to Muskingum from his native Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania because he liked the idea of a small school that would allow for small classes and more faculty-student time. (Many of the classes within his major had only six to ten students.)
For two years following graduation, Siford worked seasonally for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. He and his wife then moved to Erie, Pennsylvania, where he worked for a landscaping company and did nuisance wildlife work on the side. Once he felt that his side job could support him, he left landscaping and launched into full-time work as a nuisance wildlife control operator.
Siford explains how his background in conservation science helps him in his work today: “My experiences at Muskingum have definitely aided in my field. Specifically the classes I took with Danny Ingold and Jim Dooley. With all the biology background as well as some more specific classes, such as vertebrate natural history, I was able to gain the knowledge I need to aid me in my day to day work with animals.
Siford completed two internships in his field as an undergrad. The summer after his freshman year, he worked at The Wilds. The following two summers, he worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Colorado.