Sotterley Presents: People & Perspectives with Matthew Neff
April 23 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
April 23, 2025 – Have you learned about one of the newest animal exhibits at the Calvert Marine Museum – the Eastern Hellbenders? These gargantuan amphibians were once common across the eastern United States, spanning from southwestern New York to Georgia, now their populations are widely declining and they’ve disappeared from many of their historic homes. Learn all about these lost denizens that used to be found in the Chesapeake Bay. Matt will also be talking about fieldwork he did with their larger cousins in Hiroshima, Japan – The Japanese Giant Salamander.
This is a FREE in-person event. Registration is required.
All participants are welcome to join us for a pre-reception at 6:15 pm.
Register Here!
Matt Neff is in his third year as Curator of Estuarine Biology at the Calvert Marine Museum. Since joining the museum, he has launched several new exhibits, including one focused on the Eastern Hellbender, an endangered salamander once found in the Bay. Matt is also starting his 13th season with FrogWatch, a citizen science program that trains individuals to listen for and record frog calls during the breeding season. Last year, over 1,100 observations of 14 different frog species were submitted across the Southern Maryland and surrounding DMV area. Prior to his work at the museum, Matt spent 12 years as a zookeeper in the Department of Herpetology at the Smithsonian National Zoo. With a lifelong passion for animals and environmental education, Matt is excited to continue sharing his love for the natural world, particularly the native species of Southern Maryland.