Dr. ADAM  EReTH
​Executive director

​Adam brings a wealth of experience as a high-performing nonprofit executive and dedicated environmental professional to the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center.
His distinguished career spans leading national environmental initiatives, managing statewide environmental health programs, and advising on sustainability, transportation, and land-use policy at the county level. Deeply invested in community leadership, Adam has served on numerous boards and foundations, including as Chair of the Costa Mesa Planning Commission. Adam has provided environmental management, strategic planning, and organizational leadership across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. From contributing to public works and sustainable infrastructure initiatives to advising the entertainment industry on sustainable production practices, Adam excels at uniting diverse groups around environmental causes.

Adam earned his Ph.D. in Public Health with a concentration in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of South Carolina. He also holds Master of
Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Geography from California State University, Fullerton, and San Diego State University, respectively. Having grown up in Orange County, Adam is especially passionate about Southern
California wildlife and environmental issues. Adam also enjoys exploring the natural world with his wife and young child. An avid outdoorsman, he loves to rock climb, camp, hike, scuba dive, and is a competitive sailor.

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Dr. Elizabeth Wood, DVM - She/her
 Veterinarian

​Dr. Elizabeth Wood is the veterinarian and Medical Director at WWCC. Dr. Wood obtained her undergraduate degrees in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies from the University of California Santa Cruz. She obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Western University of Health Sciences. Dr. Wood has had a lifelong passion for wildlife conservation and has experience working with wildlife organizations, zoos, and research projects throughout California, Oregon, Washington DC, Costa Rica, and Namibia. She had the recent honor of traveling to Midway Atoll to participate in a project in collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the endangered Laysan duck.

​She enjoys fostering relationships with other wildlife centers and veterinarians, as well as teaching pre-vet and vet students about wildlife medicine. She is grateful to the WWCC team for their enthusiasm and desire to have a positive impact on our local environment. When she’s not taking care of wildlife you can find her having adventures outdoors; she loves camping, kayaking, biking, sailing, skiing, and exploring our beautiful natural world.

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Teal Helms - She/her
Wildlife Care manager

Teal assumes the role of Wildlife Care Manager at WWCC. She is currently studying Fish and Wildlife Science at Oregon State University, aspiring to undertake a Master's in Wildlife Biology. As an Oiled Wildlife Care Specialist, she actively participates in mitigating the impact of oil spills and cares for individually oiled animals that come through the center. Teal is committed to elevating standards in wildlife patient care and advancing conservation efforts. Teal has always loved animals though birds hold a special place in her heart. When not at work you can find her making pasta, birding, camping, or enjoying the company of her cats.

JArET DAVEY - He/him
Volunteer coordinator

Jaret attended the University of California at Santa Barbara, where he graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Zoology and, more importantly, fell in love with birds. He began at WWCC in 2020 as a wildlife technician, but quickly realized that working with WWCC's volunteers was his favorite part of the gig. So, in 2022, Jaret became The Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center's Volunteer Coordinator.
Jaret finds that his job at WWCC allows him to combine his skills in connecting with other people and his passion for avian conservation. When he's not at WWCC, you can usually find Jaret birding (his life list is close to 800, but he's always on the lookout for more!), at the movies, or volunteering in Animal Care at The Pacific Marine Mammal Center.

Megan Bauer - SHe/her
Senior Wildlife Technician

Megan attended Chapman University where she received her Bachelor's in Biology. She worked at a small animal hospital before transitioning to wildlife rehab here at WWCC. She is dedicated to caring for animals and learning all she can to help with wildlife conservation. Her favorite animal is the one closest to her, although she has a special place in her heart reserved for birds of prey. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, cooking, walking her dog, and coming up with bad jokes.

Michelle Dean - She/her
Social Media manager/wildlife technician

Michelle grew up in Boulder, Colorado with a love for wildlife, horses, and the outdoors that has shaped her life ever since. She's always been drawn to conservation, volunteering with animals from a young age and eventually working with everything from hummingbirds to tigers. She's also had the opportunity to perform at both Disneyland and Medieval Times, experiences that fueled her love of storytelling and connecting with people.
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Today, she combines her passion for wildlife conservation with creativity, creating educational content that helps people connect with the natural world, while also working hands on involved with their rehabilitation journeys. Outside of work, she enjoys sculpting ceramics, trying new crafts, horseback riding, and spending time with her husband, two cats and German Shepherd. 

Grayce Perry - SHe/her
Wildlife Technician

Grayce came to WWCC as an intern in 2023 and was thrilled to later join the tech team. She is currently studying to get a bachelor's degree in Animal Health Science. She has always had a passion for animals, and has wanted to work in veterinary medicine since she was a little kid.
Wildlife has always been near and dear to Grayce's heart - working at WWCC has given Grayce a love for birds she never thought she would have.
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When she's not working, you can find her hiking, working in a ceramics studio, or, more recently, birding! On her birding adventures, she recently spotted her favorite species, the Loggerhead Shrike! Another favorite bird of Grayce's is the Merlin, which she's had the privilege to work with at WWCC. 

Amanda Byers - She/her
Wildlife technician

Amanda is a Registered Veterinary Technician and has years of experience at a general practice animal hospital as well as internal medicine for pets. She began her journey at WWCC as an animal care volunteer and later became a staff Wildlife Technician. She has a Bachelor's of Science degree in Zoology from Oregon State University and a Bachelor's of Art degree from University of California Irvine. 
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In the past, Amanda channeled her love of music and taught percussion for a high school marching band and an independent drumline.

Heather Snow - She/Her
Wildlife Technician

Heather Snow is a multidisciplinary professional with a background in physics, public health, and mental health. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and is pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) at the University of Alaska Anchorage, focusing on human-wildlife interactions. She is also a pediatric mental health professional, helping children and families navigate mental health challenges. 

​A published poet, writer, and artist, Heather’s photographs have appeared in The Washington Post, Fodor’s, and National Geographic publications. With a passion for both public health and wildlife conservation, she aims to continue her work in Alaska, making a positive impact on communities and the environment.​

JASON FOO - He/him
WILDLIFE TECHNICIAN

Biography coming soon.

Morgan Houchin - She/Her
Wildlife Technician

Biography coming soon.

Jacob Cano - He/him
Wildlife technician

A lifelong bird lover, Jacob has dedicated his career to animal care. Growing up around — and eventually working at — his family's pet and feed store, he gained early hands-on experience caring for chickens, ducks, small parrots, and rabbits before transitioning into veterinary medicine.

Jacob began volunteering at WWCC in June 2023, where he quickly fell in love with the center’s diverse avian wildlife and developed a strong interest in becoming a technician. By the end of 2023, he was working at a small animal hospital, where he built the skills necessary to transition into wildlife rehabilitation as a technician.

He earned a bachelor's degree in General Biology from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), and plans to attend veterinary school to obtain his DVM in the near future. Jacob aspires to specialize in avian medicine and continue working in both wildlife rehabilitation and companion animal care.

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 Victoria smith - she/her
Wildlife technician

Victoria got her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Davis. She has always loved wildlife and nature, and after volunteering at WWCC realized that that was the field she wanted to pursue.
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​When she got the chance to work at the center, she was thrilled. Her favorite animal to care for at the center is the Western Grebe because of their spunky energy.

When not at the center, Victoria enjoys birding, reading, and doing anything nerdy.

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Sarah Parrot - She/her
Wildlife technician

Biography coming soon.

Newt Likier - They/Them
Administrative Assistant

Tom Gaccione - He/Him
Facilities Director

A native of Northern California, Newt spent a lot of their childhood enjoying the beach, the redwoods, and the mountains, which gave them a great appreciation of nature. As they grew up, that appreciation turned into motivation to protect the wilderness around us, with a special focus on our wildlife. 

Their philosophy is that change starts with education. Education should be for everyone, and most importantly, education should be fun.

With a background in communication and education, Newt strives to enrich WWCC's outreach and community programming.

Tom retired from a career in spacecraft and communications design in 2018, joining WWCC in 2019.  For the last four years, he was able to utilize his engineering and management skills on numerous projects in the facility to improve the treatment and rehabilitation of the animals in WWCC’s care.  He sees the organization growing significantly in the next several years due to growing human impacts on wildlife in California.
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He enjoys volunteering for several organizations in the community of Huntington Beach, and finds working with the animals and staff at WWCC to be very rewarding.  Each day he learns new lessons and sees an organization, staff, and volunteers with a very bright future ahead of it.

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