Let's talk early nature experiences.

I spent a lot of time in my childhood backyard making friends with the resident rollie pollies & worms, searching for four-leaf clovers, and building mini habitats using recycled coffee tins, sticks, & leaves to attract caterpillars. And I was always coloring, drawing, & painting animals. None of this has changed.

 

One of my first memories in nature was a family trip to Tennessee – we camped on Dale Hollow Lake where I caught my first fish (pic below!). And, visited my papaw's house on Wolf River (pic above!) where I played in the riffles and learned river rocks are slippery! The water was, and still is, incredibly clear. Now, when I'm on our White River I think about how clean & blue our water could be.

 

In 3rd grade, visitors taught us about endangered species, habitat loss, climate change, & how to help. In 5th grade, we visited Mammoth Cave. Also in 5th grade, a biologist visited class. We dissected owl pellets to learn about their diet (taking off my gloves, digging in, & analyzing what I found was really fun!).

 

Even TV shows (& people) like The Crocodile Hunter (Steve & Terri Irwin), The Joy of Painting (Bob Ross), The Wild Thornberrys, Gullah Gullah Island, & Going Wild with Jeff Corwin made a huge impact for me.

 

Or Zoo Tycoon, which I still play. I've logged weeks building the perfect exhibits for endangered species.

 

I collected brochures from places with animals, like zoos or museums. They make great reference photos!

 

As a teen, I fell in love with marine biology thanks to Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. I wanted to rehabilitate dolphins, manatees, & sea turtles. I was surprised with a Dolphin In-Water Adventure at the Indy Zoo on my 16th birthday. I learned from real marine biologists, fed dolphins fish, signaled behavior, and one even peed on me.

 

Note: I didn't pursue marine biology because dolphins aren't found in Prairie Creek. Seems reasonable, right? If you feel the same, please know there are many local opportunities to study aquatic biology – the mussels, amphibians, macroinvertebrates, fish, reptiles, insects, & mammals found in our waterways and wetlands here in Muncie. Love manatees & dolphins? Try river otters. Sea turtles? Research the eastern box turtle, or the state-endangered spotted and Blanding's turtles. Plenty of local species & ecosystems need our help!