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Zoo InternQuest is a seven-week career exploration program for San Diego County high school juniors and seniors. Students have the unique opportunity to meet professionals working for the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and Institute for Conservation Research, learn about their jobs, and then blog about their experience online. Follow their adventure here on the Zoo’s website!
This week, interns were given the opportunity to meet Ester Chang, Senior Entomology Keeper at the San Diego Zoo. Ms. Chang has been working with a variety of creepy crawlies in her eight-year period at the Insect House, located in the Discovery Outpost. Interns got to go behind the scenes, seeing all of the different species, and learning insider's information on certain insects. Getting to meet and talk with Ms. Chang was an unforgettable and enlightening experience.
Ms. Chang starts her day at 10:00am, and gets to work immediately. She confirms that all insects are accounted for, makes sure their enclosures are up to the high standards, replaces old food with fresh alternatives, and of course, makes sure all the residents are completely comfortable and ready for the new day. After the doors open, Ms. Chang has her hands full with many different types of insects. All of the three keepers working at the Insect House on any given day are assigned to a string of insects, which accounts for a third of the collection. Ms. Chang has her hands full with a variety of insects, and has to make sure each one has their specific needs cared for. After the morning’s routine, Ms. Chang needs to make sure all of the labels in the Insect House are accurate and up to date. While doing this, she is always very observant of the insects. Do they need more food? Any special care? These are essential questions to be asked in Ms. Chang’s everyday duties. If so, Ms. Chang will put on safety equipment if necessary. This is especially important with the tarantulas! “They flick their abdomen hairs at us sometimes,” Ms. Chang states knowingly. To counter this, keepers make sure they have long sleeves on. No rashes today!
Although Ms. Chang praises her job, and would not want to do anything else, she hasn’t always been an entomology keeper. Her first major was English! But after minoring in entomology, and participating in several internships, Ms. Chang knew her heart had been stolen by the bugs. Before the Zoo, Ms. Chang was working at the Natural History Museum with their own insect collection. Ms. Chang acquired valuable experience working with insects at the museum, and eventually transferred to the San Diego Zoo, where she has been working at for eight years. “Internships were important,” Ms. Chang says, “That’s how I got to be at the San Diego Zoo.”
Working with insects is no easy task, and it takes a certain set of skills to accomplish that task successfully. Ms. Chang praises patience, gentleness, attention to detail, and persistence. Recalling one of her craziest moments, Ms. Chang told us about how she was attempting to breed dragon headed katydids, her favorite insect. Nothing the keepers were doing was working, but that didn’t deter Ms. Chang’s determination! Deciding to change up their diet, Ms. Chang added a banana plant to the enclosure. Sure enough within a few days, the katydid’s were crawling all over the banana plant. Curious as to what the excitement was all about, Ms. Chang slowly peeled back the layers of the stalk, and behold... Katydid eggs had been laid! Ms. Chang says she doesn’t know why she peeled back the banana plant, but she is positive it is a memory she will never forget. Without her persistence and patience, dragon headed katydids may have never been successfully bred!
Another one of Ms. Chang’s favorite insects are the leaf cutter ants. Believe it or not, ants emulate human society quite a bit. Many different species of ants have been known to farm, protect, act as ranchers, and wage war. In the leaf cutter ant society, there are many different roles each and every member plays. Guards sit beneath the soil, waiting for any threat to emerge. When replacing leaves for the Insect House’s collection, Ms. Chang has to be careful, because the guards will fearlessly attack her hand! Collectors spread out around the forest, gathering leaves for the colonies to farm into fungus. There's even a smaller version of the leaf cutter ant that sits atop the leaves collected, scaring away any potential dangers to the individual carrying the leaf! Finally, there's the queen, whose sole purpose in life is to keep the colony together and breed new young. Without her, the whole colony of ants would slowly wander their separate ways into the forest, lost without their leader. At the Insect House, both of the leaf cutter colonies have eight year old queens. Ms. Chang states that she doesn’t see the queen that often, and if she does, she knows that something is wrong with the colony. There's even a species of ant that farms aphids for their honeydew! In exchange for the nutritious liquid, the aphids are given protection. In the ants mind, it is not an every bug for itself world!
In all of her years working with insects, Ms. Chang has gained one very valuable lesson: “I have learned to take a step back.” She thinks it is easier for people to step on insects, ignore them, and “ew” them. Yet it takes much more maturity to respect insects, acknowledge their presence, and to see them as an important member of our world. Ms. Chang loves what she does, and takes great pride in keeping the insects under her care in the best shape possible. When asked about a world without insects, Ms. Chang very simply states, “We wouldn’t have a world if it wasn’t for insects.”
Patrick, Careers Team
Week One, Winter Session 2016
This week, interns were given the opportunity to meet Ester Chang, Senior Entomology Keeper at the San Diego Zoo. Ms. Chang has been working with a variety of creepy crawlies in her eight-year period at the Insect House, located in the Discovery Outpost. Interns got to go behind the scenes, seeing all of the different species, and learning insider's information on certain insects. Getting to meet and talk with Ms. Chang was an unforgettable and enlightening experience.
Ms. Chang starts her day at 10:00am, and gets to work immediately. She confirms that all insects are accounted for, makes sure their enclosures are up to the high standards, replaces old food with fresh alternatives, and of course, makes sure all the residents are completely comfortable and ready for the new day. After the doors open, Ms. Chang has her hands full with many different types of insects. All of the three keepers working at the Insect House on any given day are assigned to a string of insects, which accounts for a third of the collection. Ms. Chang has her hands full with a variety of insects, and has to make sure each one has their specific needs cared for. After the morning’s routine, Ms. Chang needs to make sure all of the labels in the Insect House are accurate and up to date. While doing this, she is always very observant of the insects. Do they need more food? Any special care? These are essential questions to be asked in Ms. Chang’s everyday duties. If so, Ms. Chang will put on safety equipment if necessary. This is especially important with the tarantulas! “They flick their abdomen hairs at us sometimes,” Ms. Chang states knowingly. To counter this, keepers make sure they have long sleeves on. No rashes today!
Although Ms. Chang praises her job, and would not want to do anything else, she hasn’t always been an entomology keeper. Her first major was English! But after minoring in entomology, and participating in several internships, Ms. Chang knew her heart had been stolen by the bugs. Before the Zoo, Ms. Chang was working at the Natural History Museum with their own insect collection. Ms. Chang acquired valuable experience working with insects at the museum, and eventually transferred to the San Diego Zoo, where she has been working at for eight years. “Internships were important,” Ms. Chang says, “That’s how I got to be at the San Diego Zoo.”
Working with insects is no easy task, and it takes a certain set of skills to accomplish that task successfully. Ms. Chang praises patience, gentleness, attention to detail, and persistence. Recalling one of her craziest moments, Ms. Chang told us about how she was attempting to breed dragon headed katydids, her favorite insect. Nothing the keepers were doing was working, but that didn’t deter Ms. Chang’s determination! Deciding to change up their diet, Ms. Chang added a banana plant to the enclosure. Sure enough within a few days, the katydid’s were crawling all over the banana plant. Curious as to what the excitement was all about, Ms. Chang slowly peeled back the layers of the stalk, and behold... Katydid eggs had been laid! Ms. Chang says she doesn’t know why she peeled back the banana plant, but she is positive it is a memory she will never forget. Without her persistence and patience, dragon headed katydids may have never been successfully bred!
Another one of Ms. Chang’s favorite insects are the leaf cutter ants. Believe it or not, ants emulate human society quite a bit. Many different species of ants have been known to farm, protect, act as ranchers, and wage war. In the leaf cutter ant society, there are many different roles each and every member plays. Guards sit beneath the soil, waiting for any threat to emerge. When replacing leaves for the Insect House’s collection, Ms. Chang has to be careful, because the guards will fearlessly attack her hand! Collectors spread out around the forest, gathering leaves for the colonies to farm into fungus. There's even a smaller version of the leaf cutter ant that sits atop the leaves collected, scaring away any potential dangers to the individual carrying the leaf! Finally, there's the queen, whose sole purpose in life is to keep the colony together and breed new young. Without her, the whole colony of ants would slowly wander their separate ways into the forest, lost without their leader. At the Insect House, both of the leaf cutter colonies have eight year old queens. Ms. Chang states that she doesn’t see the queen that often, and if she does, she knows that something is wrong with the colony. There's even a species of ant that farms aphids for their honeydew! In exchange for the nutritious liquid, the aphids are given protection. In the ants mind, it is not an every bug for itself world!
In all of her years working with insects, Ms. Chang has gained one very valuable lesson: “I have learned to take a step back.” She thinks it is easier for people to step on insects, ignore them, and “ew” them. Yet it takes much more maturity to respect insects, acknowledge their presence, and to see them as an important member of our world. Ms. Chang loves what she does, and takes great pride in keeping the insects under her care in the best shape possible. When asked about a world without insects, Ms. Chang very simply states, “We wouldn’t have a world if it wasn’t for insects.”
Patrick, Careers Team
Week One, Winter Session 2016
