Hello my fellow curious critters and welcome back for another Scientist Spotlight! Today it is my absolute pleasure to introduce to you my good friend and ace zookeeper Meaghan Fowler. I met Meaghan during my undergraduate career at Murray State University and I am so glad I did. There is no doubt in my mind that I would not have made it through soil science without her, our group chat, and study sessions. If you have ever taken the soil science class at Murray State, you know. The bonds forged in that class last forever. Meaghan is now a zookeeper at the Nashville Zoo working with all of their amazing birds. So go grab a nice mug of something warm, a little snack, and let’s learn all about Meaghan and her journey to her dream job!
What made you want to become a scientist?
I fell in love with science in 5th grade. My teacher, Ms. Evans, was super science heavy despite teaching all subjects and her love for it was contagious. It’s always fascinated me and inspired a lifelong love of curiosity. Growing up with Steve Irwin, the Kratt brothers, Jane Goodall, etc. only grew my love to learn about and conserve species.
When did you know you wanted to become a scientist?
I’ve always known I’ve wanted to go into an animal related field since I was little. I spent a lot of time digging in the dirt and admiring bugs, watching bird feeders with my grandmother, going to the local elk and bison prairie on quiet weekend evenings, visiting the zoo too many times to count, and reading every animal book under the sun. They’re some of my favorite childhood memories and I couldn’t imagine my life without animals in it. After bouncing back and forth between a few options in high school, I decided on zookeeping.
What did you do to become a scientist?
For zookeeping, it is a VERY competitive field. Most require a bachelor’s degree in biology. I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Conservation Biology (Zoological Track) from Murray State University in December 2018. I had been volunteering at a local raptor center since I was 16 years old, and had been fortunate enough to travel across the country for internships with the help of my family. I worked in a free-flight raptor program at Milwaukee County Zoo, I interned in the bird department at Saint Louis Zoo for two years, and I worked in wildlife rehabilitation at Wildlife Images in Grants Pass, Oregon for a summer. I took a vet tech job after graduation and in April of 2020, I started as an Avian Keeper at Nashville Zoo.
What does your typical day look like?
Before the zoo opens, my morning is setting up exhibits, feeding animals breakfast, administering medications, and making sure everyone is doing okay. The rest of the morning is cleaning all the buildings top to bottom and making sure they’re ready for the birds. The afternoon varies; sometimes we have meetings, sometimes we work on projects like reperching, adding mulch, and doing repairs. I am the primary keeper for three hyacinth macaws, so I spend a lot of time on training, relationship building, and making enrichment plans for them.
What is your favorite thing about being a scientist?
My favorite thing is being an active participant in the conservation work zoos and aquariums are doing. Not only are we just coming in and taking care of an animal, zoos are doing research, breeding endangered species, and making sure those species still have a protected section of wild to call home by working WITH the people who live in those regions.
What is your least favorite thing about being a scientist?
That there is still a lot of gender inequality in the field as a whole. Encourage other women in STEM!
What is your favorite random science fact?
Crows can recognize specific faces, even if it’s been several years since seeing that face, AND they’ll pass that info into relatives who have never seen that face. So if it’s a threat, offspring will even alarm call even if that individual bird has never met the person.
How did you decide what area of science to specialize in?
I wanted to be a zoo vet, but then I took a class that said most of the animals don’t like you because they associate you with medical procedures. And chemistry wasn’t my strong suit, so zookeeping it is!
If you weren’t a scientist, what do you think you would be doing for a living?
Probably working with children. Most of my family works in the human medical field, so probably a pediatric or NICU nurse. It explains my love of parrots well, I think- a bird that is a toddler for 80+ years.
What area would you NEVER want to study?
Probably any of the mathematically based science branches (engineering, computer sciences, etc.). I recognize its importance, it’s just not as interesting to me.
What is your favorite animal?
You’d think it would be a bird, but it’s actually a red panda.
What do you like to do when you’re not being a scientist?
Watch Netflix, play Planet Zoo, visit friends and family (virtually this year), and spend time with my cat and rats.
What is your favorite memory from the field/doing research?
I was helping with a physical exam of a Guam Kingfisher, a highly endangered bird due to the accidental introduction of the Brown Tree Snake on its native islands. This snake has already caused the extinction of 9 of 11 endemic bird species there, so for the safety of the population, the entire species can only be found in captivity now. There are only 120 of them left in the entire WORLD starting from a rescued group of 29 birds, and I had this moment looking down at this little orange sassy kingfisher in my hand of “wow. Because of humans, you almost were gone forever, but also because of humans, you are here today.” And it was MIND BLOWING.
Thank you for coming along and learning with me today! Let’s all scream “THANK YOU” to Meaghan for participating so she can hear us all the way in Nashville. I am so grateful to have so many amazing science friends I can pester with questions and convince to share their stories with all of you. It is so important to highlight the variety of people, pathways, and careers in STEM so we can continue to develop the field into a more diverse and equitable place to be. When we can see ourselves in a particular space we are more likely to believe in ourselves and our abilities to exist in those spaces. Did anything surprise you about Meaghan or her path to becoming a zookeeper? I know I was shocked to learn her favorite animal is actually a red panda and not a raven or crow (you think you know someone and then they just fully turn your world upside down). I’ll give one last thank you to Meaghan, you are amazing and I’m so proud of you. I’ll see all of you back here Friday for another Finn Friday!
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