Kathryn Bertok

Curator of Animals, Carnivore Preservation Trust

Today's Date: August 23, 2006

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

The interaction that has had the biggest impact on me has to be working at CPT. When I first came to CPT I had no real desire to work with cats, but thought it would be a good experience for me to have. Once I had been here for a very short while, the animals started to really affect me. I saw there stories and their desire to be happy. I knew that I could affect their lives and the lives of other animals in their similar circumstances.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

My favorite place in the outdoors during my childhood was my own backyard. We lived on 2 acres of land that had lots of forest, a very large open field and streams and ponds. There was so much to do and to see and to play with.

Now? As an adult I have found that I prefer the same things, any place that has lots of trees and water.

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

I don’t know that I can easily answer that. In a general sense, my favorite animal is the binturong. Very few people know anything about them, but they have such wonderful personalities and are great fun to work with. I have raised a few from birth and it was probably one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life.

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

I think they are one in the same, living beyond our means. We continue to use and use and use without thought of what impact we are making. We ignore the sprawl, we ignore the amount of resources we are using and we will eventually hit a wall. Unfortunately it is part of the human condition and that will make this a live long challenge for everyone.

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

Be frugal.