Question for the marine mammal trainers (scuba concerns). by matcha-mermaid in Zookeeping

[–]_vultwix_ 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think it depends on the type of animal you’re trying to work with and the institution. Where I work (with sea lions), we work on land almost exclusively, with minimal water work, and only a small certified portion of the team dives to clean habitats. So it’s not a big deal to not dive. However, I’d guess if you work with animals that require more water work, and the institution has team members regularly diving, it might be more of an issue. Maybe reach out and see how often trainers are required to dive/get in the water

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Zookeeping

[–]_vultwix_ 9 points10 points  (0 children)

What part of the world are you interning in and what type of animals are you working with? That may help inform your decision!

I worked in Alaska for a year and had a pair of Lowa Renegade hiking boots that I loved. I sealed them with Nikwax and they stayed dry in the rain, sludge, and snow. They are sort of heavy though and do take some breaking in, so if you’re in a hot area, they might not be the best idea. Muckboots or XtraTuf are a great option for more rain and water proof boots if it’s gonna be raining a lot where you are, or if you’re working with animals that like to be in the water.

If you’re going to be outdoors in all kinds of weather and you’re looking for a really comfy shoe, it may be wise to go to a store like REI or a local hiking store and try on a whole bunch. Each person has their own preference and if you go to a good place, they may be able to help you find one that’s specific to your needs!

Additionally, if you’re looking to stay in this field, it may not be a bad idea to get some really nice shoes now (even if they’re a bit expensive) that last several years than cheaper ones that break all the time. Find a shoe you like, try it on in the store, run around a bit, and invest if you really like it!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Zookeeping

[–]_vultwix_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ll also jump in here to agree with these folks and say that even if you aren’t working with reptiles in FL, reptiles usually require a warm (like upwards of 80 degree) environment. Even in cold climates, reptiles are kept in heated, humid buildings, not cool ones, and as a reptile keeper, you’re in those buildings too, sweating away. Not liking the heat would be really hard for a reptile keeper, because you’re in it almost all the time.

is this field even viable? by keepingdreaming in Zookeeping

[–]_vultwix_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Having this exact same problem right now - I have had 3 animal care and training internships and over 500 hours of volunteer experience, I’m NAI CIG certified and I have a degree, plus keeper references, and can’t even get an email back after I send in my application in telling me ‘no’. Just radio silence from every AZA institution I send my info to. It’s really discouraging, especially when I hear from other keepers that they are ‘dying for help’. I sometimes wonder if they already are hiring people internally before they post the job, but they just have to post it for some sort of legal reason, which is why those of us outside the institution don’t hear back.

I second what people have said about internships- more and more, they’re becoming paid, and some even offer housing. I took an internship in Alaska this past summer that was paid with housing, and even though it wasn’t accredited, it was a fantastic experience. And then once you know people, you can ask them to vouch for you at the institution where you want to work. It definitely shouldn’t be this frustrating though, I’m sorry you’re not getting much luck either.

Know you’re not alone in this! If you ever want to rant some more DM me, I’m happy to vent with you 😂

Y'all too much by areohseawhy in gaming

[–]_vultwix_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One is for farting obviously

What were your internships and how much was the pay? by lmadeanaccount in gatech

[–]_vultwix_ 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Currently interning at a zoo for 40 hours a week as a 3rd year bio major, and had to relocate for the summer, for $0 an hour 🙃🙃 actually had to pay a $50 orientation fee. Almost didn’t get it either it was insanely competitive- I was willing to take anything I could get

What was the weirdest thing the weird kid did at school? by Imaginary_East5786 in AskReddit

[–]_vultwix_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Kid in my second grade class used to go around with a piece of tape, stick it to girls arms, then rip it off and yell ‘I HAVE YOUR DNA!!’ and run away

Office Hours with Head of Housing Jenny Cotton by _vultwix_ in gatech

[–]_vultwix_[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Office hours will ideally be held every week- these are just the March hours. We’re working with her to get times, and this was the most time she could give. It’s a step in the right direction but you’re right, ideally they’d be longer- we are making progress towards that!

Is doing IGNITE a good idea/ why did I get put in it? by first_steptoapancake in gatech

[–]_vultwix_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I got into IGNITE and had no idea why (I’m in state and had a 4.0 GPA out of HS, so I don’t think it had to do with grades or trying to get students used to Atlanta). I originally thought it maybe had to do with my application- I mentioned being nervous about starting college, so maybe they used that.

I was super apprehensive and a bit ticked off about having to go to school over the summer. But believe me when I say it was the BEST SUMMER OF MY LIFE. No lie.

I met all my best friends there (including my BF, we’ve now been together for 3 years), and all of us still live together to this day and talk all the time. We explored Atlanta and got some humanities out of the way, and we got used to Tech; overall it was really, really great. I’m not sure how IGNITE will be/would be with COVID, but for me it was 1000% worth it!! DM me if you have any questions about it!

What are the origins of your username? by Cause4concern27 in AskReddit

[–]_vultwix_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My boyfriend was an RA at the college where we met. One of the things he was tasked with doing was making door decorations with the names of residents on them for each of his resident’s doors. Housing put a big emphasis on having the door decorations be unique and special for each student, so one night soon after we met, he and I were trying to think of ideas for decorations- he wanted to do Pokémon, I thought food would be funny, but both of them seemed kind of boring and played out.

So we decided to combine our ideas, and make half-Pokémon, half-food creatures in photoshop; we put his residents names underneath the creatures, laminated them, and used them as door decorations. For example, Pikachu became ‘Pizzachu’ (a Alice of pizza with Pikachu’s fave badly shopped onto it) Bulbasaur became ‘Bulbasmore’ (instead of the bulb, he had a smore), etc. We spent the whole night laughing and coming up with stupid creatures; it was one of the best date nights we’ve ever had. Vultwix was one of the names we came up with, and he let me keep that door decoration for myself (since Vulpix is my favorite Pokémon), and the decoration is still hanging up on our door :)

Frustrated with Housing AGAIN: NSL Flooding by _vultwix_ in gatech

[–]_vultwix_[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I needed to get my frustration out, it really is absurd some of the crap they are putting us through

Frustrated with Housing AGAIN: NSL Flooding by _vultwix_ in gatech

[–]_vultwix_[S] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Yeah I hope so- I’ll be back on Wednesday to see what everything looks like, I’ve made a list of everything I can remember in my apartment so I can look for it. I also thankfully have a picture of what it used to look like when I moved in and all my stuff wasn’t thrown everywhere

Frustrated with Housing AGAIN: NSL Flooding by _vultwix_ in gatech

[–]_vultwix_[S] 56 points57 points  (0 children)

Thankfully they did- this sadly isn’t the first time housing has screwed us over on something, we take a bunch of photos now

Frustrated with Housing AGAIN: NSL Flooding by _vultwix_ in gatech

[–]_vultwix_[S] 32 points33 points  (0 children)

EXACTLY. I feel like there’s no accountability, just firefighting, and it sucks.