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PODCAST

Mothering Wildlife

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 other week as I interview moms working primarily in the zoo field as we discuss their journey as moms, navigating the mental, emotional, and often physical challenges that come with caring for wildlife and caring for kids.

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

55:38

Finding Your Flippers as a Leader and Mom with Hallie...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/11/27

Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms! This week, I talk to Hallie Torre, Curator of Marine Mammals and Birds at the Aquarium of Niagara. Hallie chats about life as a marine mammal trainer turned manager and mom of two—everything from working with seals and sea lions while pregnant to figuring out daycare, maternity leave, and finding herself again at work. Hallie opens up about both of her pregnancies, how...

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44:20

“Baby Tonka” - When Our Kids Become Part of Our Zoo...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/11/13

Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms! This week, I talk to Wendy Boulger, a zookeeper from Zoo Knoxville. Her almost 11-month-old (at the time) daughter, Marcy, even joins us for the interview! Wendy and I touch base on a variety of topics - from the challenges of postpartum to pumping at work to trying to jump back and forth between the two mindsets of "work life" and "mom life", especially when also tryi...

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66:52

Personal Lives Are Important with Kim Castrucci from...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/10/30

Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms! In this episode, I talk with Kim Castrucci, Curator of Animals at the Brevard Zoo, about her journey to becoming an animal care leader — and how becoming a mom changed everything about the way she leads and lives. Kim and I talk a lot about being a leader within the zoo field and recognizing that personal lives are important. She discusses the challenges of navigating ...

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80:06

Relearning Roles After Postpartum with LeShea Cochu...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/10/16

Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms! This week's guest is LeShea Cochu, Animal Care Supervisor of Birds, Mammals, and Ambassadors at the Chattanooga Zoo. She is also freshly postpartum and had only been back to work for a few weeks at the time of this interview! LeShea shares how early in her career working with elephants and giraffes, a workplace injury unexpectedly led her from large mammals to smaller ambassador s...

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48:52

When Skills at Work as an Animal Hospital Keeper...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/10/02

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 Morgan Duffy, an Animal Hospital Keeper at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. As a hospital keeper, Morgan gets to see and take care of so many different species - from those entering into quarantine upon arrival at the zoo to those needing treatment due to injury or illness. Morgan and I talk about how her job, working in the Animal Hospital, h...

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44:38

"Your Identity as a Human Changes When You Have a...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/09/18

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 is Jess Sorrentino, a Development Associate (and cheetah enthusiast!) for the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Her current role primarily involves building partnerships with zoos; however, last year, she helped to organize the Global Cheetah Summit, and she occasionally balances travel with remote work. With a background in animal care as a zookeeper, she transitioned...

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57:58

The Animal Instincts of Motherhood with Carolyn...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/09/04

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 is Carolyn Mikulskis, Assistant Curator at the Greensboro Science Center. Carolyn and I chat about a variety of topics, including how your priorities can change once you become a mother. One day you’re living that “zoo life”, throwing all your energy into your career and the next you have a baby at home and you’re questioning how you can possibly go back to work...

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61:15

Zookeeper Doula with Caitlin Rodriguez from Blessed...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/08/22

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 is Caitlin Rodriguez, a doula who owns Blessed Mother Birth Services in the Dallas/Forth Worth area of Texas. When I first met Caitlin, I totally fangirled over her - why, you might ask? Well, Caitlin was not only a zookeeper but also a doula when I met her in 2017!! In my eyes, she was living my dream and had the best of both worlds; an awesom...

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49:07

How To Be A Herpetologist Hero and Raise Children...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/08/07

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, Amie Mercado, is a Senior Herpetology Care Specialist at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. She offers a new perspective on being a pregnant animal care specialist. What do zoo guests think when they see a pregnant person doing "dangerous" things? In Amie's case, working with venomous snakes or feeding alligators. In this world of social...

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59:34

An IVF Journey While Being a Zookeeper with Kirsti...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/07/24

Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms! This week, my guest, Kirsti Mahon, and I dive into her journey to become a mother. A journey that includes IVF, a hurricane, and the best outcome ever - a beautiful baby girl! Kirsti candidly shares her journey, from the support she received at work, to how pregnancy affected her role as an Ambassador Animal Field Supervisor, to ultimately how she pivoted to a new role that ...

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70:03

Advocating While Pregnant and Navigating Upon Your...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/07/10

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 is Chelsie Bedingfield, an ungulate keeper at the Sacramento Zoo. Her and I really dive into what a zookeeper's daily roles and responsibilities are, and then what it is like to be a pregnant zookeeper doing those tasks. Chelsie talks about how she really had to learn to advocate for herself while pregnant. It wasn't that she didn't want to do ...

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58:56

Patiently Waiting, Observing, Validating Feelings,...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/06/26

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 Katie Hall, the Director of Animal Behavior and Wellbeing at the Minnesota Zoo. The first part of our conversation really dives into the responsibilities of her role at the zoo. Roles like hers have become more prevalent in the zoo field and are truly encompassing the future of animal care. So, if you want a great, quick conversatio...

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63:55

Nothing Can Really Prepare You for Motherhood or Even...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/06/12

Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms! This week my guest, Andrea Porch, and I have a great conversation about the postpartum period. So much about the postpartum period is not discussed openly but it can be such an important conversation to hold publicly. Women can feel alone in their feelings. Sometimes hearing other women talk about their experiences can be so validating. We also talk about being a pregnant zo...

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59:19

From Crustacean Enthusiast to Aquarist Mom with...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/05/29

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, Caroline, is not only a crustacean enthusiast but an amazing aquarist mom from Canada! Her and I talk about all things aquarist, including what it's like to be a pregnant aquarist and the restrictions she had during her pregnancy. She shares a great story about a sand tiger shark procedure that occurred during her pregnancy and how it impacted her. ...

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41:42

Can Being a Zookeeper Help You Find Balance as a Mom?...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/05/15

Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms! We talk a lot about the “zookeeper identity” on this podcast - how being a zookeeper can infiltrate into so many areas of your life. My guest this week, Leanne, and I talk about this and about how to balance that with a “mom identity” as well. She talks about how she feels that being a zookeeper helped her to find balance as a mom! We also talk about the difference bet...

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50:52

My Job is Such a Huge Part of My Life, Could I Be a...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/05/01

Click here to send me a text! Have a story to share or just want to chat? Let's connect - because moms need moms! As a working parent, you might have asked yourself the question, "Can I be a mom and do this job too?" My guest this week, Kaylee, asked herself that question before becoming a mom. It's a valid question to ask and one that is also tough to answer! Often, zookeepers have a reputation of living, eating, and breathing their career. Is there room in that world...

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68:28

Everything is a Season; Seasons of Motherhood,...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2025/04/17

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 is Melissa Farr Dacumos, Associate Director of Animal Care at Utah’s Hogle Zoo. Her and I spent a fair amount of time talking about pregnancy while working in animal care, her postpartum period during Covid, and returning to work as a breastfeeding mama (cue the pumping challenges and stories!) She shares a few stories that I’m sure others can relate to! Melissa...

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57:30

Postpartum is Hard! But so is Being a Working Mom...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2024/04/25

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60:31

More Than a Mom and Not Just a Zookeeper with...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2024/04/18

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56:00

Working Your Dream Job but Feeling Like You’re Needed...

Mothering Wildlife ·

2024/04/11

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