Dalton Knight was 11 years old when he bought his first field guide at the Museum and got hooked on exploring the natural world! Today, he inspires students and visitors to understand and appreciate the natural world.
Get to know Dalton better in this interview and learn more about what it’s like to work with the Museum’s animal ambassadors.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR MDWFP’S MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE?
Two years and counting!
WHAT’S YOUR WORKDAY LIKE?
My typical workday involves taking care of our animal ambassadors, captive native species that live in the Museum we present to the public for programs.
On any given day, myself or another of our Education staff members take turns feeding and caring for the animals, ensuring their needs are being met.
I also interact with the guests that come to the Museum, making them feel welcome and giving more information about all the cool things to see here. I also do special programs with our animal ambassadors to teach about a given topic like fossils, reptiles, or mammals.
Basically, my job is to make sure that everyone that comes to our Museum feels welcome and leaves having learned more than when they came in!
From time to time, I collect insect specimens for our exhibits and our scientific specimen team.
Our education team also runs the Summer Camp program, which takes us all around the Museum and across the state, as well! We get to do a lot of cool things then, from canoeing on the Mississippi River to digging up Eocene fossils from 38 million years ago!
ANY FUNNY WORK STORIES?
Plenty!
The snakes we work with at the Museum are friendly, but sometimes they have a problem understanding personal space. In particular, our Black Pine Snake, Chris Pine (named after the actor, we love a good pun name).
Black pine snakes are burrowing species, so they instinctually love anywhere warm, dark, and enclosed. Inside of my shirt sleeve happens to check all three boxes, which means there’s been many a program with him where he’s tried to pull a disappearing act by slipping through my sleeves!
People tend to worry for my safety a lot when that happens, it’s not every day you see a six-foot long snake jump into someone’s clothing (unless you work here!). But rest assured, neither me or Chris Pine have ever been injured.
Another time, I was feeding a carolina mantis named Yoshi while I checked my email. I heard a large group of guests coming down the stairs, so I rushed out to go greet them. I had forgotten, however, that Yoshi was still standing on my shoulder.
While I was talking with them, I felt a tickling sensation on my neck and the kids in that group started pointing at me and yelling about a “Big Green Wasp!” so I reach up and Yoshi had climbed up to the top of my head! It was a fun introduction to the Museum, and the kids loved learning that the “Big Green Wasp” was actually a praying mantis.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND EDUCATION
I grew up in rural Copiah County just outside of Dentville, Mississippi. My family lived on several acres of hardwood forest. My father and grandfather were big influences on me, and they taught me to respect wildlife and appreciate all it offers to us.
The woods of southern Mississippi were my playground growing up, and I spent many a summer climbing trees and splashing in creekbeds with my friends. From a young age, my favorite animals have always been insects.
I was 11 years old when I bought my first field guide here at the Museum, and from that moment on I was hooked on exploring the natural world.
I have about 13 years of self-taught study about Mississippi insects, and they are some of my favorite animals in the world. I loved biology and Mississippi History in school, and I received a Bachelor’s in history from the University of Mississippi.
While I was pursuing my degree, I volunteered every spring break and summer at the Museum, and when I received the Conservation Educator position offer shortly before graduation, I jumped at the opportunity.
I am currently pursuing a further Master’s degree in Entomology from the University of Florida.
I take care of my family’s land now in Copiah, and I live there with my beautiful wife, Hannah, our dog, cats, and all the wonderful wildlife that calls our land home.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER?
I knew when I was growing up that I wanted to pursue a career that made a positive change in people’s lives.
I also wanted to do something I was passionate about, and working at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science allows me to do both every day.
My favorite part of my job is seeing someone’s eyes light up when I bring out an animal or explain a concept about nature that completely changes their view and broadens their horizons. I love what I do!
HOW DOES YOUR JOB CONTRIBUTE TO CONSERVATION?
Conservation is, at its core, centered around appreciation. If we appreciate the natural world, we will logically want to do all we can to preserve it!
My job contributes to conservation by helping to spread that appreciation.
Being a part of our Education Program means I am responsible for making more people aware of the wonders of Mississippi’s wilderness, and making more people want to help take care of it.
ANY ADVICE FOR A STUDENT INTERESTED IN A BIOLOGY OR MUSEUM CAREER?
Jump in where you can, when you can! Get yourself out there.
Try to learn something new every day. The more you know, the more you can impart that knowledge on to others.
Volunteering at a wildlife or conservation-centered facility (Like our museum, hint-hint!) is a great way to get yourself familiar with the field and learn more about what you want to do for a career.
