12. For Ashley, 40, being childfree gives her the freedom to share her passion for the natural world.

Season 2, let’s go! Meet Ashley Hall. Her various museum and zoo jobs over the past 17 years have been to talk to people about the natural world. Ashley wears many hats: author, paleontologist, naturalist, science communicator, cat parent, and more! I know Ashley because, at one point, we worked as museum educators together, and I learned a lot from her. On her socials, you learn about science and the natural world. In this episode, we get into: Her choice not to have kids and the conversations she had with her husband, Lee, to get to that decision. Lee is also a paleontologist! They proudly identify as DINKS, dual income no kids. How their life in the non-profit career track has impacted their decision. We bond over the grief we both felt when we realized we would not have children. She surprises me with a milestone she hasn’t reached yet. We talk about our mental health challenges and the ways we cope with them. All in all, Ashley stays true to herself and sees her role in society as helping others know more about the wonders of our world. Stay tuned to find out our favorite prehistoric animal at the end! Mentions: Society of Vertebrate PaleontologyAshley’s Books: Fossils for Kids, Gems for Kids , Prehistoric Worlds in English and Spanish versionFollow Ashley on Instagram @ladynaturalist and Bluesky @ladynaturalist.bsky.socialNYT Piece “A Paleontologist’s Guide to Playing with Your Dinosaur-Obsessed Kid”Let’s Stay Connected:Email: [email protected]  / Behind-the-scenes + reflections: thisclockpod.substack.com /  Instagram: @thisclockpo