Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 59

15 years, Rodgers coordinated everything
from camps to birthday parties to
interactive programs with sea lions and
penguins.
While serving on the diversity committee
of the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums,
she heard about the job
opening in Chattanooga. The Tennessee
Aquarium was closer to home than Kansas
City, and the role sounded like a good
fit, so she applied.
One of her greatest accomplishments
so far is developing inclusive programming
for disadvantaged youth and people
with different abilities. She and her
team ask for input from the community
to make sure they're not making assumptions
about desired accommodations, for
example, for people with visual impairments
who may need a different type of
sensory experience. When appropriate,
parents and professionals are invited to
come along as caretakers for children
with special needs.
Rodgers naturally gravitates toward
people, but not everyone does, she admits.
" A lot of things have changed within our
" So I ended up kind of pushing my
husbandry goals and working with animals
to the side and decided to give my
full attention to education. "
Ping-ponging between Zoo Atlanta
and the Kansas City Zoo for more than
industry, but I think one of the things we
realize is that trying to protect our natural
spaces is crucial. We've got to try to be a
little bit more people-oriented. We can't
do this work alone. With everything that's
going on in the world, we can't and we
shouldn't. For me, that's why the people
piece is so important. "
Not surprisingly, Rodgers sees herself
in the wide-eyed kids who visit the Aquarium,
some of whom have never seen
aquatic creatures up close before.
" I hope they leave with something
tangible that they feel like they can do
to make a difference. I hope that they
feel compelled to share their experience
and spread that message and spread that
word. I also hope that they feel a sense of
belonging when they enter the space and
understand that this is a space for them,
that they can be part of this change. "
Right before she moved to Chattanooga
to take on her new role, Rodgers paid
a visit to the professor who told her she'd
make a great educator.
" We had a couple of chuckles, " Rodgers
says. " She didn't necessarily tell me,
'I told you so,' but she said it her way: 'I
remember that conversation.' "
NATALI RODGERS' 3 BEST THINGS ABOUT BEING A SCIENCE EDUCATOR
Being a change agent. " I like
E
being able to make a difference,
having some type of impact. "
Sowing seeds for the next
generation of conservation advocates.
" The camp kids that come
here year after year-they can
literally take over some of my
educators' jobs. That's a show
of the change we're having. The
information they share with us
about things they learned two
years ago always impresses
me. They always come back
with fun facts. Sometimes they
stump us. " -NH
ngaging with people and
sparking their curiosity. " I
don't get to teach as much as
I used to with my role, and I
miss those pieces. So whenever
I'm able to go on the floor
and interact with our visitors
or go on one of our programs
and engage people in this
work, that excites me. And
more importantly, if through
that engagement I am able to
make somebody go, 'I never
knew that' or 'Maybe I'll change
this behavior to help with this
problem,' that is when I can pat
myself on the back. "
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 59
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024

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