Friday, May 1, 2009

About Us

Ever wonder who the smiling team players in Life Sciences are? Meet our Animal Caretakers and Horticulturists:

AMANDA
Life Span: Working at Pacific Science Center since 1993. Rejoined the Animal Care team in January 2014.

Habitats:
Can be found most anywhere in Pacific Science Center, but is most often found speaking parsel tongue to the snakes.



Activities:
Feeding, cleaning, and occasionally snuggling the animals.

Field Markings:
Lizard head scarf, blue scrubs, and cute sensible shoes.

Quote:
“I know that the molecules in my body are traceable to phenomena in the cosmos. That makes me want to grab people on the street and say: ‘Have you HEARD THIS?” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson


KATIE
Life Span: Working at Pacific Science Center since 2012, and joined the animal care team in January 2014.



Habitats: Can be found most anywhere in Pacific Science Center, but is most often located in a sunny patch in the Ackerley Family Gallery, near the bees, the butterflies, or Ali the turtle.



Activities: Gabbing with guests about the animals in the collection while providing care tasks.

Field Markings: Brown, unruly hair and long arms that are great for cleaning the hard to reach crevices in the tide pool!


Quote: “Some people need a red carpet rolled out in front of them in order to walk forward into friendship. They can't see the tiny outstretched hands all around them, everywhere, like leaves on trees.” Miranda July

LAUREN
Life Span: Lead Animal Caretaker since 2012, hopping around Pacific Science Center since 2008.

Habitats: Tropical Butterfly House, Naked Mole Rats, Insect Village, Tidepool, occasionally found on expedition in the colorful PSC vans.

Activities: Casually stalks the naked mole rats, makes spreadsheets, cleans the emerging room, orders supplies, pins butterfly pupae, updates signage, learns Latin names for everything.

Field Markings: Small in stature but identified by big curly mane. Can often be seen in bright colors.

Quote: “The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.” - Jean-Jacques Rousseau


MAIDA

Life Span: Horticulture/Animal Care since 2006; plant and animal lover all my life.

Habitats: Can be found in the bushes and behind the netting in the Tropical Butterfly House.

Activities: Feeding Plants & animals, pinning pupae

Quote: “When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.” - My Mother


SARAH

Life Span: Started at Pacific Science Center in 1994 as an animal caretaker, became Life Sciences program manager in 1997.

Habitats: Range overlaps with those of all animal and plant exhibits at Pacific Science Center except for Mercer Slough.

Activities: Comes up with projects for life sciences staff to do, keeps track of how many of every kind of animal we get, maintains permits, strives to interest staff and volunteers in biology and life sciences.

Field Markings: Often found wearing colorful plumage.

Behaviors: Acting out animal behavior, watching pupae intently, disappearing behind tidepool for hours, installing beehives.

Quote: "I don't know, let's find out."


TERRY

Life Span: Life Sciences volunteer since 2004, Pacific Science Center volunteer since 2003, Photographer since 1975

Habitats: Tropical Butterfly House, Puget Sound Saltwater Tidepool, Naked Mole Rat enclosure, flower bowls (in the summer).

Activities: Clicks, pins, feeds, grooms and blogs.

Field Markings: Black volunteer vest with stuffed pockets. Can usually be spotted with a camera and a smile.

Quote: “One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others.” -Lewis Carroll