Nathan Hahn and Allegra Waterman Snow of Colorado College
Tigers for Tigers sit down with Sean Carnell.
How did you hear
about Tigers for Tigers and get involved in the organization?
Nathan:
Both of us heard about Tigers for Tigers through Hayley
Dieckmann who stated Tigers for Tigers through the pre-vet club last year. Once
the letter from the national coalition reached Colorado College, someone passed
it down to her thinking that she is the best one to organize the Tigers for
Tigers club here. She has an interest meeting last spring and that’s how we got
involved. Now here we are today!
It was exciting for us, because it was a new club and many
people were excited about it. We saw a lot of opportunity for the club to grow.
It is also the only conservation club on campus, which makes us unique.
Why does this matter
to you? Why do you care about our mascot?
Allegra:
Both of us are biology majors with a focus in ecology and
evolution in the natural aspect. Both of us know that tigers are a keystone
species and that we care about our mascot because of its ecological value. We
are also very passionate about protecting the natural environment and
protecting the species that are endangered. And because of that, we are very
passionate about saving our mascot.
The tiger is extremely important to the identity of our
school as well and if there are no more tigers, our mascot would mean a lot
less.
What are some of the
activities that you have planned for this semester?
Nathan:
We are trying to host an event every month for our members.
We have a trip to a local accredited sanctuary with a
student organization on campus known as Breakout.
Breakout receives funding from the
university to take students into the community to participate in volunteer
activities. We hope that this will also open the door for students who have not
heard of Tigers for Tigers on campus. We hope that this upcoming trip will
inspire more students to join us outside of the biology department.
We also have an upcoming trip to the Cheyenne zoo in which
we will donate our tiger enrichment toy that we coordinated with them last
semester. We will also follow up with everyone who participated in the event to
generate more attention on campus and within the community.
We also hope to visit the National Wildlife Property Repository
in Denver, CO to educate our members about the severity regarding wildlife
crime and what United States Fish and Wildlife Service is doing to combat the
issues. It is a unique opportunity for our members considering we are so close
to the facility.
Do you think that the
Tigers for Tigers experience will be useful outside of college and applicable
to your career?
Allegra:
I believe that the connections will provide us with more
opportunities outside of college to pursue anything in that direction.
Personally, dealing with the beginnings of a club and setting up a club on
campus is an experience that not everyone gets. It is also a great resume
builder.
Nathan:
For our underclassmen who are joining there are a lot
of great networking opportunities among
our partner organizations, especially if you meet them at the National T4T
Coalition meetings. It will also provide you with insights if you wish to
pursue a career in the non-for-profit field. It is definitely something that we
have been pushing in the club to underclassmen, and the opportunities to meet
with other people from around the country. It is also great to have connections
among other student groups across the country who have the same passion as you.
I know that I experienced that in Washington DC when I got to meet everyone from
the national t4t coalition. It was really a great experience me.
What is one of your
proudest moments within Colorado College T4T?
Allegra:
I think what was most rewarding and stood out for me was
when we were able to go to the Cheyenne zoo and help out with the Big Cats Bonanza
and seeing the support within the club, helping out throughout their
educational event, we could tell that our efforts were greatly appreciated by
the zoo. That was one of those moments, where I was like “hey, this is a really
cool club! We are actually doing something!”
In three words, how
would you describe your club:
“Dedicated, growing, potential”
Allegra:
We are a small, dedicated group with growing potential!
What are some of the
challenges that you face in your organization?
Nathan:
One of the main problems that we are facing is that at
Colorado College is that we go by the block system. Within the block system,
everyone has so many things going on it is hard to get people to change up
their schedule to participate in Tigers for Tigers. So one of our current
issues is recruitment but it is one of our major goals this semester to find
ways to engage students of all disciplines across campus to join our club.
Do you have any words
of encouragement for other T4T clubs?
Allegra:
I think what we found to be successful is to have events
that reach out into the wider community. It also offers members an opportunity
to participate in our activities. I think getting out into the wider community
is great thing. We are excited to find out what all of the other Tigers for
Tigers clubs do as well.
Nathan:
It is also really important to keep your members involved.
If they are not involved, the club will not be important to them. So through
planned events or delegating work, even if everything doesn’t work out, it is
great was to keep them engaged. We have been able to find two or three
underclassmen who are reliable, can get things done and they are excited to do
it. We have been giving them more responsibilities as we move forward and we
look forward to see where they take Colorado College Tigers for Tigers once we
graduate.
About Us:
As a part of a small liberal arts
community, we hope to bring attention to our mascot and to raise awareness
among the student body of the importance of tiger conservation and ethical
treatment. By working with the school administration and local zoos and
sanctuaries, we hope to organize educational events, fundraisers, and provide
opportunities for direct interactions with tigers and other big cats. For more
information, follow them on Facebook.
