About
About Why Animals Do The Thing:
Why Animals Do The Thing is a freelance science education effort composed of two partner websites that is dedicated to providing the public with accurate, unbiased information about "everything animals." WADTT exists because the public deserves education done in accessible language, informed by inter-disciplinary dialogue and current scientific content - and to trusted to draw their own informed conclusions when provided with facts.
The Tumblr:
The blog has over 45,000 subscribers, and capitalizes on the nested comment mechanic of Tumblr’s platform to share animal information widely. The tumblr was the original incarnation of Why Animals Do The Thing wand was created to increase the general public’s breadth of animal-related knowledge and teach them to think critically about situations that involve animals. Topics covered by the blog vary according to community interest and engagement, but frequently touch on subjects such as the basics of animal behavioral science, current animal management best practices, and the effects of anthropomorphism. The tumblr has created a community that actively collaborates on interdisciplinary dialogue to facilitate effective and accessible education.
The website:
The website hosts long-form writing addressing a variety of animal-related topics in more depth than the tumblr, and provides a platform for hosting academic and professional works.
About the author:
Rachel Garner has known she wanted a career with animals since early childhood, when she started learning to train dogs. While pursuing a degree in animal behavior and interning at multiple AZA facilities, she discovered a love of teaching as well. She has prior professional experience in zookeeping, visitor education, animal shelter behavioral assessment, animal management in a hospital setting, and more,
She now brings her brings her varied background and extensive academic knowledge to the general public through Why Animals Do The Thing - an online education resource the bridges the divide between the animal-loving public and the animal management community. Rachel works both engage her blog readers in an accessible, accurate dialogue and to translate pertinent field-specific knowledge into comprehensive explanations about current animal related topics.