Mothering Wildlife

Apr 25 2024 2
Mothering Wildlife Podcast artwork

Telling the stories of moms who work in zoo, wildlife, vet, and conservation organizations.  Working with wildlife brings a unique set of challenges for working mothers.  Join me weekly as I interview moms working primarily in the zoo field as we discuss their journey as moms, navigating the mental, emotional, and often physical challenges that come with caring for wildlife and caring for kids.

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Postpartum is Hard! But so is Being a Working Mom with Carly Hornberger from Smithsonian's National Zoo

Apr 25 2024 57 mins  
My guest this week, Carly, and I talk about the postpartum period. There are so many changes that occur during that "4th trimester". As you approach the end of your maternity leave you might find yourself excited to return to work but also guilty about having to leave your child. You've just gotten into a rhythm of being a mom and then you get thrown back into work a

More Than a Mom and Not Just a Zookeeper with Kristine Duplisea of the Fort Worth Zoo

Apr 17 2024 60 mins  
As a working professional, when you suddenly step into the world of motherhood, it can sometimes feel as if you now have two identities. Motherhood, and in the case of most of this podcast's guests, zookeeper. My guest this week, Kristine Duplisea, and I talk a little bit about this. We also talk about how maternity leave can feel so isolating, especially if you don't hav

Working Your Dream Job but Feeling Like You’re Needed at Home with Kristen Beedle, former primate zookeeper

Apr 10 2024 56 mins  
Animal care professionals work so hard to get into the zoo field. Internships, commutes, low pay, time spent away from family and friends - all this because they love what they do and oftentimes consider it their passion. They can’t imagine doing anything else. My guest this week, Kristen, and I talk about how it feels to be working your dream job but also feel like you hate leav

Kids Will Work for Chocolate Chips with Sarah Kirkman of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Apr 03 2024 50 mins  
Can you train your kids the same way you train zoo animals? My guest this week, Sarah Kirkman, is a zookeeper at the Columbus Zoo and mom to two small children and she has a great story about putting her animal training skills to use!How zookeeper skills transfer over to one’s mom life is not the only thing Sarah and I talk about though. We talk a little about whether it is harde

Penguins, Pregnancy, and Postpartum Comparison with Lindsay Ireland of the Detroit Zoo

Mar 27 2024 49 mins  
My guest this week, Lindsay Ireland, is a penguin keeper at the Detroit Zoo. We talk a bit about being pregnant while working with penguins and then dive into how as a new mom it can be so hard not to compare oneself to other mothers and your baby to other babies. As a new mom, Lindsay found herself researching everything but realized that having her mom nearby helped keep her grou

Zoo Podcasters Unite! with Jon Rossi from the Rossifari Podcast, and Chris Jenkins from the NEI TEC Talk Podcast

Mar 20 2024 103 mins  
Join me this week for something a little bit different - Zoological Podcast Summit 2024! Myself, Jon Rossi from the Rossifari Podcast and Chris Jenkins from the NEI TEC Talk Podcast spend some time talking about hosting zoo-focused podcasts. Each one of us fills a very niche role within the zoo podcast world. Jon interviews and highlights amazing zoo, aquarium, and conservation pro

Kids as a Catalyst for Change and Finding a Family First Culture in a Facility with Courtney Janney of the Memphis Zoo

Mar 13 2024 51 mins  
My guest this week, Courtney Janney, and I spent so much time talking about women in leadership and how having children changed her professional priorities. When her first daughter was born, her new attitude about work/life balance pervaded her team and she quit playing the competitive game with her coworkers which allowed her and her teammates to start trusting each other more. Sh

Just Don't Drop the Glass Balls with Dr. Lizzy Arnett-Chinn from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Mar 06 2024 56 mins  
Often, we feel like we are juggling so many things in life - kids, work, to-do lists, projects, etc. My guest this week, Dr. Lizzy Arnett-Chinn, has a great way of looking at how to prioritize all the things she is juggling. It's simple, really - just don't drop the glass balls. She once heard this phrase about "glass balls" and ever since it has really stuck wi

An IVF Journey as a Zookeeper with Former Zookeeper Tarah Carpenter

Feb 28 2024 48 mins  
My guest this week, Tarah, and I dive a little bit into her journey with IVF to become a mom. At the time, she was the only mom amongst animal care staff at her facility. We also talk a bit about what it’s like to be the only mom on staff and to worry that you’re putting other staff out when you inevitably need to leave or have to call out due to your children. The guilt of hav

The Mixed Bag of Emotions During Maternity Leave with Alyson Proveaux of the Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

Feb 21 2024 47 mins  
Maternity leave can be uncharted territory for new moms! My guest this week, Alyson, and I explore the emotions of maternity leave. Some women feel anxiety about stepping away from their job for months knowing that, especially in the zoo field, other (animal) lives are at stake and our duties might be pushed to other teammates. At some facilities our jobs are so teammate oriented t