Meet Zahir, From Fashion to Passion
Although having a lifelong passion for the environment, Zahir initially studied fashion design until an eye-opening gap semester traveling to Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand. It was there that she was challenged with new outdoor adventures, learned about Fijian, Aboriginal Australian, and Māori culture, and gained renewed appreciation for connection with the land. While traveling, she experienced a variety of sustainability and environmental issues first hand that presented her with the opportunity to examine her own behavior and contribution to harmful systems and ways of living. Since then, she has been dedicated to environmental education and environmental issues, as well as the related social issues and how humans connect with nature.
“Learning about nature and taking action to help protect our Earth is my passion! I am always looking for opportunities to increase my knowledge of our natural world.”
Turning a Passion into a Career
In 2019, Zahir completed a Master Naturalist course through the University of Maryland Extension Services, after which she was hired in her first formal environmental role as a summer educator, and then
remained on as a naturalist/educator where she provided public school programs, helped with the care of rescue animals, provided overnight camping experiences, and worked as an assistant forest preschool teacher.
After moving to Florida, history repeated itself. In 2023, Zahir took the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) Freshwater Systems Course hosted at UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County. Unbeknown to her FMNP instructor, Dr. Katherine Clements, Zahir had applied online for an open position with Dr. Clements in the Ecology and Natural Resources Program. Being so impressed with Zahir during class, Dr. Clements suggested she apply for the position. When Zahir mentioned she already had applied, she was surprised to find out Dr. Clements never received her online application! Zahir reapplied, and she has been serving as the Ecology and Natural Resources program assistant at UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County ever since!
In October 2024, after also completing the Coastal Systems course with Pinellas County, Zahir completed the third core FMNP course, Uplands Systems. She is now a certified Florida Master Naturalist! In her position with UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County, Zahir does youth and family programming about snakes, shell and shark teeth jewelry, mindfulness in nature, and educates about all other kinds of wildlife. She is also integral in providing our award-winning LIFE program to 4th and 5th grade students in Sarasota County.
“Master Naturalist Courses have given me amazing opportunities and connections and have resulted in 2 really awesome jobs for me! As soon as taking these courses, I have applied the knowledge to my own behavior and recreation, as well as sharing what I know with my friends and family.”
Learn by Doing: the Environment as a Classroom
Zahir’s favorite part of the Florida Master Naturalist Program courses is the hands-on learning elements provided by the field trip component.  From learning about tiny, carnivorous plants, called sundews, dotting the soil in the wetlands of Myakka River State Park to doing a presentation on dolphins from a canoe in a mangrove swamp at Weedon Island Preserve, these one-of-a-kind learning experiences are what truly made Zahir love this program. Interested in taking a FMNP class? Zahir says do it!
”You will connect with others, deepen your passion for Florida’s environment, and learn how to live more sustainably and in harmony with our ecosystems here. You get to fully realize and see just how fortunate we are to live in this incredibly unique and special place.”
Become a Florida Master Naturalist!
Interested in joining a Florida Master Naturalist Program course to see what all the hype is about? Register for an available course near you, or learn more about the program. You can also apply for a scholarship here. Read a graduate success story to learn how this program impacts the lives of students and their communities. Stay in the know and find out when UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County is offering FMNP courses! Sign up for Nature News, the Ecology and Natural Resources Program’s newsletter. Graduates from a FMNP class may also join their local Friends of FMNP group to continue learning, creating community, and supporting conservation locally! Friends events in Sarasota County are shared via our Nature News newsletter.
7
