Discovering Zoology 

     After serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Kathryn Wilde began her studies pursuing a major in chemistry. However, one day she was asked to join her sister for a lesson in horseback riding. It wasn’t long before she developed a passion for horses and began volunteering for the family that owned them. She trained the horses and worked with student riders. Her duties also included trimming hooves and learning different riding techniques. She decided to take Intro to Zoology with zoology professor, Christopher Hoagstom. He made the course such an enjoyable experience that she switched her major to zoology. She now has graduated with her bachelors in zoology from the College of Science here at Weber State University. 

     Prior to graduation, in the summer of 2022, Kathryn joined a fellow zoology student on a co-op work experience trip to Zanzibar, Africa. There she rehabilitated sea turtles. During her time on the island, Kathryn measured baby turtles weekly to track their growth and went snorkeling in one of the major coral reefs to see the different species of fish that live there. Her favorite part of the experience was scrubbing the sea turtle shells saying, “We have to scrub them off ... because they are in a sanctuary where there is no Zooplankton which eats the algae that grow on their shell there.” 

     During her time in Zanzibar, she also worked on a permaculture building, or a hostel that uses agricultural ecosystems in a self-sufficient and sustainable way, for volunteers. This included reusing resources such as using weeds to fertilize vegetables, preventing garbage from getting into the ocean, and using water and solar energy for electricity.

     She discovered that animal and wildlife conservation is what she wants to do for the rest of her life. And thus, after her summer at Nungwi Mnarani Aquarium in Africa, she worked on undergraduate research about the macroinvertebrates in the water column at Strongs Creek.

     When asked about her experience at Weber, she said, “Weber has given me the greatest experience with learning and has made me enjoy studying science.”

     Looking ahead, Kathryn wants to work with the Bureau of Land Managment. There she hopes to help rehabilitate animals with a focus on wild horses.

 

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Author:
Parham Kermani, Marketing & Communications 
social media intern
parhamkermani@weber.edu 

Co-Author:
Ali Miller, College of Science
marketing and communications manager
amiller@weber.edu