It was mentioned by my other mother (Jan, thanks!) that I should add something about my career goals and interests. I suppose that should have gone in my paragraph about "why the heck is she going to South Africa for school?"
I studied Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign which resulted in a very nice piece of paper saying that I have a bachelors degree. So my background is in livestock and how to raise cows, etc. I have always wanted to be a veterinarian (heck yeah I grew up on the back of a horse!) but as I explored different areas of animal management and care I just couldn't find something that was right for me. I have done research in the area of beef reproduction, worked in a small animal clinic, been a sheep farmer (now that was a sweet gig), traveled many times as a teenager with a horse veterinarian that really let me get my hands dirty (thanks Dr. Koehler), raised endangered dragonflies, and been in charge of keeping 20 odd ponds of fish alive. But really I just didn't find what was right for me.
In 2004 I went on a field trip to Brazil to tour the projects that my friend Gonzalo operates through his wildlife management company. Finally I found something that worked for me. The projects that we toured and got involved with brought together social factors, environmental factors, and animal management factors. I realized that my skills and training in animal management/health didn't have to exist in a vacuum. I realized that I could apply my skills and training for a greater good. I have been traveling as extensively as my meager pocketbook could handle since 2002 which I think has really developed my social consciousness. It seems like a small awakening...but it was a huge revelation to me.
So my goal now is to take my background in livestock and apply it to conservation. I hope to do this through medicine, because that's where my passions lie. I figure also that with all the effects that will take place as global warming does its thing (seriously if you haven't seen "An Inconvenient Truth" you are missing out. Al Gore, whatever you may think of him, is on to something) the disease interface between wild animals/humans/the environment/livestock is going to be increasingly important. If you don't understand what I'm getting at...just think about West Nile Virus in the USA, bird flu, etc. I hope to be there working some sort of magic. Or at least applying all this education and experience to something! Ideally I would like to ameliorate what has happened to the environment but not at the expense of people. If we want to make this work, we are going to have to work together. And we are going to have to show people how they can make money at making this all work.
My reasoning in going to South Africa is to attempt to get a different perspective on what is happening on a worldwide level in conservation. I have a pretty good base in livestock, but I really am pretty uneducated in conservation. As I mentioned in my last post...what better place to study conservation than Southern Africa? Or at least that's my theory. It may be completely wrong, but that's what I'm going to figure out.
Until next time
Love Lynsee
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