My name is Chris Gauthier, 27 years old, from Waterloo Ontario Canada.

Current location: Brisbane, QLD, Australia

I thought it was time to introduce myself and give you insight into just who Chris Gauthier is.

Ever since I was a young boy I had a burning passion for the outdoors and wildlife. It was a common occurrence for me to bring home neighbourhood animals that I found – whether it be orphaned birds, insects, frogs, etc.  My parents use to encourage this passion, and I quickly gained the nickname Dr Doolittle. Not only did I have jam jars full of insects, I had a room full of stuffed animals. I remember calling them “my friends” – From what my mother tells me, I used to spend many hours when I was younger playing with “my friends” – knowing that each had a particular place and exact location in my bedroom. While growing up I was convinced I was going to be a zookeeper and one day own my own zoo. You can ask any past teacher, friends, family member – anyone who really knows me, and they will confirm that I always had a strong passion for animals. It’s something that has not gone away with age, only become stronger.

This passion did get stronger as I grew older. I worked at a pet store for 6 years and was always bringing home pets. My parents would always say “now this is the last one” – but I am not sure whether or not they would have ever prevented this passion from growing. At one stage I had two rabbits, a dog, a chameleon, a lovebird, 16 leopard geckos, a snake, and numerous fresh and salt water fish tanks.

When I was younger I loved watching animal documentaries, especially of the crocodile hunter and Jack Hannah’s Animal Adventures. You could also imagine how excited I was when I moved to the Sunshine Coast University to do my Graduate Diploma in Education – the first chance I got, I was at Australia Zoo from open to close! My passion was cultivated from individuals like Jane Goodall and Steve Irwin – who radiated passion for animals no matter where they went; they lived and breathed it. Both Steve and Jane were also living proof to me the difference one individual can make. I recently attended a lecture from Jane Goodall (last weekend) and it was THE most inspiring two hours of my life. She was living proof that one individual can make great change – they just have to have the drive and determination to see it through.

My parents have been very influential in me developing and extending on this passion. They instilled in my siblings and me the importance of chasing our dreams and never giving up. They also pushed us to extend our passions into tertiary studies – mine just happened to be Zoology. I remember one particular teacher in high school telling me she thought it was a mistake for me to take Zoology in University, but my parents were adamant that I chase my dreams and go after what I wanted. I often look back at that conversation with my high school teacher and use it as motivation. Being a teacher now myself, I could never imagine telling a student to not chase their aspirations. I completed a 4 yr Honours BSc. From Laurentian University (Sudbury, Ontario) and recently had researched that I completed in my 4^thyear published (http://www.herpconbio.org/Volume_5/Issue_3/Gauthier_Lesbarreres_2010.pdf).

During my undergraduate degree, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Toronto Zoo (as part of their zoo keeper for a day program) and completed an internship with an animal outreach company called Sciensational Snakes.  My parents were key in my participation in the zoo keeper for a day program, as they provided me with this opportunity two years in a row as birthday presents – the best birthday present one could ever ask for! I was lucky enough to work with gorilla’s, white rhino, zebra, giraffe, lion, cheetah and various other African animals. Getting to touch a full grown rhino, give dog biscuits to hyena’s, have a lion lick my hand, and bottle feed a baby gorilla only confirmed to me that I was on the right path in life and working with animals was something that I wanted to transform into a career.

When my university career was coming to an end I contemplated for hours upon hours as to what I wanted to do post undergrad. My university professor and thesis advisor suggested that I go into a Master’s degree, but I was unsure that that was the path for me. I remember having this internal battle, thinking about what was next (I know most of you have probably had the same conversations with yourself as I did) as I was walking through the student centre at the university.  A man was giving a presentation on teaching in Australia – who could resist that?

4 Years ago I packed up my belongings into two oversized suitcases and boarded a plane to Australia. I didn’t know what I was about to get myself into, but the excitement of experiencing a new country overpowered the fears of the unknown. I completed my Graduate Diploma of Education from the Sunshine Coast in 2008 and have been working in Queensland ever since. I have been teaching at Cleveland District State High School (Cleveland QLD, a suburb of Brisbane) since 2009, teaching a variety of subjects and year levels. This year I teach all grade levels from grade 8-12 (teaching Science and Biology).

Throughout my life I have always struggled between my two passions – animals and teaching. I love teaching and truly feel it was why I was put on this earth, though, some days I feel that something is missing – having that connection with nature and wildlife. DeforestACTION, for me, presents a unique opportunity in that it will allow me to combine these two passions into a once in a lifetime experience.

I hope this gives you more of an insight into who I am and what I am all about.

Hope to chat soon.

Chris Gauthier (aka Mr Gauthier)