WOMEn in Science: Former girl scouts helping to recover black-footed ferrets
Interview Questions for a Wildlife Biologist Working with Black-Footed Ferrets
1. What inspired you to pursue a career in wildlife biology, particularly working with black-footed ferrets?
I have always loved nature and animals, and I hated the thought of having a job that required sitting at a desk inside all day. I began to realize through my high school science classes and volunteering at the local zoo, that there were careers out there where I could work with my hands and be outside. From my experience volunteering and working at the zoo, I began wanting to have more of an impact on native animal species in the wild. As I began working with black-footed ferrets I started to find purpose in recovering endangered species and being able to go home at the end of the day knowing I am making a difference in the world.
2. Can you describe your educational journey and how it prepared you for this field?
I got my undergrad in Biological Sciences from Colorado State University. This was a pretty general program, but it allowed me to take a wide range of classes where I discovered that I enjoyed ecology, genetics and various animal classes. This helped lead me to the Black-Footed Ferret Center, where I could see everything I learned in my favorite classes come to life! After deciding I wanted to learn more about the field, I graduated with a masters from Colorado State’s online program this past year where I took a variety of classes that relate directly to the conservation work being done with black-footed ferrets and other threatened and endangered species.
3. What is a memorable experience from your work with black-footed ferrets?
One of my most memorable experiences was going on my first ferret release in Shirley Basin Wyoming. It was incredibly rewarding to see all of our hard work come full circle. We spent all season caring for litters, helping raise kits that needed some extra attention, and preconditioning 3-month-old kits. Seeing them released into their natural habitat is always a highlight of my job.
4. What challenges do you face in your work, and how do you overcome them?
I work directly with the care of the captive black-footed ferret population, so we face many unique challenges. We work every day including weekends, holidays, during snowstorms, etc. The ferrets have to eat! A lot of my day is spent cleaning up poop and handling raw meat and carcasses that we feed to the ferrets. We deal with death on a regular basis as we house upwards of 400 ferrets at a time and not all of them survive to be released. It is not a glamorous job but the pros outweigh the cons in my opinion. We get the opportunity to get to know individual ferrets on a level that nobody else does. We name them, pick their boyfriends and girlfriends, care for the expecting mothers and their litters, get to know their personalities, etc. Coming to work and being around these animals makes all of the hard work worth it!
5. What gives you hope for the future?
Whenever I hear of younger generations that know about black-footed ferrets and are excited to learn about them, and maybe even go into the field of conservation themselves, I have hope for the future. Knowledge and passion for conservation is something that will always be needed, especially now!
6. In what ways did your experience as a Girl Scout contribute to your current success?
As a Girl Scout, my troop did a lot of different activities in nature such as camping, horseback riding, archery, fishing, planting trees, etc. These experiences helped me build my love for nature and animals.
7. If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring biologists, what would it be?
A piece of advice for aspiring biologists would be to get involved! Volunteering is a great way to help out biologists and discover what aspects of the field you like best. It’s also a great way to meet other aspiring biologists and potential mentors.
8. What can people do to help recover this endangered species?
People can help recover endangered species by getting involved! This looks like volunteering time, resources, and just spreading knowledge about endangered species. The more people in the general public who are informed about endangered species, the more likely recovery and conservation efforts are to be successful
1. What inspired you to pursue a career in wildlife biology, particularly working with black-footed ferrets?
I have always loved nature and animals, and I hated the thought of having a job that required sitting at a desk inside all day. I began to realize through my high school science classes and volunteering at the local zoo, that there were careers out there where I could work with my hands and be outside. From my experience volunteering and working at the zoo, I began wanting to have more of an impact on native animal species in the wild. As I began working with black-footed ferrets I started to find purpose in recovering endangered species and being able to go home at the end of the day knowing I am making a difference in the world.
2. Can you describe your educational journey and how it prepared you for this field?
I got my undergrad in Biological Sciences from Colorado State University. This was a pretty general program, but it allowed me to take a wide range of classes where I discovered that I enjoyed ecology, genetics and various animal classes. This helped lead me to the Black-Footed Ferret Center, where I could see everything I learned in my favorite classes come to life! After deciding I wanted to learn more about the field, I graduated with a masters from Colorado State’s online program this past year where I took a variety of classes that relate directly to the conservation work being done with black-footed ferrets and other threatened and endangered species.
3. What is a memorable experience from your work with black-footed ferrets?
One of my most memorable experiences was going on my first ferret release in Shirley Basin Wyoming. It was incredibly rewarding to see all of our hard work come full circle. We spent all season caring for litters, helping raise kits that needed some extra attention, and preconditioning 3-month-old kits. Seeing them released into their natural habitat is always a highlight of my job.
4. What challenges do you face in your work, and how do you overcome them?
I work directly with the care of the captive black-footed ferret population, so we face many unique challenges. We work every day including weekends, holidays, during snowstorms, etc. The ferrets have to eat! A lot of my day is spent cleaning up poop and handling raw meat and carcasses that we feed to the ferrets. We deal with death on a regular basis as we house upwards of 400 ferrets at a time and not all of them survive to be released. It is not a glamorous job but the pros outweigh the cons in my opinion. We get the opportunity to get to know individual ferrets on a level that nobody else does. We name them, pick their boyfriends and girlfriends, care for the expecting mothers and their litters, get to know their personalities, etc. Coming to work and being around these animals makes all of the hard work worth it!
5. What gives you hope for the future?
Whenever I hear of younger generations that know about black-footed ferrets and are excited to learn about them, and maybe even go into the field of conservation themselves, I have hope for the future. Knowledge and passion for conservation is something that will always be needed, especially now!
6. In what ways did your experience as a Girl Scout contribute to your current success?
As a Girl Scout, my troop did a lot of different activities in nature such as camping, horseback riding, archery, fishing, planting trees, etc. These experiences helped me build my love for nature and animals.
7. If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring biologists, what would it be?
A piece of advice for aspiring biologists would be to get involved! Volunteering is a great way to help out biologists and discover what aspects of the field you like best. It’s also a great way to meet other aspiring biologists and potential mentors.
8. What can people do to help recover this endangered species?
People can help recover endangered species by getting involved! This looks like volunteering time, resources, and just spreading knowledge about endangered species. The more people in the general public who are informed about endangered species, the more likely recovery and conservation efforts are to be successful
