Laurel Ridgway had to fly around the country before finding their home in the Midwest. Born and raised in Nebraska, Ridgway spent time in Indiana, Minnesota, and Massachusetts before settling down in Portage, Michigan as an animal ambassador manager at Kalamazoo Nature Center.
Ridgway’s path to their career was as winding as their arrival in the Midwest.
“I wanted to study languages in college, so I researched which colleges had the best and most robust language programs. Indiana University (IU) in Bloomington offered the most of any college I found at over 80 different languages students can study,” Ridgway said. “I majored in Spanish with minors in Portuguese and Norwegian. I also dabbled in German and Catalan.”
When Ridgway reached their senior year at IU in the spring of 2021, however, they were hit with a dilemma: an uncertain path forward. Ridgway knew they didn’t want to be an interpreter or translator, so they reflected on their other interests.
“I really love nature, so I began searching on Indeed for something that would let me be close to it,” they said. “That led me to Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center in Minnesota, where I was a wildlife education fellow. That’s where I learned how to do all the animal care, animal husbandry, and programming that I now do on a daily basis.”
After their time at Osprey Wilds, Ridgway moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts for a position at Buttonwood Park Zoo before making the move to Kalamazoo Nature Center. Despite the difference between their degree and their career, Ridgway feels the skills they learned studying languages helps them communicate with the animal ambassadors they care for now.
“Studying languages has definitely helped me while working with animals. It helps you think of different ways to communicate,” they said. “A lot of language studying is obviously verbal and written language, but there are other factors that go into that I can use while communicating with these animals. It's a lot of body language and thinking of alternative ways of communicating.”
Ridgway’s communication skills have also helped them connect with the humans in their community. As a pioneering animal ambassador manager at Kalamazoo Nature Center, Ridgway works to help guests understand and connect with the wildlife around them in a way that’s safe and empathetic.
“We are trying to inspire empathy in the people that attend our programs,” Ridgway said. “We want people to care about these animals in order to inspire conservation action. If people don't really care, they're not going to do anything, so we want to develop that empathy and impart actionable strategies our guests can do to make a change.”
These strategies seem to be working. Ridgway was recently featured in ‘Southwest Spark Michigan’s’ February issue and received a full scholarship to attend International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators’ annual conference in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
“I think we’re definitely sparking interest in people, and I'm hoping they’re coming away with a deeper understanding of our animals and our work,” Ridgway said. “I try to utilize any opportunity I can to spark up a conversation hoping that what I share is leaving a lasting impact.”
Ridgway wouldn’t have been able to spread their wings without the support of their friends and mentors, including Tamarack Nature Center’s Savannah Maiers, Ridgway’s mentor at Osprey Wilds.
“She gave me the joy and experience and knowledge required for this job,” they said. “My college friends were and are also very influential in my life. They’ve all helped me gain the confidence I need.”
When Ridgway isn’t in the aviary, they’re playing tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder with their friends or spending time with their cat, Beef Himbo.
“I’ve been a part of a lot of different organizations revolving around animal care, and everyone – from my college friends to my coworkers to my mentors – has been incredibly supportive, and that’s been super impactful to me,” Ridgway said. “They help me feel comfortable and confident in myself and the work that I do.”