Today we’d like to introduce you to Misha Body.
Hi Misha, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started off as a kid who played in the dirt and woods in Connecticut, growing an appreciation for nature by building forts under the mountain laurel in our backyard and going on hikes to the top of Sleeping Giant State Park. I remember seeing a—at the time—rare osprey perched in a pine tree, and even though I was young, I recognized that it was special to see this endangered species. The fact that it was rare made it special, but it also made me realize that we humans were negatively impacting the environment and threatening species as incredible as the osprey. My interest in wildlife conservation sprouted from that experience and many others learning about animals. Though I took a detour, thinking I would major in English and drama, I ultimately studied zoology and tested out several different career paths, including field research on a salt marsh, lab work looking at microscopic invertebrates, and zookeeping.
Zookeeping checked a bunch of boxes for me, including being close to animals, having a direct hand in providing them a good life, and contributing to the cause of saving species from extinction. Once I graduated from college and had a couple of internships under my belt, I became a Wild Animal Keeper at the Bronx Zoo in New York caring for a variety of animals from gorillas to hornbills to bats to tree kangaroos.
Over the course of the last 20 years, my career has included educating people about these amazing creatures, helping open new exhibits and start up a new department, managing all the permits and paperwork that go along with caring for live animals, and now I am the Director of Husbandry at the California Science Center. This role leverages my natural leadership strengths, and I describe my job as, “taking care of the people who take care of the animals.” With this mindset, I have created a supportive work environment where people can do their best, grow and develop skills and meaningful relationships, and view change not as a scary process but rather a tool for continuous improvement.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I’ve been lucky to have had a relatively smooth road with a few potholes, speedbumps, and lots of curves. I don’t think many people can claim that they’ve had a totally smooth path unless they’ve never made mistakes or experienced disappointments; humans are fallible and life just isn’t always fair. But regardless of the many learning opportunities I’ve had (read: mistakes & setbacks!), I’m lucky to have had a pretty navigable path.
I look back at the challenges I’ve faced and am grateful for the lessons I’ve learned from them, even if they were frustrating at the time. Categorizing some of those struggles, I’d say they were born from lack of perspective (It’s easy to think you know everything when you’re a newcomer to something, but while you might have good ideas, you often lack the experience to have perspective.), trial-and-error (There’s a first time for everything, you don’t always get it right the first time, but you should be prepared to learn from the experience.), and things simply out of my control (Those things may be frustrating and unfair, but you can’t do much about them so try not to expend too much energy being upset about them.).
To navigate those road hazards, I’ve tried to put things in context and to always have a growth mindset. If something didn’t work out the way I wanted it to, I’ve tried to pivot to a different approach or change my expectation or goal. If I made a mistake that resulted in disappointment, I’ve tried to learn from that mistake without being too hard on myself. Having a clear personal mission helps keep me on track when there are setbacks, and my mission is essentially about making the world better than it is with a focus on impacting wildlife conservation. For me, that’s such a big, important goal that I’d be doing a disservice to my own mission if I wallowed too much in whatever disappointments came my way!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The California Science Center is located in Exposition Park, and we’re all about stimulating curiosity and inspiring science learning for all. I am particularly proud of how committed we are to accessibility because science isn’t and shouldn’t be perceived as a purely academic or lofty field. Science is all around us, and it helps us understand what’s going on. Plus, I think that in addition to using science as a tool for critical thinking, being wondrous about the world makes you an interesting, thoughtful person who is open-hearted… and we need more of that these days.
We have an incredible Kelp Forest habitat where we’ve been able to reproduce live giant kelp. As far as we can tell, we’re the first to have been successful doing that with a system like ours that isn’t directly tied to the ocean. We also have the space shuttle orbiter, Endeavour. I have marveled at Endeavour hundreds and hundreds of times at this point, but I still get goosebumps thinking about how it’s been to space and back 25 times and now helps inspire people to imagine the vastness and wonder of space.
As for myself, I am a person who is committed to wildlife conservation, who loves getting others excited about this wonderful natural world we share with creatures great and small, and who has been successful creating working environments where deeply motivated, passionate conservation professionals can do their best. Though sometimes animal care professionals are reserved and prefer the company of the critters they care for, I am a boisterous, energetic “people person,” which has worked well for me in the leadership roles I serve in.
I have lots of big, proud moments any time one of my team members (and former team members!) has some kind of accomplishment. I’m not always specifically a part of that achievement, but knowing that I helped that person be successful in some way fills my bucket. Some of those bucket-fillers might be promotions or breeding successes or even just retrospective looks at how far someone has come. I feel like my role is to create work environments where people can be as successful as possible, and the opportunities for what that looks like cracks wide open depending on what each person wants to achieve. When you pair that with trying to make a difference for wildlife conservation, each of those successes adds up to a meaningful cumulative impact.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
For those wishing to get into the animal care field, I would say be persistent and don’t underestimate the power of relationships. This is a highly competitive field, and it is not easy to get a foot in the door, though more efforts are being made to improve that accessibility. If you are able to volunteer, do so and be open to feedback. Foster a growth mindset to embrace continuous improvement; you’ll never know it all, and you’ll eventually be wrong sometimes, so be open to feedback and learn from mistakes.
Someone once told me to, “jump all the way in,” and it’s something that has spurred me to push myself beyond my comfort zone so that I can eke out just a bit more learning and experience from situations every day. Take advantage of the opportunities you’re given, find opportunities for yourself and invest in your own development to the extent that you’re able to, and don’t take anything for granted.
One of the hardest things to wrap your head around when you’re eager and just starting out is how to look at the bigger picture, but TRY. Put things in context to understand why something is the way it is, and if you have questions, ask them so that you can expand your perspective.
Asking someone you admire for an informational interview (i.e., a conversation about what their job is like, how they got there, etc.) is a great way to build a network and develop professionally.
And last, but perhaps not least, recognize that the relationships you build are important to your success. No one works in a vacuum!
Contact Info:
- Twitter: @mishasmishaps
- LinkedIn: @mishabody
