Greg Mertz grew up in Louisburg, Pennsylvania, where his family spent a lot of time outdoors appreciating wildlife. He loved school, especially biology, and won numerous science awards in high school. His interest in the natural world continued in college, where he thought he would become a geologist after graduation, but instead he redirected himself into education.
For the next 10 years he was employed at a variety of museums all over the East Coast. During this time he met and married Jamie Nathanson. They moved to Washington , D.C., where Nathanson entered law school, while he landed a dream job at the Smithsonian Institution.
Mertz thought living in Washington was fascinating but dangerous. He and Nathanson were also thinking of starting a family, and he knew that museum jobs were not always secure because of the difficulties in obtaining steady funding.
Mertz and his wife moved to Boston, where Mertz enrolled in veterinarian school at the age of 34. After he finished the program, he spent a few years with a large veterinarian group. He then became executive director of the New England Wildlife Center, which had long hours and skimpy pay. The thrill of rescuing wild animals made it worth it to him, though.
He also had the opportunity to teach again. People with unusual pets often brought them to the center, which prompted him to open a clinic specializing in treating a wide range of animal species. He named the clinic The Odd Pet Vet. Besides enjoying his work, he also likes the independence this lifestyle offers.
They now have two sons, Zak and Harry. Ironically the family doesn't have many pets of their own. They all have allergies, so their dog is a poodle that is allergy proof. They also have some turtles and a bird. Many animals are dropped off on the family's doorstep and they care for them until they can adopt them out.
There is a pond about a half-mile from their home, and they enjoy family activities such as canoeing, fishing and hiking. The Wildlife Center runs a summer camp for children, and Mertz enjoys taking Zak and Harry there.
Greg Mertz really feels like his life now is the good life. To him there's no real drudgery in what he does. He feels like there was a lot of risk in changing his career, but he says it was well worth it. The good life to him is having control over his schedule, enjoying what he's doing and being able to spend time with his family.
Resources New England Wildlife Center
The New England Wildlife Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving wildlife and the environment through education, advocacy and habitat intervention.
New England Wildlife Center
19 Fort Hill St.
Hingham, MA 02043-9905
USA
Phone: 781-749-5387
Email:
info@newildlife.com
URL:
www.newildlife.com
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