Meet Dave Johnson | Zookeeper and Conservationist

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

Hi Dave, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started my own non-profit conservation organization back in 2014. The Katie Adamson Conservation Fund is the product of all my animal experiences, dreams, and aspirations, all rolled up into one huge wonderful experience. We had lost one of my longtime zoo explorer scouts and interns to cancer. Katie Adamson had been working with us for almost 12 years when she passed away while she was attending CSU to get her wildlife degree. She wanted to be a zookeeper. I was writing children’s books and leading groups of people around the planet, but my zoo job was really holding me back. I was tired of hearing the negatives, the no’s, and the not yets. So I decided to do my own thing for elephants and rhinos. This has led me to an amazing new career avenue and mind set. I am hoping to retire from the zoo next May and do this conservation career full time. Sometimes life gives you hurdles for a reason and you have to muster the strength to conquer and take control.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work in conservation is so much more than just dealing with wildlife. It is also having the compassion and understanding that allows you to work with the community of people who share this space with all the animals that surround them. You will never succeed unless you help the people. That has been our mantra. My zoo did not believe in me and there was always the executive team that tried to tear me down. I would not listen to them any longer and knew that I had to do something to break away from this negativity. So I created my own positive world that started out in Nepal and is now in 22 countries around the globe. Four of us went to Nepal that first year in 2010 to work with the people and connect with the wildlife. Now it’s eleven trips later and we have taken 150 people over with us and have helped to build the nation’s first wildlife veterinary hospital on the border of Chitwan National Park. We support human/wildlife conflict orphanages and help send kids in need to school. We provide camera traps for studying tiger and striped hyena and pay salaries for our colleagues to work in our name. It’s been life changing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a friend visiting Colorado I would take them down to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to see that animal collection and meet the wonderful staff there. I would have them climb up Pikes Peak to share the altitude and wildlife with them. We would visit Rocky Mountain National Park and spend the day hiking the trails down in the glacial valleys near Bear Lake. We would then drive the scenic roads to Walden and look for moose. They would get some great green chile and some fantastic local brews. We would go bar hopping in the RiNo District and they would meet some of our colleagues who support our conservation efforts. We would eat dinner at the Sherpa House in Golden for some Nepal flavors. They would get to go down to the Sand Dunes and climb the highest point to check out the mountain views and see the cranes migrating. Hot springs, rafting, and a short backpacking foray on the Colorado Trail. That would be a week to remember.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout should go to my brother, Mike Johnson. He is 2.5 years younger than myself and had to put up with my animal history and nerdiness for his entire life. I was always catching him in nets with shawls thrown from behind a couch, or trying to put a radio collar on him, or ear tagging him as he struggled to get away. He had to watch Wild Kingdom and every animal show on television or at the movies. He believed in me and always wanted me to follow my dream, even if our parents were not so sure that I could make a living. Our nicknames when we were younger were Lobo, because I loved wolves, and Mako, because he loved sharks. Nobody else in the family ever called us these names even though we tried for years to make it grab hold. He came to see me in Alaska when I was a bear biologist and just went with me to a sea turtle rescue center a few weeks ago when I visited him in Wilmington, NC. We went backpacking around the US and were white water rafting guides together. He was my best friend growing up and biggest supporter, my hugest fan!

Website: www.kacf.eco

Facebook: Katie Adamson Conservation Fund