Zoo-notable

In this special Telling My Story episode of Zoo-notable, I share the origins of ZooFit, and sharing this program with others. Palm oil has become a "nope food" for me, specifically because of my time working with elephants. To honor Asian elephant Awareness Month, I'm closing this month's Zoo-notable with my story of Bamboo, the elephant, and my connection with visitors and conservation messages.

What is ONE THING you can change to have a better impact on an animal you love dearly? Ride your bike for polar bears? Cut out plastic for sea turtles? Eliminate palm oil from your diet for elephants? Take better care of yourself and have a positive impact on the planet. Start feeling better so we can do better. Today, tomorrow, and forever.

And if you are in Honolulu this week-- check out Brews for the Zoo at Aloha Beer Company on August 31. They have a special Indian Elephant Pale Ale in honor of Mari and Vaigai, the two elephants I work with nowadays at Honolulu Zoo. Check it out!

Want to share your story? Want to give me thoughts on mine? Or recommend a book? Connect with me at ZooFit!

Do you find meditation, mindfulness, affirmations, and visualization to be a little too “woo-woo” for your taste? I honestly thought the same until I read this beauty of a book (actually listened to it on CD) many years ago. It literally changed my mind, and changed my life.

In today’s Zoo-notable, we’ll discuss how Creative Visualizations by Shakti Gawain helped shape my daily affirmation practice of BREATHES. We’ll learn the concepts of Being, Doing, and Having, discover how we can train our brain to LOOK for ways to make our dreams and ambitions come true, and how to let the Universe take care of things with the Pink Bubble Technique. 

Love this Zoo-notable? Check the book out for yourself on your library app (Libby) or grab a copy for yourself from your local bookstore.

Let me know what your favorite affirmation or meditation is. Connect with me at ZooFit.

Related Zoo-notables: High Five Habit by Mel Robbins

Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh

Words to Live By by Eknath Easwaran

Dallas Woodburn is a successful author and "book doula" who helps authors reach into themselves to write their stories. She's a coach with Thriving Authors Academy and author of several Young Adult books, including Thanks Carissa, for Ruining My Life, which we discuss in-depth on this Zoo-notable.

While a fiction book mostly aimed at young adults, Thanks Carissa helps teach some poignant lessons about life, self-care, and personal goals.

If you want to nab a copy for yourself, find your local bookstore, and connect with Dallas on her website.

Learn more about Thriving Authors (the FREE Summit and the 6-month Academy course)

Share your story with me at ZooFit.

Our stories have power to heal us, to help others, and make the world a better place. When we feel better, we can do better. Let's feel better and do better together!

How do you courageously stay true to yourself in a new place where there are new expectations, new challenges, and new people? We create a culture and a Land of Opportunity among the Land of the Penguins.

I liked this book for the possibility of starting an open discussion among peers and within organizations. But as I discuss, I'm not so keen on the lesson to find Land of Opportunity elsewhere. I think it's a state of mind that can be discovered anywhere and everywhere...

Related Zoo-notables:

Ruth Soukup's Do is Scared

Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown

Life Safari by John Strelecky

I'm continuing my new segment "Telling My Story" that I started in June. No one told me to stop, so I'll keep on sharing!

This week I share how I got into the animal care field, how my Big Why gives me persistence to never give up, and how YOU can harness the power of your Big Why as well.

Connect with me at ZooFit.net

Have you ever wanted your own personal zoo? YOUR zoo? Where you could do all the things you'd love for the animals and conservation? Well, We Bought a Zoo is for you-- about the hardships and challenges, as well as the immense pleasure and healing being THAT close to nature can get you.

Through animal escapes, family heartbreak, staffing challenges, and working to gain their accreditation back, this story shares the ups and downs to owning, working, and living the zoo life.

The book also brings about some powerful big ideas about leaning on your strengths, connecting to nature, staying positive and consistent in your endeavors, and learning to thrive in a fragile ecosystem, whether that's the planet or in a corporate setting.

As one of the first books I read when I moved to Washington in 2009, I find it fitting that I'm discussing it on Zoo-notable now that we just recently moved away to Hawaii for me to continue working in the zoo field. The parallels between Benjamin Mee's story and what I'm experiencing made it a no-brainer to share with you all.

If you liked this Zoo-notable, you might also enjoy:

Wildlife Warrior (bio about Steve Irwin)

Zookeeper Dreams and Travel Extremes

Lads Before the Wind by Karen Pryor

And pick up a copy of the movie on Bookshop, too!

I had the honor and joy to sit down and talk with local writer Iris Graville about her newest book Writer in a Life Vest. Iris was the first ever writer-in-residence aboard the MV Tillikum, the inter-island ferry between several of the San Juan Islands in Washington state. Iris writes poetically about her experience, her writing process, the Salish Sea, the local Southern Resident killer whales, and hopes for the future.

It's a terrific collection of essays, and a great way to wrap up World Oceans Month.

If you are interested in learning more about the Washington State Ferry writer-in-residence program, contact Iris at https://irisgraville.com/

And if you have a special story you wish to share with others, next month is dedicated to zookeepers, so drop me a note at ZooFit to connect with me.

June has a lot of significance to everyone-- Pride Month, Juneteenth, and World Oceans Month. To celebrate the latter, I sat down with Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium staff biologist Megan Paider to talk about our passion and love for the ocean, sharing that passion with visitors, and ways to promote mental health in a very stressful work environment (and how it's never "just a fish").

Want to learn more?

Check out GRAZE (Growing Resiliency in Aquarium and Zoo Employees) to find out more about taking care of yourself.

Learn more about Megan's (current) favorite animal Bowmouth Guitarfish, and my favorite, Sea Squirts.

And go visit your local aquarium! Connect to the ocean in a healthy and positive way (here's the link for Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium).

*Sorry this is late! I was on vacation in Montana and just didn't have any time to edit or post. Which is a great thing once in a while, honestly...

Celebrating World Oceans Month is one of my favorite things on Zoo-notable. There are so many incredible books out there, but this one, The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery resonated with me from beginning to end. Sy has a way with bringing her readers to experience exactly the excitement and wonder she discovers with her stories about amazing animals.

Check out footage of Sy the Octopus (named for the author, but not part of the book). And discover more about octopus from Seattle Aquarium (my current hometown aquarium and one of my favorite places to visit).

Discover more Sy Montgomery books, featured on Zoo-notable: How to Be a Good Creature

And discover more podcasts that discuss the importance of zoos and aquariums: Rossifari, Zoologic, and AquatiZoo

Want to check out Soul of the Octopus yourself? Grab a copy for you and a friend, or find it at your local library

Celebrate World Oceans Month and Zoo and Aquarium Month by visiting your local aquarium, tide pool/beach, or marine center. Connect with the ocean in a healthy and positive way!

As I transition back into the zoo field, I know I won't be able to maintain the momentum of one book every week, so to be able to continue my love for this podcast, connect with listeners, and motivate me to continue working on my stories, I want to introduce a new segment Telling MY Story to help others. This idea is sort of a Podcast to Book idea, where I'll share a chapter or excerpt from my memoir, tentatively (not excitedly) titled What Animals Taught Me About Self-Care, or My Gym is a Zoo. (if you have a great idea for a title, please feel free to email me or connect with me at ZooFit.net)

For Pride Month, I feel sharing this part of my story is important. I believe everyone deserves to be seen and heard, everyone deserves to belong and experience love, and EVERYONE deserves to treat themselves right, provide self-care. My hope with this book is to empower and inspire you to take care of yourself so you can show up for those who matter to you-- whether it's your animals, your loved ones, or the entire planet.

Let me know what you think of this idea. Are you excited to hear more from my book? Do you relate to my origins in feeling knee pain, back pain, and mental health issues? How can I help with that? And do you think my stories will help you along your own journey?

Again, connect with me at ZooFit. Let's be our best selves today, tomorrow, and forever, making self-care fun, engaging, impactful, and empowering, one day at a time!