Meet Autumn Hudiburg | Wildlife Biologist & Animal Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Autumn Hudiburg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Autumn, what do you want your legacy to be?
I want my legacy to be my passion for wildlife. I want people to remember me as an animal lover and remember my dedication to saving animals, specifically misunderstood reptiles. I love educating on the importance of endangered species and the need for conservation.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a wildlife biologist and animal educator. I created “All about animals with Autumn” in 2019 to help spread awareness about conservation and the importance of saving wildlife. I work closely with various certified wildlife rehabbers to rescue and care for injured wild animals. I am also an authorized gopher tortoise agent through FWC to help conduct relocations and handle endangered species. I think it’s especially important to educate about reptiles, such as tortoises, lizards and of course snakes, because they are so misunderstood. I take pride in providing accurate information and helping people overcome their fears. Knowledge is power and it is important to coexist with wildlife; they have as much as a right to be here, as we do. This has not been an easy journey, but I will never give up for the sake of the animals. We fear what we don’t know, so I use animal education as a way to help others, which in turn, helps wild animals.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in east central Florida so if I had a friend visiting, I would show them a variety of wildlife related adventures. The Central Florida zoo is great, I volunteered there for years and it brings back childhood memories. Gatorland is also a lot as fun, as is Jungle Adventures, A Real Florida Animal Park, Wild Florida Airboats & Gator Park, and Reptile World Serpentarium. Besides zoo facilities, natural areas and walking trails offer a lot of diverse wildlife and a bonus is that you can observe them in their natural habitat, wild and free. The Orlando Wetlands Park is one of my favorites, along with the Apopka Wildlife Drive, and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. I also love exploring the Wekiva State Forest, and the Little Big Econ State Forest.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shoutout my husband, Dante. I have always loved animals and I worked as a wildlife biologist before I met him, but he really encouraged me to take the leap and create “All about animals with Autumn.” He supported me and truly believed in my passion for animals and knew how important it was to me to educate and spread awareness, as well as rehab and care for animals. I would also like to shoutout my parents for educating me about animals from a young age and showing me that we must learn to coexist with wildlife. And last but not least, I thank Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter, for inspiring me to want to save animals and support conservation measures, while still maintaining balance in the ecosystem.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allaboutanimalswithautumn/?hl=en

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/autumn-hudiburg

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Autumn_Animals

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllaboutAnimalswithAutumn/

Image Credits
Autumn Hudiburg – All about animals with Autumn