{"id":88144,"date":"2024-04-18T15:37:24","date_gmt":"2024-04-18T22:37:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/?p=88144"},"modified":"2024-04-18T15:37:24","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T22:37:24","slug":"building-bridges-and-connecting-people-to-wildlife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/building-bridges-and-connecting-people-to-wildlife\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Bridges and Connecting People to Wildlife: SOU Alum Maya Smith\u2019s Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-7r2ozjk-5efb04607e429daa9274b3c7c56899af\">\n.avia-section.av-7r2ozjk-5efb04607e429daa9274b3c7c56899af{\nbackground-color:#f3f3f3;\nbackground-image:unset;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div id='av_section_1' aria-label='SOU English Stories - Blog Roll Template - Intro Section' class='avia-section av-7r2ozjk-5efb04607e429daa9274b3c7c56899af main_color avia-section-default avia-no-border-styling  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href=\"https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/environmental-science\/contact\/\" itemprop=\"url\" tabindex=\"0\"><span class=\"avia-bullet\"><\/span><span class=\"avia-menu-text\">Contact<\/span><span class=\"avia-menu-fx\"><span class=\"avia-arrow-wrap\"><span class=\"avia-arrow\"><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class='sticky_placeholder'><\/div>\n<div id='av_section_2' aria-label='SOU English Stories - Blog Roll Template - Blog Section' class='avia-section av-58tm92o-7613df8ea3abf893b3eb2bc16e730d0e main_color avia-section-default avia-shadow  avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_submenu  avia-builder-el-last  avia-bg-style-scroll container_wrap fullsize'  ><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-full alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-88144'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" 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id=\"style-css-av-3v1pxow-d0975740878ad68164e7a597e5621f7b\">\n.avia-image-container.av-3v1pxow-d0975740878ad68164e7a597e5621f7b img.avia_image{\nbox-shadow:none;\n}\n.avia-image-container.av-3v1pxow-d0975740878ad68164e7a597e5621f7b .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-3v1pxow-d0975740878ad68164e7a597e5621f7b av-styling-no-styling avia-align-  avia-builder-el-6  el_before_av_heading  avia-builder-el-first '   itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Building-Bridges-and-Connecting-People-to-Wildlife-SOU-Alum-Maya-Smith-Story-OG.webp 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<\/picture><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-3f55d80-2de1c6f4cfdc3cf1d80f45e0733ba491\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-3f55d80-2de1c6f4cfdc3cf1d80f45e0733ba491{\npadding-bottom:0;\nfont-size:28px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-3f55d80-2de1c6f4cfdc3cf1d80f45e0733ba491 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n#top #wrap_all .av-special-heading.av-3f55d80-2de1c6f4cfdc3cf1d80f45e0733ba491 .av-special-heading-tag{\nfont-size:28px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-3f55d80-2de1c6f4cfdc3cf1d80f45e0733ba491 .av-subheading{\nfont-size:18px;\n}\n\n@media only screen and (min-width: 480px) and (max-width: 767px){ \n#top #wrap_all .av-special-heading.av-3f55d80-2de1c6f4cfdc3cf1d80f45e0733ba491 .av-special-heading-tag{\nfont-size:0.8em;\n}\n}\n\n@media only screen and (max-width: 479px){ \n#top #wrap_all .av-special-heading.av-3f55d80-2de1c6f4cfdc3cf1d80f45e0733ba491 .av-special-heading-tag{\nfont-size:0.8em;\n}\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-3f55d80-2de1c6f4cfdc3cf1d80f45e0733ba491 av-special-heading-h1 custom-color-heading blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_textblock  top-30 av-inherit-size av-linked-heading'><h1 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >The Butterfly Effect at the Mariposa Preserve: SOU Students Support a Wildlife Project on I-5<\/h1><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lv5slub2-6a5aa86d7b402bfc31d27752b9e9e471\">\n#top .av_textblock_section.av-lv5slub2-6a5aa86d7b402bfc31d27752b9e9e471 .avia_textblock{\nfont-size:12px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lv5slub2-6a5aa86d7b402bfc31d27752b9e9e471 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><em>April 18, 2024<br \/>\nBy Emily Heller, Senior ESP&amp;S Major<br \/>\nPictured above: Smith helps out with California spotted owl banding to aid in ongoing conservation efforts for the species. The owl was handled safely in a work environment with a biologist present<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lv5sz329-c195cc3ed0c9b6b4e68d060747d1732f\">\n#top .av_textblock_section.av-lv5sz329-c195cc3ed0c9b6b4e68d060747d1732f .avia_textblock{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lv5sz329-c195cc3ed0c9b6b4e68d060747d1732f '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Maya Smith, an alum from SOU, is living her best life supporting the conservation of a species only found in the American West. She is currently aiding in trapping efforts for a housecat-sized animal called the fisher (<em>Pekania pennanti<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p>As a biological science technician at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Smith collars the fishers with GPS (Geographic Positioning Systems) and VHF (Very High Frequency) collars. These collars help biological science technicians such as Smith to track the movements and denning locations of the fishers via telemetry.<br \/>\nSmith is excited to work directly with the fishers, which she believes to be a perk of the job. She not only works with the Fishers but also works with a great group of people. Smith feels that she has found &#8220;her people,&#8221; as the environmentalists she works with have the same interest, respect, and curiosity for wildlife that she has. While some aspects of the job may be physically challenging, such as lugging equipment through bushes and some field days with long hours, she doesn&#8217;t love her job any less.<br \/>\nShe says this regarding what inspires her in her journey in environmental science: &#8220;It&#8217;s like the way you feel small when you are standing in a sequoia grove or looking out at a mountain range. I am small, but the work that I can do can lead to something bigger, something that can make real change in the conservation of a species or the restoration of a habitat.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-31d7ab4-4b0d517f4cd91d73ce74fc4f5b6a1d8a\">\n.avia-image-container.av-31d7ab4-4b0d517f4cd91d73ce74fc4f5b6a1d8a img.avia_image{\nbox-shadow:none;\n}\n.avia-image-container.av-31d7ab4-4b0d517f4cd91d73ce74fc4f5b6a1d8a .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-31d7ab4-4b0d517f4cd91d73ce74fc4f5b6a1d8a av-styling-no-styling avia-align-  avia-builder-el-10  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock  pop-20'   itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Smith-amongst-a-peaceful-grove-of-towering-conifers.webp 1200w,https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Smith-amongst-a-peaceful-grove-of-towering-conifers-225x300.webp 225w,https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Smith-amongst-a-peaceful-grove-of-towering-conifers-773x1030.webp 773w,https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Smith-amongst-a-peaceful-grove-of-towering-conifers-768x1024.webp 768w,https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Smith-amongst-a-peaceful-grove-of-towering-conifers-1152x1536.webp 1152w,https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Smith-amongst-a-peaceful-grove-of-towering-conifers-1125x1500.webp 1125w,https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Smith-amongst-a-peaceful-grove-of-towering-conifers-529x705.webp 529w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Smith-amongst-a-peaceful-grove-of-towering-conifers.png\" height=\"1600\" width=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Smith-amongst-a-peaceful-grove-of-towering-conifers.png 1200w, https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Smith-amongst-a-peaceful-grove-of-towering-conifers-225x300.png 225w, https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Smith-amongst-a-peaceful-grove-of-towering-conifers-773x1030.png 773w, https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Smith-amongst-a-peaceful-grove-of-towering-conifers-768x1024.png 768w, https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Smith-amongst-a-peaceful-grove-of-towering-conifers-1152x1536.png 1152w, https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Smith-amongst-a-peaceful-grove-of-towering-conifers-1125x1500.png 1125w, https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/04\/Smith-amongst-a-peaceful-grove-of-towering-conifers-529x705.png 529w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" class=\"wp-image-88145 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-88145 avia_image  sp-no-webp\" alt=\"Smith amongst a peaceful grove of towering conifers\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\"  > <\/picture><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lv5szd8n-2f6a482ef1dbb7eeb715639083b09638\">\n#top .av_textblock_section.av-lv5szd8n-2f6a482ef1dbb7eeb715639083b09638 .avia_textblock{\nfont-size:12px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lv5szd8n-2f6a482ef1dbb7eeb715639083b09638 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><em>Pictured Above: Smith amongst a peaceful grove of towering conifers<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lv5t0y1d-fea707b1c34ea9fde1104b3426d03637\">\n#top .av_textblock_section.av-lv5t0y1d-fea707b1c34ea9fde1104b3426d03637 .avia_textblock{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lv5t0y1d-fea707b1c34ea9fde1104b3426d03637 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Smith&#8217;s passion for nature and wildlife is deeply rooted in her upbringing. Growing up in a picturesque small town in Nevada, nestled southeast of Tahoe and surrounded by majestic snow-capped mountains, she was immersed in the beauty of the natural world. This early exposure, coupled with the influence of her parents and grandparents, sparked a lifelong fascination with nature that continues to drive her career in environmental science.<br \/>\nSmith also has always had an affinity for wildlife. A habituated black bear would frequent her family&#8217;s property in a small town in California. The bear, affectionately named &#8220;Little Bear&#8221; (inspired by children&#8217;s books penned by Else Homelund Minarik), would often come by and get treed by the family dog. Smith attributes her childhood experience with Little Bear as an inspiration to her lifelong wildlife interests.<\/p>\n<p>Maya Smith&#8217;s journey from an ES&amp;P undergraduate student to a successful biological science technician is a testament to the transformative power of environmental science education. Initially, she had planned to major in Anthropology and Sociology, but her path changed after an ES Intro to Biological Sciences class. This shift in her academic focus was driven by a shared belief among environmental science professionals that &#8216;&#8221;there must be something we can do for our changing world'&#8221;&#8211;an ideology that resonated deeply with Smith.<br \/>\nMany of the classes that Smith took at SOU serve her well in her current career as a biological science technician. These classes include research methods, field methods, GIS, modeling, R\/Statistics, and Environmental Sociology. She describes Environmental Sociology (instructed by Mark Shibley) as a class that was key to helping her understand the role of people in the natural landscape.<\/p>\n<p>During her time at SOU, Smith interned for the National Park Service Klamath Inventory &amp; Monitoring Network. During this internship, she published a Featured Creature article on clouded salamanders. Not only did she learn about salamanders through her internship at the Park Service, but she also learned how to communicate science in a way that could engage everyone. Another takeaway was the importance of networking. Smith wisely states, &#8220;You can learn from everybody; you just have to ask.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Smith introduced a project for her Capstone with Dr. Karen Mager, the 糖心传媒 Wildlife Crossing Coalition (SOWCC), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ecologist Charlie Schelz. This project would become known as the I-5 Wildlife Crossing Project, which students would take on for years.<\/p>\n<p>Smith hoped to collect camera trap data on critical biodiversity hotspots around the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument on Interstate 5 in this project. The data helped determine viable sites for the construction of a wildlife corridor.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the data collection process, Smith would search through hours upon hours of camera trap footage. It took a lot of hard work and effort, but the thousands of files she sifted through went a long way. In 2022, with Dr. Mager, Smith presented a poster based on her findings from her I-5 Wildlife Corridor Capstone project at the National Wildlife Society Conference\u2013a truly life-changing experience.<\/p>\n<p>Looking back on her time working on the project, Smith states that she learned many valuable lessons. She says that she realized she had to keep an open mind and be curious. She says she was open to learning everything; she asked questions and spent much time researching. To this day, she strives to be open-minded and curious about all aspects of life.<\/p>\n<p>She graduated with an Environmental Science &amp; Policy degree in the spring of 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Following Smith&#8217;s wise words, &#8220;You can learn from everybody; you just have to ask,&#8221; Smith has some advice for current and future ES students:<\/p>\n<p>For one, if you are interested in something, there is a job for you. She suggests that you find a small technician job during the summer and see if it suits your interests.<\/p>\n<p>For another, Smith mentions that many of us can feel overwhelmed when confronted with environmental truths that we learn nearly every day as ES students. We can feel equally overwhelmed by the pressure to make money in whatever career path we pursue. Smith says:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;My answer to that is what I have been told by others wiser than me: choose what makes you passionate, and you will be fulfilled. When you are fulfilled, you&#8217;ll want to do more, get more degrees, more experience, and more responsibility. The environment needs passionate people in every corner of policy and -ideology. The rest will figure itself out.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>And that, my friends, is followed by the echo of a mic dropping.<\/p>\n<p>While Smith is quite content working at Sequoia National Park, she desires to lead a project one day. She also wants to obtain a Master&#8217;s degree and perhaps a PhD in Wildlife Biology.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-2j9mhv4-f46ab28ad8051ac604e94a159dd71aab\">\n#top .hr.av-2j9mhv4-f46ab28ad8051ac604e94a159dd71aab{\nmargin-top:0;\nmargin-bottom:20px;\n}\n.hr.av-2j9mhv4-f46ab28ad8051ac604e94a159dd71aab .hr-inner{\nwidth:100%;\nmax-width:45%;\n}\n.hr.av-2j9mhv4-f46ab28ad8051ac604e94a159dd71aab .av-seperator-icon{\ncolor:#669900;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-2j9mhv4-f46ab28ad8051ac604e94a159dd71aab hr-custom  avia-builder-el-13  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock  hr-center hr-icon-yes'><span class='hr-inner inner-border-av-border-thin'><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><span class='av-seperator-icon' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue8b1' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><span class='hr-inner inner-border-av-border-thin'><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-235qank-8f5eb00cd659cab2e60bf9daff15cab4\">\n#top .av_textblock_section.av-235qank-8f5eb00cd659cab2e60bf9daff15cab4 .avia_textblock{\nfont-size:15px;\ntext-align:center;\n}\n<\/style>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-235qank-8f5eb00cd659cab2e60bf9daff15cab4 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><span class=\"heavy-man\">Learn more about SOU&#8217;s Environmental Science, Policy, &amp; Sustainability\u00a0Programs:<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"\/academics\/environmental-science\/\">Environmental Science, Policy, &amp; Sustainability<\/a> | <a href=\"\/academics\/environmental-science\/programs\/\">ESP&amp;S Programs Offered<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-1tgwfbk-788f41bfe365537f5f1513e42dd308f1\">\n#top .hr.av-1tgwfbk-788f41bfe365537f5f1513e42dd308f1{\nmargin-top:0;\nmargin-bottom:20px;\n}\n.hr.av-1tgwfbk-788f41bfe365537f5f1513e42dd308f1 .hr-inner{\nwidth:100%;\nmax-width:45%;\n}\n.hr.av-1tgwfbk-788f41bfe365537f5f1513e42dd308f1 .av-seperator-icon{\ncolor:#669900;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-1tgwfbk-788f41bfe365537f5f1513e42dd308f1 hr-custom  avia-builder-el-15  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_social_share  hr-center hr-icon-yes'><span class='hr-inner inner-border-av-border-thin'><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><span class='av-seperator-icon' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue8b1' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><span class='hr-inner inner-border-av-border-thin'><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<div  class='av-social-sharing-box av-3z6hu8-a76a6feba1d66bf28eacbf9732a8461a av-social-sharing-box-default  avia-builder-el-16  el_after_av_hr  avia-builder-el-last  av-social-sharing-box-fullwidth'><div class=\"av-share-box\"><h5 class='av-share-link-description av-no-toc '>Share this Story<\/h5><ul class=\"av-share-box-list noLightbox\"><li class='av-share-link av-social-link-facebook' ><a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook\" href="https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/building-bridges-and-connecting-people-to-wildlife\/&#038;t=Building%20Bridges%20and%20Connecting%20People%20to%20Wildlife%3A%20SOU%20Alum%20Maya%20Smith%E2%80%99s%20Story" aria-hidden='false' data-av_icon='\ue8f3' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello' title='' data-avia-related-tooltip='Share on Facebook'><span class='avia_hidden_link_text'>Share on Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class='av-share-link av-social-link-twitter' ><a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Share on X\" href="https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=Building%20Bridges%20and%20Connecting%20People%20to%20Wildlife%3A%20SOU%20Alum%20Maya%20Smith%E2%80%99s%20Story&#038;url=https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/?p=88144" aria-hidden='false' data-av_icon='\ue932' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello' title='' data-avia-related-tooltip='Share on X'><span class='avia_hidden_link_text'>Share on X<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class='av-share-link av-social-link-linkedin' ><a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Share on LinkedIn\" href="https:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&#038;title=Building%20Bridges%20and%20Connecting%20People%20to%20Wildlife%3A%20SOU%20Alum%20Maya%20Smith%E2%80%99s%20Story&#038;url=https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/building-bridges-and-connecting-people-to-wildlife\/" aria-hidden='false' data-av_icon='\ue8fc' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello' title='' data-avia-related-tooltip='Share on LinkedIn'><span class='avia_hidden_link_text'>Share on LinkedIn<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class='av-share-link av-social-link-mail' ><a  aria-label=\"Share by Mail\" href="mailto:?subject=Building%20Bridges%20and%20Connecting%20People%20to%20Wildlife%3A%20SOU%20Alum%20Maya%20Smith%E2%80%99s%20Story&#038;body=https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/building-bridges-and-connecting-people-to-wildlife\/" aria-hidden='false' data-av_icon='\ue805' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello' title='' data-avia-related-tooltip='Share by Mail'><span class='avia_hidden_link_text'>Share by Mail<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-sn28a8-155117d158b8a0e1a91e8b8ff2729c16\">\n.flex_column.av-sn28a8-155117d158b8a0e1a91e8b8ff2729c16{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-sn28a8-155117d158b8a0e1a91e8b8ff2729c16 av_one_fifth  avia-builder-el-17  el_after_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-last  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  '     ><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From Sequoia to Kings Canyon, Environmental Science &amp; Policy grad Maya Smith continues collaborating with wildlife and contributing to lasting change.<\/p>\n<div class=\"avia-button-wrap avia-button-left\"><a class=\"avia-button avia-color-dark avia-size-large avia-position-left \" href=\"\/academics\/building-bridges-and-connecting-people-to-wildlife\/\" aria-label=\"Read More about this story.\">READ MORE<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":88146,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"aside","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[287,284],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-88144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-aside","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environmental-science-policy","category-featured","post_format-post-format-aside"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v26.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Building Bridges and Connecting People to Wildlife: SOU Alum Maya Smith\u2019s Story - SOU Academic Programs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From Sequoia to Kings Canyon, SOU grad Maya Smith continues collaborating with wildlife and contributing to lasting change.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sou.edu\/academics\/building-bridges-and-connecting-people-to-wildlife\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Building Bridges and Connecting People to Wildlife: SOU Alum Maya Smith\u2019s Story\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From Sequoia to Kings Canyon, Environmental Science &amp; 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