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Three Lessons of a Wildlife Apprentice

It will be difficult to capture in a few brief paragraphs all that I’ve learned during my time as apprentice at CuriOdyssey. When I first walked into Coyote Point two years ago, I was blown away. The museum was a hidden pocket of paradise surrounded by eucalyptus trees and stunning views of the bay. I was fresh out of college when I stumbled upon the animal care internship. I applied on a whim, having always been an animal enthusiast, and was smitten with the museum upon arrival. The combination of native animal habitats and interactive exhibits at CuriOdyssey is a spectacular concept geared towards educating children and their families about science and conservation of the natural world. I spent the next few months learning the basics of animal husbandry and developing relationships with a crew of workers unlike any I’d ever known. One year later, when I was given the opportunity to be the next wildlife apprentice, I didn’t hesitate for a second to drop the work I was doing in exchange for a chance to get paid to learn more about what I love. To this day, it is a concept that seems too good to be true. Rather than try to touch upon the countless lessons I’ve learned during my time as apprentice, I will condense my spiel into three fundamental beliefs that have been inspired by my time here.

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Throughout the apprenticeship, I accumulated and enhanced a variety of skills. First of all, I grew physically stronger. When you tell someone that you’re a zoo keeper, their mind typically flashes to one of two scenarios: you either snuggle with baby tigers or you shovel the monster stools of grizzlies. The truth lies somewhere in between. Initially, I felt like I did not stand a chance to remember all that I needed to know. Imagine a whole animal collection of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians – they each eat different things and require a different kind of care. Something as simple as handing out diets to the service areas in the morning was daunting at first. In fact, every task that the keepers could do in thirty minutes or less took me two hours. That’s when I learned what the truth is: zoo keepers are athletes who are crazy about animals. As the weeks passed I found my body adjusting. I could feel my memory expanding and my coordination improving. I became savvy with how to efficiently hang a platform for the bobcats and how to drill in eyebolts for golden eagle perching. I absorbed what I loved about others’ work and avoided what I didn’t (no tight knots, for example). To truly know my experience, however, you would have to know more about the people I was lucky enough to learn from.

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Part of the apprenticeship involves public speaking, a pretty aversive concept for me. I don’t particularly prefer the spotlight and that’s certainly a part of presenting for the public programs and wildlife shows. Every weekend for months I’d feel the nausea of nerves before stepping out in front of a truly non-intimidating crowd of children and their parents. Watching Mel, the programs keeper, glide through these presentations was always inspiring. But even more impressive than her stage presence, was her general way of dealing with the public. One specific incident really stayed with me; it was her interaction with one guest while we were getting ready to close for the day. A woman approached us, upset by how she perceived our animals were being treated. Mel’s cordial tone didn’t miss a beat as she patiently began to discuss the individual history of the animals in question. She responded thoughtfully to the various comments that this guest made and concluded the interaction on a positive note. The guest walked away with far less hostility than when she approached us and had far more knowledge on the concept of non-releasable animals. This is by no means the norm of interactions with guests I’ve seen, quite the contrary. Yet it was the rarity of such an occurrence that allowed me the chance to see Mel utilize an opportunity to educate the public when no one was watching. It wasn’t scripted, it stemmed solely from her desire to impart knowledge and she did so with both eloquence and kindness. Today when I speak to our guests, whether it is in a show or one-on-one, I try to keep that same mentality. Lesson number one: There’s always a chance to spread correct information and have a positive impact on somebody’s life.

All the keepers I worked with during my apprenticeship brought their own unique strengths to the table. If I had been doing the same work surrounded by different people, it would not have been even close to the experience that it was. Megan was the keeper who trained me on my first day. I arrived with an empty stomach at seven in the morning, groggy and useless. She meticulously taught me the basics – what tools to use, what to look for on exhibits, and how to leave a service area cleaner than I’d found it. When it comes time to roll up your sleeves and hop into the dumpster or slink down into a clogged drain, she’s the first to do so without ever being asked to. Megan is one of the most industrious people I’ve ever met and simultaneously the most modest. Another coworker I learned a great deal from was Kelli. I formally challenge you to meet the speed at which Kelli works. When she was out for a surgery, I felt a flicker of hope that I might match her pace upon her return. How quaint, to have such a thought! Kelli segued seamlessly into routine on her first day back, working more swiftly and with more creativity than any other keeper I know. She also incorporates games and friendly pranks at every corner, making the days pass too quickly. I also benefitted from working with Rachael, who is a skilled animal trainer. She helped me build an impressive wildlife resume from scratch. Everyone I worked with taught me something different and invested in me in some way to make me better at what I do.

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The bosses, similarly, were no average bosses. I could speak to our Director of Wildlife about anything, from animals to comic books to culinary wisdoms. Nikii is extremely approachable and friendly, helping foster such an exceptional environment to work in. The lead keeper, Eunice, takes the time to work closely with everyone. She is, in my opinion, a model boss. She handles her business skillfully and offers effective feedback that genuinely fuels improvement. One of the animals that Eunice trains is Mina, the badger, and every day Mina digs her dirt to one side of her exhibit. Some days she’s been so fastidious in her digging that you literally have to rebuild her exhibit – bucket by painstaking bucket of dirt. Eunice is the kind of boss who meets her administrative responsibilities in the office and swaps right to picking up a shovel and helping out personally with the rest of the wildlife staff. She brings me to lesson number two: seek out those who share your interests and learn from them. I know that I could work with this remarkable group of people for a lifetime and I’d still be gaining insight.

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As I wrap up these thoughts on my time spent at CuriOdyssey, I have to aim the spotlight at one more individual: my mentor when I was first an intern, Jen. She has been such an inspiration to me; she truly gives her work her all. When she’s not at work, she’s thinking about what she can bring to work to enrich the animals. When she is at work, she slays any task presented to her and is guaranteed to make her coworkers and audiences laugh. I have a visual of her catching up our turkey vultures for their annual vaccines: at one point she held one turkey vulture in each hand while I fumbled around trying not to lose my footing in the uneven exhibit. Jen has imparted more knowledge to me than I’d ever hoped to attain during my time at CuriOdyssey. She brings me to my third and final lesson: there is nothing sweeter than loving your profession. Now, I realize that sounds obvious. However, until the apprenticeship, I had never before loved what I did for a living. I was a student, a barista, a nanny, a research assistant, a retail drone. I fulfilled obligations that I thought everyone felt equally lukewarm about. Then I took an internship that I stumbled upon by complete chance and it led me to the best experience of my life.

A few weeks ago, I began feeling some crushing anxiety over what’s next after my apprenticeship ends. How could I possibly hope to match what I’ve been doing at CuriOdyssey for the past year? One night when my head was particularly ensnarled in its own negativity, I spoke with Kelli’s husband, Mike. I was debating what mediocre job I’d do next when he said, as he often does, just about the most succinct and inspirational thing he could’ve said, “It’s too easy to get comfortable in a job where you’re just working to get by.” He was right. One week later, Kelli sent me a link to another job in this field, and a few days ago I was given a start date. It might never be glamorous or even lucrative to work with animals, but it will always be the reason I wake up grinning and filled with enthusiasm to be doing what I love.

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– post by Carmen Sepetka, former wildlife apprentice at CuriOdyssey

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