October 23, 2008
Adventure Aquarium Curator has the Eye of an Artist and the Heart of a Biologist
When thinking of an artist, one typically envisions a painter, a sculptor, a dancer or a musician. However, for Michele Pagel, Curator of Birds & Mammals at Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ, creative artistic expression embodies a very different form - one that is admired by nearly a million people a year.
"Creating great animal exhibits requires a sense of balance," said Pagel, who, after earning degrees in both Fine Arts and Marine Biology, eventually worked her way up to the position of Curator of Birds and Mammals at Adventure Aquarium, a position in which she oversees the care, training, and exhibition of all bird and mammal species at Adventure Aquarium. In this role, Michele must continually evaluate the exhibits under her care, whether it means introducing a new species, pairing an animal with a new mate, or altering the exhibit décor to enhance the guest experience. "Just like one brush stroke too many can ruin a masterpiece, one must develop a sense of what works well in an exhibit, and what doesn't."
As Curator, one of Michele's many challenges is to continue to discover new and exciting ways to improve the guest experience. She starts her mornings with a walk through the exhibits under her care, examining each exhibit as an artist would examine a painting. The morning strolls also give her the opportunity to observe the animals for any changes in health, social and reproductive behavior, another one of her many responsibilities. Most importantly, Pagel's morning rounds provide her with an opportunity to appreciate the natural beauty of the animals.
"Getting to enjoy the animals first thing in the morning before our guests arrive reminds me of why I got in to this field in the first place," said Michele, "which is the simple joy of observing animals."
After her morning rounds, Michele heads off to manage the multiple animal training sessions happening throughout the Aquarium. Her first stop is a session with the Aquarium's two Nile hippopotamuses. On this particular morning, the team is conditioning the hippos, which weigh in at almost 3000 pounds each, to submit to voluntary blood draws during routine physical examinations, a behavior that will ultimately help make blood collection easier for both the hippos and the trainers. Next, Pagel heads over to one of her favorite exhibits at Adventure Aquarium - Seal Shores - a 760,000 gallon exhibit home to six Grey and Harbor Seals. Pagel works regularly with the Aquarium's seal collection and its trainers, coordinating with staff to teach the seals to do everything from voluntary medical procedures to new show behaviors to meet-and-greet activities for up close guest encounters. From Seal Shores, Michele joins her staff in the Aquarium's West African River Experience exhibit, which is home to 15 species of African birds in a free flight aviary, to monitor staff training sessions with the avian collection.
"I really enjoy teaching others the art of animal training, almost as much as I like training the animals myself," admitted Pagel, who has served as the Aquarium's Curator of Birds & Mammals for the past two years. "The best trainers know that the first rule in animal training is that sometimes, the rules don't apply! Rather, we need to get a feel for each animal and learn to apply training methodology to each animal as an individual."
After the day's training sessions have concluded, Michele heads back to her office to manage the piles of paperwork that inevitably come along with a Curator position. Reviewing upcoming training plans, developing new animal experiences and exhibits, managing the Aquarium's breeding program, acquiring new animals, responding to media requests, and coordinating with the staff veterinarian are an everyday part of the job for Michele. However, she is the first to admit that, ultimately, the benefits of the job far outweigh any drawbacks.
"What can I say?" says Pagel, "I love my job!"
