So, I'm at an impasse..

M

Markw

Member
Hello everyone. I'm new around these parts and I'm here to bounce some ideas from those that know the field best. This is going to be a lengthy post. So, if you're going to stick around, I greatly appreciate it. Now, make yourself comfortable. :)

To start off, my name's Mark. I have two main passions in the world. First and foremost, I love animals (obviously, since I'm here..). Second, I love photography. Currently, I'm a working photographer. That's where my bread and butter comes from. You can see my work in the "photos" section here if you're interested.

As I've grown up, animals have always played a huge role in my life. I've own, raised, or fostered a LOT of different species of animals:

Eclectus Parrot
Pot bellied pig
African Goose
Peking Duck
Mallard Duck
Anole
Bearded Dragon
Uromastyx
Rudis Chameleon
Veiled Chameleon
Panther Chameleon
Dendrobates Auratus PDF
Dendrobated Leucomelas PDF
Phyllobates Vittatus PDF
Eastern Grey Squirrel
Sugar Glider
Chinchilla
Hedgehog
Ferret
Hampster
Ball Python
Chinese Water Dragon
Red Eared Slider Turtle
Tropical fish
Marine fish
Axolotl
Guinea Pig
Mourning Dove

I'm probably forgetting a few. Most were fosters taken in when someone else didn't want them any longer, or simply couldn't care for them any longer. I kept them until we could find them a more suitable home.

I've volunteered extensively at my local zoo and wildlife rehab facility (if you were to count those animals in the list, it would be much more extensive) as well. As much as I love the field and the industry of wildlife rehab, it's just not for me, and it's for the same reason as why I couldn't be a veterinarian. The majority of the time is spent with sick, injured, or otherwise down-on-their-luck critters. While the feeling of nursing them back around is better than any other, I just don't think I could be in that environment forever. As with many fields, the good days come with the bad. But, that throws me on a roller coaster I just don't know if I want to endure.

One thing I absolutely love, though, is the idea of educational outreach. When I was super young, my Aunt Sue co-owned a petting zoo. It was only a small zoo, but she had ostrich, goats, cranes, pigs, donkeys, camels, a few peafowl, and some other small-attraction-type critters. One time, she brought home an ostrich egg and told me to keep it safe for a few months. After a while, we both forgot about it. When I finally came across it, she said she had a special task for that egg. Took it, and gave me another. This time, the egg had been drilled and vacuumed so there was nothing left inside. She ultimately busted the rotten egg all over the front door of the house that her ex husband lived in with his new wife (I wasn't told this until years later).

But, I digress. Sorry for the unexpected anecdote.

So, like I was saying, educational outreach. I have always known that building and running a zoo would be a bit out of my reach short of hitting a lotto, or landing some massive settlement. Wildlife rehabilitation isn't going to do it for me. But, educational outreach suddenly seems like a much more reasonable goal (with my limited knowledge of the financial and technical aspects of actually starting a facility), one that I would enjoy forever, and one that would bring joy and amazement to countless numbers of others.

Because of the daunting aspects of the zoo field, I've kind of brushed the idea under the rug for quite some time, while living my wildlife-loving side vicariously through my photography and the pets and facilities owned by others.

I've come to realize, though, that it's just not something I'd like to ignore, and I don't want to give up without a fight. It's very disheartening to know you can't do something you're passionate about simply because it's a long journey, and one with an uncertain future (much like the photography career I've thrusted myself into).

After all that, the last bits of information you all need to know is that I'm now going into my first semester as a sophomore in college, studying photography for a meaningless, but essential, degree. This is about the time where, should I so desire, I should pick up a second major or a minor. This is quite a big decision for me, but it's one I need to make before the end of the year. So, if any formal education is necessary to accomplish such an endeavor, I really need to know ASAP.

This is why I come to you all today. I need to know the ins and outs of a goal like this. What is the path to making this happen? Is it a realistic one? What steps should I be taking now to hopefully get this formed and operational within the next 10 years? Is that time frame even reasonable? Any and all information and advice you all could give me would be very greatly appreciated. If you would like any more information from me, I'd be more than happy to oblige.

Thanks for listening,
Mark
 
Do you like teaching at all? That would be compatible with your nature educational outreach interests and would provide a defined career path to follow.

Have you considered possibilities for nature education in non-zoo settings like nature centers or local, state, or national parks? My experience has been that finding people who are doing things that you want to do and informationally interviewing them can lead to internship opportunities, mentorship, and potential jobs. Where you are now in your education is the ideal time to start looking for internships in nature education. do you have a local Audubon Center? I know people who have started nature education careers by interning with an Audubon Center. I think that the national parks also have college internship opportunities - some of the best nature education that I have experienced has been from national park rangers and educators.

It sounds like you have an interest in biology - is getting a biology minor to accompany your photography studies a possibility?

You're asking the right questions and I have no doubt that you will find the answers that you are looking for...it's a matter of perseverance and finding some good mentorship, which you are doing exactly the right searching to find...
 
I do enjoy teaching. I do it quite often in both of my fields of interest. I get comments very often on how I tend to just spurt out information when on a photography-related hike. But, I don't really want to be a teacher/lecturer. Out of curiosity, what advantage would a biology degree give me simply because it's in the field?

The educational facility I'm speaking of would include a facility with animals that could be toured, but also a bus of sorts that would bring some the animal ambassadors to schools, libraries, etc. I remember programs like these making a huge impact on myself as a child, and it's something I'd love to do.

I would say I have more of an interest in zoology and ecology rather than biology, which , in my experience, is more based on the micro-organismic world (I could be a bit wrong here, though). I feel that you can teach and teach and teach until you're blue in the face. But, unless you can really touch the students with something that they can connect with, it's all essentially nullified.

For example, I could show you all the photos in the world of the cutest piglets you could think of. Of course you'll think they're cute, but you won't think twice about devouring that ham at thanksgiving. But, if I show you an adolescent (and reasonably well-behaved and -trained) potbelly pig, and leave you with him for a day and night, you'll have a chance to really see that the pig has a personality. He loves his little tummy scratched and wags that tail like nobody's business when you do it just right. He may nudge at your ankles when he's feeling alone, and grunt excitedly when you walk in the door. He'll lay all 60 lbs of himself right on your lap as you watch your favorite movie, and come when you call him. But the best thing is that when you bend down, tell him to 'sit' and offer him a treat, you see just a smidgin of a smile there on either side of his heart-shaped snout, and a twinkle in the eye of an excited porker. THAT is what I want to bring to people. It really impacted me (my experience was with a coatimundi, but I owned an indoor potbellied pig. So, I speak from experience), and I know it could impact countless others if executed properly.

This may sound a bit ambitious, and perhaps a little ambiguous as of yet. But, I'd love nothing more.

Mark
 
Volunteering at a local zoo or nature center is also a viable option. Most zoos have outreach programs where they take animals to schools, programs, and the like. If you have some basic education courses on your resume it might be possible to get a job with a zoo and participate in such programs. At our zoo we have volunteers who do these programs. It is a way to get your foot in the door. We have hired several of our formal volunteers. A few have left over the years to start their own businesses and do their own outreach programs. Volunteering is a great way to determine a career path! I did so for 3 or 4 years and was then hired by the zoo. I've been here 26 years and love my job!
 
Can you minor in ecology or zoology? I would suggest some volunteer work with children/schools so you get to experience how kids need things delivered, and also familiarise yourself with the curriculum in the states that you want to work in so you can hone you promo material to fit into what topics teachers are actually teaching (as they are going to be the ones hire you for a lot of your work).
 
Thanks guys. I was having a bit of trouble putting into words exactly my plans for the facility. So, I played around on the web and youtube looking for examples, and I ran across this video. This is EXACTLY what I had envisioned. After seeing this, I'd love to know your thoughts.

Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch - YouTube

Mark
 
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