Where the Wild Things Are: Wildlife Management with Johnson’s Matt Strausser

If you asked someone what they expected to see during a visit to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, they would probably list things like astronauts, engineers, and maybe a spacecraft or two. It might be a surprise to learn you can also spy dozens of species of animals and birds – from geckos and snakes to white-tailed deer and red-tailed hawks.

Ensuring those species and Johnson’s workforce can safely coexist is the main job of Matt Strausser, Johnson’s wildlife biologist. Strausser works to reduce the negative impacts animals can have on Johnson’s operations as well as the negative impact humans might have on native wildlife and their habitats.

Strausser joined NASA in 2012, fresh out of graduate school, when he was hired on a six-month contract to write Johnson’s first Wildlife Management Plan. “My contract was extended a couple times until I became a regular part of the facilities service contract, which is where I still am today,” he said.

Strausser remembers being interested in natural resources from a young age. “I spent a lot of my childhood pouring through copies of National Geographic, hiking, and camping,” he said. When it was time for college, Strausser decided to study biology and natural resource management. He spent his summers in jobs or internships that mostly involved endangered wildlife species, including Attwater’s prairie chickens, which are bred at Johnson through a partnership with the Houston Zoo. “In grad school, I gravitated a little more towards conservation through land management, but I really always wanted to do this type of work,” Strausser said.

Strausser’s work involves a variety of activities. First, he regularly updates Johnson’s Wildlife Management Plan, which sets goals and objectives for better wildlife management around the center. He also gathers data about Johnson’s wildlife populations and their habitats. “I use population counts, conflict records, satellite and aerial imagery, nest surveys, outside reports, and even historical data to get an understanding of what’s on the landscape and what problems we have to tackle,” he said.

With that information, Strausser works to engage project and facility managers and provide recommendations on how to prevent or reduce the impact of wildlife problems. “I also try to engage Johnson employees as much as possible to let them know how they can stay safe around our local wildlife,” he said. That includes sharing alerts and recommendations via Roundup Today, like the recent “Watch for Fawns” guidance. “Inevitably, we cannot prevent all issues,” he said. “We also respond to wildlife conflict calls, which often involve capturing and removing animals from areas where they have gotten into trouble.”

Strausser notes that while he is the only Johnson team member who works on wildlife issues full-time, he gets to work with many different employees in a variety of roles. “I get a ton of support from a bunch of groups onsite,” he said. Strausser works with Johnson’s facilities maintenance group to modify buildings to keep animals on the outside, and he gets support from the Johnson veterinarian on animal health issues. He also works closely with Johnson’s pest control and grounds keeping contracts, as their work is often adjacent to wildlife management. “Our security contractors are a great resource for reporting wildlife issues as well as helping address them,” Strausser said, adding that some of Johnson’s safety groups “have been really helpful at getting the word out about how to stay safe around our wildlife.”

Additionally, Strausser supports and provides technical information to Johnson’s Environmental Group to help it protect the area’s natural resources. He engages with Johnson’s sustainability team as they work to find ways to make Johnson more environmentally friendly.

Strausser’s role also involves coordination with local and state organizations. Johnson has a Space Act Agreement with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department that enables Strausser to share biological samples and information with state officials. A similar agreement allows for some collaboration with the Armand Bayou Nature Center, to Johnson’s north. “Wildlife does not recognize property boundaries,” Strausser said, “so it is important to understand that we are all managing a common resource that spreads far beyond Johnson’s fences.”

Overall, Strausser said he has a very dynamic job. “Wildlife issues tend to be very seasonal, so throughout the year, the types of issues I am addressing change,” he said. “On top of that, there are always new projects, problems, and questions out there that keep the work fresh and challenging.” He also appreciates the mix of independent work and collaboration involved in his job, as well as the opportunity to spend time out in the field in addition to being in the office. “That variety keeps things interesting and makes for a fulfilling workday,” he said.