Mothering Wildlife

By Elizabeth Johnson

Telling the stories of moms who work in zoo, wildlife, vet, and conservation organizations. Working with wildlife brings a unique set of challenges for working mothers. Join me every ot

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FAQs about Mothering Wildlife:

How many episodes does Mothering Wildlife have?

The podcast currently has 63 episodes available.

Mothering Wildlife episodes:

December 07, 2023 Moms and Mental Health Support with Hannah Fullmer and Shannon McKinney of GRAZE, Growing Resiliency for Aquarium and Zoo Employees
Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms!
moms more prone to compassion fatigue and burnout
mom guilt
changing priorities that made you want to leave your career

Find GRAZE at all of the places and links below:
GRAZE website
GRAZE Facebook page
GRAZE LinkedIn page
Email Shannon, Hannah or Erin here: [email protected]

Join GRAZE's FREE virtual support group on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7:30pm EST if you would like to connect to other people in the zoo and aquarium industry. Details on their website.

Mothering Wildlife links:
Facebook MotheringWildlifePodcast
Instagram @motheringwildlife
Email: [email protected]
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1h 11min
November 30, 2023 From Mothering Your Children to “Momming” Your Coworkers, You Can’t Turn Motherhood Off with Alecia Benware of the North Carolina Zoo
Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms!
My guest this week, Alecia Benware, transitioned into the zoo field from the banking industry when her son was just 10 months old. We talk about how that transition brought her better work/life balance and a much more supportive environment, especially during Covid when, as a registrar, she was working from home and pregnant with her second child.

As a mom, you develop certain mannerisms and ways of communicating with your children that sometimes become very second nature. Alecia and I talk about how those tendencies to "mother" come out at work. From worrying about your coworkers at conferences to accidentally telling them, "No!" in your best mom voice, it seems that once you become a mother you sometimes subconsciously "adopt" those around you into your care.
Mothering Wildlife links:
Facebook MotheringWildlifePodcast
Instagram @motheringwildlife
Email: [email protected]
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53min
November 23, 2023 From Zoo Vet Tech to "Tech Teaching" Her Kids with Molly Waller, former Zoo Veterinary Technician
Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms!
Join me this week as I talk to Molly Waller, a former zoological veterinary technician as she shares her journey as a working mom. We talk about the impact our jobs have on our kids. She would often take her daughter to work and believes her daughter being able to observe those tough situations, like sick animals, has made her resilient. We also talk about the vet tech world in general and what it was like to be pregnant having the responsibilities that tech’s have. She has stepped away from her career for this season of life and we talk about the bittersweet feelings that come with stepping away and losing the companionship that comes with work. However, as a stay-at-home mom she finds managing the mental load of parenting a little bit easier because her brain isn't keeping as many "vet tech things" like medication dosages, and calculations in it as it used to so there is more room for "mom things"!
Mothering Wildlife links:
Facebook MotheringWildlifePodcast
Instagram @motheringwildlife
Email: [email protected]
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53min
November 16, 2023 Mothering from 50 Miles Offshore is a Whale of a Good Time with Naturalist Julie Taylor
Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms!
Join me this week as I talk to Julie Taylor, a naturalist who spends most of her days on a large boat interpreting wildlife off the coast of Maine. We talk about the challenges of trying to find the balance between work and home and how having a great support system at work, especially when you work with other parents, can relieve some of that anxiety. Children often give us a different perspective of work/life balance. It can be hard to scale back and change your own personal expectations of how much time you can dedicate to work after a child; especially if your job is one that you put a lot of time and effort into pre-kid.
Mothering Wildlife links:
Facebook MotheringWildlifePodcast
Instagram @motheringwildlife
Email: [email protected]
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51min
November 09, 2023 Doing It All, Taking It Day by Day, and Remembering It All Will Go On Without You with Katie Gries of Ochsner Park Zoo
Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms!
Sometimes we are so heavily involved in our workplace role that we worry if they will be able to carry on without us when we need to take time away. Join me this week as I talk to Katie Gries of Ochsner Park Zoo. A small facility, Katie is involved with almost every aspect as a Zoo Manager. We talk about how guilt can set in when we feel like our absence is creating more work for others and worry how it impacts the animals in our care. It can feel hard to step away after the birth of your child when so many living beings (humans and animals alike) rely on you! Sometimes you just need to take it day by day and remember that it all will go on without you.
Mothering Wildlife links:
Facebook MotheringWildlifePodcast
Instagram @motheringwildlife
Email: [email protected]
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41min
November 02, 2023 The Science of Behavior Change Translates to Motherhood with Arianna Bailey of Natural Encounters, Inc. (NEI)
Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms!
The science of behavior change has many applications; whether it is in your professional career with animal care and welfare or at home with your children! Join my guest this week, Arianna Bailey, and I as we discuss how her career in animal training and behavior change has influenced her perspective on motherhood. We also talk about thinking outside the traditional box of childcare and the emotions that come with navigating leaving your baby in the first few days and months after returning to work.

Arianna provided her contact information in the episode but you can also find it here:
[email protected]
Home - Natural Encounters

Mothering Wildlife links:
Facebook MotheringWildlifePodcast
Instagram @motheringwildlife
Email: [email protected]
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55min
October 26, 2023 Moms Helping Moms Across Species - How One (Human) Mom's Tea Became an (Ape) Mom's Treasure with Cindy Cossaboon of the Denver Zoo
Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms!
It doesn't matter if you're an orangutan or human mom, all moms need a little bit of help sometimes. When an orangutan at the Denver Zoo started showing signs of discomfort associated with early pregnancy, a fellow (human) mom stepped in to help. Join my guest this week, Cindy Cossaboon, and I as we talk about how a tea she drank in early pregnancy was also useful for one of the orangutan's at the Denver Zoo.

To check out the video of "Eirina" the orangutan drinking her pregnancy tea, originally posted on the Denver Zoo's Facebook page, click here: https://fb.watch/nV9Z7l3F9O/
Mothering Wildlife links:
Facebook MotheringWildlifePodcast
Instagram @motheringwildlife
Email: [email protected]
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46min
October 19, 2023 We’ll Make it Through; Leaning on Your Team and Others for Support During Tough Times with Traci Cameron of SEA LIFE Kansas City
Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms!
Have you ever had to just tell yourself, “We’ll make it through”. Motherhood can throw all sorts of wild cards our way - from changing home routines to limitations at work to unexpected situations. It can feel like we’re just along for the wild ride and maybe sometimes all we can do is just try to make it through. Join my guest Traci Cameron, an aquarist from SEA LIFE Kansas City, and I as we talk about all this and more.

I’m so thankful to Traci for being open and willing to share her entire story, including a pregnancy loss she had earlier this year. Please know that if you are not in a place where this is something you want to hear talked about you are more than welcome to fast forward or skip ahead to the next part of the interview. We discuss this topic around 29:00 to 36:00 ❤️
Mothering Wildlife links:
Facebook MotheringWildlifePodcast
Instagram @motheringwildlife
Email: [email protected]
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44min
October 12, 2023 Pumping in the Wild (Like on a Swamp Buggy and Boat!), and Choosing Change with Ashlee O'Connor of Defenders of Wildlife
Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms!
If you’re a breastfeeding mama who has had to pump at work you know the weird and challenging places we often try to accomplish this task. My guest this week, Ashlee O’Connor, knows all too well what it’s like to pump “in the wild”. As a wildlife biologist she pumped on swamp buggies and boats and shares her pumping stories during our conversation.

We also talk about a topic near and dear to my heart; struggling with that internal pull one feels between their two worlds: mom life and your professional desires. How does one deal with the feeling of wanting to focus solely on motherhood and not feeling like they will be “wasting” all the time and energy they have put into their professional life thus far? Ashlee has some great insight into how she navigated this in her own life.
Mothering Wildlife links:
Facebook MotheringWildlifePodcast
Instagram @motheringwildlife
Email: [email protected]
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1h
October 05, 2023 Not Everyone's Motherhood Journey is the Same with Barbara Suhn of the Oregon Zoo
Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms!
Motherhood looks different for everyone. From the journey to become a mom, to the support network you have (or don’t), all the way to how you manage the balance between work and home. Join me this week as I talk to Barbara Suhn of the Oregon Zoo. We talk about all this and more!
Mothering Wildlife links:
Facebook MotheringWildlifePodcast
Instagram @motheringwildlife
Email: [email protected]
...more
51min

FAQs about Mothering Wildlife:

How many episodes does Mothering Wildlife have?

The podcast currently has 63 episodes available.