Betsey Brewer

Betsey Brewer has been an Executive at Southwick's Zoo in Mendon, MA for more than 27 years. Growing up in a family owned and operated zoo has given Betsey years of experience with many exotic species. She has successfully raised domestic animals as well as, parrots, kangaroos and other marsupials, many primates including several prosimians, a giraffe, a camel, lions, tigers, leopards, warthogs, bearded pigs, and porcupines. Betsey is also the Executive Director and Founder of EARTH Ltd. (Environmental Awareness of Resources and Threatened Habitats). Dedicated and educated in animal behavior and wildlife conservation, she has given thousands of lectures to audiences of all age groups. She holds a B.A. degree from Wheaton College and a Master's of Arts degree in Wildlife Conservation Education from Vermont College of Norwich University. She has worked with many television and radio programs. She also worked on a show for Animal Planet titled "Growing Up Camel." Being extremely passionate about rhinos, Betsey developed the program “Rhino Encounters” in 2014 for Southwick’s Zoo in support of EARTH Ltd. and the International Rhino Foundation. A rhino encounter is an hour long session of facts about rhino conservation, a video clip and a hands on experience meeting the zoo’s resident rhino’s, Thelma and Louise. It is Betsey’s hope to create an awareness about these amazing creatures while encouraging an awareness to save all 5 rhino species. Betsey is a member of the Audubon Society, The Chestnut Hill Meeting House Association, World Wildlife Fund and an Alumni of the Blackstone Valley Leadership Program. She sits on several boards including the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Blackstone Valley Education Foundation, Ocean Matters, EARTH ltd, and Southwicks’ Zoo. Betsey is also a Corporator for Milford Regional Medical Center and a past Board of Directors for the Milford Area Chamber of Commerce. In the past Betsey has spearheaded the "Trips to the Tropics" to bring educators and students to Central America where biodiversity and a variety of eco-systems are celebrated and protected. She would like to continue this project in the future. The Blue Moon Beach House in Utila, Bay Islands is one of her projects which exists to spark an awareness about coral reef ecology while bringing visitors to a beautiful and peaceful part of our planet. Betsey lives in Mendon with her husband, Robert Bethel and their two dogs, Charlie and Emma. She has two grown sons, Seth and Luke Weatherhead who are also an important part of the Southwick’s family business.