Hayley’s passion for wildlife conservation and education began at the age of seven, when she confidently told her mom she was going to become a zookeeper—and perform on Broadway “on the side.” During high school, she began volunteering in zoos, where the bird keepers inspired a lifelong fascination with all things avian.
Hayley earned her Bachelor’s degree in Forestry and Wildlife from The Ohio State University. During college, she interned with the Indianapolis Zoo’s Marine Mammals Department and worked as a seasonal keeper on the Kansas City Zoo’s Shows Team. In her senior year, she joined the Ohio School of Falconry, where she discovered a passion for birds of prey.
After graduation, Hayley joined the World Bird Sanctuary, where she also performed in the organization’s bird show at the Buffalo Zoo. She later became an ambassador animal keeper at the Houston Zoo before landing her dream role as a trainer at Natural Encounters, Inc.
Today, Hayley gets to live out that childhood dream by combining conservation and theatre, showcasing incredible animal behavior for hundreds of guests while inspiring them to care about wildlife. She hopes that somewhere in the audience is another seven-year-old who dreams of working with animals—and maybe doing Broadway on the side.