Zoo-notable

We're closing out Earth Month and celebrating Earth Day with a special book on how we can reduce our carbon footprint: How Bad Are Bananas by Mike Berners-Lee. I personally loved how the author doesn't push us to do EVERYTHING in the book, just giving us information and empowering US to make the choices that are right for each one.

We'll discuss the Rebound Effect, how our health impacts the environment, and ways we can do what we can while taking care of ourselves.

Want to check out the book yourself?

As overdevelopment and sea level rise threaten the town of Montauk, an unexpected legacy grants the fate of its last undeveloped parcel to Clancy Frederics, an outsider scarred by his orphaned childhood. Everyone in town has a stake: Julienne, an environmentalist and painter fighting to save the landscape that inspires her art; Theresa, a bartender whose trailer park home is jeopardized by coastal erosion; and Molly and Billy, who are struggling to hold out against pressure to sell their home.

Join me as I sit down to discuss The Start Beauty of Last Things with author Celine Keating, in my first Cli-Fi (climate fiction) book on Zoo-notable.

Want to read the book yourself?

We're closing out Women's "Empowerment" Month with a banger-- an interview with author, life coach, and wonderful mentor Laurie Buchanan, author of Note to Self, a Seven-Step Path to Gratitude and Growth. We discuss her book and using color (the energy and feeling of color) to help us, along with breathing, and affirmations.

It's a Flashback day on Zoo-notable as I discuss a book from 2008, What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love, and Marriage by Amy Sutherland. An oldie but a goodie.

We'll talk about animal training, but how it pertains to US, personally-- how to change our behavior, how to use animal training methods, why to avoid punishment, and why we should NEVER take our healthy habits for granted (ie- always reinforce them!).

Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown is such an incredible book, I couldn't contain it to one single episode. So, here's part 2 of ways we can connect better through understanding our emotions.

Brené Brown is one of my heroes, bordering on idol for me. And this book took my breath away. I'll definitely return to it time after time to help me understand and map out my own emotions and allow myself grace and vulnerability to feel.

Cindy is a special heroine of mine, getting involved with Polar Bears International and AAZK's Trees for You and Me program to help the furry loves of her life, polar bears, and combat climate change.

Animal Allies- 15 Amazing Women in Wildlife Research is perfect for younger audiences and inspiring them to go for their dreams. Whether studying ants, turtles, big cats, or whales, these women show integrity, passion, grit, and resilience in their field.

Let's get (un)comfortable discussing racism in this very special discussion on the book Dear White Women by Sara Blanchard and Misasha Suzuki Graham. It was a real eye-opener, and touches on very important issues, so I encourage everyone to read it (not just White Women).

Today, I welcome Ardelle Holden, 4-time published author of mysteries (one of my favorite genres to read to just kick back and get away from it all). We're discussing her upcoming book,Killing Imaginary Friends, Book One of the Oliver Frampton Mystery Series. If you like suspenseful, emotional, coming-of-age angst, you’ll love Ardelle's gripping story of Olly’s imaginary friends who torment and frustrate his life until, at twenty, he discovers what really happened when he was eight.
He must solve the mystery behind their death or disappearance, but after all these years, the trail is bone cold.

This week's book is one of those unique books that while I found some decent Big Ideas, I mostly felt it was the type of book that I read so you don't have to. I discuss anthropomorphism, emotions in zoo animals, and animals as virtuous guides.

How can being a better writer help us be better zookeepers, better conservationists, or just improve our quality of life, help us accomplish our goals and dreams, and change the world?

Delve into the Miracle Morning for Writers to find out how we can use affirmations to beat Imposter Syndrome, change our mindset around mornings, and create mini-habits that make a big difference.

December 3 is World Coati Day. So I sat down with Colby Franz of World Coati Day to discuss this incredible animal! We need coatis and coatis need us. Even though they are not a mega-fauna, this charismatic creature is worth our attention.

It was such an immense pleasure to sit down with one of my animal care heroes, Gerry Creighton, the former operations manager at Dublin Zoo and currently consultant of Global Elephant Care, a company he founded to help zoos promote excellent welfare for elephants and other animals. This guy is the real deal, someone who has witnessed firsthand the evolution of Dublin Zoo from Victorian menagerie to the world class facility it is, and continues to help its progress.

When I saw Gerry had written a book, I- COULD NOT WAIT to get my hands on it, and folks, the book does not disappoint.

We sat down to discuss his book, how far zoos have really come, and how far we have yet to go.

"As hard as the craft of writing is, the greatest challenges writers face are often within ourselves. Comparison, self-doubt, isolation, and other internal struggles can derail a writer's progress, at any stage in the writing life. Author, essayist, and speaker William Kenower knows these struggles first-hand, and hears them from writers everywhere he teaches and appears. In this candid and encouraging book, he dismantles the myth that some writers have talent and others don't, and shares relatable stories, wisdom, and best practices for reengaging with our passion, following our curiosity, and staying connected to what matters most.
If you've ever wondered whether you're "really" a writer, or should retreat to a safer, more conventional path, this enlightening and accepting book will spark renewed purpose and joy on your writing journey."

Happy NaNoWriMo, everyone (my writing friends know what I'm talking about!). I was very excited to sit down with just an incredible writing life coach, and mentor, Bill Kenower, author of Everyone Has What It Takes.

We discuss many topics that can block us as writers, but find the link to just about any profession as well. In my interview, I even got to practice some of Bill's expert advice, dealing with a learning opportunity (NOT a failure), and discuss rejection, getting in "mood" and "flow" for writing, comparing ourselves to others, and having what it takes.

You ever find yourself procrastinating? Well then, my friend, it's time to Eat That Frog!! Brian Tracy gives us 21 good reasons to figure out the most important work for your life and day and get on it already. Big Ideas include Setting the Table for Success (planning and the 10 goals list), Visualizing Who You Want to Be, the ABCDE Method, Identify What is IN YOU that holds you back, and Thinking Positive.

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As we approach Halloween, I thought the topic of grit might be appropriate, and how we can gain a little more resilience, tenacity, and initiative in our lives.

I discuss big ideas like learning grit, rejection and failure help us succeed, minding the gap between effort and success, developing a growth mindset (becoming more like bamboo), and helping others helps us stay gritty.

How do you reduce the gap between the life you live now and the life you want? How can choosing our response be our one truest freedom that no one on earth can take away?

These profound questions have helped guide me for the past 4 years, and they are thanks to a Nazi concentration camp survivor and psychiatrist who developed Logotherapy, Viktor E. Frankl and his amazing book Man's Search for Meaning.

I love it when I get to catch up with amazing friends while also discussing their amazing stories. Miranda Levi is a prolific author with three novels (Tear in Time, From a Youth a Fountain Did Flow, and Mo(ther) Na(ture))and a book of poetry (In Orion's Hands) out already, and isn't slowing down anytime soon.

She sat down with me to discuss her latest project, Mo(ther) Na(ture), and discuss our writing process and life lessons we learned together.

MEMORIES!

Want to connect with Miranda and get a copy of MoNa yourself? Check her out on social media:

What is the most important behavior to teach an animal? For me, when working with dolphins, it was the "target". Teach an animal to touch a target and the sky's the limit to training other behaviors. Working with Thor, a bottlenose dolphin, and teaching him and other dolphins to perform a vertical spin jump helped me learn the value of a target behavior-- the one thing that will propel my well-being forward.

What is your "target" behavior? We'll discuss some options like sleep, drinking water, or celebration as the foundation upon which the rest of your self-care program will stand.

GRAZE (Growing Resiliency in Aquarium and Zoo Employees) is an amazing organization dedicated to helping animal care professionals maintain their mental health and promote strategies for staying resilient in a stressful and often chaotic world.

Whenever I talk to Shannon, we tend to geek out about treating ourselves more like the animals in our care, and today is no different. It's a FANTASTIC conversation, something for everyone.

I love chatting with my published author friends, but this was an especially wonderful treat, sitting down with author Barbara Wolf Terao to discuss her memoir Reconfigured. Barbara met on the gorgeous Whidbey Island as both of us started on our journeys towards writing our stories. She's completed hers, and honored me with the chance to read the book, which is a moving, uplifting, and just overall well-written and incredible story of life.

We talk about the writing process and getting your story out there, being advocates to your own care, and finding peace and getting centered (Nam Myoho Renge Kyo).

To celebrate National Wildlife Day on September 4, I pulled out this fun book about leadership, titled Wisdom from the Wild: Nine Unbreakable Laws of Leadership from the Animal Kingdom, by Julie C. Henry. I recommend this book to anyone in a leadership role, or who WANTS to be in a leadership role, or thinks they may be put in a leadership role. We focus on five of the nine "laws" because I feel they are important not just for leaders, but anyone looking to improve their life, their work, or their relationships with others.

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.

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. 

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.

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...

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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.

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.

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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.

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?

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.

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?

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:

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 can't wait to discuss it with you!

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.

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

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 day: buy an avocado at the grocery store and you have a seed designed to pass through the digestive tracts of huge animals that have been driven extinct.

Celebrate Earth Day Weekend with a book that changes our relationship with nature and encourages us to remember, reconnect, and reignite our love for the planet.

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!

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 daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself--and about the humans who hope to save her.Inspired by the true story of a Monterey Bay Aquarium program that pairs orphaned otter pups with surrogate mothers, this poignant and humorous tale told in free verse examines bravery and healing through the eyes of one of nature's most beloved and charming animals.

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 and empowering!

Ideas discussed that you can take action on:

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.