Please join us for a presentation and chat with Erna Walraven and Leanne at our Port Macquarie Library on Saturday 5th July at 11.30am.

Erna describes herself as someone who gets bored easily and wears many hats: including author, wildlife and zoo consultant, workshop facilitator, lecturer, and speaker.

The thread that runs through these activities is her fascination with wild creatures and an interest in connecting people with stories of the natural world.

Erna has spent more than three decades working in zoos, observing animal behaviour in human care and in the wild. Watching wild animals for many years has led to a deep interest in our shared evolutionary history and the lessons humans can learn from that shared past.

HEAR ME ROAR

From the aggressive female argonaut, to the promiscuous lady emu, to the ‘drag queen cuttlefish’, Erna examines gender roles throughout the animal kingdom, unpacking the sexist myths of the demure, maternal female.  She covers topics such as choice, motherhood and parenting, control, power, mating systems and more.

Alongside these fascinating investigations, we follow Erna as she progresses through her zookeeping career, facing horrific sexism and hazing by some male colleagues and later witnessing the industry begin to develop and modernise.

Despite the challenges, Erna finds immense joy in her work with animals, and it brings incredible opportunities, including meeting heroes of the industry David Attenborough and Jane Goodall.

Claire from Bookface will be attending with copies of Hear Me Roar for purchase.