Lane Cove Teen Chasing his Dreams at Taronga Zoo

Lane Cove teen Nathan Turner has two passions in life, animals and people.

Thanks to TAFE NSW, Nathan is combining these two passions in his dream job as a Guest Experience Officer at Taronga Zoo, which he landed in Year 11 shortly after starting a work placement at the Zoo while studying a Certificate III in Tourism, Travel and Events at TAFE NSW Ultimo.

“TAFE NSW set me up to jump into my career right after school. My work placement has led me to many different paths that I didn’t think were possible for me, like veterinary nursing and zookeeping,” Nathan said.

Currently, Nathan works at the zoo while volunteering at Taronga Zoo’s wildlife hospital. He is also furthering his studies with a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing at TAFE NSW Ultimo, along with a Certificate III in Wildlife and Exhibited Animal Care

He was also named a State Finalist in the NSW Training Awards in 2022 and received the Boral Youth at the Zoo Achiever Award in 2019.

In 2022, Nathan was also named VET in Schools Student of the Year and Tourism and Experience Services Student of the Year for Sydney.

ITC caught up with Nathan to find out more about his role at Taronga Zoo.

Tell Us a Little About Yourself

My name’s Nathan, I’m 19 years old and a Lane Cove liver and lover!

I have two passions in my life – animals and people – so my work means a lot to me because I’m so enthusiastic about it.

Thanks to my parents, who work in health and community services, I’ve always been community orientated. During school, I was a Daffodil Day Volunteer for the Cancer Council, Meals on Wheels Volunteer for the Crows Nest Community Centre, a motivated fundraiser for HalfCut and the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, and recently became a blood donor. These are causes which mean a lot to me because of the people in my life.

I get to meet people from all walks of life and love hearing their stories. My experiences have led to connections with people locally, across the country and in many other countries.

Tell Us About Your Work at Taronga Zoo

I’ve been at Taronga Zoo for six years now. I started by volunteering as a Youth At The Zoo (YATZ) Volunteer when I was 13 and became a YATZ Leader in 2019.

This led to the opportunity for me to become a Volunteer Zookeeper at Taronga’s Wildlife Hospital in 2020 while also studying for my Certificate II in Animal Studies at the Taronga Training Institute.

I became a Guest Experience Officer in Taronga’s Operations team in 2021 while still at school in year 11 and subsequently joined Taronga’s Education and Programs teams.

I am currently a Guest Experience Officer in Taronga’s Operations, Education and Programs teams, a Volunteer Zookeeper in Taronga’s Wildlife Hospital, YATZ Leader and a student at Taronga Training Institute Student, studying for my Certificate III in Wildlife and Exhibited Animal Care.

If you ask anyone at the zoo, they’ll tell you I wear a lot of different hats. With so many different roles, no day is the same. I can be doing anything from scanning tickets at the zoo’s validation point, operating Taronga’s switchboard, acting as a host on overnight programs like Roar & Snore and ZooSnooz, cleaning out the savannah for the giraffe and zebras, undertaking animal husbandry at Taronga’s Wildlife Hospital alongside our dedicated Veterinary Nurses and Veterinarians, or running training or educational days for other YATZ and more.

 

What’s Your Favourite Thing About Working at Taronga Zoo?

Of course, my favourites are the animals (including the homo sapiens). A large part of my role is working with Taronga’s guests and staff.

Taronga’s staff have offered me so many opportunities. As a young person, this has allowed me to learn a lot about myself and the work I’m passionate about and grow my skills for the future. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the opportunities and support the Taronga Community has given me.

Taronga is responsible for over 4500 animals and 350 species across two sites – Taronga Zoo and Western Plains Zoo – and is involved in 14 ex-situ breed-for-release conservation projects across Australia and other countries.

Taronga’s animals are all ambassadors for their species and have their own stories. Being a storyteller for Taronga’s animals to our guests is something I take great pride in. I’ve seen through my roles how these stories’ impact can change people’s behaviour. For example, I’ve talked with a commercial fisherman who, after hearing our seals’ plight, has changed careers.

I also love talking with the school groups who come for ZooSnooz, being able to inspire them through fostering a connection with wildlife and giving them what we hope is a fascinating, engaging and truly memorable experience.

I think that’s why we all feel such passion for what we do, to create memorable connections for people through animals, which we hope has an impact and inspires behaviour change in their own lives.

What’s Your Favourite Animal?

I can’t say I have a single favourite animal to work with. I’ve been so fortunate to work with so many different animals.

I have to say, though, that the Giraffes are truly special. When I first started at Taronga as a 13-year-old YATZ volunteer, I got a photo of Jimiyu. That was so special at the time, and all these years later, I still get the opportunity to work with him in my capacity as a Roar & Snore host for an encounter feed and during my placement as a TTI Student with the Ungulate team. I feel like he’s been a part of my whole Taronga journey, and I hope one day to work with him as one of his keepers.

I’ve also been fortunate to work with species like the endangered Regent Honeyeater as a part of Taronga’s ex-situ breed for release programs, and a variety of wildlife brought into Taronga’s Wildlife Hospital set for re-release. Being involved in Taronga’s rewilding and release conservation efforts is inspiring.

What Are Some Highlights?

I have had so many personal milestones already, from my progression to becoming a staff member to being present for the openings of Tiger Trek and the Taronga Institute of Science – with Prince Harry and Meagan – and being involved in the training of other Taronga volunteers, students and staff. Watching everyone learn and grow in their roles is great to be part of.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget my induction day at Taronga among 40 new YATZ. At 13 years old, Taronga felt like such a big organisation to me as I sat there and learnt about all the opportunities for me to be part of.

We heard from current YATZ Leaders about their experiences with the program and I felt inspired by everything I could aspire to do.

Progressing through YATZ, I got the opportunity to become a YATZ Leader and share my experiences at those same inductions, being able to hopefully inspire newer YATZ to find their place and learn about themselves.

I’ve watched my friends in YATZ finish the program and do incredible things in many different industries and careers, which continues to inspire me. Taronga still feels like a big organisation to me, but I think I’ve found my place in it. I still pop into inductions for newer members to say hi as a friendly face and share my experience about all the opportunities that YATZ can offer, and give my support to anyone who needs it.

I think our Homo Sapiens can make for some of the most interesting stories in our zoo. On a recent Roar & Snore, I got the chance to do a presentation with an Eastern Shingleback lizard called Bumpy.

For those who haven’t seen a Shingleback before, they get a lot of different names including two-headed lizard, horseshoe lizard and pinecone lizard. I had some kids the other week who called it a pineapple lizard, so it’s also getting new names.

I finished my presentation, put Bumpy away in their enclosure, and the program continued.

When we stopped for dinner, one of our young guests came up to me with two other Roar & Snore hosts, including my supervisor. My supervisor said to me, “Nathan… we’ve got something to tell you… you let the lizard out”. The younger guest held up his hands with a serviette wrapped up, covering a Shingleback lizard-like tail shape. I think my heart stopped for a minute before the young guest uncovered his serviette to reveal a piece of corn. I later learnt he went up to the other hosts and asked if “we could get (prank) Nathan”.

Tell us About Why You Chose a TAFE Course?

I did my Certificate II in Animal Studies with the Taronga Training Institute in Year 10 and my Certificate III in Tourism, Travel and Events with TAFE for Years 11 and 12, both counting towards my HSC. These qualifications helped guide me into my career during schooling and also led me on to further study.

By doing my Certificate II in Animal Studies, I met the pre-requisite to go straight into a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing at TAFE and a paid placement at Turramurra Veterinary Hospital as a Trainee Veterinary Nurse.

While at school, I was not only studying but also got the opportunity to do great work placements for both of my courses. For my Certificate II, I did a placement in the Marine Mammals team at Taronga, and for my Certificate III, I did an internship with Taronga’s Tourism, Trade Sales, and Contact Centre teams. These experiences enhanced my practical skills and gave me the opportunity to get to know areas of the zoo and people I wouldn’t otherwise know.

For both courses, it meant spending half a day of the school week going to class and one day a week for my placement.

It was really positive for me, so I’d recommend it to everyone. I was doing something I was passionate about, so it was hard work but so enjoyable. My Certificate II in Animal Studies was a non-ATAR course and made up of four preliminary HSC units, while my Certificate III in Tourism, Travel and Events comprised two preliminary and HSC units across years 11 & 12 that went towards my ATAR.

Did this make HSC Easier or Harder?

It took the pressure off my HSC, especially after completing my Certificate II in Animal Studies in Year 10. I think it opened up my options a lot more. Though I could have left school early to pursue my career, I always wanted to get an ATAR which can be important for different career progressions. Graduating with my HSC, ATAR, a Certificate II in Animal Studies, and a Certificate III in Tourism was a plus to potential employers and has motivated me to undertake further studies.

What’s The Most Rewarding Thing About Your Job?

Being a small part of Taronga’s conservation efforts and making a difference is so fulfilling.

I’ve been involved in planting thousands of trees for the Regent Honeyeater in the Capertee Valley since 2017 to create a habitat for this highly endangered species.

I’ve also played a small part in caring for wildlife brought to Taronga and supporting the care of Taronga’s animals. I feel incredibly proud of being involved in that level of animal care, conservation, and rewilding.

What Do Your Recent Awards Mean to You?

What most people don’t see are the people behind these awards. I’ve been fortunate to have many mentors and people take a chance on me, indirectly leading to my nominations for all these awards.

In particular, I’d like to thank my YATZ Coordinators, supervisors, managers, colleagues, volunteers, students and teachers. So many to thank! They all saw something in me and have created opportunities I couldn’t have even seen for my future, but they are opportunities I’m so grateful for.

What Do You Think Will Be Your Next Career Move?

Taronga is where my heart is. Doing work, I’m so passionate about means I can see myself at Taronga for the foreseeable future.

At the moment, I’m studying my Certificate III in Wildlife and Exhibited Animal Care with the Taronga Training Institute and Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing at TAFE NSW.

I’m also still working as a Guest Experience Officer in Taronga’s Operations, Education and Program teams, a Registered Trainee Veterinary Nurse at the Turramurra Veterinary Hospital and a VET Ambassador for the NSW Department of Education’s Educational Pathways Program.

I hope to work towards being a Guest Experience Coordinator/ Manager for my teams and a Senior Veterinary Nurse/ Keeper in Taronga’s Wildlife Hospital.

I’d love to do some more study in these fields to expand my knowledge and skills.

Really, I’m just embracing everything that comes my way.

What’s Your Favourite Thing To Do in Lane Cove?

I think Lane Cove has always been a great community, and even in my own complex, I’ve watched as a younger generation emerges that’s brought youth and new families in.

Where we live backs onto a bush setting, which allows me to easily access local nature, which is incredible, as I am very passionate about the environment. I love walking through Tennyson’s Park to Burns Bay Reserve. Hearing the King Parrots’ sounds and the creek’s gushing after rain. It’s so surreal to be in that environment, and it’s so close to home.

 

Help Support Local and Independent News