You get a degree and then a job, right? That’s how it is supposed to work. But in wildlife biology, ecology, and conservation careers, it’s not so straightforward. In the wildlife science realm, you need experience, but the …
When I scroll through my Pinterest home feed, zero waste is a common word that comes up among eco-friendly bloggers. I always wanted to try it, but producing no waste seemed so hard! I was really intimidated by the challenge…
Through my 17 years in research, one of the biggest lessons I learned is that science alone cannot solve the biodiversity crisis. We need people to care and to change their behaviors. People tend to view corporations as the …
When I was in graduate school, everyone was talking about how if you didn’t want to go into research, you could get a job in science communication – like it was something you could just easily do. But when I was officially o…
I was recently featured on an Instagram live hosted by @shine.science and I was asked the question, “How do you handle negative comments on social media?” I had such a long answer that I thought it would make an excellent po…
What you eat has a huge impact on wildlife and that’s true for the ocean too. Commercial fishing can have large-scale negative impacts on dolphins, turtles, and whole ecosystems. Overfishing can endanger the species that is …
Do you have a backyard? Front yard? Balcony? Access to a rooftop? Then you can help wildlife! I invited naturalist David Mizejewski on the podcast to talk about how you can make your yard, balcony, or whatever you have acces…
George Gehrig subscribes to the Fancy Scientist and responded to an email of mine asking about the impact of iNaturalist data on science. I thought that sounded like a great topic to discuss, and when I found out that George…
I became a wildlife biologist because I wanted to save species from extinction. But I’ve learned over my nearly two decades in this field, that we really can’t save species without focusing on ourselves first When people thi…
Last week I talked about how you can make your front and backyard wildlife-friendly , and this week, I’m talking specifically about mammals! Lots of people want to welcome mammals into their yards, but don’t do it in the bes…
When most people think of conservation, they tend to think of faraway animals like tigers, elephants, and jaguars, or faraway places like the Amazon rainforest, Serengeti plains, or Yellowstone National Park. But conservatio…
The inspiration for all of my writing and videos stems from animals. So often people want to become a wildlife biologist because they want to help animals. They envision themselves conducting important research to grow popul…
This week I talked to Dr. Mark “Merriweather” Vorderbruggen about foraging for your own food. I’ve blogged and podcasted before about having a more sustainable diet, but foraging is not something that came across my mind unt…
In today’s podcast, I talk to academic Coach Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive Ph.D. Katy founded Thrive PhD in 2017, where she started out coaching acquaintances to now having a thriving business with clients all over the world and…
In this podcast, I interview PJ Beaven, a zookeeper for over 15 years. PJ created a program called ZooFit where she incorporates health and fitness with conservation. First PJ and I talk about what it was like for her to be …
I invited my friend and colleague Rebecca Mowry for a conversation about her job as a big game wildlife biologist on my podcast. Rebecca is the Bitterroot area Wildlife Biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. I’ve b…
My colleague and friend, Dr. Mike Cove reached out to me to have a discussion about something he had been thinking about for some time: how mammals of the past impact mammals today. He was especially interested on the impact…
This episode is a must listen-to for anyone who wants to go into wildlife or conservation careers. I interview Dr. Nick Askew, founder of Conservation Careers, an organization dedicated to helping students find the right car…
Communication is huge in conservation and wildlife biology careers. People tend to only think of the species, ecosystems, or research that scientists work on, but this research is always communicated in some way – to other s…
A couple of weeks ago, I hosted a Facebook Live entitled, “Are You Too Old for a Career in Wildlife Biology? When I advertised for this event on my social media, I got quite a few comments. One of them was from senior progra…
This podcast features a fantastic interview with science filmmaker Rob Nelson. Rob is a friend of mine and we both appear together on the Science Channel’s What on Earth. He transitioned from research into filmmaking and has…
This podcast features an amazing interview with scientist and founder of Nova Conservation: Laura Marsh. Nova Conservation is a brand new organization dedicated to connecting scientists and non-professionals to conservation …
In this episode of the Fancy Scientist podcast, I interview scientist and blogger Charlotte Hacker. Charlotte is a Ph.D. candidate who uses non-invasive genetics through scat (poop) to study snow leopard populations in China…
This podcast features an amazing interview with conservationist and founder of Lonely Conservationists: Jessie Panazzolo. Jessie is a conserves conservationists; in other words, she works to save those who are saving the wor…
