Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka
Episodes
Charlotte Hacker Interview: Elephants, Snow Leopards, and Being Persistent
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Fancy Scientist podcast, I interview scientist and blogger Charlotte Hacker. Charlotte is a Ph.D. candidate who uses non-invasi...
Lonely Conservationists: An Interview with Jessie Panazzolo
10 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast features an amazing interview with conservationist and founder of Lonely Conservationists: Jessie Panazzolo. Jessie is a conserves conser...
Self-Care for Scientists (and Everyone Else too!)
03 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, I really wanted to talk about self-care for scientists because we are so bad at it! I wanted to talk about because we are still exper...
Palm Oil Boycotts and a Conservation Reality Check
01 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode was inspired by some people that started trolling me on Twitter and provides valuable lessons for conservation (and dealing with tro...
Overcoming End-of-the-Year Blues
27 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
t’s getting close to the end of the year. In normal years, this is a time when everyone says their accomplishments. In which case, if you didn’t f...
Impostor Syndrome, Confidence, and Conservation
20 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk all about imposter syndrome. Part of the reason why I am talking about imposter syndrome is because we’re starting off in a ...
Gifts to Connect People to Nature
13 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why do I care about connecting people to nature? Well, it is incredibly important for me to get people outdoors, connecting to nature because that is ...
Elephant Friendly Tea: A Win-Win for Elephants and Communities
07 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hey everyone. I am so excited about today’s episode. I really truly mean that today I interviewed a special guest. Her name is Lisa Mills and she i...
Why You Need to Clarify Your Career NOW
02 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I interviewed Master's student Hannah Som on her journey to becoming a student and what she learned as a student in the first round of my Confusio...
Sustainable Holiday Tips to Keep it Green
29 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The holiday season is here! Here in the US, I’ve seen it shift massively towards consumerism over the past few decades – gifts of course, but also...
Make Black Friday Green
22 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Black Friday is the official kickoff for the holiday buying season. As a conservationist, I know that buying stuff is inherently bad for the planet. B...
Clearing Up Coyote Misconceptions
15 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the deal with coyotes? It seems like people are seeing them more and more and some coyotes have unusual behavior. What’s going on? People ...
Can Coyotes and Humans Replace Apex Predators in the Eastern USA?
08 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week Colorado citizens voted to reintroduce grey wolves on their prey. Historically, grey wolves were all over the west, but currently they extir...
Eastern Cougars? How to Know if a Species is Really There
01 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode is inspired by photos posted to a Facebook group. A user posted these photos of part of a deer carcass high in a tree. They aske...
Cougar Viral Video: Interview with Trail Runner Kyle Burgess
25 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A week ago, I made a YouTube video in response to a cougar “attack/stalking” video that went viral. But what was missing from the cougar viral vid...
Why Aggressive Elephants? Also Field Stories, Dung DNA, and Elephant Conservation
18 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is the fifth episode in a series all about how I actually studied elephants. For my Ph.D., I studied the social structure and genetic patterns of...
Charging Elephants and Fresh Dung: Challenges from the Field
11 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is the fourth episode in a series all about how I actually studied elephants. I recently gave a talk and people were really curious about how I w...
First Field Season with Forest Elephants
04 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is the third part of a series all about my dissertation research on African forest elephants. People were really curious about how I actu...
Choosing a Field Site for Forest Elephant Research
27 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to this series on how I set up my forest elephant research and what it was like to study them. In the last episode, I take you through ...
How Do You Study Elephants? The Start of My Journey
20 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I chose to study elephants for my dissertation research. But how does one even set something like that up? Where do you begin?I recently gave a talk t...
Barriers to Entry in Wildlife and Conservation Jobs with Stephanie Martin
13 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk with scientist and science communicator Stephanie Martin about a topic near and dear to her heart – barriers to entry in the...
Conversations About Conservation in Academia with Chris Parsons
06 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Last week in episode #21, I talked about the importance of voting for the conservation of wildlife. This is the perfect follow-episode!I interview mar...
Want to Help Animals? Do This One Thing
30 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As a wildlife biologist, one of the most frequently asked questions I get is:“What can I do to help animals?”Well this episode is all about that e...
5 Things You’ll Get From My Book on Wildlife Biology Careers (Plus 2 Bonuses)
23 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I am so excited – My book on wildlife biology careers is finally available on pre-order for Kindle. The paperback version will be out next month. F...
Mindful Conservation with Ashley Scarlett
15 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Conservation is all about trying to protect and save plants, animals, and other organisms from going extinct. We do this work because we love nature, ...
Pinterest for Science Communication and Conservation
09 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve listened to previous episodes of the podcast (like # and #), you know how important communication to the public is for science and conserv...
Starting a SciComm Business with Chris Cloney
02 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, I interviewed Dr. Chris Cloney, a combustible dust fire and explosion researcher who created a six-figure online business from his bl...
What is Science Really? And the Need to Communicate
26 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Within the past decade, there have been several prominent issues where the public has showed distrust in science and the scientists behind the studies...
Career and YouTube Advice with Wildlife Biologist Kristina Lynn
19 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, I interview wildlife biologist and YouTuber Kristina Lynn on what it’s like to be a wildlife biologist and her success going v...
7 Steps to Find Your Wildlife Career Path and Become Competitive for the Job You Want
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a bonus episode! I recorded a webinar on Monday night to talk about my new Confusion to Clarity beta group. I realized that I had a Zoom audio...
Bats are the Best! Bat Fun with Bat Biologist Lisa Gatens
12 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Every day in the summer summer around dusk, I would look up above and see bats flying above my yard. I love bats, but so many people don’t. But bats...
Has Poaching Decreased for Elephants?
05 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Elephants are sought after for their ivory, which comes from their tusks. In most countries, it is illegal, but this has’t stopped people from killi...
10 Best Activities to Connect to Wildlife
28 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Over the summer, kids go to summer camps and aspiring wildlife biologists have technician positions, internships, or volunteer opportunities. With COV...
My Big Mistake in My Wildlife Biology Career and How You Can Learn From it
21 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I have been applying for jobs in wildlife biology on and off since I graduated with my Ph.D. in 2012. While I knew jobs in academia were competitive, ...
Sunscreen and Coral Reefs and You
14 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
t's summertime which means lots of people are headed to the beach, which also means lots of sunscreen. But before you grab a new bottle, you might...
Bird Basics with Ornithologist Lauren Pharr
07 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Birds are one of my favorite backyard animals because they are everywhere! I invited ornithologist Lauren Pharr on the podcast to discuss bird basics....
3 Tips for Aspiring Wildlife Biologists Stuck at Home
05 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Summer is a key time for aspiring wildlife biologists. To be successful in this career, you need experience. Most wildlife biologists conduct their fi...
See a Snake? What to do and Resources for Identifying Snakes
31 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I grew up loving snakes, but I also grew up in an area with 0 venomous snakes. Since then I've lived alongside venomous snakes in Kenya, Gabon, an...
Wildlife Biologist Job Questions Answered!
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I frequently get emails asking me wildlife biologist questions: what we do, how we spend our time, and how you can better prepare for a career in wild...
Diet Changes to Help Wildlife
24 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our diets have a gigantic impact on wildlife. In this episode, learn the biggest change that you can make to reduce deforestation and mitigate climate...
Animals During Lockdown: What's Going on with Wildlife
17 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As COVID-19 spread across the world, countries and states ordered for people to stay at home. This massive change in human behavior gave wildlife the ...
Animal Selfies: More than a Selfie
10 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Social media has made selfies an everyday occurrence. But when they involve wildlife, they can quite literally put their lives as risk. Learn about wh...
Conversations on Animals in Captivity: Tiger King
10 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the frustrations I had with the Netflix series Tiger King. While the show focused on big cat owners, it skirted around m...
Welcome to the Fancy Scientist Podcast!
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Stephanie Schuttler, the Fancy Scientist, is a wildlife biologist who loves breaking stereotypes and talking about the natural world. In this podc...