Featuring Guest Experience Manager David Whiting
Many people share a deep love for animals and a passion for ensuring wildlife thrives for generations to come. While donating to or visiting organizations that protect these species is a vital step, translating that passion into a lifelong career is a dream many share, yet few know where to begin. The field of conservation is vast, and relies on far more than just field biology and animal husbandry. From veterinary care and animal husbandry to education and land management, exploring the real impact of every role in a conservation organization is vital to understanding the work that goes into helping wildlife thrive.
To give you an inside look at how a conservation center operates, we sat down with our Guest Experience Manager, David Whiting. With over 30 years in the field and a diverse background spanning multiple areas of the animal world, David brings a unique perspective on how connecting people with wildlife drives real conservation impact.
Like many in the conservation world, Whiting’s passion for animals began at a young age. Surrounded by wildlife growing up, he always knew his future belonged outdoors. Realizing early on that a traditional desk job wasn’t for him, he landed his first role in animal care and husbandry at a Florida zoo.
While his primary responsibility was direct caretaking, Whiting quickly took on opportunities to present wildlife to visiting students - many of whom had never seen many animals in person. Connecting with those students, leading keeper chats, and engaging with everyday visitors sparked a pivotal shift in his career: he realized that protecting wildlife meant not just caring for animals, but inspiring the public to care about them, too.
After extensive experience in the zoological industry, Whiting joined Fossil Rim in 2016 to bolster its guest engagement efforts. These programs are vital for conservation organizations, helping bridge complex environmental messaging with diverse audiences.
Whiting performing health checks on anteater at Busch Gardens Tampa, FL
"People have different backgrounds and different understandings about what conservation means—different cultural aspects of conservation," said Whiting. "So you have to be very patient with what you talk about and how you're talking about it.”
Navigating those diverse perspectives is essential, especially when weighed against the harsh realities wildlife face in the wild. For Whiting, breeding and release programs like those Fossil Rim is involved with, can only succeed if public mindsets shift alongside them.
“You really need to go all in on the concept of conservation,” Whiting said. "So it's a matter of who we are, for lack of a better word, the public relations side of the conservation organization. We get people to care."
Whiting spoke passionately about the rewards of working in conservation—from the deep emotional fulfillment of protecting wildlife and spending your days in nature, to the profound, tangible impact you can make.
Beyond the hands-on aspect of the job, he pointed out that today’s aspiring conservationists have an advantage when it comes to building their knowledge base and entering the field.
Whiting feeding giraffe at Busch Gardens Zoo Tampa, FL
“We’ve got resources nowadays that are absolutely incredible through the internet,” Whiting said. “You can learn anything you’re trying to figure out. That wasn’t always the case when I was in school. In the pre-internet days, you had to go to the library and go through tons of research papers to find that one little piece of information. Nowadays, we have it right at our fingertips.”
Despite emphasizing the vast rewards of working in the field, Whiting also highlighted the dedication and grit it takes to last in the animal world.
“A lot of times people get into the field and don’t realize how much cleaning and dirty work there is,” Whiting said. “They get overwhelmed by that and only last a year, maybe two years. You’ve got to stick it out. There are rewards to it, just be patient.”
While the road into conservation requires grit and perseverance, the reward is being part of something larger than yourself. From taking advantage of today’s wealth of digital resources to pushing through the hard physical labor, leaders like David Whiting prove that every role contributes to the bigger picture. For anyone ready to turn a passion for animals into a lifelong career, the chance to make a lasting impact is well within reach.
Interested in an internship or career at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center? Be sure to check out our Careers & Internships landing page.