Women of the Wild 2:8 Megan Denean Part 1

Hello! My name is Megan Denean, I am a Wildlife Biologist at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, MI. I specialize in wildlife management at airports to reduce the number of damaging wildlife strikes with airplanes. I have had the opportunity to work at 7 airfields in 5 countries in the last 8 years! I grew up in a small town in southern Michigan hunting, fishing, camping, and playing on the farm. Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to work with wildlife. I attended Michigan Technological University for a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Ecology and Management. I didn’t know what I exactly wanted to do so I worked 9 different jobs within the 4 years of attending school to determine what I like and didn’t like about each job. After graduation, I took my first “big girl” job in Kotzebue, Alaska doing wildlife surveys at the airport for the summer. Moving so far away from home was one of the scariest moments of my life that turned into one of the most rewarding experiences. From there I started my travels and have worked with wildlife all around the world from the Arctic in Alaska to the bush of Africa, across the ocean to Latvia, and many places in-between. If there are two things I have learned in life, it is to take risk and be your authentic self. Accept opportunities and challenges that present themselves even if they are intimidating. You never know where life will take you. And always remember, you don’t have to fit a “part” to work or enjoy the outdoors, do what you love confidently as you are.