Shows
Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaNative Plants and Pollinators | Wildlife Biology for Kids ClubPollinators NEED native plants because of their closely tied relationships that are at times millions of years in the making! In this podcast episode, you'll learn why native plants are crucial for pollinators and how non-native plants fall short.Tune in to discover how plant-pollinator co-evolution was predicted and discovered through incredible examples of plant-pollinator relationships. At the end, I'll challenge you to a fun mini-experiment to see which attracts more pollinators: native or non-native plants.Don't forget to subscribe for more fun and educational content, and join the Wildlife Biology for Kids Club for...2025-07-3007 min
Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaWhat Is a Fancy Scientist? Embracing Diversity in Science Beyond Gender and RaceSince 2017, I decided to change my social media handles from @StephSchuttler to @FancyScientist. I was given this name and I loved it! But have you ever stopped and wondered, when coming across my content, what exactly is a Fancy Scientist?Well, that is what this podcast episode is all about! Despite running this blog for 7 years, changing all of my social accounts, and forming my small business under the same name, I realized I never really told the story of HOW I became known as the Fancy Scientist…And it’s important to me because over...2025-07-2332 min
Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaAnimal Pollinators Beyond Bees | Wildlife Biology for Kids ClubThere’s a huge diversity in the number of animal species that pollinate plants - it’s way more than bees! And most people think of honey bees when it comes to pollination, but they are actually poor pollinators and not native to North America. In this podcast episode, you’ll learn about native pollinators all over the world. You’re going to be surprised to learn how many there are - from small insects to large mammals and even carnivores. Pollinators are everywhere! I challenge you to watch a plant or scan an area and see how much...2025-07-1608 min
Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaWhat is Pollination? | Wildlife Biology for Kids ClubYou’ve heard about the importance of pollinators, but what exactly is it? When you learn what pollination consists of, you’ll quickly realize it truly is a miracle of nature! This week on the Wildlife Biology for Kids Club, we’re diving into the fascinating world of pollination—how it happens, who some pollinators are, and why it's essential for our survival. You'll discover how pollen travels from the anthers to the stigma to create seeds, and why this process is vital for the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and even the medicines we take. I’ll challen...2025-07-0207 min
Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaFrom Nature to Novels: Writing Children’s Books with Rosanne ParryWhen we think about saving the environment, kids aren’t typically the first thing that comes to mind for most people – especially when it comes to fiction books written for children. But maybe that’s an important missing link…I’ve been seeing more and more scientists coming out with children’s books, and to be completely honest, it’s something I’ve thought about myself! In fact, I remember reading the book 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth, and it had a profound impact on me.You see, over my 20 years of working in sci...2025-06-2542 min
Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaThe Science and Ethics of De-extinction: The Case of the Dire WolfChances are, you've seen the headlines that the dire wolf is no longer extinct. The company Colossal Biosciences claims to have brought it back from extinction in the form of three living, breathing dire wolf pups.But my headlines have actually been flooded with scientists saying “not so fast…” so what is really going on here? Having studied African forest elephants using genetics during my Ph.D., a species related to the extinct woolly mammoth and a target of de-extinction efforts, this topic has long been on my mind to discuss on the podcast. Given...2025-04-1748 min
Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaPowering Conservation: Interview with The Nature Conservancy Scientist Dr. Liz KaliesWhen I was working as a postdoctoral researcher studying wildlife using camera traps, I had the pleasure of working alongside Dr. Liz Kalies who was integral in modeling the results of our large-scale projects. Back then, we were both passionate young(er) scientists trying to figure out our role in conservation biology. While my path eventually led me here to science communication and career mentoring, Liz took her to a seemingly unexpected, but exciting path - she's now the lead renewable energy scientist for the North American region at The Nature Conservancy.Being a lead scientist at...2024-05-2148 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaInspiring Powerful Forces for Nature: Interview with Science Communicator Crystal DiMiceliI was instantly captivated when I first discovered Crystal DiMicelli's podcast, Forces for Nature. You know that feeling when you find someone who shares your passion and vibe on a level that just feels right? Well, that's exactly what I felt when I tuned in!You see, Crystal and I share a deep love for conservation and wildlife issues, and like me, Crystal understands that the “doom and gloom” narrative is not the most effective when inspiring change. Instead, on her podcast, she spotlights conservation success stories, expert insights, and even provides listeners with concrete action steps they...2024-04-0934 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaFrom Rescues to Releases: Wildlife Rehabilitation Interview with Joey of the JungleI have so many followers interested in careers in wildlife rehabilitation so I am especially excited about this week’s episode of the Fancy Scientist podcast. I sat down with veterinarian nurse and wildlife rehabilitator, Joey Solimine AKA Joey of the Jungle. Joey is not your average adventurer - she travels all over Central and South America volunteering at different wildlife rehabilitation centers taking care of animals that have been injured, trafficked, and rescued with the hopes that they can be released back into the wild. She's the founder of Jungle Rescue Reform, an initiative dedicated to bringing attention an...2023-12-1254 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaJourneys into the Wilderness: Interview with Explorer and Science Writer Jon WatermanI'm thrilled to bring you another exciting episode this week on the Fancy Scientist podcast with National Geographic explorer and science writer Jon Waterman. Jon is not only an author of an impressive 15 books, but a modern-day explorer who's ventured into many remote and wild spaces. In his latest book, "Atlas of Wild America," published by National Geographic, he takes you to North America’s wild areas in a visual masterpiece packed with stunning photographs and intricate maps.In our discussion, we dove deep into what wilderness means in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and explored th...2023-11-0748 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaNever Give Up on Your Wildlife Dream Job: Interview with Francisco LlaugerI love hearing success stories from people who have finally landed their dream jobs, especially after challenging and twisty career paths. I always like to say, your current situation is not your final destination, so I believe to strive toward your dream relentlessly.Additionally, most professors do not know how to advise for non-academic jobs. Have you been frustrated that your university has no experts in the field you wish to pursue and you feel lost? Most aspiring wildlife professionals look forward to landing that dream job after graduating college, but especially from graduate school th...2023-01-2737 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaThrive in Wildlife 2023 Career Challenge: 3 PillarsThank you so much for participating in the Thrive in Wildlife Career Challenge. You seriously exceeded my expectations. Thank you for showing up at your FULLEST if you have - and if you haven’t, you still have time to catch up :) If you missed Days 1-4, that’s okay. You can catch up. This challenge will be up until January 27th. After that, I am taking it off of my podcast.Today we are integrating everything we learned over the last 5 days through the 3 pillars essential for career succe...2023-01-2143 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaThrive in Wildlife 2023 Career Challenge Day 5: BelieveIt’s the end of the 5 day challenge! Once you’ve finished today, you’ve made it - but the challenge is not completely over, read until the end…For today, we are learning to BELIEVE. Today is the most important day, so if you feel like you can skip this one - please don’t! It sounds cheesy to believe in yourself, but we are not being cheesy. We are going to talk about how to get your brain to work for you, setting you up for success.Because the truth is, that if you truly...2023-01-2026 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaThrive in Wildlife 2023 Career Challenge Day 4: ActWe are officially on day four of the Thrive in Wildlife Career Challenge! I am blown away by how committed and driven you have been throughout the last few days...it makes me so excited to teach you today's lesson!For today, day 4, ACT, I am going to teach you how little actions add up to BIG results. And if you’ve been feeling stuck, confused, lost, or just want to get ahead I’m going to get started on some action now. And here's a link to the Job Tracker (https://stephanieschuttler.com/job-tracker/) - this...2023-01-1922 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaThrive in Wildlife 2023 Career Challenge Day 3: AskWe are now halfway through the Thrive in Wildlife Career Challenge! How's it going? Are you feeling pumped up about having a roadmap started to your wildlife career? Today we're going to go further into how to close the gap between where you currently are and where you ultimately desire to be in your wildlife career.Now that we’ve determined your endpoint and created a roadmap, how has that shifted your perception of what is possible for you?From days 1 and 2, there are likely still lots of gaps. You probably couldn’t answe...2023-01-1824 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaThrive in Wildlife 2023 Career Challenge Day 2: MapWe officially kicked off day 1, Dream, of the Thrive in Wildlife Career Challenge yesterday and the energy I am getting from you guys is amazing. Thank you for being here.I am excited to continue our journey together this week so let’s go!Today we are wasting absolutely no time and are building your roadmap. You’ll take the dream job or jobs you thought of yesterday and use that as your North star. I’ll give you questions that you’ll answer and you’ll use those answers to start filling in your roadmap. 2023-01-1725 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaThrive in Wildlife 2023 Career Challenge Day 1: DreamHow excited are you to officially begin the Thrive in Wildlife Challenge and learn how to create your own roadmap leading you to your dream job?You’re probably feeling ready to have a career with more certainty leading to more success and impact making a difference for wildlife.It’s day one, and chances are throughout our time together you're going to have some a-ha moments that will start the momentum in your career, getting you excited for what’s to come in 2023 so make sure to listen closel...2023-01-1624 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaThrive in Wildlife 2023 Career Challenge: 0Welcome to the Thrive in Wildlife Career Challenge! This is a 5 days challenge of audio messages and short exercises that will teach you how to create your own roadmap to ensure your success in wildlife careers. These audios will get you excited, pumped, and inspired about your career in wildlife, ecology, zoology, or conservation biology so that you can THRIVE in your profession and get the job you dream of! No matter where you are in your career, this challenge will help you. This is the pre-challenge episode - it’s super important to list...2023-01-1427 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaFinding Your Identity in Wildlife WorkWhen I give advice to young wildlife professionals or those aspiring to go into this career, I always tell them to reverse engineer it. To “start with the end in mind,” (a quote from Stephen Covey), but what if you don’t know what the end looks like?Or what happens if you thought you wanted something and you went after it, but then you realized maybe you want something else. And if you decide to pursue that other thing, what does that mean about you?How do you know who you really are and what y...2022-12-2152 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaFrom Web Developer to Starting an Environmental Career: Interview with Melina ShakHave you ever thought about starting an environmental career, but instead chose a more “safe” and “secure” route? Or maybe you are currently tempted by it or you simply didn’t know how to go about a wildlife career and took a path that was more easily laid out? Is there a part of you that still wonders “what if?” but worries it might be too late or are too scared to step out of your comfort zone?We only get one life to live and so much of our lives are dedicated to our work – simply b...2022-12-0720 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka30 years of Wildlife Career Advice: Interview with fisheries biologist Scott PutnamIt’s no secret that the wildlife or conservation field can be competitive, and many of you have always asked me, “How do I get my foot in the door?” or “Is there any chance that I will get a permanent job in the future?” And my answer is always yes. If this is what you truly want, you can get it, but it will require strategy. Gone are the days of just getting a degree and a job quickly, which will require other things you might not know about and even thinking outside the box. Scott...2022-11-1037 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaHow I Wrote My First Books and You Can Too!You may have heard me on social media talk about how I am writing a kids’ book and unless you are new to the podcast, you will already know that I wrote a book called Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know. I am so excited to announce that my kids’ book, My First Book of Earth, is now available for pre-order and will soon be available everywhere on August 2nd.With this official news, lots of people have been asking me, how I did this. Today I am goi...2022-06-3035 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka9 Biggest Mistakes Struggling Wildlife Job Seekers MakeI know that so many of you out there are struggling to get jobs in wildlife biology. I see all of these posts in the wildlife Facebook groups, and when people join my own Facebook group, Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology, I reach out to them and ask them what they’re struggling with. I truly understand how tough it is out there to get a job.There is more competition than ever before, and the requirements have changed. What used to get you a job is not good enough now. People are frustrated, tired, feeling de...2022-05-2332 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaGetting a Wildlife Career with NO Wildlife Experience: Interview with Ron LewisOne of my favorite podcast episodes to share with people is #46: Starting a Wildlife Career at 40: Interview with Jeffrey Hunter. In this episode, I interview Jeffrey Hunter of the National Parks Conservation Association on how he left his corporate job to pursue one in wildlife at 40. One of the people listening to this was Ron Lewis. During the pandemic, Ron was let go from his engineering job at 49. He always loved wildlife and it had lingered in the back of his mind that he should pursue a wildlife career, but things always got in the way....2022-05-1850 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaWhat Do Careers with Endangered Species Look Like?Whenever I talk to someone who wants my help, I always ask them “What is your ultimate career goal?” and frequently the answer is “something with endangered species.We’ve all seen the videos of scientists opening up a cage with a wolf inside, and it sprinting out of it to return to the wild where it belongs, or some variation of that with another species. These videos are so inspiring and uplifting – they make us feel so good and like there is hope for conservation. But there’s a lot of work that goes into those few moments...2022-05-0430 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaHow Do Scientists Choose Their Research?Students always ask me – how do I choose my research? When I was in graduate school, this question lingered over me for the first six months. How in the world, out of all of the things to study do I pick something?Most people will tell you to follow your passion – but what happens if you (like me) are passionate about many things? How do you choose? Or what if you aren’t sure what you are passionate about at all? Surprisingly, choosing your research based on what you are passionate about alone is bad advice...2022-04-1916 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaShould Wildlife Professionals Start a Side Hustle?I was having some struggles in my business – specifically how to talk about my program to potential student.I was thinking about purchasing a new course to help me with this problem and I was asking my mastermind group members what they thought.It was a big chunk of change: $2,000. Normally we encourage each other to invest in ourselves, but one of my members felt like I already had the training I needed – and that it was more of my mindset I needed help with. She also suggested I could receive free training if I...2022-04-1329 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaMoney Mindset in Conservation and Your CareerOn this week's podcast, I talk about a hot button issue and one you probably wouldn't expect from a wildlife biology and conservation based podcast: money. I always knew I wouldn't make a lot of money in my career, but was surprised at how low the salary levels were for the jobs I qualified for. And lately there's been a lot of talk about things like unpaid internships and volunteering in our career and that young professionals shouldn't take them and organizations shouldn't offer them. As someone who has worked for an institution and has mentored over a...2022-03-1444 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaBeing Productive for Wildlife ConservationProductivity seems to be more of a career-oriented topic, but this is actually really important in wildlife and conservation work, and it’s something that is often overlooked.When I was in graduate school and working as a postdoc, I often felt so overwhelmed with all the work I had to do. I know that many other people out there feel exactly the same way. There’s several reasons for this.First, there’s just a lot of problems to work on regarding wildlife and conservation. Human population growth keeps increasing and therefore we continue to hav...2022-03-0134 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka7 Ways to Become a Better Biologist on Your OwnIn mid 2020 when COVID shut so many things down ( virtually everything), a lot of people lost their volunteer positions, internships, or seasonal positions, and they felt that it really set them back in their career in terms of getting experience. Some people are still having a hard time finding openings because of COVID.Back then, I did an episode (#7) on three things you could do to still get experience and skills. Since I talk to so many people who are still struggling, I thought it would be great to give a whole episode on this - with...2022-02-1532 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaCreating a Vision to Accelerate and Amplify Your Wildlife GoalsHello everyone. And welcome to the Fancy Scientist. We’re still pretty new into the new year, about the end of January. And I am going to talk about the importance of having a vision for the longest time. I did have certain goals, but they were either pretty obvious or pretty short term.And I didn’t have an overall vision. So when it came to graduating and then looking for a job. I quite honestly felt lost. And I know I am not alone. I talk to a lot of graduates, a lot of st...2022-02-0136 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaFocus on What’s Important By Saying NoHi guys. I am back. Yes. It's been a minute. If you are a regular listener to this podcast, you will remember. At the end of September, I said I was taking a break originally. I had planned to just take October. But I ended up taking off until now. Now when I say take a break, I wasn't completely taking a break.I was really focusing my time on other things. So I did take a break from the podcast from pretty much all social media and. YouTube as well. So today I am going to...2022-01-1835 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaThe Best is Yet to Come: Thoughts on Getting Older and Life ChangesIs age really just a number? But not me! Instead I developed a mindset to appreciate my age and be grateful for every day I have here.In this podcast, I talk about some major life changes for me – turning 40, changing careers, and going through a divorce. Most people think these things are scary. And while I do have my fears, for the most part I am so excited and happy for these changes. I didn’t always think this way though. In fact, I used to think the opposite. I share with you my...2021-09-2834 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaIs Work-Life Balance in Science Possible?This is a science podcast, so why am I talking about work-life balance? Because so many scientists are bad at it!I can’t even tell you how many scientists brag about working 60 or even 80 hours a week. It seems like everyone is doing it. But there’s a great cost…This begs the question – is it possible to be successful as a scientist and work 40 hours a week? Or even less? Actually have a life outside of science? The answer is YES. In this podcast, I talk about how you can achiev...2021-09-2132 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaWhat Makes a Good Mentor?Everyone should have a mentor when trying to achieve something difficult in life. In science, mentors are unavoidable. They play an essential role. You need research experience to become a scientist, and mentorship is a central part of that research experience. In fact, in graduate school, your training and research is really built off of your advisor (AKA your mentor) and not courses or classes. Therefore, choosing a good mentor is crucial for your success as a scientist. And to be honest, being a scientist myself and having worked with many other scientists, finding a go...2021-09-1437 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka4 Tips for a Successful Academic Year in Graduate SchoolLast week on the Fancy Scientist podcast, I went over what graduate school was like and what it’s all about. This week, I talk about how you can have a successful year. Graduate school is not like undergrad. You can’t just study hard and do well – there’s so much more to it. I give away my 4 most important tips for you to set yourself up for a successful academic year. Even if you are not in graduate school, or even in this career, almost all of these tips translate into any career.These...2021-09-0722 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaTraining to Be a Scientist: Graduate SchoolIt’s the beginning of the school year so I thought it would be the perfect time to talk about where aspiring scientists go to train to be scientists: graduate school. Whether you are getting your Master’s or Ph.D., the experience is vastly different than undergraduate or K-12 education. In fact, I don’t think I truly understood what science was until I went to graduate school. In this episode of the Fancy Scientist podcast, I talk about what graduate school is really like. Even if you aren’t a scientist or aspiring scientist...2021-09-0234 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaElephant Tourism: What’s Best for ElephantsThe 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 populations or captive-rearing animals for reintroductions. But I’ve learned through all of my years of research, that to really help animals we need to take a look at ourselves. And the truth is all animals will be affected by climate change – including us. So if we really care about animals, we have to think and do something about these larger issues and w...2021-08-1237 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaWorking in Education with Erin AppleThe 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 populations or captive-rearing animals for reintroductions. But I’ve learned through all of my years of research, that to really help animals we need to take a look at ourselves. And the truth is all animals will be affected by climate change – including us. So if we really care about animals, we have to think and do something about these larger issues and w...2021-08-0444 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaYour Biggest Struggle in Wildlife Careers: Part 3This week’s podcast episode covers the second most popular answer to the question, “What is the problem you are struggling with most in regard to this career?”And the truth is all animals will be affected by climate change – including us. So if we really care about animals, we have to think and do something about these larger issues and we can’t only talk about species-specific problems. For my Earth month series, I’m kicking it off by talking about this big issue of climate change. Most Americans now recognize it is human caused and th...2021-07-2828 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaYour Biggest Struggle in Wildlife Careers Part 2This week’s podcast episode covers the second most popular answer to the question, “What is the problem you are struggling with most in regard to this career?”To recap, a couple of months ago, I put this post on social media asking for people in wildlife biology, ecology, or zoology careers to help me out with some research:I got so many people who were interested in helping me out (thank you!).Episode #68 covers the most common answer, and in this episode I talk dive deep into the second biggest problem: A lack of...2021-07-2131 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaYour Biggest Struggle in Wildlife CareersA couple of months ago, I put this post on social media asking for people in wildlife biology, ecology, or zoology careers to help me out with some research:and I was shocked by the response! I got so many people who were interested in helping me out. Thank you to all of you that participated!I did this research for my own internal knowledge – so I could learn how I could better help you. In this podcast, I cover the most frequently stated answer to the main question in my survey: “What is the prob...2021-07-1340 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaSustainable Beach Vacation TipsIt’s summer time here in the US, which means lots of people head to the beach for vacation. With parties, holidays, and leisure happening at the beach, it can be easy to forget – or some people may never even know in the first place – that beaches are habitat for lots of wildlife. I’ve seen so many fun animals at the beach in my adventures across the world like tropical fish, eels, dolphins, seals, coral, sea urchins, sea stars, and probably more that I can’t remember.But our visits to the beach are not just vi...2021-06-3033 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaSea Turtles and Straws with Christine FiggenerSeveral years ago, I went on a trip to Hilton head, South Carolina, and I woke up in the morning really early and went to the beach. This is something I always do when I am by the ocean, because you get to find some really cool stuff in the morning. And this time I found the best thing ever, or the two best things ever!I saw two baby sea turtles make their way to the ocean. Members of their nest likely hatched the night before, and these two were stragglers. I got...2021-06-2242 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaFinancial Realities of Wildlife Careers with Emily RobertsYou 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 crazy thing is, that in our field, a lot of experiences are unpaid. Even though they are full jobs, quite often they don’t pay.To be honest, it is extremely hard to get into this field without any volunteering. There are very few programs that will give someone with n...2021-06-161h 00Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaGoing Zero Waste with Alexa SmithWhen 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 and felt like I needed help. So when Alexa Smith, author of An Economic Eclipse, reached out to me to talk all about zero waste, I was definitely on board. In this episode, I interview Alexa Smith all about what it means to be zero waste – and it’s not as intense as you...2021-06-0840 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaCorporations and Climate Change with Lavaniya DasThrough 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 enemy of conservation – and with good reason, they pollute, cause deforestation, and destroy habitats. But the truth is, we need to work with them if we want to solve this problem due to their large impact. Therefore, when Lavaniya Das reached out to me to discuss how corporations view climate change and...2021-06-0254 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaGetting a Job in Science CommunicationWhen 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 on the job market, I didn’t see a ton of science communication jobs posted. And when I did, I found out that employers wanted communications professionals interested in science rather than science professionals with a social media presence.Also a lot of people don’t realize that mos...2021-05-2534 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaHandling the Haters in Science CommunicationI 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 podcast episode!I’ve been putting myself out there (and by there I mean the Internet) since about 2010 when I started a professional Twitter account and blog. Eleven years later (where has the time gone??) I am still here and in the last few years I’ve put myself even out there more with the...2021-05-1844 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaSustainable Seafood with Jackie MarksWhat 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 fished affecting ecosystems and our food availability. Some people advocate for stopping to eat seafood all together, but this may not be the best option for us and sea life. A better option is sustainable seafood – but what is this? And how do you know what to buy? I invited Jackie Marks of the Marine Steward...2021-05-1348 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaGarden for Wildlife with David MizejewskiDo 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 access to more wildlife friendly. David is an author, TV host, and naturalist who works for the National Wildlife Federation spreading messages about conservation in your own backyard. He’s worked for the National Wildlife Federation for 21 years, where they’ve been promoting backyard habitat since he 1970s. I’ve talked about backyard habitat...2021-05-0652 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaCity Nature Challenge with George GehrigGeorge 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 was the organizer of the City Nature Challenge for Bonner County, I thought – even better!iNaturalist is an app that anyone with a smartphone can use to take photos of different things in nature, upload them to the platform for identifications, and to connect with members in their community or across the world. 2021-04-2951 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaExtinction of Experience: The Core Threat to Nature ConservationI 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 firstWhen people think of wildlife conservation, they often conjure up images of scientists in the field with animals, studying where they move, what they eat, or how many there are. This definitely helps in conservation planning, but it doesn’t relieve the threats placed on animals.To really get to the core of conservation, we have t...2021-04-2246 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaWelcome Mammals Into Your Yard the Right WayLast 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 best way. In fact, by doing some things wrong, you could actually end up hurting and even indirectly killing mammals. As a wildlife biologist who has studied mammals for nearly two decades, in this episode I talk about what you can do to welcome mammals into your yard in a way that aligns with the an...2021-04-1444 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaHow to Make a Wildlife Friendly BackyardWhen 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 conservation can start in your own backyard! Historically, we tend to think of protecting animals in parks and other protected areas, putting animals in a separate space than humans. But the truth is that animals are all around us and they need us. While protected areas are critical to maintaining healthy populations of wildlife species, they alone cannot support biodiversity. Th...2021-04-0834 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaClimate Change Empowerment: Changes You Can Make for Maximum ImpactThe 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 populations or captive-rearing animals for reintroductions. But I’ve learned through all of my years of research, that to really help animals we need to take a look at ourselves. And the truth is all animals will be affected by climate change – including us. So if we really care about animals, we have to think and do something about these...2021-04-0146 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaForaging for Food and Medicine with Mark “Merriweather” VorderbruggenThis 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 until Mark reached out to me. I’ll have to add it to my posts!In brief, foraging is the practice of people going out and collecting their own food from the wild. Usually it is limited to plants and fungi (as with animals it is called hunting). I went into this podcast pretty much knowing nothi...2021-03-241h 05Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaAcademic Coaching with Katy PeplinIn 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 all disciplines, who have achieved all kinds of success.Katy helps academics going through grad school because “she gets it.” She is an advocate for students and prides herself on being a real human too.I hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with Katy. Specifically we talk about:In this c...2021-03-1757 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaAnimal Care to Self Care with PJ Beaven of ZooFitIn 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 a zookeeper. PJ worked with elephants and talks about how she took care of them and trained them for medical purposes. But because she gave so much of herself to the animals, she became burnt out and started to develop “compassion fatigue.”As a result, she created ZooFit. ZooFit takes the most meani...2021-03-111h 00Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaBig Game Biology with Rebecca MowryI 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 been seeing her photos of mountain goats, moose, bighorn sheep and more pop up in my Facebook feed for years now and thought it would be great to have her on the podcast to talk about her journey into wildlife biology. I met Rebecca in graduate school where we both worked in the same lab studying ver...2021-03-0449 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaMastodons’ Impact on Mice with Mammalogist Mike CoveMy 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 impacts of mastodons on today’s smaller mammals like rodents and small carnivores. Because I researched African forest elephants for my Ph.D., he wanted to get my thoughts on this topic and thought it would be a cool idea for the podcast!Over tens of thousands of years ago, our world looked very different. He...2021-02-2554 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaConservation Careers with Nick AskewThis 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 career for them in conservation. We chat about Nick’s background; how he pivoted from a Ph.D. research project in barn owls to working for a consulting agency, nonprofit, and then starting his own business. Nick realized that there wasn’t much information out there for those interested in such careers and he wanted to help them. Thin...2021-02-1859 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaEffective Communication in Conservation with Ben ChristCommunication 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 scientists, the public, and/or various stakeholders.In this interview, I sit down with Director of Facilitation and Planning at Impact by Design, Inc., Ben Christ. Ben was an undergraduate researcher when I was getting my Ph.D. at the University of Missouri and he talks about his trajectory from science into working directly with people at Impact by De...2021-02-1154 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaYou are NOT Too Old! Interview with Jeffrey HunterA 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 program manager at the National Parks Conservation Association, Jeffrey Hunter. He responded with “this was me,” meaning he started his career later in life. I knew I had to invite him to talk about his late start in the wildlife field on the podcast.Many people fear they are too old to start a...2021-02-0347 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaScience Filmmaking with Rob NelsonThis 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 a YouTube channel with almost 150K subscribers and multiple videos with millions of views.In this episode, I chat with Rob about why and how he decided to turn to science filmmaking. This is certainly a unique career path without obvious instructions. Even if there was an instruction manual, it would change from year-to-year or even day-to-day as there ar...2021-01-2855 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaNova Conservation with Laura Marsh:Connecting People to FieldworkThis 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 and research opportunities. Laura and I chat about so much – how and why she founded Nova Conservation, how it will change ecotourism and provide opportunities for scientists to connect with research projects without having to get too involved, and the barriers to entry that exist in conservation field.Specifically we chat about:What exactly is a Nova Conservation? How will Nova Conservation work? How wildl...2021-01-2155 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaCharlotte Hacker Interview: Elephants, Snow Leopards, and Being PersistentIn 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. We talk all about her snow leopard research and journey to become a scientist.This is a fantastic episode to listen to if you are an aspiring wildlife biologist or scientist! Charlotte talks about all of the pivots she had to make on her way to become a scientist. Learn how she bounced back from failing in her college...2021-01-1449 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaLonely Conservationists: An Interview with Jessie PanazzoloThis 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 world.In episode #41, I talked about how important self-care is for scientists and how easily we can become burnt out and quite honestly, depressed. Jessie felt this herself, which was why she started Lonely Conservationists. Turns out there are a lot of lonely conservationists out there and her group has gained a lot of momentum over the years.This is...2021-01-1057 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaSelf-Care for Scientists (and Everyone Else too!)In this podcast, I really wanted to talk about self-care for scientists because we are so bad at it! I wanted to talk about because we are still experiencing the pandemic, which limits what we can do and certainly takes an emotional toll.So what is self care? Some people don’t even know how to do self-care. You may have heard that it’s getting a massage or taking a bubble bath, but it’s so much more than that! I didn’t know how to do really do self-care until I was older and it’s also imp...2021-01-0339 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaPalm Oil Boycotts and a Conservation Reality CheckToday’s episode was inspired by some people that started trolling me on Twitter and provides valuable lessons for conservation (and dealing with trolls). Palm oil, an ingredient in tons of food, cosmetic, and personal care products, is bad for biodiversity. There’s no doubt about that. I wrote a post explaining how it is bad and created a YouTube video on it. But the shocking thing about that post and video is that I state that I am no longer boycotting palm oil.In the article I explain that...2021-01-0138 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaOvercoming End-of-the-Year Bluest’s getting close to the end of the year. In normal years, this is a time when everyone says their accomplishments. In which case, if you didn’t feel like you did that much or didn’t meet your goals, you can feel like a failure. This is how I felt a couple of years ago when I didn’t publish any first author papers.Maybe it’s different this year because of COVID. It may even be worse because of COVID. But if you’re feeling down, I got the podcast for you.2020-12-2732 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaImpostor Syndrome, Confidence, and ConservationIn this episode, I talk all about imposter syndrome. Part of the reason why I am talking about imposter syndrome is because we’re starting off in a new year!I also just started my second cohort of students in my Confusion to Clarity course and it’s really clear they are struggling. It just makes me so sad how rampant imposter syndrome is in our community, our science community, our conservation community.But finally – I think it affects conservation – hear me out!I’ve been there – I know what it feels like, AND I’ve ove...2020-12-2045 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaGifts to Connect People to NatureWhy do I care about connecting people to nature? Well, it is incredibly important for me to get people outdoors, connecting to nature because that is so important in raising future conservationists to get adults to change their behaviors, change their attitudes, to be more pro conservation and pro wildlife. And if you ask anyone who is a wildlife biologist, they will say they become a wildlife biologist because they spend time outdoors in nature. What’s going on currently is something called the extinction of experience. These experiences in nature and when we have these lots of...2020-12-1332 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaElephant Friendly Tea: A Win-Win for Elephants and CommunitiesHey everyone. I am so excited about today’s episode. I really truly mean that today I interviewed a special guest. Her name is Lisa Mills and she is the founder of elephant origins tea. I love this for so many reasons. One, I am obviously an elephant lover. If you don’t know, I studied African forest elephants for my PhD.I’m all about tea now. So I love this because it’s about elephants. It’s about tea. It’s fantastic tea. The holidays are here. It makes a great gift, a great stocking, and you can fe...2020-12-0750 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaWhy You Need to Clarify Your Career NOWI interviewed Master's student Hannah Som on her journey to becoming a student and what she learned as a student in the first round of my Confusion to Clarity program. We talk about how she transformed and the value of getting super clear on what you want in your wildlife biology career.For more info on Confusion to Clarity and my webinar on the 7 Tips to Find Your Wildlife Biology Career Path, click here: https://stephanieschuttler.com/confusion-to-clarity-course/ You can learn more about Hannah on her website: hannahesom.com...2020-12-0237 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaSustainable Holiday Tips to Keep it GreenThe holiday season is here! Here in the US, I’ve seen it shift massively towards consumerism over the past few decades – gifts of course, but also more gifts than ever before, massive yard displays of santa, lights, and snowmen, and of course lots of eating. Some estimate that waste increases by 25% over our normal consumption.BUT it doesn’t have to be this way! Can you celebrate the holidays and not be a total grinch? In this podcast, I offer you sustainable holiday tips to keep your season green! You can still celebrate while reducing...2020-11-2938 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaClearing Up Coyote MisconceptionsWhat’s the deal with coyotes? It seems like people are seeing them more and more and some coyotes have unusual behavior. What’s going on? People also seem to really hate them, but do they deserve such a bad wrap? This is so interesting to me because so many people love dogs!In this episode, I talk all about coyotes with a focus on coyotes in the eastern United States. This is a wide-ranging conversation that will likely answer questions you have about this super adaptive species.Spe...2020-11-1556 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaCan Coyotes and Humans Replace Apex Predators in the Eastern USA?This week Colorado citizens voted to reintroduce grey wolves on their prey. Historically, grey wolves were all over the west, but currently they extirpated (locally extinct) through most of their range. Voters are now letting these apex predators come back. Given my recent cougar episodes (#29 and #30 on the viral cougar video and eastern cougars) and this new ballot proposition, I thought it would be a great time to talk about the impacts of the loss of apex predators like cougars and grey wolves on their prey – specifically the white-tailed deer. The eastern USA has been without these two ap...2020-11-0840 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaEastern Cougars? How to Know if a Species is Really ThereThis week’s episode is inspired by photos posted to a Facebook group. A user posted these photos of part of a deer carcass high in a tree. They asked what animal would cause this? I watched the responses pour in and I knew what they would be. Cougar. Mountain lion. Puma. These are different names for the same species (Puma concolor) and I knew people would say with certainty that this big cat did this.But I knew it was not. In fact, I posted that there are NO...2020-11-0139 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaCougar Viral Video: Interview with Trail Runner Kyle BurgessA week ago, I made a YouTube video in response to a cougar “attack/stalking” video that went viral. But what was missing from the cougar viral video is what actually happened. That’s where I came in to get to the truth.In brief, the video shows a cougar advancing towards a hiker and at times VERY aggressively. There is good reason why the cougar (AKA mountain lion, puma) did this, which is what I explain in my YouTube video, but when the video went viral, this message was left out by the media...2020-10-2542 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaWhy Aggressive Elephants? Also Field Stories, Dung DNA, and Elephant ConservationThis is the fifth episode in a series all about how I actually studied elephants. For my Ph.D., I studied the social structure and genetic patterns of African forest elephants in Gabon. Here I follow up on aggressive elephants in the park, fun field stories, extracting and amplifying elephant DNA, and how to conserve elephants.It may be a good idea to catch up with episodes #24-27 so you can fully understand what my field research and seasons were like:#24 How Do You Study Elephants? The Start of...2020-10-1850 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaCharging Elephants and Fresh Dung: Challenges from the FieldThis is the fourth episode in a series all about how I actually studied elephants. I recently gave a talk and people were really curious about how I went about this (how does one study elephants?). I decided this would be the perfect thing to talk about on my podcast – taking you through step-by-step of how I set it all up and what it was really like to study forest elephants. Before you continue, make sure you are up to date with episodes:#24 How Do You...2020-10-1139 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaFirst Field Season with Forest ElephantsThis episode is the third part of a series all about my dissertation research on African forest elephants. People were really curious about how I actually went about this (how does one study elephants?), so I made a series about how I set up the research and what it was like to study them. Make sure you are up to date with the first two episodes: #24. How Do You Study Elephants? The Start of My Journey and #25. Choosing a Field Site for Forest Elephant Research.This week’s episode is all about preparing for my...2020-10-0435 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaChoosing a Field Site for Forest Elephant ResearchWelcome back to this series on how I set up my forest elephant research and what it was like to study them. In the last episode, I take you through the process of how and why I decided to study African forest elephants, and how I came up with the research questions I would ask for my dissertation research. At this point of my Ph.D., I knew what I was going to study and now I had to find where I would conduct that research. Where would I go in all of central an...2020-09-2738 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaHow Do You Study Elephants? The Start of My JourneyI chose to study elephants for my dissertation research. But how does one even set something like that up? Where do you begin?I recently gave a talk to undergraduate students in wildlife studies. I talked about my past research including my dissertation research on forest elephants, but also more recent research on camera traps. At the end of the talk though, I got a lot of questions about how I set up more elephant research. I thought now would be a great time to talk about that. In t...2020-09-2030 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaBarriers to Entry in Wildlife and Conservation Jobs with Stephanie MartinIn this episode, I talk with scientist and science communicator Stephanie Martin about a topic near and dear to her heart – barriers to entry in the field of wildlife biology.A lot of people may not know this, but experience is key for young wildlife biologists. Because conservation and science both are not lucrative fields, it is common for organizations and employers to hire people without paying them. In fact, there are not only a lot of people willing to work for free, but there are also people willing to...2020-09-1350 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaConversations About Conservation in Academia with Chris ParsonsLast week in episode #21, I talked about the importance of voting for the conservation of wildlife. This is the perfect follow-episode!I interview marine scientist and science communicator Dr. Chris Parsons of the Speak Up for Blue Network. Chris has decades of experience working in conservation and knows that you cannot separate politics from wildlife. In this episode, we talk about Chris’ vast experience working in conservation, but also about two recent papers he authored (links in resources section) on how conservation is perceived in academia. It’s really chang...2020-09-0651 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaWant to Help Animals? Do This One ThingAs a wildlife biologist, one of the most frequently asked questions I get is:“What can I do to help animals?”Well this episode is all about that exact topic. And guess what? It’s probably not what you think it is. Want a clue? It happens every year, but we mostly pay attention to it every four years here in the US. It’s also super easy to do, although there are real barriers for many Americans (which I go over how to help over...2020-08-3046 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka5 Things You’ll Get From My Book on Wildlife Biology Careers (Plus 2 Bonuses)I am so excited – My book on wildlife biology careers is finally available on pre-order for Kindle. The paperback version will be out next month. For the past year, I’ve been writing a book on wildlife biology careers from everything that I’ve learned over the past 17 years in my career. It’s jammed packed with information about my personal journey and advice for you on how to go about getting a job in this field.This is a short and sweet episode about the five major takeaways you’ll ge...2020-08-2317 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaMindful Conservation with Ashley ScarlettConservation is all about trying to protect and save plants, animals, and other organisms from going extinct. We do this work because we love nature, and it’s tough to read stories about people or organizations poaching wildlife, destroying primary rainforests, or plastics encompassing our oceans. In other words, conservation can get you down. It’s hard not to get affected by the gloom and doom, and many conservation organizations even use this tactic to get people to care. But it can backfire and make people feel even more hopele...2020-08-1549 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaPinterest for Science Communication and ConservationIf you’ve listened to previous episodes of the podcast (like # and #), you know how important communication to the public is for science and conservation. Many scientists are on Twitter, Instagram, and even Tik Tok now, but hardly anyone I know uses Pinterest for science communication and conservation. This is a mistake! Lots of people don’t even think about Pinterest when it comes to choosing social media platforms for communicating science and conservation messages, but it’s one of the best out there, just behind YouTube. Pinterest is extremel...2020-08-0930 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaStarting a SciComm Business with Chris CloneyOn this episode, I interviewed Dr. Chris Cloney, a combustible dust fire and explosion researcher who created a six-figure online business from his blog. My podcast tends to focus on wildlife and conservation, so why am I interviewing an explosion researcher? Because Chris is amazing at science communication and all of the principles behind Dust Safety Science, GradBlogger, and now the Self Tenure Community can help you spread messages of conservation and even make a living from them. Successful messaging and education are the key to conservation. We cannot se...2020-08-0252 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaWhat is Science Really? And the Need to CommunicateWithin the past decade, there have been several prominent issues where the public has showed distrust in science and the scientists behind the studies: climate change, evolution, vaccines, and now COVID-19 and wearing masks.This week on the podcast, I talk about what science actually is. We’re taught in school that science is about memorizing facts or taxonomic names (at least in biology). But science is really about asking and answering questions!These questions, and the studies attempting to answer them aren’t done in isolation. As a scie...2020-07-2638 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaCareer and YouTube Advice with Wildlife Biologist Kristina LynnIn today’s episode, I interview wildlife biologist and YouTuber Kristina Lynn on what it’s like to be a wildlife biologist and her success going viral on YouTube. She offers lots of great career tips and fun stories. Kristina has a degree in ecology, animal behavior, and evolution. Her research includes many projects on understanding and assessing the influence of human development on wildlife species. Some of her current and past study species include grey wolf, cougars, Canada lynx, grizzly bear, and black bear.Her research experience spans from C...2020-07-1942 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka7 Steps to Find Your Wildlife Career Path and Become Competitive for the Job You WantThis is a bonus episode! I recorded a webinar on Monday night to talk about my new Confusion to Clarity beta group. I realized that I had a Zoom audio file too and thought it would be a good addition to the podcast because even if you don't join my group, it has valuable advice for those interested in careers in wildlife biology.When I looked for jobs after my PhD, I found out I was overqualified, yet not specialized enough for some of the jobs I wanted most....2020-07-1644 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaBats are the Best! Bat Fun with Bat Biologist Lisa GatensEvery day in the summer summer around dusk, I would look up above and see bats flying above my yard. I love bats, but so many people don’t. But bats are SO COOL!In this episode I talk with my friend and bat biologist Lisa Gatens of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. She’s been studying bats for about 20 years. In this interview, she tells us some amazing bat facts as well as tips on how to live alongside and help out bats. Specifically we go over…...2020-07-1255 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaHas Poaching Decreased for Elephants?Elephants are sought after for their ivory, which comes from their tusks. In most countries, it is illegal, but this has’t stopped people from killing them. Elephant poaching was at its highest ever within the past two decades. But some studies are reporting that poaching decreased. However, a new study contradicts this overall narrative; that poaching has decreased for elephants. Previous studies didn’t account for missing data and when you look at the geographic regions, it’s a lot more complicated. In this epis...2020-07-0537 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka10 Best Activities to Connect to WildlifeOver the summer, kids go to summer camps and aspiring wildlife biologists have technician positions, internships, or volunteer opportunities. With COVID-19 causing much of the country to shut down, many outdoor programs for kids have been cancelled and young wildlife biologists are left without any summer experience.Summer is the perfect time to go outside and connect to wildlife. In episode 7, I talked about how aspiring wildlife biologists can spend the summer honing some skills related to wildlife. Nature also has so many physical and mental health benefits, but maybe you just don't know...2020-06-2831 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaMy Big Mistake in My Wildlife Biology Career and How You Can Learn From itI have been applying for jobs in wildlife biology on and off since I graduated with my Ph.D. in 2012. While I knew jobs in academia were competitive, I didn't realize until after I finished school, how competitive careers in wildlife biology were too. My biggest mistake in my wildlife biology career has been my source of inspiration for writing my upcoming book. This week, I have been writing up a storm trying to finish my book, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to talk about what what I'm writing about, who I...2020-06-2136 minFancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie MankaSee a Snake? What to do and Resources for Identifying SnakesI grew up loving snakes, but I also grew up in an area with 0 venomous snakes. Since then I've lived alongside venomous snakes in Kenya, Gabon, and now North Carolina, where I see them on a near-regular basis. But guess what? I still love them! The goal of this podcast is to hopefully get you to love them - or like them - or at least live with them. In this podcast, I go over:My experiences being up close with copperheads and rattlesnakesWhat to do...2020-06-0133 min