Camilla Fecteau Bridge
Camilla Fecteau BridgeChair, Lab Coordinator and Instructor, Sciences Department
MS, University of Southern Maine
BS, University of Maine at Farmington

Get In Touch

Mercy Hall 128 | 207-893-7903 | cfecteau@sjcme.edu

Teaches Biology labs including Introduction to Biology I and II.

Scholarly interests - effects of mercury and other environmental toxins on reproduction and behavior in birds (Kingfishers, Loons, etc.), organisms as indicators of environmental health.  

Camilla Fecteau Bridge’s research focuses on the effects of mercury on productivity in high trophic level birds such as Belted Kingfishers and Common Loons. She is very interested in how living organisms act as indicators of overall environmental health. Her goal as an educator is to help each student move toward the best version of themselves by providing skills to make a positive impact on the world. She enjoy building awareness about environmental issues through education, and in her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, knitting, cooking, and other crafty exploits, as well as running, lifting weights, and exploring the great outdoors.

Research and Fieldwork

Casco Bay Estuaries Partnership (Portland, ME), Summer 2010, Effects of road/stream crossings on fish passage in the Sebago Lake watershed

Department of Marine Resource (Hallowell, ME), Spring 2008 & 2009, Effects of a fish ladder on alewife migration

BioDiversity Research Institute (Gorham, ME), 2006-2008, Effects of mercury on Belted Kingfisher productivity; Contaminant levels in a variety of other bird species

Cape Cod National Seashore (Truro, MA), Summer 2003 & 2004, Vegetation development in dune slack wetlands; Historical Changes in Upland Forest Composition; Habitat variables influencing breeding effort in Bufo fowleri; Mating Success of Horseshoe Crabs

Affiliations

Maine Mineralogical and Geological Society Member

Awards and Grants

Sustaining Communities Award, SJC, Spring 2023

Donald Harward Faculty Award Recipient, Maine Campus Compact, Spring 2023.

Faculty Scholarship/Teaching Award, SJC, Spring 2013.

Faculty Development Grant, SJC, “Investigation of Feeding and Mating Habits of European Bee-Eaters,” Spring 2012.

Faculty Development Grant, SJC, “New Course Development: The Flora and Fauna of Saint Joseph’s College Campus,” Spring 2013.

Presentations and Publications

“Mercury in Maine Wildlife:  How’d it Get There?” Bonny Eagle High School Environmental Science/Maine State Envirothon course, Buxton, ME, April 17, 2014

"The Common Loon; Protecting a Symbol of Maine Wilderness," Presented at:  Portland Water District, Standish, ME, Sebasticook Lake Association Annual Meeting, Newport, Maine, Annabessacook Lake Improvement Association annual meeting, Winthrop, Maine, Summer 2010-2013.

"The Common Loon; Preserving a Symbol of Maine Wilderness,” SJC Centennial Faculty Lecture Series, March 20, 2012.

"The Common Loon; A Symbol of Maine Wilderness and Indicator of Lake Health," Invited guest speaker, 40th Annual Maine Lakes Conference, Colby College, Waterville, Maine, June, 26, 2010.

"The Effects of Mercury on the Productivity of Belted Kingfishers (Ceryle Alcyon) on Three Rivers in the Eastern United States," Presented in partial fulfillment of Master's degree, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine, August 25, 2008.

Fecteau CS. 2008. The Effects of Mercury on the Productivity of Belted Kingfishers (Ceryle alcyon) on Three Rivers in the Eastern United States [master's thesis]. University of Southern Maine.

Fecteau CS, Lane OP, and Evers DC. 2007. Belted Kingfisher Injury Assessment on the North Fork Holston River, Virginia: 2006. Report BRI 2007-13. BioDiversity Research Institute, Gorham, Maine.

Excursions/Trips with Students or for Academic Research

International Service Trip Faculty Supervisor in Guatemala/Haiti, 2012–2016.

“Rome Experience” Theology course; Assistant Organizer & Faculty Trip Supervisor, May, 2015

Pedogogical Methods

She is a big believer in hands-on, experiential learning. She believes the best and most effective connections are made when students utilize their knowledge in practical ways. She likes to use the College campus as an extension of the classroom where students get their hands dirty and explore their surroundings. As a faculty trip supervisor for the SJC International Service Trips, she also gets to see education happen in Haiti and Guatemala. Here, our students have the opportunity to help the poorest of the poor by staffing medical clinics, working on small business projects, constructing houses, and providing education to children. According to Bridge, experiences like these empower SJC students to make positive change in the world, not solely for their own benefit, but for the benefit of others.