Some educators teach in classrooms, but Morgan Taylor brings learning to life in the wildest way possible! As a Conservation Educator, Morgan spends her days caring for animals, leading hands-on programs, and making science fun for kids of all ages. Whether she’s introducing students to fascinating creatures, answering visitors' questions, or caring for animals, she approaches each day with humor and enthusiasm.
Growing up in the Mississippi Delta, Morgan developed a deep love for the outdoors, hunting, and exploring nature. With a background in elementary education and nearly 15 years of teaching experience, she’s now bringing her passion for learning outside the classroom and into the Museum.
Get to know more about Morgan’s journey, her love for nature (and classic literature!), and the unexpected moments that make her job unforgettable in this month’s Staff Spotlight!
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR MDWFP’S MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE?
I have worked at the museum since September 2025, so I have been here for a little over four months.
WHAT’S YOUR WORKDAY LIKE?
Mostly, my day is filled with caring for our animals, which is a highlight of my day. I also get to interact with guests, show them around our museum, and answer their questions.
The best part of my day is teaching programs for schools. I love teaching about our animals and making kids laugh. I could teach programs all day.
ANY FUNNY WORK STORIES?
All my work stories are funny because this is a genuinely fun job, but the one that stands out happened on my first visit to a school.
I was holding a baby alligator, and when I went to put him back in his enclosure, he whipped around and latched on to my finger. He absolutely did not want to let go. A coworker discreetly pried him off me. That’s the day I learned how to properly handle the alligators. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND EDUCATION
I grew up in the Mississippi Delta on a gravel road in the middle of nowhere.
My family had a ton of hunting land with ponds and a huge lake. Because we were 30 minutes from the nearest town, I had to play in the woods or die of boredom. So, I spent my days in the woods.
My mom and dad are both huge outdoorsmen; although, my mom outhunts everyone in the family. They both taught me about hunting, fishing, land management, planting food plots, and respecting the land.
I definitely had one of those dads that got mad when you couldn’t back the boat trailer up properly, and I’m grateful for it. I could always do anything the boys could do because he made me do everything they did. I love my dad so much for that.
If I wasn’t in the woods, I was reading Shakespeare, the Brontës, Greek mythology, and any other classic literature I could get my hands on. I usually stuck a book in the front of my bibs before going to the stand to hunt so I could read until something walked out.
The only thing I ever wanted to be was a teacher or Indiana Jones, so I went to Ole Miss and got my elementary education degree. I spent almost 15 years teaching in the Delta before I made the switch to informal education here at the museum.
My favorite things to do are read, see live music with my boyfriend, Richard, watch my son, Rivers, play baseball, and just laugh with the people I love, especially my brother.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER?
This career actually chose me.
I started taking the museum’s CEU classes for teachers to get CEU’s for my teaching license. That led to volunteering and completing the teacher ambassador program. I was eventually offered a job in education from my works in those programs.
I have been involved with the museum in some way since about 2017.
HOW DOES YOUR JOB CONTRIBUTE TO CONSERVATION?
If you can make a kid excited about the world around them, you can absolutely contribute to conservation.
I think that is my job’s biggest contribution. Making the natural world around them seem cool in a time when the outside world must compete with screens and technology is tough.
Making kids feel special and interested while teaching them about the outdoors or endangered species leads to them caring about those things.
We tend to conserve the things around us that we care about; kids are no different when it comes to this, and they are usually better at it than adults.
ANY ADVICE FOR A STUDENT INTERESTED IN A BIOLOGY OR MUSEUM CAREER?
I just want people to know that there are a million different things you can do with a biology degree or museum career.
I also want teachers to know that a job in a traditional classroom setting is not your only option. Even if you, like myself, did not start out in biology or museum studies, the career opportunities are endless.
