I have always loved animals. I grew up in a small, rural area in the northern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, where lakes and forests surrounded us on all sides. As a child,I found solace in nature and was fascinated by the animals who inhabited it. I remember watching tadpoles hatch in ponds, seeing painted turtles sun themselves on fallen trees along the shoreline, and marveling at the formations of Canada geese flying south at the first signs of winter. I loved the wil