Essay Sample about Ray Vizgirdas and Endangered from the Wild

Originally from Boise, Idaho, Ray Vizgirdas has a lot of wild things to share. My uncle, Ray, has always enjoyed the outdoors. This love for the outdoors only naturally led to a field that directly related to nature. Ray is a biologist currently working as the forest biologist on the Los Padres National Forest in CA. He is responsible for ensuring that any actions that are conducted on the forest (such as timber sales, livestock grazing, fire management, recreation, etc) is conducted in a manner that does not have negative effects on rare and endangered species. The types of endangered species that Ray works with ranges from wild plants, to vicious predators.

Previous to working on this forest, my uncle has worked with another federal wildlife agency known as the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The US Fish and Wildlife Service protects plants, animals, fish, and their natural habitats. Ray begins to explain, “Similar to what I do as a forest wildlife biologist, as an endangered species biologist, my focus was on other species such as the gray wolves, wolverine, several interesting plant species, small ground squirrels, and grizzly bear.” Ray can go on for hours telling about his experience working out in the field. When asked about his most memorable moment in his career, he immediately interrupted and said, “The wolves”. With his colossal amount of experience, he was selected to accompany a team of wildlife specialists for an extraordinary opportunity. They were tasked to transport ferocious, yet majestic, gray wolves down from Canada to then release back into the United States. 

Ray is among the few to have been part of such an exceptional team of wildlife experts. “I am fortunate to be in a club with only a few members. The highlight of my professional career would have to be releasing the wolves back into the wilderness. Before the release I checked out who was in the cage that sat on a sled on the back of my snowmobile. Inside there sat a 140 pound animal with piercing eyes that seemed to look into my soul. That feeling is one that I will never forget. In my Lithuanian culture the wolf is looked upon as something evil or untenable. From my science background this was an important cog in the grand scheme of nature.” He explains that the wolves not only have a connection to our overall cultural history, but also for advances in nature.

Although Ray is a trained biologist through his formal education, he gained a lot of experience in the outdoors when he was young. “I was fortunate to have a father who enjoyed the outdoors and took every opportunity to go hiking and camping. I was lucky to have spent a lot of time with him and learned a lot. Eventually, I started to go outdoors on my own and learn more to the point that my schooling, interest, and hobbies became one. By the time I entered college I already knew I wanted to be a biologist.” 

After broadening his vast knowledge of biology, Ray began to explore opportunities that would require him to demonstrate and incorporate his studies. “For a few years after college I worked as a wilderness guide and outdoor teacher, taking people into the mountains and deserts and teaching them ecology, natural history and survival. I also worked as a naturalist/ranger at a couple of nature centers.” In all the different jobs and experiences Ray was indulged in, only taught him more about wildlife and nature. This landed him even further into the wild.

Ray was hired by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to help in the recovery of plants and animals that were listed under “Endangered Species.” Here he would work with many special plant and animal species. Ray mentioned, “The cool thing was that I was working with species that few people will ever get to see or know. Since I had a lot of backcountry experience and could live for weeks in remote backcountry areas alone, much of what I did involved looking for and documenting the occurrence and distribution of endangered species in forest and desert areas.” He explained a time he stumbled across a monstrous grizzly bear. He was about fifty-so yards away, quickly equipping his large camera. Stunned by the sudden event, Ray captures many photos and videos, documenting a typical day of this bear. He would mark the location and take notes about the environment and the whereabouts of the creature from a non-disturbing distance.

Not only does working with such extraordinary animals provide extraordinary satisfaction, it also brings extraordinary risk. Based on this information, one would only have to ask, “Have you encountered any dangers or accidents while working in the field?” Ray then replies, “I have been fortunate to not have been in a real life and death situation in the field. However, the work could be considered dangerous if a person were not prepared.” Ray has been in situations where he has been a little lost at times and have ended many miles from where he started. He explains how having the right clothing and gear and anticipating such events can turn into unplanned vacations. “My formal and informal outdoor training has served me well over the years. As I tell my students, 'Be prepared for the worst and hope for the best.’ Also, the more you know the less you need to carry. Always assume something will happen but don't get paranoid about it. There have been several occasions I've run into mountain lions and bears but not that it ever surprised me.” Ray emphasizes one set of skills (survival) that he teaches his students with the utmost importance. These skills are categorized and mentioned as “AAA.” Ray explains, “The first A stands for Awareness of one's surroundings; the second A stands for Attitude (be positive or negative) will kill; and the third A stands for Adapt to the situation - rather than fight what nature throws at you, go with the flow and ‘party on.’" These are the types of skills and knowledge Ray really stresses because the field is always mixed with dangers and uncertainty. Being able to be prepared for those situations and for the work you plan to do are vital for success in this profession.

Overall, Ray is a very knowledgeable and adventurous man that some would even say, “born for the wild.” Not only has Ray found his vast knowledge of wildlife and biology useful in the field, he now works with endangered species in more indirect ways. The list of endangered species is continuously expanding and the need for Wildlife experts and biologists grows. Rather than spending weeks at a time in the field, Ray instead, uses his knowledge to train and mentor younger biologists in doing the job.