The Alabama Natural Heritage Program was started by The Nature Conservancy in 1989.  In 2005, it was transferred to the Auburn Museum of Natural History within the College of Sciences & Mathematics.

Jim Godwin is a Zoologist with the Alabama Natural Heritage Program where he has served for 32 years. Jim is responsible for evaluating populations and critical habitats for imperiled species throughout the state and beyond.

Jim is in the field nearly continuously, documenting species for the heritage program. As the state looks to understand the needs of imperiled species, Jim provides the information that they need to make decisions. Jim is a rare, true naturalist who knows conditions on the ground and can inform policy and program decisions on the sustainability of our local ecosystems, upon which we all depend.

In particular, he is a leader in the efforts to reintroduce the Indigo Snake to southern Alabama. Our largest snake was extirpated from the region through captures for the pet trade and habitat degradation. Indigo Snakes, as well as many other species, rely on Gopher Tortoise burrows for survival, so healthy populations of the snake rely on the entire network supported by the tortoises, and Jim has worked on several of the key species.

It is hard to overestimate how important the Indigo Snake reintroduction is. The primary diet of Indigo Snakes is other snakes, including venomous ones. Indigo Snakes disappearing resulted in Eastern Diamondbacks and other venomous snakes increasing. Jim’s work with the Indigo Snake helps restore the balance of nature.

In addition to the species above, Jim has studied various imperiled species like Alligator Snapping and Chicken Turtles, Gopher Frogs, Hellbenders, and more throughout the southeast as well as studying invasive species and diseases.

Jim has written over 66 papers, 77 technical reports, and 11 popular articles. Jim has been interviewed many times across all media and has become the face of many conservation efforts. What is most important though is that Jim’s work gets results.