Gabi Guest, Conservation Educator

MUSEUM STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Whether she’s caring for our animal ambassadors, assisting researchers in the field, or turning a nervous visitor into a newfound snake fan, Gabi Guest’s passion for conservation education shines through in everything she does.

We’re excited to share more about the educator who makes conservation come to life - one question or story at a time!

HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR MDWFP’S MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE?

I started at the museum in the summer of 2025!

WHAT’S YOUR WORKDAY LIKE?

One of my favorite parts of my job is how much I get to move and differentiate my work!

It usually starts with me saying good morning to our Animal Ambassadors and checking on all of them. Then, I usually check on the Bird Feeding Station in the Exhibit Hall to see if it needs a refill or a cleaning.

After the morning chores are done, my day can vary, but I aim to learn something new every day! I love to assist our state researchers in the field or in the lab as needed. I’m passionate about ornithology, so I may do a bird survey in LeFleur’s Bluff, research our native birds on EBird or Merlin, or even help with specimen preparation and processing. I am always listening to the birds around me!

But my favorite partof my job is teaching people of all ages about our native species and animals! I love seeing children fall in love with salamanders and adults conquering their fears of snakes!

I was a child who had “too many questions” so I love answering as many of those as I can and learning the answers to the things I don’t know!

Gabi getting ready to educate visitors about snakes at the Museum’s Park After Dark Halloween event

ANY FUNNY WORK STORIES?

Many about our snakes being TOO friendly!

But one of my favorites is that there was a day that I had taken a BoxTurtle out for museum guests to see and meet. Not long after I had put her back up, one of the families I saw in the museum asked me if we let the turtles outside to graze, to which I replied NO and immediately ran outside!

It turnedout to be a wild box turtle that is tracked by Mississippi College students, so it had a sensor and antennae attached to its shell. I had never seen one of these turtles before, so I panicked and thought its shell had some kind of abscess! I ran inside with it to find a staff member who knew what was going on!

It was a super cool learning opportunity about field research, and I was very glad the turtle was safe!

Turtle with tracking device

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND EDUCATION

I grew up in Dallas, Texas in a family of educators.

I previously taught choir in Texas public schools for seven years. I have two degrees in Music: a Bachelors of Arts in Voice with a Theatre Minor (Howard Payne University), and a Masters of Music in Choral Conducting (Texas Tech).

I still love to sing, and I do in multiple group in the area, including Galloway UMC, Concordia Ensemble, and the Mississippi Chorus.

I’ve always had an affinity for natural science and animals, which led me into museum education when I left the formal classroom. I previously worked at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas as an educator before moving to Jackson and joining the staff at MMNS.

Gabi in the field - do you see the hawk?

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER?

Personally, I love that this career gives me the freedom to explore my curiosities and learn every day.

Professionally, I love that museum education allows me to build long-term relationships with families directly.

Gabi with a snake at the Museum’s Park After Dark Halloween event

HOW DOES YOUR JOB CONTRIBUTE TO CONSERVATION?

Knowledge is power, and people don’t know what they don’t know.

My job gives me the opportunity to teach the public about conservation and make a real impact at the grassroots level.

People have a hard time caring about things they have no interest in, so I try to make sure every visitor walks away with a new experience or new nugget of information!

Gabi with Griffin at the Museum

ANY ADVICE FOR A STUDENT INTERESTED IN A BIOLOGY OR MUSEUM CAREER?

Make connections and know your worth!

Almost any job these days is found through networking, so reach out to people who have the job you want! Ask how they got there, and if they have any suggestions on how to get started.

Volunteering at the museum is a great way to see all the various jobs here, network, AND gain related experience!