Why Animal Care?
I think my mother could have said I was already plotting to work with animals in some form before I was born. According to her, she took up bird watching when she was pregnant with me and that I was an influence on her getting into birds.
The reality is I have always had a soft spot for wildlife. I was told, even as a toddler, I was very gentle with any animal I encountered, even if I did try to bring a few ducks home from the park.
How I got my start.
I felt a pressing need to start this page now due to some current event in relation to where I started me animal handling/care career. At the age of 14, I got the opportunity to volunteer at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia working with their live animal collection they used for education. As of right now(6 Sept 2026), the musuem that has been open for almost 200 years is being closed at the end of the month. I don't think I would be anywhere near where I am now if it wasn't for my time at the Academy. I learned so much and my time there shaped my future. I'll share more of my time there in future posts but this was an experience that set my future in motion.