PODCAST · science
Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka
by fancyscientist
Dr. Stephanie Schuttler, the Fancy Scientist, is a wildlife biologist who loves breaking stereotypes and talking about the natural world. In this podcast, she shares her knowledge of animals, experiences as a wildlife biologist, and simple lifestyle choices you can make to conserve nature. Her 17 years in wildlife biology taught her that science alone cannot save species. We need to take collective action through simple things we can do every day. This podcast is for anyone who likes animals and wants to help make the world a better place for them, and for us too. You’ll learn cool things about the animals around you from her own and other scientists’ research. She’ll also give tips for other scientists to succeed (that really ANYONE can use), strategies for effective science communication, and how she gained the confidence to become a fancy scientist. Hit subscribe and let’s change the world!
Episodes
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Building a Wildlife Career Without Breaking the Bank: Real Talk on Money, Salaries and Spending
If you're considering a career in wildlife, conservation, or environmental sciences, you've probably heard that these fields don't pay well and even that you have to be wealthy to make it. But surely, there must be regular folks making it in wildlife careers? Can you really make a living? Pay…
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Landing a Permanent Wildlife Job with Steve Irwin x Tupac Energy: Interview with José Juan Rodriguez Gutierrez
One day I was mindlessly scrolling on Instagram and a video stopped me in my tracks. This reel was from a 26-year old with a permanent job, offering some excellent career advice, well beyond his years. I was intrigued, but when I read his bio, saying “Steve Irwin X Tupac,” I was instantly hooked!...
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When Your "Dream Job" Isn't What You Thought: Finding Career Alignment in Wildlife Conservation: Interview with Dylan Karl
Have you been applying and applying to wildlife jobs or experiences only to hear nothing back? That’s exactly what happened to Dylan Karl despite having a degree from a prestigious university specializing in wildlife, a Master’s degree, years of experience, and a wildlife biologist certification...
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What are Wildlife Research-Adjacent Jobs and Should You Take One?
What if I told you that most jobs in wildlife, conservation, and environmental science aren't directly in research? Would you be shocked? Well, it's true! And that's exactly what I talk about in this episode of the Fancy Scientist Podcast. When most people think of wildlife work, they think of…
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Do Zoos Help Conservation? Research, Ethics, and Careers
Do zoos actually help conservation? Contribute to wildlife research? Or are they mostly to entertain people? A couple of years ago, I did a podcast interview all about zoos, and I thought this would be a great topic for my own podcast due to the complexity. It’s not a straightforward answer… In...
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My WILDEST Wildlife Biologist Moments
As a wildlife biologist, you have incredible moments with animals that are nearly impossible for other people to experience. But you also do some pretty crazy, strange, and downright WEIRD things. In my 17 years working in the field across four continents and for a variety of organizations, I've...
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Don't Shoot the Messenger: Navigating AI in Wildlife Conservation Work
AI seems like it’s EVERYWHERE nowadays, and I know if you’re a conservationist like me, you’re concerned about its environmental impacts, and maybe even avoiding it because of them… But I recently read an article that scared the bejesus out of me. It basically stated: AI is here, and those who...
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Not Accepting No! Succeeding at Wildlife Careers with a Disability: Interview with Grace O’Dea
Do you want a wildlife, conservation, or environmental sciences career, but feel that it is not physically possible for you? Do you have health challenges or a condition that limits you and are worried that it prevents you from working in a field that is notoriously demanding? Or do you feel...
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Age is Just a Number! Breaking into the National Park Service in Your 50s: Interview with Lynda Moore
Do you have a lingering desire to start a wildlife career, but feel like it might be too late for you? Or maybe you’re working on a wildlife career, but it isn’t working for you, and time just keeps passing by? You got the degree, but then life got in the way, and you even had to get a…
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From Passive to Proactive: Making Your Wildlife Career Happen When You Feel Stuck: Interview with Makeela Mogomolla
How do you actually make your wildlife career happen when you feel like you’ve missed your window? You got the degree, maybe even got some temporary jobs here and there, but you felt like you weren’t getting traction. Or couldn’t see how it could all come together. And time just keeps ticking…
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No Experience, No problem! Building a Wildlife Career from Scratch: Interview with Christina Weber
Christina Weber did what most aspiring wildlife professionals think is impossible: she got every single offer she applied to with absolutely NO EXPERIENCE! How did she do it? That’s what this week’s episode of the Fancy Scientist Podcast is all about. After listening to this episode, I know…
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From Flour Beetles to Forest Elephants: My 20 Year Wildlife Career
I’ve recently gained a lot of new followers, so for this week’s episode of the Fancy Scientist Podcast, I wanted to share with you my vast experience that I’ve had working as a wildlife biologist for nearly twenty years, so that you can fully understand what this field is like. My career has…
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Building a Wildlife Career on Your Own Terms: Interview with ME! Dr. Stephanie Manka
Normally when I do an interview for the Fancy Scientist podcast, it’s me interviewing a guest. But for this week’s episode, I’m flipping the script and the guest is….yours truly: Me!! You see, last year I was interviewed by my friend and fellow podcaster Andrew Lewin, who hosts the How to Protect...
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Observing Nature Through TOUCH | Wildlife Biology for Kids Club
Making observations in nature isn’t just about what we see. Scientists use (almost) all of their senses to make observations, and in this video, we are focusing on the sense of touch. After exploring nature through sight, sound, and smell, it’s now time to focus on the textures of nature and...
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SMELL of the Wild: Observing Nature with Your Nose
Scientists use most of their senses to conduct observations, a critical step in conducting research, and one of those senses is SMELL. We might not think of nature as being smelly, but we get so many of our everyday smells from nature. From the scents in our perfumes, deodorants, or candles to...
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LISTEN Like a Scientist: Tips & Tools | Wildlife Biology for Kids Club
Today, we’re tuning into the world of animal sounds and learning to observe nature like true scientists. We’ll sharpen our sense of SOUND, and I’ll introduce an activity to close your eyes and listen to the natural world around you. Once you start REALLY listening, you’ll be amazed at how noisy…
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Learn Animal Behavior with Squirrels | Wildlife Biology for Kids Club
Animal behavior is one of my FAVORITE topics, and we’re studying it through an animal you’ve probably seen a thousand times but never truly observed: squirrels! Why squirrels? They’re abundant, easy and fun to watch (one of my friends called them “our” monkeys), and perfect for learning how...
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OBSERVE Like a Scientist: Tips & Tools | Wildlife Biology for Kids Club
Conducting accurate and meaningful observations are a CRITICAL part of being a scientist. In this video, learn how to conduct DETAILED observations in nature. Discover the benefits of nature journaling and using a camera to capture intricate things you wouldn't notice. Are you a parent wanting to...
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Plentiful Work in a Competitive Field: Wetland Conservation and Restoration with Patrick Raney
It’s well known that careers in wildlife, conservation, and the environment are incredibly competitive. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a job to have hundreds of applicants. So you might be surprised to hear that there are jobs that are difficult for employers to fill. Yes, difficult! (insert mind...
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Leave the Leaves: Fall Leaf Science & How Leaves Help Animals | Wildlife Biology for Kids Club
t’s fall, which means the leaves are falling off the trees and soon they’ll be on the ground. But don’t throw those leaves out! Here you’ll learn how leaves are a valuable resource for wildlife. In this video, we’re going to get curious about and explore the beautiful transformation of leaves…
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Get to Know Your Trees | Wildlife Biology for Kids Club
Did you know that by modern definitions, trees ARE wildlife? Often overlooked, trees are actually living, breathing beings. In this video, we’ll explore how magnificent they are, and I’ll give you some tips to get you started with identifications so that you can get to know the trees around you!...
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Increase Your Bird Life List | Wildlife Biology for Kids Club
Learn my 5 BEST and super easy tips to maximize your bird life list. That is, the number of bird species you see over your life! Birds are amazing because they are everywhere and a fantastic way to get hooked on nature. In this podcast, you'll discover things like how different habitats, times of...
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Bird for Science with eBird | Wildlife Biology for Kids Club
Learn how to conduct a real bird survey just like wildlife biologists and provide invaluable data for REAL SCIENCE. In today's episode of the Wildlife Biology for Kids Club, I take you through the steps of using eBird, showing you how to contribute important bird data - no matter where you are...
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Identify Birds by Song EASILY! | Wildlife Biology for Kids Club
When studying birds, you can use two different observational skill sets: sight and SOUND. In today’s episode of the Wildlife Biology for Kids Club, I teach you how to find and identify bird songs with one of my favorite nature apps, Merlin Bird ID developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I'll...
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Beginner Birding Tips for Migration | Wildlife Biology for Kids Club
Birds are around us every day, but during migration you have the opportunity to see species that are here for only short windows of time! Once you start looking for birds, you'll realize how many species there are, and you'll want to keep finding more. In this week's episode of the Wildlife…
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FULLY Fund Yourself for Graduate School: Interview with NSF GRFP Winner Camilla Price
Today’s podcast episode idea was inspired by an incredible success that I recently discovered from one of my students that I know you’ll be interested in. This episode is highly relevant if you want to go into wildlife careers, especially graduate school, but the lessons that you’ll learn from my...
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Native Bee Diversity and Pollination | Wildlife Biology for Kids Club
Bees are the heavy lifters in the pollination world, but NOT the honey bees that so many of us think of! It’s native bees, with over 20,000 species worldwide, that are CRITICAL pollinators. Here we explore bee diversity including bumblebees, carpenter bees, longhorn bees, mining bees, sweat bees,...
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Maximizing Mental Health in Wildlife Work: How I Went Off Anti-Depressants
If you’re involved in the wildlife or conservation field in any capacity, whether you are a current or aspiring career professional, someone volunteering their time to make the world better for wildlife, or simply just want to learn more to help out, chances are, you’ve struggled with the…
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Native Plants and Pollinators | Wildlife Biology for Kids Club
Pollinators NEED native plants because of their closely tied relationships that are at times millions of years in the making! In this podcast episode, you'll learn why native plants are crucial for pollinators and how non-native plants fall short. Tune in to discover how plant-pollinator...
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What Is a Fancy Scientist? Embracing Diversity in Science Beyond Gender and Race
Since 2017, I decided to change my social media handles from @StephSchuttler to @FancyScientist. I was given this name and I loved it! But have you ever stopped and wondered, when coming across my content, what exactly is a Fancy Scientist? Well, that is what this podcast episode is all about!...
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Animal Pollinators Beyond Bees | Wildlife Biology for Kids Club
There’s a huge diversity in the number of animal species that pollinate plants - it’s way more than bees! And most people think of honey bees when it comes to pollination, but they are actually poor pollinators and not native to North America. In this podcast episode, you’ll learn about native...
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Launching a Successful Wildlife Career After Losing Your Job: Interview with Wildlife Biologist Jamie Bowles
Sometimes, when you think the worst happens, it can actually be the best thing. For wildlife biologist Jamie Bowles of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, losing her job in the medical field launched her wildlife career… I met Jamie through LinkedIn. She has been so supportive of my…
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What is Pollination? | Wildlife Biology for Kids Club
You’ve heard about the importance of pollinators, but what exactly is it? When you learn what pollination consists of, you’ll quickly realize it truly is a miracle of nature! This week on the Wildlife Biology for Kids Club, we’re diving into the fascinating world of pollination—how it happens…
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From Nature to Novels: Writing Children’s Books with Rosanne Parry
When we think about saving the environment, kids aren’t typically the first thing that comes to mind for most people – especially when it comes to fiction books written for children. But maybe that’s an important missing link… I’ve been seeing more and more scientists coming out with children’s...
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The Science and Ethics of De-extinction: The Case of the Dire Wolf
Chances are, you've seen the headlines that the dire wolf is no longer extinct. The company Colossal Biosciences claims to have brought it back from extinction in the form of three living, breathing dire wolf pups. But my headlines have actually been flooded with scientists saying “not so fast…”…
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Facts Don’t Change Minds: What Actually Works in Science Communication
Are you somebody who really cares about wildlife and conservation and you're trying to get people to change their behavior? Reduce their carbon footprint? Get them to not litter? Or keep their cats indoors to save birds? Whether it’s getting people to switch to clean energy sources or eating less...
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Wildlife Careers in Crisis: Surviving Trying Times
I’m not going to lie…things seem pretty dire here right now in the United States for the environment, conservation, and wildlife. Because of what the current administration is doing, people are worried and understandably so. Things are quite honestly in chaos right now and there have already been...
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Conversations and Connections: Tips for Navigating Conservation Post Election
We recently had an election here in the United States, and now have just started this new administration. For so many of us out there, especially in the conservation and environmental space, this one was and is going to be TOUGH. I normally don't talk about politics on the Fancy Scientist podcast...
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Wildlife Internships: What They Are and How to Get Them
I’ve been seeing a ton of great PAID wildlife internships being posted so I thought it would be a great time to go over how to get an internship for wildlife biology, ecology, zoology, and conservation careers. So for this episode of the Fancy Scientist podcast, I am talking about everything to…
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Becoming a Wildlife Professional: Your Free Guide to Landing Your Dream Career
As someone who has spent two decades in the wildlife field, published nearly 30 peer-reviewed papers, and worked across multiple continents in various wildlife roles, I know firsthand the challenges and opportunities in this field. And I'm here to help you navigate them! What started as a single...
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Wildlife Crossings and Conservation: Interview with Natural Resources Manager Matt Howard
In the fiercely competitive world of wildlife biology and conservation, insider knowledge isn't just an advantage—it's a game-changer. That's why this episode of the Fancy Scientist podcast, featuring Matt Howard, is an absolute must-listen for anyone dreaming of a career in this field....
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Managing Eco-Anxiety: Finding Strength in the Face of Environmental Challenges
This Fancy Scientist podcast episode is quite literally years in the making. I first got the idea when one of my students in the Successful Wildlife Professional, which is my signature wildlife career group mentoring program, asked me about dealing with the feelings of depression involved in her...
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Why Conservation Needs Optimism: Interview with Conservation Optimism Director Jon Taylor
Working in the conservation field innately involves loss from which is often accompanied by feelings of sadness, grief, anger, and even depression. The whole point of our field is to save species and ecosystems that are facing, often massive, declines and even extinction! As conservationists, we...
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Language Justice in Conservation: Interview with Ana Yi Soto
I first came across Ana Yi Soto's work through a LinkedIn post she created on language justice that went viral and due to its importance, she later decided to repost in the Society for Conservation Biology forum. In her post, she shared a meme from the television show Modern Family, in which...
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The Ethics of Scientist-Animal Selfies: An Eye-Opening Conversation with Dr. Cassie Freund
As early as the second episode of the Fancy Scientist podcast, I’ve been talking about the negative impacts of "animal selfies.” This refers to when people post photos of themselves with an exotic animal. Although selfies are new in the digital age of photography, photos like these are not. For...
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Shifting the Scarcity Mindset: Thriving in Wildlife Careers on Limited Resources
As someone who's been in this field for 20 years, I know what it’s like to be in your shoes - from struggling graduate students to successful wildlife professionals - I understand the rollercoaster of emotions and challenges you're facing in this competitive field. In this episode of the Fancy...
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Becoming Unstoppable: Traits of a Successful Wildlife Professional
What does it take to be successful in wildlife careers? You might be thinking: Lots of experience in far away places Having a strong network of top scientists and other wildlife professionals Knowing GIS like a pro Courses in wildlife handling, trapping, and tracking Having a Master’s or Ph.D.…
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Breaking through Wildlife Career Despair: Why Helpless Thinking Won’t Actually Help
If you’re like most people pursuing a wildlife career, at some point, you’ve felt like you’re giving it your all, but going nowhere. Like a field vehicle stuck in the mud, you’re pressing the gas pedal as hard as you can, but the wheels are just spinning, flinging mud (maybe even in your face -...
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Wildlife Career Salaries: The Hidden Costs Behind Job Postings
On the surface, it seems like careers in wildlife are pretty financially solid. If you search online for how much wildlife biologists make, you’ll discover it’s about $70K here in the US. In fact, when I discovered wildlife biology as a career option, I was incredibly relieved to see a solid…
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9 Networking Mistakes Aspiring Wildlife Professionals Need to Avoid
Networking is super important. As someone who has been in the wildlife field for over 20 years and has attended countless scientific conferences since 2006, I know firsthand how networking can influence your career success. Experience is most important, but at times, who you know can even trump...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Dr. Stephanie Schuttler, the Fancy Scientist, is a wildlife biologist who loves breaking stereotypes and talking about the natural world. In this podcast, she shares her knowledge of animals, experiences as a wildlife biologist, and simple lifestyle choices you can make to conserve nature. Her 17 years in wildlife biology taught her that science alone cannot save species. We need to take collective action through simple things we can do every day. This podcast is for anyone who likes animals and wants to help make the world a better place for them, and for us too. You’ll learn cool things about the animals around you from her own and other scientists’ research. She’ll also give tips for other scientists to succeed (that really ANYONE can use), strategies for effective science communication, and how she gained the confidence to become a fancy scientist. Hit subscribe and let’s change the world!
HOSTED BY
fancyscientist
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka have?
Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka currently has 161 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka about?
Dr. Stephanie Schuttler, the Fancy Scientist, is a wildlife biologist who loves breaking stereotypes and talking about the natural world. In this podcast, she shares her knowledge of animals, experiences as a wildlife biologist, and simple lifestyle choices you can make to conserve nature. Her 17...
How often does Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka release new episodes?
Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka publishes regularly with 161 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka?
You can listen to Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka?
Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka is created and hosted by fancyscientist.
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