Joshua Rector

Wildlife Conservation and Management Specialist

Joshua Rector is OSGF’s Wildlife Conservation and Management Specialist. He joined OSGF in August 2021 initially as an intern with the Arboriculture, Conservation, and Landscape team before switching roles a month later to help start the Biodiversity Management Team. Originally from Fairfax, VA, Joshua graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Natural Resource Conservation. He has  previously worked as a ranch hand on a whitetail deer ranch in southern Missouri conducting research on habitat management strategies, and as a conservatory land steward in Loudoun County.

At OSGF, his main area of expertise is mammal and bird biodiversity management. He leads our camera trapping efforts to document our wildlife species and impacts our management strategies have on them. Joshua also heads up Oak Spring’s American Kestrel Project, our deer management program, our wildlife photography, and does a lot of hands-on monitoring of other wildlife like barn owls, songbirds, and purple martins. Joshua plays a key role in our prescribed fire efforts and documentation.

Whether he’s at work or not, you can probably find Joshua outdoors most days, spending his free time hunting, fishing, and hiking. When he’s not in the woods, he likes to play guitar and watch Virginia Tech football. His favorite plant is wintergreen and his favorite animal that can be found at OSGF in the winter is the short-eared owl.