One team. Multiple disciplines.
Copperhead started from humble beginnings, opening the doors in 2004 with only one employee: our CEO and his specialization in endangered bat surveys. From there we have evolved and grown into a passionate and dedicated collection of scientists, technical specialists, and brilliant minds. Together—as one team with expertise in multiple disciplines—we guide public, private, and government agency clients through projects from start to finish.
The world is a challenging place with unstable economics and social unrest but added to that are the complex environmental issues faced by our clients. It is our purpose to advance a conservation ethic, inspire biological curiosity, and drive environmental innovation by being the subject matter experts who provide quality services to every project. Backed by regulatory knowledge and years of experience, our multidisciplinary team provides our clients with confidence to make informed environmental decisions that are defensible, thus reducing the uncertainties of today.
In our dedication to our values, we conduct research to contribute to the body of science. As experts in our field, we support a continued learning atmosphere to develop the next generation of environmental planners, biologists, and scientists.
Health & Safety
The protection of the earth and the protection of our personnel go hand in hand. We are proud of our colleague’s attentiveness and vigilance in the protection of themselves and their co-workers.
Learn more about our health and safety practices...Our Locations
Copperhead is growing both in proficiency and in physical reach. We have multiple locations in eastern United States and have done projects all over.
Learn more about our locations...Meet our Team of Experts
The brilliant minds and dedicated individuals behind our one-of-a-kind services are our greatest asset. These scientists continue to work daily to deepen our knowledge of the natural world.
Meet our experts...Community Commitments
We care as deeply for our neighborhood as we do for the earth. So, just as we have put in effort to protect the environment, we have also put that effort into the safeguard of our town.
Learn more about our efforts...Devotion to Bat Ecology
Our people dedicate much of themselves to our projects and services but are still scientists at heart. As such, there have been great efforts to deepen our understanding of bats, their migration, diseases that affect them, and how they live.
See our bat migration video...The legacy of Les Meade
Les Meade was a wildlife biologist whose warmth, expertise, and respect for all living things left an indelible mark on Copperhead and everyone who worked alongside him.
The son of a biology professor at Morehead State University, Les earned his B.S. and M.S. at MSU and built a career spanning decades of fieldwork with bats, amphibians, reptiles, freshwater mussels, and countless other species. He joined Copperhead seasonally in 2012 before becoming a permanent member of our team in 2021. As Copperhead founder and CEO Mark Gumbert recalled, "His curiosity for the natural world was unmatched and embodied our culture from Day 1."
Les was as beloved for his personality as for his expertise. He mentored interns with patience, led educational events like Herpetology Weekend at Red River Gorge, and charmed coworkers on lunchtime walks by stopping to share a fact and a quip about whatever critter might cross their path. His adventurous spirit took him just about anywhere—from cliffs, caves, and remote roosts for bat surveys to Costa Rica for the observation of poison dart frogs to any place where there might be hellbender salamanders (his favorite herp).
No one knew the species better. No one was kinder or more patient. No one had better one-liners or played better pranks. Most of all, no one cared more about habitats and the creatures within them.
#BeLikeLess
