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 conse...

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 practic...

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 poi...

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 elsewher...

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...

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, a...

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"...

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...

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 fr...

Talk about two worlds coming together! I was nervous but very excited to sit down and talk to Jason Morgan, the Wounded Warrior whose book A Dog Called Hope opened my eyes to more than animals and conservation. Jason is SUCH an inspiration, and folks, we need more people like him to give us ALL hope, encouragement, and a call to action. Want to learn more? Check out the book for yourself: A Dog Ca...

I sat down with the multi-skilled Suzanne Akerman of Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium to discuss her fascinating dystopian adventure novel The Deliverers . We talk about spoilers, her job at Wild Wonders at PDZA, and her involvement with the American Association of Zookeepers. Whew! It's a lot! I share a spoiler of my own, as well! We go over A LOT! Basically: Support Suzanne and pick up a copy...

Today's Zoo-notable was a no-brainer as it is Karen Pryor's birthday. It's also appropriate for Mother's Day because I consider Karen the Mother of positive reinforcement training. Don't Shoot the Dog is considered the animal trainer's bible. But it isn't just for training animals, it's about teaching and learning for everyone! There's so much to share, and I ca...

In this essential book for anyone interested in tapping into and unleashing their true potential as humans and their wild nature, we'll discuss why we have brains (it's not for thinking!), how being mindful helps us both physically and mentally, dealing with stress, and connecting with nature. Want to be inspired by my inspiration? Check out Heroic and Brian Johnson's Philosopher Notes...

We're closing Earth Month with yet one more book at ways we can improve our world by improving our relationship with our neighbors...our wild neighbors and connecting with nature in our own backyards: Nature's Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy Get a copy of Nature's Best Hope y ourself, or check it out at your local library (you can listen to it on audio, too) Related Zoo-notables: Where th...

In The Once and Future World, MacKinnon invites us to remember nature as it was, to reconnect to nature in a meaningful way, and to remake a wilder world everywhere. He goes looking for landscapes untouched by human hands. He revisits a globe exuberant with life, where lions roam North America and ten times more whales swim in the sea. He shows us that the vestiges of lost nature surround us every...

I LOVED Wisdom from a Humble Jellyfish because it taught me a little about interesting animals (I honestly didn't think about the different types of webs spiders weave, or how dragonflies catch their prey) while also imparting important self-care lessons that can help us all. I even thought of my own wisdom from nature idea, perfect for April 9, 2023, as we celebrate Easter! Want to find your...

Meet Odder, the Queen of Play: Nobody has her moves. She doesn't just swim to the bottom, she dive-bombs. She doesn't just somersault, she triple-doughnuts. She doesn't just ride the waves, she makes them. Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practicing her underwater acrobatics and spinning the quirky stories for which she's known. She's a fearless darede...

Are you ready to build bridges and create safe spaces where difficult conversations can happen, and REALLY understand one another? I Never Thought of It That Way can open your eyes and show us how curiosity and experiences make us better people, creating a better world. There is SO MUCH I loved about this book. Enjoy this Zoo-notable and reach out to meet others where they are. It's powerful a...

We couldn't celebrate Women's Month without a deep discussion of the powerful, and empowering book In the Flo by Alisa Vitti. This book is about unlocking the secrets of our cycle and letting it work WITH us, rather than ignoring it or pushing it back. Want to get In the Flo yourself? Get it here Discover In the Flo Living (I myself tried the Flo28 program for a year, and it's really g...

What is probably the best self-care habit we can incorporate into our lives? How about high-fiving yourself every morning. Welcome to Mel Robbins' fantastic book, the High 5 Habit. Mel Robbins is a successful life coach. Her TED Talk -- How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over-- has over 31 MILLION views, and there's a reason for it, it's epic. (In fact, check it out even before you listen, Mel is a fra...

Subscribe to Zoo-notable To kick off Women's History Month, I sat down with three of the authors from the She Writes Press anthology Art in the Time of Unbearable Crisis: Women Writers Respond to the Call. Barbara Terrao, Donna Cameron, and Teresa Janssen generously shared their experience and insight on their pieces in the anthology, talking about the power of stories, and of our voices and words...

Today, I celebrate one of my all-time favorite conservation heroines, Wangari Maathai by reading her memoir Unbowed. I loved learning about Wangari's childhood, her past experiences and how they shaped her destiny to become a strong, independent woman who championed the environment and communities of Kenya.  We delve into some big ideas like understanding others' pasts, turning obstacles into...

A collection of essays, poetry, and stories of hope, truth, courage, and solutions, All We Can Save celebrates diversity and women, and everyone who is fighting for climate action. Want to read more? Check out All We Can Save at your local library , bookstore , or zoo (I have seen this book for sale at all major zoos in the Pacific Northwest).

Have you ever heard of elimination diets to reset your body and figure out what foods work best for you? Well, this elimination and reset program has become one of the most popular in the world, for good reason, it works for a lot of people.  It Starts With Food is the book that propelled the Whole30 movement. Today we'll discuss some big ideas such as food should make us healthy, 100% is eas...