School to Career - Riverhead Foundation - Educator/Biologist


		Feeding Time
		Job Satisfaction

It's important to educate the public about animal care and survival. Individuals who work with marine mammals do just that as they provide valuable seminars to school groups of all ages.

Amber Heavner is an educator and biologist for the Riverhead Foundation. She goes to various schools to teach people about marine mammals. She also gives tours of the rescue center and, like most of the people who work at the Riverhead Foundation, she helps take care of the animals at the facility.

To prepare for her current position, Amber studied science and marine biology while in high school and then majored in psychology in college, including experimental animal learning, human psychology and physiological psychology. Along with having knowledge of marine mammals, she honed her skills as a public speaker.

Amber's typical day includes visiting a school to give an educational seminar in the morning and caring for animals in the afternoon at the Riverhead facility. This can require a major time commitment on a daily and weekly basis. There are some weeks where a lot of overtime is necessary.

"To get the job, I volunteered for three years at the Riverhead Foundation and did internships" says Amber. "I recommend either volunteering or doing an internship at an animal care facility. It's an ideal way to gain experience in this field".