About the Author

My love for animals and wildlife started at an early age.  Growing up surrounded by woods I have been constantly emerged in the outdoor world.  I spent every spare moment exploring the land, trees, and small run off creeks that surrounded my Missouri home.  I was also blessed to have grown up around many different species of animals that my family and I have owned as pets including horses, dogs, cats, fish, and ferrets.  My entire world revolved around them (and still does to this day).  My greatest inspiration as a young girl was Steve Irwin, and any time not spent outside was spent indoors glued to the TV watching ‘The Crocodile Hunter’ dreaming about far off places with dangerous predators and reptiles. To this day I still want to visit Australia and Africa to see, in person, some of the amazing wildlife that has graced my TV screen throughout the years.  I have a special interest in wolves and killer whales, and did an internship in 2011 with the Center for Whale Research.  Their focus is on studying the annual census and population dynamics of the Southern Resident killer whales that frequent the waters of Puget Sound.  It was a life changing experience and allowed me to get experience in the world of field research, as well as an opportunity to continue doing occasional volunteer work for them in the summers. I have also done volunteer work with the Wildlife Rescue Center in Ballwin, MO.  Volunteering for different organizations is something that I enjoy, and I am always looking for new opportunities to work and learn. Just this past spring, I finally graduated from Saint Louis University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology with a concentration in Ecology and Conservation.

On my free time, I still love watching nature documentaries, reading, and spending time with my two horses, six cats, and three dogs. I travel when my schedule allows it, and often visit areas out west such as Colorado and the San Juan Islands of Washington State.  I have never been outside of the United States, but I’m hoping to change that sometime soon. Finally, my hope is that through my travels and experiences, I can share some of what I learn with you, my followers, to help conserve wildlife and wild places.

-Candice Smith (B.S. in Biology)