b"It's a WIld, WIld lIfeDavid Mizejewski reflects on his work as a naturalistBY ELLEN DONKERDavid Mizejewski makes regular media appearances for the National Wildlife Federation. L to R: Feeding a llama on NBC's Today Show with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb; holding a goat with Rachael Ray; holding a wallaby with Robert Redford at the National Wildlife Federations Conservation Achievement Awards in 2012; Mizejewski's first ap-pearance in costume on The Wendy Williams Show in 2013 (which has become a tradition), handling a Burmese python.A searlyashecanremember,WILD. This is all part of his work as a naturalist forMaplewood and instantly fell in love with it. He DavidMizejewskihasbeenthe National Wildlife Federation, where hes beensays, I always kind of fantasized about living ina drawn to nature and wildlife.employed for the past 20 years. nice community where youve got a lot of character, HewasthatkidwhospentThis past April, Mizejewski and his husband, Jus- where theres uniqueness, where people care about his childhood outdoors, onlytin Wolfe, moved to Maplewood from Washington,where they live, and everything is well kept. And, coming in when his motherD.C.whenWolfechangedjobs.Wediscoveredobviously, someplace with lots of beautiful trees. called him for dinner, and av- Having grown up in Middletown, a suburb of idly reading Ranger Rick, a childrens magazine pub- MonmouthCounty,Mizejeweskineverexpected lished by the National Wildlife Federation.to move back to New Jersey, but he reflects fondly Whocouldknowthathispassionforwildlifeon the subdivision that raised him. I got to climb would lead him to become a familiar face on practi- trees, and play hide and seek in the woods with my cally every talk show? Google his name and youll seefriends, and catch frogs and, you know, scrape my numerous clips of Mizejewski casually chatting upknees and fall in the mud and catch snakes and bring Conan OBrien, Wendy Williams, Ellen DeGeneresthemhome,hesays.Althoughhisparentswere and Al Roker while holding either the most ador- city kids, they indulged his love of the outdoors. able or terrifying critters. Hes also hosted and co- At Emory University, Mizejewski channeled his produced several television series including BackyardDavid Mizejewski and his husband, Justin Wolfe,interest in wildlife by earning a degree in human and Habitat on Animal Planet and Pet Talk on Nat Georelocated to Maplewood from Washington, D.C. natural ecology with a minor in political science. 16/ matters magazine / winter 2021"