Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka

Do you want a wildlife, conservation, or environmental sciences career, but feel that it is not physically possible for you? Do you have health challenges or a condition that limits you and are worried that it prevents you from working in a field that is notoriously demanding? Or do you feel discriminated against because of these circumstances? 
You are not alone! I have heard from aspiring wildlife biologists all over the world that they struggle with conditions like chronic fatigue, anxiety, sight disabilities, strokes, ADHD, and more and are concerned that they can’t work in this field, which they love so much. I, myself, struggle with an autoimmune condition that greatly slows down my metabolism, and has made me heavily fatigued at key points in my career. Well, in this week’s episode of the Fancy Scientist Podcast, I’m showing you that it’s possible for you with an interview with a young conservationist who blew me away with her unstoppable attitude. 
When I first heard Grace O’Dea speak on a Green Jobs webinar event, I was so inspired by her story that I knew I had to have her on the podcast. Grace has cerebral palsy, and at 17, she was told by someone that her lack of upper-body strength meant that she could never work in an animal career. But that’s not where her story ended…
In fact, she used that “no,” as ammunition to propel her wildlife career. Today she is a permanent educator at a major aquarium and has previously worked in physically demanding jobs at farms and zoos, proving that naysayer wrong.
This week’s episode of the Fancy Scientist Podcast is all about NOT accepting no as an answer when it comes to pursuing your dreams or whatever conservation goal you want to accomplish no matter what your circumstances are. If you want to work in the wildlife field, you'll want to listen for sure, but this episode is for everyone. No matter what you were going after in your career or even your life, the lessons that Grace shares will apply to the seemingly impossible situation that you are going through. 
Through our conversation, you’ll learn how Grace navigated her path by refusing to let her disability define her. She didn't let being questioned stop her; instead, she purposely built her physical strength at the gym. She didn’t hide her disability either. Rather, she voiced her concerns to employers so that they could find ways to work with her condition rather than around it. 
Grace shares her experience working with everything from hedgehogs to wild deer, and how she uses positive messaging and hope to impact the public rather than the typical conservation messages of doom and gloom. She explains how she handles the physical aspects of her current and past jobs and why being "ballsy" and confident is your greatest asset, even if you are naturally shy or introverted.
And the results of her boldness are incredible! Grace started as a seasonal employee, but she didn't just wait for it to end and look for something else. Instead, she took the initiative to email her bosses and ask if her position could be made permanent. And it worked! She now has a full-time permanent position as a conservation educator delivering daily talks to aquarium guests and teaching the next generation about ocean conservation.
Grace also excels at networking. She lets us in on her strategies, which led to her being invited as a guest speaker for her university’s graduation and connecting with influencers in the green jobs space. We talk about how she leverages LinkedIn by active and intentional posting, using hashtags strategically, and attracting professionals to her profile through sharing her personal and professional achievements. 
I also noticed that Grace is a fancy scientist herself. We discuss her fancy side and how she owns her personal style and unique comedic value to be an unconventional, yet highly effective educator. 
After the interview, I break down key take-home points for you to apply to your own career or situation, including sharing resources helping you adopt Grace's unstoppable mindset, using LinkedIn as a search strategy, and why you should never be afraid to ask for a job extension or a permanent role.
If you ever thought you couldn’t pursue conservation because of a health condition, your background, or a lack of financial resources, Grace is living proof that it’s all possible! After listening to this episode, I know you’ll walk away filled with hope, and ready to face the challenge in your career head on.
Specifically, we talk about:
Grace’s career path from graduation to securing a permanent educator role at an aquarium
What it was like for Grace to work at various kinds of animal organizations and places including farms and zoos
Magical wildlife moments from Grace’s career such as stampeding deer and circling buzzards, and humbling moments like collecting hedgehog poop
Why you shouldn't "play it safe" if you have a passion for animals and want to pursue this kind of work
The critical importance of a resilient mindset when facing physical or psychological barriers in the field
How to navigate a wildlife career while managing a disability or other health condition including when and how to disclose health conditions and get accommodations
How to ask for what you want in wildlife work 
The power of LinkedIn for attracting employers and why posting once a week can change your career trajectory
Grace’s dissertation research on positive vs. negative messaging in conservation campaigns
How to give the public hope through small, actionable steps like beach clean-up 
And more!

Jump links:
03:53 Meet Grace O’Day
06:02 Told No at 17
07:54 Finding Her Why
08:42 Aquarium Career Path
11:55 Turning Seasonal Permanent
16:14 Impact Through Education
19:20 Navigating Cerebral Palsy at Work
25:52 Networking With LinkedIn
29:50 LinkedIn for Wildlife Careers Masterclass
31:33 Hedgehog Sanctuary Stories
34:08 Being A Fancy Scientist
35:25 Advice And Future Plans
38:00 Key Takeaways And Wrap

Dream of being a wildlife biologist, zoologist, conservation biologist, or ecologist? Ready to turn your love of animals into a thriving career?🌿🐘 Then…
🐾 Get my FREE Weekly Wildlife Wrap-Up where every Friday, I share strategies on how to stand out and get hired in wildlife, conservation, and environmental careers using a framework that's landed my students permanent jobs, internships, and more: https://stephanieschuttler.podia.com/wildlife-wrap-up
📚 Read Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Job-Wildlife-Biology-What/dp/B08JDYXS4G/
I’m Dr. Stephanie Manka (formerly Schuttler), a wildlife biologist of 20 yrs who is on a mission to empower wildlife professionals and break stereotypes of scientists so they can get jobs, live out their life’s purpose, and make a difference in this world.
🎥 How I became a wildlife biologist: https://youtu.be/zBvHRDO7gIg 
Full show notes:
👉https://stephanieschuttler.com/fancy-scientist-podcast-153-grace-odea/
Let’s connect! 🤝✨
Website: https://fancyscientist.com/
Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FancyScientist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgschuttler/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientist
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@fancy_scientist
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fancyscientist.bsky.social
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/

Do you have a lingering desire to start a wildlife career, but feel like it might be too late for you? Or maybe you’re working on a wildlife career, but it isn’t working for you, and time just keeps passing by? You got the degree, but then life got in the way, and you even had to get a non-wildlife job to pay the bills…
Well, I’m here to tell you that whether you’re 25, 45, or older, a wildlife career IS still possible for you (and yes, I get by 25-year-olds who think they are too late), and this week’s Fancy Scientist podcast episode really proves it! I interviewed Yellowstone Park Ranger Lynda Moore about her journey from Radiologic Technologist to environmental educator and what it’s really like to work in one of the most famous protected areas. Lynda first spent 28 years working in healthcare before deciding to return to school in 2017. She graduated with her degree in wildlife conservation biology in 2021, just two weeks before her 58th birthday! Now, she is working in one of the most coveted locations in the world for wildlife job seekers: Yellowstone National Park.
Through our conversation, you’ll learn how Linda navigated the challenges of being a non-traditional student and successfully landed a position with the National Park Service. She didn't let age hold her back or fears about ageism in the workplace. In fact, she embraced her past experiences and used them to her advantage, leveraging her work as a Radiologic Technologist to her new career while focusing on new strategies to land her a park service job. 
You’ll learn that Lynda emphasized networking and learning from others, building relationships with professors and graduate students while getting her degree. She shares how she willingly raised her hand for new opportunities, including counting bee behaviors in a lab and driving across the country for internships.
You’ll also get an insider’s perspective on the fascinating, and sometimes dangerous, reality of working in America’s first National Park. Lynda discusses her role as an interpretive ranger, educating the public on everything from the park’s unique thermal geology to the "Big Five" wildlife species in the United States. She shares eye-opening stories about "babysitting" a 2,000-pound bison and the constant struggle to keep tourists at a safe distance from unpredictable wild animals.
I also asked Lynda about the technical side of landing a federal job. She credits her success to having a mentor help her navigate the notoriously difficult federal resume process. You’ll learn about the new federal resume requirements and how she transitioned from the "healthcare brain" to the "biologist brain," and how she carried over the work ethic and supervisory skills from her previous career that made her a standout candidate.
After the interview, I break down the take-home points that you can apply to your own journey, regardless of your age. I explain how previous "unrelated" career experience can actually contain a variety of transferable skills for wildlife jobs, how to network with people who are decades younger (or older) than you, and how seeking outside help from professionals can help you navigate something like the frustration of the federal application system.
If you’ve ever told yourself you’re "too old," that "it’s too late," or that "employers won't hire someone my age," Linda is living proof that the National Park Service, and the wildlife field at large, needs your experience and your passion! And even if you aren’t working towards a wildlife career, in this episode, you’ll be fascinated by what it’s like to work inside one of the world’s most iconic parks. 
Specifically, we talk about:
Linda’s steps from a 28-year career in radiology to becoming a Park Ranger at Yellowstone
What it’s like to go back to school in your 50s and graduate alongside your own daughter
How starting your career later in life can work to your advantage: using "adult money" and maturity can be a competitive edge in wildlife work
Behind-the-scenes of working at Old Faithful and educating the public on thermal safety
Why "interpreting" wildlife behavior is actually a safety talk in disguise
Fascinating animal facts and the emotional impact of seeing a wolf in the wild for the first time
Lynda’s most impactful animal moment with Lucy the Orangutan at the National Zoo
Practical tips for federal resumes and navigating the shift from long-form to two-page limits
The reality of seasonal life in temporary wildlife work
The importance of using informational interviews to learn the "hidden" requirements of jobs
Why you should never underestimate yourself before you even apply for a job
The mindset shift needed to overcome imposter syndrome as a career switcher
How protecting the natural world starts with educating a single tourist or child

Jump Links:
02:56 Meet Ranger Linda
04:13 Career Switch Story
05:36 Internships And Mentors
07:38 Landing Yellowstone Job
08:24 Seasonal Life Logistics
10:41 Ranger Duties Explained
13:32 Visitor Questions And History
15:24 Expectations Versus Reality
18:08 Wildlife Safety Lessons
19:52 Craziest Tourist Encounters
25:04 Bison Babysitting And Bears
27:44 Choosing Biology Later
32:23 Networking in School
34:09 Ageism and Confidence
37:06 Federal Resume Tips
39:40 Unforgettable Animal Moments
43:52 Teaching Predators Balance
45:39 How to Get Hired
49:32 Key Takeaways Wrap Up

Dream of being a wildlife biologist, zoologist, conservation biologist, or ecologist? Ready to turn your love of animals into a thriving career?🌿🐘 Then…
🐾 Get my FREE Weekly Wildlife Wrap-Up where every Friday, I share strategies on how to stand out and get hired in wildlife, conservation, and environmental careers using a framework that's landed my students permanent jobs, internships, and more: https://stephanieschuttler.podia.com/wildlife-wrap-up
📚 Read Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Job-Wildlife-Biology-What/dp/B08JDYXS4G/
I’m Dr. Stephanie Manka (formerly Schuttler), a wildlife biologist of 20 yrs who is on a mission to empower wildlife professionals and break stereotypes of scientists so they can get jobs, live out their life’s purpose, and make a difference in this world.
🎥 How I became a wildlife biologist: https://youtu.be/zBvHRDO7gIg 
Full show notes:
👉https://stephanieschuttler.com/fancy-scientist-podcast-152-lynda-moore/
Let’s connect! 🤝✨
Website: https://fancyscientist.com/
Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FancyScientist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgschuttler/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientist
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@fancy_scientist
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fancyscientist.bsky.social
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/

How do you actually make your wildlife career happen when you feel like you’ve missed your window? You got the degree, maybe even got some temporary jobs here and there, but you felt like you weren’t getting traction. Or couldn’t see how it could all come together. And time just keeps ticking away…
That’s exactly how my former Successful Wildlife Professional student, Makeela Magomolla, was feeling before she joined my group mentoring program. Even though she was young at 25, the world was taken over by a pandemic, halting opportunities for young wildlife professionals left and right, and she felt powerless to move forward in her wildlife career and contribute to making a difference in the world. But in this week’s episode of the Fancy Scientist podcast, you’ll discover how we turned that around for her!
After graduating in 2020 in the midst of the COVID pandemic, when the world shut down, Makeela found herself in a lab job, feeling like she had missed her chance and questioning if she was “too old” for a wildlife career. Today, she is a Master’s student leading acoustic surveys and collaborating directly with state DNR biologists on the animals she is most passionate about: bats.
Through our conversation, you’ll learn how Makeela moved out of a “dark space” by taking the advice to be intentional. She didn’t just wait for luck; she went on a “rampage” to find opportunities. You’ll learn how she started to make things happen for her: she volunteered in wildlife rehabilitation and reached out to a campus group called the “Bat Brigade” that had been dormant since the pandemic. She even took the preemptive step of paying for her own rabies vaccinations, an expensive and painful preventative needed for bat work, to ensure she was ready for any hands-on opportunity that came her way.
You’ll hear how Makeela mastered networking through cold emailing professionals she wanted to work with and learn from. Despite being shy using the methods and templates provided in the Successful Wildlife Professional program, she reached out to graduate students, professors, and other researchers.She even connected with a former podcast guest of mine, Dr. Seth Magle, which led to an introduction that helped her find a graduate advisor and a project she truly cared about.
The results of her networking were so effective, that when she was invited to an important meeting with bat specialists in the area, she realized that she already had met everyone in the room prior! Her dedication even led to a generous donation from a sponsor, allowing her to start her first semester of graduate school while she applied for teaching assistantships.
Makeela shares the details of her Master’s research, which includes analyzing the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources data sets, tracking rehabilitated bats post-release, and studying the effectiveness of community science as a tool in wildlife research, as well as the importance of science communication and getting the community involved in nature right where they live.
You’ll walk away from Makeela’s story excited about what is possible when you decide to be intentional about your career path. Makeela proves that even when you are at your “wits’ end,” small shifts in mindset, strategy, and more led her to incredible results!
Finally, after the interview, I break down the main points Makeela covered and how you can apply them to your own career, including the importance of mindset, why you should lead with the job you want rather than the degree, and how to build a community in this field, no matter your background.
Specifically, we talk about:
Makeela’s detailed journey from a 2020 pandemic graduate to her first week as a Master’s student
How she handled the “quarter-life crisis” and the feeling of powerlessness when job opportunities were unavailable
Why she chose to be intentional about specializing in bats after a senior project and an experience in Rwanda
How she revitalized the “Bat Brigade” on campus and transitioned from a volunteer to a leader of the program – even after she graduated from college and was no longer a student!
How a cold email to a podcast guest resulted in an introduction to her current graduate advisor
The way her networking efforts connected her with state DNR biologists and the local wildlife rehabilitation community
The story of how a sponsor provided a donation that let her start her Master’s research.
The elements of her research, including acoustic data analysis, post-rehab tagging, the social science of community science, and more
Her perspective on being a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) professional in the field and the value of groups like BIPOC birding organizations
How she integrated her interests by joining working groups and following labs on social media to find opportunities
Why she shifted from wanting to work abroad to finding value in investing in the community and wildlife of the Midwest
And MORE!

Jump links:
01:13 Meet Mikayla And Big Lessons
04:34 Early Passion For Wildlife
05:55 Pandemic Graduation Detour
09:23 Quarter Life Crisis
11:05 Choosing Bats On Purpose
14:30 Bat Brigade Leadership
17:22 Networking Into Grad School
23:40 Funding And TA Path
25:59 Masters Project Overview
29:45 Citizen Science Impact
30:36 Career Goals and Tanzania
32:08 Local Nature Appreciation
36:19 Gorillas and Wildlife Highlights
40:20 Being BIPOC Outdoors
44:29 Networking and Cold Emails
48:23 Host Recap and Resources

Dream of being a wildlife biologist, zoologist, conservation biologist, or ecologist? Ready to turn your love of animals into a thriving career?🌿🐘 Then…
✍️ SIGN UP for my next FREE training: https://fancyscientist.com/3-pillars-to-success/
🗺️ Get my FREE wildlife career guide: https://fancyscientist.com/wildlife-career-success-guide/
📚 Read Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Job-Wildlife-Biology-What/dp/B08JDYXS4G/
🚀 Work with me! Programs: https://stephanieschuttler.com/work-with-me/
I’m Dr. Stephanie Manka (formerly Schuttler), a wildlife biologist of 20 yrs who is on a mission to empower wildlife professionals and break stereotypes of scientists so they can get jobs, live out their life’s purpose and make a difference in this world.
🎥 How I became a wildlife biologist: https://youtu.be/zBvHRDO7gIg 
Full show notes:
👉https://stephanieschuttler.com/fancy-scientist-podcast-151-makeela-magomolla/
Let’s connect! 🤝✨
Website: https://fancyscientist.com/
Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FancyScientist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgschuttler/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientist
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@fancy_scientist
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fancyscientist.bsky.social
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/

Christina Weber did what most aspiring wildlife professionals think is impossible: she got every single offer she applied to with absolutely NO EXPERIENCE! How did she do it? That’s what this week’s episode of the Fancy Scientist Podcast is all about. 
After listening to this episode, I know you’ll walk away inspired, ready to take action, and make things happen in your career so that you can work towards having a real impact on the species that need our help.
I invited my former Successful Wildlife Professional student, Christina Weber, to come on the podcast because I have been so impressed by all the success she has achieved despite having no wildlife or environmental experience to get her foot in the door. When Christina began in the program, she was running a dog-walking business and had volunteered with horses, and needed help breaking into wildlife, conservation, or environmental work. Now she is working on a NASA-funded project and getting ready to start a summer internship at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC!
Throughout our conversation, you’ll learn exactly what Christina did to gain traction fast in her career. She took the program’s advice and ran with it. And it WORKED. It worked so well that I honestly can’t believe her results! 
She took experience into her own hands and started with citizen and community science (including regularly conducting eBird surveys). She took advantage of and attended one-off hands-on volunteer opportunities such as beach cleanups, seal monitoring, and horseshoe crab monitoring to start somewhere and meet people in the field.
You’ll hear how Christina maximized opportunities to network, including creating her own connections by cold emailing professionals with the templates provided in the Successful Wildlife Professional program, even though she describes herself as shy and introverted. Her networking efforts led to referrals, informational conversations, and REAL job opportunities.
The results were incredible: Christina applied to four seasonal positions over the summer and was offered every one of them. She was even offered an AZA-accredited aquarium internship that she didn’t apply for! The employer received her resume through a cold email and decided to put it in the internship pile! Christina was shocked when she received a call asking if she wanted to interview.
Christina shares that now she’s conducting research through a NASA-funded New Jersey Space Grant Consortium project on microplastic bioaccumulation in marine copepods. She explains how she designed a project connected to her ultimate goal of working with whales by studying what whales eat. When facing obstacles, she didn’t let anything stop her, and she describes being “scrappy” in her community college setting by building equipment, culturing phytoplankton, and managing the costs and logistics of an ambitious project.
We also talk about how much wildlife work involves working with people. Christina was even able to bring her past dog-walking experience into her wildlife work! She shares that she educated dog owners on responsible beach behavior around endangered piping plovers, using common ground from her dog walking business to communicate conservation messages effectively.
After the interview, I offer you take-home points that you can apply right away to your own situation right now, no matter who you are, including how to volunteer without giving up your whole life or going into debt, using citizen/community science to build legitimate experience, get on LinkedIn strategically, and focus on quality over quantity in your job applications.
If you ever thought you couldn’t do something because you didn’t have enough experience, go to the right school, or know the right people, Christina is living proof that you can do it on your own! There are NO excuses!
Specifically, we talk about:
Christina’s exact steps from being a dog-walking business owner to working on a NASA-funded research project
Why citizen and community science (like eBird surveys) can be a powerful way to build a real wildlife experience
Simple ways to gain hands-on exposure through short-term volunteer opportunities, such as beach or river cleanups, restoration projects, or other community service days
How strategic networking and cold emailing professionals can open doors, even if you’re shy or introverted
How Christina used networking to get referrals, informational interviews, and unexpected job opportunities
Why she received job offers from every seasonal wildlife position she applied for
The surprising story of how she was offered an AZA-accredited aquarium internship she never applied for!
An overview of her research on microplastic bioaccumulation in marine copepods through a NASA-funded project
How she designed her research to align with her long-term goal of working with whales by studying their food sources
How she stayed resourceful in a community college setting by building equipment, culturing phytoplankton, and managing research logistics
Why communication and working with people are a major part of wildlife careers
Practical advice on volunteering without sacrificing your entire schedule
How to use LinkedIn strategically to build relationships in the wildlife field
Why focusing on quality over quantity when applying for jobs can dramatically improve results
The mindset shift needed to stop waiting for perfect qualifications and start creating opportunities

Jump links:
03:52 Christina’s Nontraditional Start
06:24 First Steps in Wildlife
07:22 Landing Job Offers
10:30 Volunteering That Counts
13:24 Networking for Introverts
16:12 LinkedIn Career Boost
17:49 Cold Email Aquarium Win
19:15 Dream Job and Research Path
21:13 NASA Microplastics Project
27:01 Finding Your Field Fit
29:23 Humbling Field Moments
30:29 Protecting Piping Plovers
31:06 Finding Common Ground
32:28 Career Wins and Strategy
35:01 Horseshoe Crabs and Policy
38:42 Wildlife Moments and Whales
40:13 Program Lessons and Mindset
51:05 Post Interview Takeaways
Dream of being a wildlife biologist, zoologist, conservation biologist, or ecologist? Ready to turn your love of animals into a thriving career?🌿🐘 Then…
✍️ SIGN UP for my next FREE training: https://fancyscientist.com/3-pillars-to-success/
🗺️ Get my FREE wildlife career guide: https://fancyscientist.com/wildlife-career-success-guide/
📚 Read Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Job-Wildlife-Biology-What/dp/B08JDYXS4G/
🚀 Work with me! Programs: https://stephanieschuttler.com/work-with-me/
I’m Dr. Stephanie Manka (formerly Schuttler), a wildlife biologist of 20 yrs who is on a mission to empower wildlife professionals and break stereotypes of scientists so they can get jobs, live out their life’s purpose and make a difference in this world.
🎥 How I became a wildlife biologist: https://youtu.be/zBvHRDO7gIg 
Full show notes:
👉https://stephanieschuttler.com/fancy-scientist-podcast-150-christina-weber/

Let’s connect! 🤝✨
Website: https://fancyscientist.com/
Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FancyScientist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgschuttler/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientist
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@fancy_scientist
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fancyscientist.bsky.social
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/

I’ve recently gained a lot of new followers, so for this week’s episode of the Fancy Scientist Podcast, I wanted to share with you my vast experience that I’ve had working as a wildlife biologist for nearly twenty years, so that you can fully understand what this field is like.
My career has taken me all over the world, and I’ve been on all different kinds of adventures: from hiking the deserts of Utah to the top of Mount Kenya, and from flour beetles to forest elephants. I have worked across four different continents and in almost every type of organization that you can think of: the government, zoos, museums, universities, and alongside nonprofits.
In this episode, I break down each one of the positions that I have had in the past, telling you what they’re like and what I did, but more importantly, how I felt about the position emotionally, mentally, and what it did for my career.
This is a comprehensive, yet fun overview of my journey. It’s you and me hanging out, sharing the raw reality of these different places, so you can see the truth behind the resume. I do not shy away from discussing real challenges, like navigating toxic work environments and the “sink or swim” nature of graduate research. Chances are, you’ll find it refreshing how I don’t hold back, but also share how I pulled through.
I started my wildlife career officially in 2003 when I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree. My first position was an internship with the Bureau of Land Management in St. George, Utah, where I searched for water catchments to help wildlife combat drought and started some preliminary bat research in the Grand Canyon. This got me started in my wildlife career, but this was a challenging internship, and I almost quit!
I’m so glad I didn’t because that experience led me to a dream internship at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where I worked in a glass-walled lab doing endocrine research on the captive animals there, including African savanna elephants and the critically endangered cotton-top tamarin monkey. This was a total 180 from my experience in the desert! I loved Disney World and spent my days catching tamarin poop and helping to monitor elephant pregnancies. It was a supportive environment that showed me how much I loved combining science with outreach.
From there, my journey took me to Kenya as an intern for the School for Field Studies, which was also enriching but challenging. Again, I almost quit! But here I showed that I could work at a field station internationally long-term, which was a major flex for my upcoming Ph.D. research. It also gave me the invaluable experience of publishing.
My Kenya internship led me into a six-and-a-half-year Ph.D. program studying African forest elephants in Gabon. I loved my Ph.D., but each step was a mix of incredible highs like observing wild elephants for months on end in Central Africa and the lows of being lonely in a field station or figuring out how to do something that has never been done before! Here, I fully understood what scientific research was really all about.
This episode is a must-listen to one if you are interested in going into wildlife fields, want to get to know me better, or are just curious to know what it’s like to be a wildlife biologist!
Specifically, we go over:
How I landed my first “legit” field internship with the Bureau of Land Management in Utah and why it was so hard on me
The inside scoop on working at a world-class zoo and in Disney World, being a Reproductive Biology intern, including what it’s like to catch cotton-top tamarin poop and monitor elephant pregnancies
What it’s like to live in Kenya for a year, and in a remote field station
Navigating toxic work environments and almost quitting more than once
How I got my first scientific publications
A brief overview of my research on forest elephants in Gabon, the “sink or swim” reality of graduate school, and why I considered dropping down to a Master’s
How to study “disgust” in raccoons and why I drove around looking for roadkill carcasses
My seven-year postdoc at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, running global camera trap projects, and the birth of “The Fancy Scientist”
How these 17 years of experience led me to leave the traditional research path to start my own business in science communication and career mentoring
Other fun experiences, like seeing a tiger in the wild or watching a leatherback turtle lay eggs
And MORE!

Dream of being a wildlife biologist, zoologist, conservation biologist, or ecologist? Ready to turn your love of animals into a thriving career?🌿🐘 Then…
✍️ SIGN UP for my next FREE training: https://fancyscientist.com/3-pillars-to-success/
🐾 Get my FREE Job Tracker: https://stephanieschuttler.com/job-tracker/
📚 Read Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Job-Wildlife-Biology-What/dp/B08JDYXS4G/
🚀 Work with me! Programs: https://stephanieschuttler.com/work-with-me/
I’m Dr. Stephanie Manka (formerly Schuttler), a wildlife biologist of 20 yrs who is on a mission to empower wildlife professionals and break stereotypes of scientists so they can get jobs, live out their life’s purpose, and make a difference in this world.
🎥 How I became a wildlife biologist: https://youtu.be/zBvHRDO7gIg 
Full show notes:
👉https://stephanieschuttler.com/149-my-wildlife-career/
Jump links:
01:37 First Field Internship
08:09 Loneliness and Resilience
11:57 Disney Internship Begins
14:20 Repro Lab and Zoo Science
20:44 Wildlife Surveys and Extras
24:43 Career Tips and Perks
27:45 Kenya Internship Overview
29:32 Field Cred and Publications
33:07 Tourism Research in Kenya
34:51 East Africa Travels
35:20 Almost Quitting Kenya
40:04 Publishing Initiative
42:52 PhD Ups and Downs
44:55 PhD Research Reality
53:07 PhD Advice
54:38 Raccoon Disgust Postdoc
59:44 Museum Postdoc Dream Job
01:01:16 Camera Traps in Classrooms
01:04:43 Global Expansion and Expeditions
01:07:39 Wildlife Insights AI
01:08:23 Final Career Takeaways

Let’s connect! 🤝✨
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