Celebrating International Women’s Day

We’re celebrating International Women’s Day by shining a spotlight on three incredible women from our Conservation Education team. Their dedication to their roles enriches and inspires future generations to protect wildlife. Learn more about Valeria, Lillie, and Stephanie below. 

Valeria Hernandez,
Teen Programs Coordinator

1. Can you tell us about your role at the Zoo?
   I am the Teen Programs Coordinator at the Zoo, and I coordinate our summer and year-round teen programming. In doing so, I support our teens in Zoo Crew to develop and strengthen their wildlife saving skills to become conservation heroes.
2. How did you get started?
   I started my conservation career in wildlife internships, one as a sea turtle research assistant and another at a wildlife rehab. I got my first job as a zookeeper working with a wide variety of animals including birds, mammals, reptiles and hoof stock. This inspired me to pursue my master’s degree in conservation to help wildlife on a global scale. Through my master’s, I realized that to save wildlife we must engage and involve communities in conservation while acknowledging their needs. And a great way to do that is thru education to foster our future conservation heroes.
3. What are you most passionate about?
   I am most passionate about connecting people to nature and making the outdoors accessible to all our communities. Enjoying the benefits of nature is something we all deserve to experience.
4. What advice would you give to young women aspiring to work in your field?
   My advice would be to be find and be part of a supportive and empowering community. Building relationships with people, especially those who have similar goals and visions is crucial for your growth and sense of belonging.
5. Who is a woman who inspires you and why?
   All the women I work alongside with at our zoo in the Conservation Education team inspire me. They each have qualities that I admire, such as the passion to learn and teach others about conservation and the ability to communicate with different audiences and engage our guests. Most of all, the support they all provide to myself and one another makes me very grateful to be part of this team.
6. What’s your favorite animal and why?
   My favorite animal is a gray wolf. I love the social dynamics of a wolf pack because they have behaviors in common with humans. For example, wolves are very collaborative animals and they will “correct” behaviors within their pack that are considered inappropriate.
7. What’s on your bucket list this year?
   Something on my bucket list this year is to visit more local and state natural areas like High Island and Big Bend National Park.
8. What’s your biggest hurdle?
   My biggest hurdle is not valuing my strengths. Many times we tend to focus on the things we aren’t as good at instead of looking at our strong qualities, so I have to remind myself to look at those more often.

Lillie Stockseth, 
Education Programs Coordinator

1. Can you tell us about your role at the Zoo?  
   I am an Education Programs Coordinator and work primarily with our camp program, Camp Zoofari. I design the curriculum for all the camp offerings and make sure campers have the best zoo day ever! I also serve in some AZA positions. I’m a representative for and a steering committee member of the Radiated Tortoise SAFE as well as the Community Builder for the Texas region of the Conservation Education Committee. 
2. How did you get started? 
   I moved to Houston for school and started volunteering with the Zoo in 2018, finding a Herpetology internship and seasonal camp guide position along the way. In 2022, I started full time as an Interpretive Specialist, educating and engaging with guests out on grounds every day. In 2023, I found my way back into education programs and began working for Camp again, which led me here! 
3. What are you most passionate about?
   I want us to move species off the endangered list. I started work at the Zoo with a background in ecology and my favorite thing about wildlife is its irreplicable diversity. I want to educate and inspire the same passion in others. I think the only way to save wildlife is to get everyone around the world on board, which means we have to work with people and places as much as animals.  
4. What advice would you give to young women aspiring to work in your field?
   Take up space, speak up, be confident in your expertise. No matter what career, knowledge, or skills you plan to specialize in, you’ll have a day when someone challenges you on something you’re certain about, stand your ground and be confident in your perspectives.  
5. Who is a woman who inspires you and why?
   I’m inspired by my middle school science teacher, Dr. Cindy Hopkins. She is a brilliant scientist and educator who developed my passion for science, research, and leadership. I remember her making time to mentor me even though she was teaching, raising her children, and getting her PhD. I’ve kept in touch with her for the last 12 years since she was my teacher. I am now a published population ecologist and working in a field I love, and I think she played a major role in my path here! I find everyday inspiration in my wife and my mom, who are both powerful women that I look up to. 
6. What’s your favorite animal and why? OR If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
   My favorite animal is probably the Mangshan pit viper (Protobothrops mangshanensis). They were not formally or widely documented until 1990 and are exceptionally specialized; scientists thought they were in their own genus until 2007. They are beautiful and so interesting! My favorite individual animal at the Zoo is a tough race but is probably Berani the tiger.  
7. What’s on your bucket list this year?
   I definitely have a species bucket list– numerous animals, mostly reptiles and amphibians, I want to see in the wild one day. I also love traveling and it is one of my biggest bucket list priorities. In November, I’ll be going on an expedition to Brazil on the Rio Negro to survey wildlife with the Amazon River Dolphin Conservation Foundation. I’ve never been to South America and hope to see some of the wildlife on my bucket list! 
8. What’s your biggest hurdle? 
   I try and remind myself that working in conservation education is an uphill, long-term fight for wildlife. The work can seem disheartening or hopeless some days, but I continue to value the days with highlights and focus on the successes. All of us are dedicated to the cause but it can be hard to feel progress some days– we just have to keep working!
   

Stephanie Gonzalez,
School Partnerships Supervisor

1. Can you tell us about your role?
   I am the school partnerships supervisor. My role is to connect school communities with Houston Zoo and work alongside them to save wildlife. The Saving Wildlife School Partnership (SWSP) Program cultivates deep relationships with individual schools across Houston through multiple visits and ongoing engagement with our education team. As they learn, school partners are encouraged to lead wildlife saving projects – many of which directly beautify or improve Houston. And, as students take on wildlife saving projects – like collecting old cell phones or building butterfly gardens – they lay the foundation for being future environmental stewards. I am also the chair of the IDEA (DEIA) committee at the Houston Zoo. As a Zoo for All, the I.D.E.A. Committee will foster relationships to build a representative and inclusive culture that celebrates the diverse voices of our staff, encourages equity and supports accessibility. I continue my DEIA learnings at the AZA level as the AZA Diversity Regional Communities region 7 co-liaison.
2. How did you get started?
   I started my zoo journey in 2013 as a volunteer at the El Paso Zoo while I got my degree in Biology at the University of Texas at El Paso. I got my first job as an education specialist thanks to the El Paso Zoo Society (now the Conservation Society of El Paso) which created a position for me to carry out my passion. Since then, I have held multiple roles within several AZA-accredited institutions such as bird show trainer/facilities manager, zookeeper (birds), and education programs coordinator.
3. What are you most passionate about?
   Finding connections and removing barriers with my community and sharing a love for nature/culture.
4. What advice would you give to young women aspiring to work in your field?
   Starting over can be an emotional roller coaster. Take in those emotions, breathe and keep persevering. It’s ok to cry or ask for help. So many women came before you and they are all cheering for your success. Mija si se puede!
5. Who is a woman who inspires you and why?
   There are so many! But I will give you three: my grandma Gonzalez taught me to always laugh and show your best smile. My grandma Solano taught me to be tough and loving and a caretaker, my mom taught me how to keep persevering and to always be open to new experiences.
6. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
   I love birds, especially the ones who migrate. I would love to see the world freely. Migration is beautiful.
7. What’s on your bucket list this year?
   Connecting further with my ancestry and exploring as many Texas State Parks as possible while checking off some more birds on my life list.
8. What’s your biggest hurdle?
   Always wanting to do everything all at once. My mind is always generating new ideas. I have to always remind myself to slow down, take care of my mental health, and remember that there are so many people working to create beautiful spaces.