By Ava Litz and Ben Salama, 2024 JCFS interns

Carmen Sepetka did not always want to be a conservationist. When Carmen was growing up, she had aspirations of being a trapeze gymnast; however, after graduating from college, she studied psychology research and had an opportunity to work alongside animals, which swiftly revealed her passion. In 2011, she joined CuriOdyssey first as a volunteer, later becoming an intern working under [former assistant director] Jen Gale on the Wildlife team. Because she was new to animal conservation, Carmen’s apprenticeship is something she still cherishes. When asked to name a conservation hero, Carmen named Jen due to her unparalleled commitment to maintaining clean habitats for wildlife. Carmen eventually earned her way up to her current role as CuriOdyssey’s Associate Director of Conservation.

In her current role, Carmen supports conservation initiatives at CuriOdyssey by following the four conservation pillars: conservation education, environmental justice, conservation research and partnerships, and community science. A day here for Carmen often includes working closely with her director, Dr. Kate Sulzner, and taking advantage of working in a county park.

Carmen also mentioned that one of her favorite parts of her role here is the opportunity to go on field trips with her director, Kate, to see other facilities that uniquely highlight conservation. Recently, she had the chance to visit San Francisco’s Tunnel Tops, which she found highly inspiring. Additionally, she mentioned that some of the challenges of working in conservation include finding sufficient resources, as “conservation is often lumped into the category of a ‘passion profession’ and can be underfunded and reliant on volunteers.” Carmen applauds CuriOdyssey for its dedication to conservation, as what used to be a small volunteer-run department with limited bandwidth was transformed into a dedicated department in 2022. 

Carmen’s current focus at CuriOdyssey is designing a conservation trail that connects the museum to its environmental roots. Through hands-on outdoor discovery zones connected through an illustrated story-sign path, she and the rest of the conservation team aim to reconnect youth with nature and guide them to feel a part of something bigger. 

Carmen’s positive mindset supports the design of a conservation trail, as she strives to convey the importance of making a positive impact. Furthermore, she states, “It is important to instill hope and agency in youth so that we can engineer sustainable solutions for a brighter future”, which illustrates her “glass half-full” philosophy. 

Outside of work, Carmen volunteers on the board of Sloppy Seconds Inc. a non-profit based in Hayward that educates others on how to be responsible pet owners and works to find forever homes for animals deemed “unadoptable.” Additionally, she is also working towards becoming a therapist and hopes to be able to combine nature and therapy.

Carmen’s work in and out of CuriOdyssey demonstrates her dedication to animals, the environment, and making the world a better place.