JULIE SCARDINA’S passion for wildlife and wild places comes with a commitment to teaching and encouraging others to make a difference for the wor ld we share. Her lifelong love of animals led to careers as animal trainer, public educator, and conservationist. Scardina served as corporate director of training and animal ambassador programs for SeaWorld and Busch Gardens until 2017. As a national spokesperson for the parks, she appeared regularly on high-profile shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the Today show, spotlighting animals and conservation. Scardina has been recognized for her work with a variety of awards: an Emmy for educational programming, a US Fish & Wildlife Service award for conservation, an industry lifetime achievement award, and a collegiate Hall of Fame award. Scardina is co-author of the award-winning book Wildlife Heroes, which highlights 40 conservationists and their dedication to saving imperiled species. Scardina also co-founded and leads Mission Wildlife, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting species conservation.
