Joy in the little things...literally!

It recently came up in conversation that I am a zoologist by training.  It got me thinking about the happiest times of my career in the environmental field over the last 12 years.  But first a brief bit of background to put it into context.

I started out getting a B.S. in Zoology at Ohio State University, and I was what my advisor referred to as a "fuzzy lover", someone who really gets into the field because of large, charismatic mammals.  It was true, and for most of my undergrad, I remained this way.  It was only when I changed advisors before my senior year that my perspective changed, with a job working for my advisor.  It was then that I was exposed to plankton, and later, stream ecology, two fields that changed my life.  I went back to school after two years to pursue my master's degree in zoology, still at Ohio State.  I became fascinated with the tiny world of algae and zooplankton, teaching at the Ohio State field station on an island in Lake Erie. At this same time, I taught a class that sampled lots of mainland streams, and gained a new appreciation of the tiny occupants that live under and around rocks in these systems.

While pursuing my M.S. in Zoology, I decided to pursue a Master of Applied Statistics because I was always good at math, and it seemed logical. I know this is really what got me my job at the EPA, first as a contractor and later as a federal employee, where I continue today.  I love what I do, and I think it suits me perfectly, providing me with a challenge and feeding me a sense of deep purpose in what I do. However, some of the happiest times at my job are far away from my desk and computer.

At various times over my career, I have been involved in outreach to urban kids with little experience in nature. Usually these were summer programs, for which a group of us would sample a stream and bring rocks and critters to a group of kids that had little experience in real streams. There is nothing like the looks I saw on the faces of kids when they realized that the "nasty bugs" were actually fascinating and harmless creatures.  It was the same when I taught classes at Lake Erie, as many of the students were high school kids that hadn't really been exposed to aquatic insects or plankton before firsthand. 

All this said, I miss those activities. There don't seem to be those sorts of activities where I work now. So here's the deal.  I love this stuff.  I would take off work to do it in a heartbeat.  So if you are a teacher, or you have kids that need someone to do this sort of thing with their class or just for fun, no matter the age range, I am your person.  This is one of those things that brings me great joy, and there is no replacement for it. So keep me in mind when you look at a stream and wonder what's living in there, under the rocks.