107 ~ Erna Walraven: One of Australia’s First Female Zookeepers on Animals, Attenborough, Feminism and Courage
Description
In this episode of Before You Bloom, I sit down with Erna Walraven, one of Australia’s first female zookeepers and the former Senior Curator at Taronga Zoo. Erna shares her trailblazing journey breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry, from facing sexism in the 1980s to leading the shift in zoos from entertainment to conservation.
We explore her memoir, "Hear Me Roar," her encounters with Sir David Attenborough, and the powerful lessons she has learned from animals about family, resilience, and humanity. Erna’s story is a fearless reminder of what it means to challenge the rules and carve your own path.
Erna’s story is one of resilience, feminism, and rewriting the rules. This conversation is equal parts eye-opening and inspiring, a reminder that the natural world holds lessons not just about animals, but about ourselves.
Read Hear Me Roar : HERE
💗 Thank you so much for being here on this adventure with me! 💗- Hayley xo
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The Before You Bloom Podcast is recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. I would like to recognise their continuing connection to land, water, and culture and pay my respects to their elders past, present, and emerging, and any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people listening today.
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