As we guide the next generation of animal experts, the lessons we share-and the one’s we don’t mean to-can shape how they see the living world.

Passing on attitudes about animals: a note for parent’s and mentors

When I was a child, my mother always encouraged me to explore the animal world. It wasn’t until much later in my life that I realized she had a terrible phobia toward snakes. She couldn’t bear to be around them in any form. This impressed me in my adult life. She hid her very real fear from me in order to shield me from a bias that could have effected my entire life. Later, I once heard her tell a family member to not tell my nephew that “spiders are nasty” saying “what if you are negatively impacting the next great entomologist?” Children often learn how to feel about animals by watching the adults around them. When we show fear or avoidance toward certain creatures, those emotions can easily transfer to young observers. Encouraging curiosity, calmness, and respect-even toward animals that make us uneasy-helps children grow into compassionate, confident future animal experts.