This is Bird Note.

Wildlife biologist Alex Troutman jokes that he was always destined to be a fisherman.

But Troutman family fishing trips taught Alex to appreciate birds too.

Growing up, I would get so enamored by the birds instead of actually trying to catch fish.

Like my spark bird was the red tail hawk, which I would see many times while fishing, like soaring through the air.

For me, that was like my version of a phoenix because when the sun is shining through his red tail, it almost looks like the tell is on fire. So I would see those birds as well as great blue

herons and they would outfish me and then like I would be in the baseball game or practice and get

distracted by vultures circling around and getting in trouble because I'm not

paying attention.

Despite his early interest in nature, Alex didn't realize he could become a wildlife conservationist

until college.

Because all the people growing up around me who were black or people of color that worked

with animals, they were either vets or farmers.

Now, as a professional biologist and children's book author,

Alex is showing a new generation of critter curious kids

that they can have a career in conservation too.

Learn more about Alex's outdoor adventures in season eight of Bring Birds Back,

available in your favorite podcast app and on our website, birdnote.org.

I'm Jazzy Johnson.