My introduction to the Kids and Critters program will always be a memorable moment to me.  On my first day at my new high school, I rounded the corner to my Chemistry class only to see a girl with a python draped around her neck in my path.  Naturally, this grabbed my interest and the girl and I struck up a conversation.  After a few minutes of asking questions about what was going on and why there was an exotic reptile in the entranceway to my classroom, I was asked if I would like to hold the snake. After a few moments of repressing my fear, she passed the snake to me, and my introduction into the program began.

Animals have always been my passion.  Yet, until I joined this program, I never considered animals as anything more than an interest and a hobby.  The Kids and Critters program allowed me to explore this interest and develop it into a career path.  With Mr. Halish’s guidance, I gained a solid background in animal care and began to learn more about biodiversity and the importance it plays in this world.  My love of animals grew, and my interest in animal care and conservation helped to focus my path through the college admissions process.  After graduation, I attended the University of Maine as a Zoology Major.  The Kids and Critters program prepared me well for my degree program, through which I gained a more advanced understanding of the natural world.  In 2006, I graduated from college and began my career search.  Over the Summer I was offered an internship at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo.  I received more experience in animal care, from the livestock at the children’s zoo, to the penguins in the polar zone.  Within a few months, I was offered a position at the Bronx Zoo.  I am currently working there as a Primate/Small Mammal Wild Animal Keeper.  My days are now spent with a diverse assortment of animals, from Asian small clawed otters, to douroucouli monkeys, and lowland gorillas.

The Kids and Critters program helped me to develop my interest and give me the base knowledge I needed to make these steps.  An understanding of our natural world is vital, as we are losing species and habitat at an alarming rate around the world.  It is for this reason that I am thrilled to see the Kids and Critters program expanding into other schools.  With each school year, a new group of students will have the opportunity to get involved and to explore the world of nature education and animal care.

Nate is a graduate of Windsor High School and student of the Kids-N-Critters program.

Nate currently works at the Bronx Zoo in New York City.

Nate writes about his experience with the Kids-N-Critters program in his own words: