David Mizejewski knows some really cool things about animals and it makes
for a really fun interview. David
remembers an early interaction he had with animals when he was just 4 years old
and found his first bird’s nest.
He can still vividly recall the sense of wonder at finding the nest. He thought it was the most amazing thing
he had ever seen. He also recalls
the intensity of his anger and frustration when a neighborhood kid messed with
the nest and ultimately killed one of the baby birds. It’s not hard to see the budding conservationist in that
story.
When he went to college, David continued to follow through on his love
for animals as he studied Human and Natural Ecology at Emory. One of his original plans had
been Environmental Law. I have no
doubt that he would’ve been very good at it, but even though he cared deeply
about the policy issues, the adversarial nature of the endeavor wasn’t for
him. This career was close, but
not quite right. So now what?
David decided to apply for jobs in Conservation out in the “real world”. Luckily he had a great degree, from a
good university and plenty of experience.
Only problem – he didn’t get any of the jobs for which he originally
applied. He didn’t even get an
internship with the National Wildlife Federation. The funny thing is that all of this “rejection” is the GOOD
NEWS - because what happened next helped
him to find his own unique way to help the animals he is passionate about.
The job David did get was working as a naturalist at a kid’s summer camp. Turns out - his enthusiasm was
contagious. Kids left camp –
loving animals! See - that’s
what’s so much fun about interviewing David or watching one of his Today Show Appearances. He loves
these animals and after awhile you do too.
He took his enthusiasm for connecting people and animals and continued
to work in the field - always staying in touch with the National Wildlife
Federation. Three years later - they
called him. That’s right - the same
organization that didn’t originally hire him for an internship – was now
calling him for a job! They wanted
him to run their Backyard Habitat Program, which David did until 2007. Like everything else, he took the
experiences he was having at the time and used them to build something
bigger. He wrote a Book on Backyard Habitats and ultimately got his own television show on the Animal
Planet.
In addition to the way that his career represents a perfect merger of
natural ability and interest - one of the things that intrigued me was David’s ability
to help people, who might not otherwise care about conservation, connect to
animals. He made me laugh when he
told me that in order to do this, he usually brings out the “Charismatic
Megafauna” first. By this –
he is referring to all the cute and cuddly animals. Truth be told, he is a big fan of amphibians, but the first
thing that most people care about are the “front men” of the animal kingdom. These animals serve as a kind of
“gateway drug” to escalating interest in animals.
I think David’s approach to getting people connected to animals has
something to teach us all about connecting to our dreams. Sometimes your childhood dream
functions like a gateway – getting you out of a rut, by showing you what it can
feel like to care about your dreams.
Ultimately these early dreams allow you to connect to that unique set of
gifts – that if we combine them with our work – creates amazing
possibilities. That is certainly
what David has done. He has
taken that very infectious enthusiasm and uses it to make a difference for animals
and ultimately inspires all of us to follow our dreams.
Thanks David!