Hello!

My name is Hallie Kirschner and I am one of the new interns for PDXWildlife. I recently graduated from the University of Rochester with a double major in Biology and Psychology. I hosted a weekly radio show for my school’s internet station, played as wing for the Women’s Rugby team, and served on the executive board for my sorority, Sigma Delta Tau. My long-term goal is to earn my Master’s Degree in Ethology or Zoology and then to study animal behavior out in the field.

As long as I can remember I have been passionate about wildlife. My course work in both Rochester and at the University of Auckland in New Zealand concentrated on animal behavior, ecology, neurobiology, and evolution. For the past three summers, I have been working as a zookeeper and educator at ZooAmerica in Hershey, Pennsylvania. There, I work directly with our animals and conduct educational programs for our guests. I emphasize the importance of wildlife and environmental conservation in each program.

I love traveling and embracing other cultures. To date I have visited Canada, Israel, Poland, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Amsterdam, the Hague, the Virgin Islands, New Zealand, and Australia. During my semester in New Zealand, I spent all my free time hiking, canoeing, rock climbing, and camping in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I also volunteered at an elementary school and explored the island Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.

Being accepted for this internship will give me the opportunity to apply my scientific background to a field I am passionate about. I am excited about working to help create a more optimistic view of the environment and restore it to its natural state. This will require extensive research that scrutinizes the impact humans have on every layer of the ecosystem, including the conservation of animals. As a PDXWildlife intern, I am looking forward to working on team to learn about the behaviors of Giant Pandas and study the causes of their population decline. I am inspired by the work of PDXWildlife and hope to leave a positive mark on the panda world during my time in China.

See you in Chengdu!

Hallie Kirschner