Meet the Staff: Flavio Sutti, Wildlife Care Program Coordinator

As someone who spent his childhood in the Italian Alps, it’s no wonder that Flavio Sutti has a certain passion for the world outdoors.

“We had three cabins, each higher in the mountain,” he says recalling days spent on his grandparent’s farm. “As the season proceeded, we would move up the mountain with the cows to follow the fresh-grown grass.”

With his bucolic childhood serving as a foundation, Flavio went on to study zoology and conservation at the University of Milan. His relentless curiosity spurred him to travel to the United States and continue his education at the University of Vermont, where he received a master’s and PhD.

Although he works primarily with native New England raptors and small birds today, Flavio’s research interests have been quite diverse, including an examination of the reproductive behavior of the brown trout during his undergrad years.  He went on to evaluate the impact of new construction on local habitats and worked with Oxford University to reintroduce beavers to Kent, England, where the animals had been extinct since the 1600s.

flavio_fbIn the United States, Flavio switched his pursuits to wildlife education, working as a teacher and raptor rehabilitation assistant at Antioch College’s Glen Helen Raptor Center in Ohio. But the call of New England was growing louder, so after teaching and researching at his alma mater, the University of Vermont, Flavio joined Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary’s Wildlife Care team.

“I love to study and learn about wildlife and work directly with animals,” says Flavio. His passion for education, animals, and the natural world has made Drumlin Farm’s wildlife features a must-see for anyone with an interest in our area’s beautiful animals.

If you’re interested in all things wildlife, visit our website, where you can learn more about Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary’s resident animals and the Wildlife Care internship program.