This week, I’m continuing to turn the tables on conservation podcasters by interviewing them. I had the great pleasure of sitting down with one of the Earth to Humans podcast hosts, Hannah Mulvany.  Earth to Humans explores humankind's relationship with planet Earth, covering topics within the environmental and conservation space through the diverse perspectives of its three hosts—including this episode's guest, Hannah Mulvany. In addition to being a host and a part-time field biologist,...

I was instantly captivated when I first discovered Crystal DiMicelli's podcast, Forces for Nature. You know that feeling when you find someone who shares your passion and vibe on a level that just feels right? Well, that's exactly what I felt when I tuned in! You see, Crystal and I share a deep love for conservation and wildlife issues, and like me, Crystal understands that the “doom and gloom” narrative is not the most effective when inspiring change. Instead, on her podcast, she spotlights...

When it comes to careers in wildlife, one of the things you’ll hear me say over and over again is that you need to go after what you want - you can’t just sit back and wait for things to happen. YOU have to make them happen. But what happens if you don’t know how to go after what you want? You aren’t sure exactly what to do?  That was the case for Chitra Rekha Basyal, one of my students in the Successful Wildlife Professional program.  In  this episode of the Fancy Scientist podcast, I want...

This week’s episode of the Fancy Scientist podcast was inspired by an extremely honest and vulnerable article by Georgina Mayhew called The Conservation Career Trap. When I posted this in my Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology Facebook group, it sparked an overwhelming response from others sharing similar sentiments or fears that the same would happen to them.  Some standout comments included:  “Everyone I speak to in the industry is frustrated, feels taken advantage of because they feel the...

The wisdom of Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer's book Braiding Sweetgrass has lingered in my mind and heart for quite some time. This episode of the Fancy Scientist podcast is pretty different from past ones, and I'm excited to explore with you the bridge between science and spirituality I hope you’ll have an open mind to explore with me. Robin’s book inspired this podcast, leaving me with lots of thoughts and wisdom from her lessons on indigenous knowledge, nature connections, and science. I made...

I have so many followers interested in careers in wildlife rehabilitation so I am especially excited about this week’s episode of the Fancy Scientist podcast. I sat down with veterinarian nurse and wildlife rehabilitator, Joey Solimine AKA Joey of the Jungle. Joey is not your average adventurer - she travels all over Central and South America volunteering at different wildlife rehabilitation centers taking care of animals that have been injured, trafficked, and rescued with the hopes that...

Around the world, carnivores have been and still are heavily persecuted. Although the percentages are low, they do kill livestock, pets, and even people. The most common knee-jerk reaction for people is to do something about it, which almost always means killing the animal. For conservationists and wildlife lovers, this is a tough pill to swallow; it seems unfair to punish an animal for doing what it does and predators play important roles in the ecosystem. But even more fundamental than that...

I'm thrilled to bring you another exciting episode this week on the Fancy Scientist podcast with National Geographic explorer and science writer Jon Waterman. Jon is not only an author of an impressive 15 books, but a modern-day explorer who's ventured into many remote and wild spaces. In his latest book, "Atlas of Wild America," published by National Geographic, he takes you to North America’s wild areas in a visual masterpiece packed with stunning photographs and intricate maps. In our...

This week’s podcast is a little different - instead of interviewing a guest or even doing a solo episode, it’s an excerpt from a professional development session in my Successful Wildlife Professional program.  I had my students watch a podcast interview of Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx. Chances are, you’re probably thinking, what in the world does slimming undergarments have to do with wildlife careers? Well not a lot, but the lessons from Sara Blakely’s experiences are pure gold and...

A big lesson that I learned from studying abroad in Kenya is that  the key to understanding a place's wildlife and conservation issues is to connect with the people living there. When my travels led me to Brazil, I knew I had to seize the opportunity to learn about its unique conservation challenges and the incredible research being done there through the passionate scientists who working on the ground. Our guest on this week’s Fancy Scientist podcast, Dr. Fernanda Teixeira, is not only a...

Lots of people think that the only way you can work in conservation and make a difference is by studying threatened animals to learn more about them so that we can save them. But there are a million ways to make a difference and drive impact in this field, especially when you follow your heart, pursue your passion, and open yourself up to creative possibilities. In today’s Fancy Scientist podcast episode, we have a guest like none other before, author, keynote speaker, and facilitator Julie...

After recently moving to the Chicago area, I have been captivated by the urban wildlife in the area, particularly the coyotes. Seeing them in broad daylight, not just at dusk or from afar, has been a remarkable experience! (I’ve only seen a coyote once in my life and it was in Yellowstone National Park before) I wanted to learn more about the work being done to understand and appreciate urban species like these coyotes. In today's Fancy Scientist podcast episode, I had the pleasure of...

Navigating career paths can be a daunting challenge. We pour our time and effort into applications, only to be met with rejection after rejection. Many aspiring wildlife professionals can relate to the frustration and self-doubt that arise from these setbacks. In the pursuit of our dreams and career goals, we often find ourselves facing moments of self-doubt and uncertainty. Thoughts of inadequacy and imposter syndrome can quietly seep in, casting doubts on our abilities and leaving us...

Experience is critical to build your career in wildlife, ecology, or conservation biology. When you’re just starting out though, this can be hard to get. Even unpaid volunteer positions can be treated like jobs where you apply and can get rejected. Some of these volunteer positions are through organizations abroad, especially Africa, where they tell aspiring wildlife professionals that they can get experience by volunteering in their organization doing things like tracking and surveying...

As a wildlife professional, I understand the struggles that many professionals in this field face when trying to secure a job. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the larger goals and overlook the smaller, yet crucial, steps needed to succeed. Pursuing a wildlife career can be a challenging endeavor that demands significant effort and perseverance. Perhaps you’re currently wondering what the secret ingredient is to achieving a thriving career in wildlife. I myself have pondered the same thing...

I love hearing success stories from people who have finally landed their dream jobs, especially after challenging and twisty career paths. I always like to say, your current situation is not your final destination, so I believe to strive toward your dream relentlessly. Additionally, most professors do not know how to advise for non-academic jobs. Have you been frustrated that your university has no experts in the field you wish to pursue and you feel lost?  Most aspiring wildlife...

Thank you so much for participating in the Thrive in Wildlife Career Challenge. You seriously exceeded my expectations. Thank you for showing up at your FULLEST if you have - and if you haven’t, you still have time to catch up :)  If you missed Days 1-4, that’s okay. You can catch up. This challenge will be up until January 27th. After that, I am taking it off of my podcast. Today we are integrating everything we learned over the last 5 days through the 3 pillars essential for career...

It’s the end of the 5 day challenge! Once you’ve finished today, you’ve made it - but the challenge is not completely over, read until the end… For today, we are learning to BELIEVE. Today is the most important day, so if you feel like you can skip this one - please don’t! It sounds cheesy to believe in yourself, but we are not being cheesy. We are going to talk about how to get your brain to work for you, setting you up for success. Because the truth is, that if you truly believe in yourself...

We are officially on day four of the Thrive in Wildlife Career Challenge! I am blown away by how committed and driven you have been throughout the last few days...it makes me so excited to teach you today's lesson! For today, day 4, ACT, I am going to teach you how little actions add up to BIG results. And if you’ve been feeling stuck, confused, lost, or just want to get ahead I’m going to get started on some action now. And here's a link to the Job Tracker...

We are now halfway through the Thrive in Wildlife Career Challenge! How's it going? Are you feeling pumped up about having a roadmap started to your wildlife career?  Today we're going to go further into how to close the gap between where you currently are and where you ultimately desire to be in your wildlife career. Now that we’ve determined your endpoint and created a roadmap, how has that shifted your perception of what is possible for you? From days 1 and 2, there are likely still lots...

We officially kicked off day 1, Dream, of the Thrive in Wildlife Career Challenge yesterday and the energy I am getting from you guys is amazing. Thank you for being here. I am excited to continue our journey together this week so let’s go! Today we are wasting absolutely no time and are building your roadmap. You’ll take the dream job or jobs you thought of yesterday and use that as your North star. I’ll give you questions that you’ll answer and you’ll use those answers to start filling in...

How excited are you to officially begin the Thrive in Wildlife Challenge and learn how to create your own roadmap leading you to your dream job? You’re probably feeling ready to have a career with more certainty leading to more success and impact making a difference for wildlife. It’s day one, and chances are throughout our time together you're going to have some a-ha moments that will start the momentum in your career, getting you excited for what’s to come in 2023 so make sure to listen...

Welcome to the Thrive in Wildlife Career Challenge!  This is a 5 days challenge of audio messages and short exercises that will teach you how to create your own roadmap to ensure your success in wildlife careers. These audios will get you excited, pumped, and inspired about your career in wildlife, ecology, zoology, or conservation biology so that you can THRIVE in your profession and get the job you dream of!  No matter where you are in your career,  this challenge will help you.  This is...

When I give advice to young wildlife professionals or those aspiring to go into this career, I always tell them to reverse engineer it. To “start with the end in mind,” (a quote from Stephen Covey), but what if you don’t know what the end looks like? Or what happens if you thought you wanted something and you went after it, but then you realized maybe you want something else. And if you decide to pursue that other thing, what does that mean about you? How do you know who you really are and...