I Work With Animals: Brent "The Bug Guy" Karner

What animal lover hasn't daydreamed about ditching their desk job and applying for a job at the zoo? Or at a doggy daycare? Or tracking gorillas in Africa? We sure have, but since most of us may never actually get to work with the animals we love, we thought we'd introduce you to a few people who do.

Name: Brent "The Bug Guy" Karner
Age: 39
Job: Manager of Invertebrate Living Collections at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Tell me about what you do at the museum. It looks like a fun job!
My job title is Manager of Invertebrate Living Collections, which is a mouthful, so I just call myself "Brent the Bug Guy." For the last 20 years, I've been using my knowledge of bugs to educate the public, because I've found that while I like bugs, most people don't.

What made you want to work with animals and teach people about them?
As I got involved with museums, I realized that this is a great way to introduce people to these animals. I'm not looking to turn them into entomologists, but if I can get Joe Blow to look at the bug before he steps on it, I've done my job. I'm in the de-education business, taking generations of preconceptions, stories and myths that have created misunderstandings that have made us loathe these animals to the point where we try to separate ourselves from them; and that's something from an ecological perspective that we cannot do. We have to understand them for what they are. The usual lines about how important they are don't make a difference until people have to actually meet one up close and personal and see it won't eat their children.

How long have you loved bugs?
As a kid, I kept a few bugs in a jar. I did not have fear of insects growing up. My mother welcomed the idea that I could investigate the world around me, but she taught me common sense too. The way she taught it is the way I teach today: not fear, but respect. I teach people that you can get into contact with animals in a safe way if you take the time to learn about them first.

What did you study in college?
It got into entomology serendipitously. I was registering for my last year of school and needed one more biological science course. I was looking through the course book in the basement and this beetle ran across the floor. I went to pick it up and it bit me on the finger, and I said, "I wonder what this is." The other guy who was in the basement said, "Then you should take an entomology course, dummy." I said, "Funny," but that was what I ended up doing. And I found out what kind of beetle bit me. It was a brown beetle.

What is your favorite type of invertebrate?
I have gravitated towards the bugs that people find the most disturbing, because people tend to find them disturbing for the weirdest reasons. I'm fond of cockroaches. They are so adaptable and such an amazing animal, and nobody gives them any credit for it. I also like some of the animals most people like, like butterflies or the praying mantis. But if I had to pick one, the spider or scorpion would probably be the top pick. Or a weird animal like the sun spider, which isn't even a spider.

What's a typical day like for you at the museum?
My job isn't very repetitive because every day there's a new issue or concern that requires my attention. Tomorrow, maybe the Fish and Wildlife Service will call and say they need some insects ID'd. The day after that, maybe some cool animals are available that we could display here [at the museum], or maybe there is someone interested in bugs who wants a look behind the scenes.

I do a lot of talks here at the museum and offsite, and I'm responsible for a lot of the programming, like the annual bug fair, a huge two-day festival that's our two busiest days of the year and is the largest bug show in western U.S., maybe all of the U.S.

What's the most challenging part of your job?
The challenges of working with insects aren't challenging; they're fun.Even if I have to come in early, I still get to play with bugs for a living.

Tags: bugs, entomologist, i work with animals, IWorkWithAnimals, Los Angeles, LosAngeles, Museum of Natural History, MuseumOfNaturalHistory, working at a museum, working with bugs, WorkingAtAMuseum, WorkingWithBugs