Kira5535
Registered: December 2012
City/Town/Province: Pittsburgh
Posts: 1
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Ever since I was a little girl, I have always had a love for animals. As I grew older, I also found that I sincerely enjoy interacting with and educating the public on the joys that animals can bring to our lives. Now I am a sophomore at the Pennsylvania State University pursuing a degree in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. I aim to one day become a veterinarian and educate my clients on how to best care for their pets and other animals in the environment.
After coming across the website for the Nicodemus Wilderness Project, I found that the mission statement and goals of the organization were right in line with the values I myself hold. I love all animals, and I feel it is extremely important for them to all live in safe and secure environments. It is our duty as human beings to take action and responsibility for protecting the wildlife around us. For this reason, I was eager to bring forth my own Apprentice Ecologist project and become a part of the Nicodemus Wilderness Project team.
This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to serve as an intern in the Veterinary Hospital at the National Aviary. Our nation’s aviary is home to more than 600 birds, representing over 200 species, so the Veterinary Hospital is always busy with patients. From boat-billed herons to Andean condors, the species of birds I had the pleasure of meeting and working on was eclectic to say the least. During my internship, I fell in love with the practice of avian medicine and was eager to share it with others. This led to my Apprentice Ecologist project.
The Aviary holds a daily program entitled “Meet-A-Patient,” during which a recovered patient from the hospital is brought out and a presentation is given about the veterinary hospital and the patient’s ailments and recovery. I witnessed the program several times when I first started my internship, and I felt my participation in it would be a great way to become involve in inspiring others to love and appreciate the many species of birds inhabiting out planet. By making the public more aware of the amazing creatures birds are, the more likely people are to better take care of the planet and environment that houses birds and other animals.
I am very grateful to have had the experience of serving as an ambassador to the patients at the Aviary. It was an honor to be able to share my love of birds with the audience that congregated each day to meet our patients. The opportunity opened my eyes to how much some people do not know about birds and about how we can make an impact on their environment based on the decisions we make. In addition, presenting to the public greatly enhanced my public speaking skills and boosted my self-confidence, both of which are key to any successful career.
In the years to come, I will continue to reach out to others in an effort to conserve our planet’s natural habitat, because once it is gone, it is gone forever. I am currently writing my Honors Thesis for college graduation on sustainable methods of goat management and production pertaining to cultural and environmental constraints in the Rwandan society. Such a thesis came about after a mission trip to Africa this past summer, during which time I worked with a retired university professor in order to assess the effectiveness of agricultural production management systems at a children’s home. In addition, I am looking into performing research at a white rhino preserve in Kenya. Both of these projects serve as a means to fulfill my love for Africa, my desire to help animals, and my goal of creating a healthier, longer lasting planet. There is so much beauty to the world around us, and I believe animals serve as the medium that connects us to that beauty. For this reason, I vow to protect and assist animals for the rest of my life and to educate others on doing the same.
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