Hannah's Interviews

Eryn Field

When picturing a six-year old girl words like cute, playful, and energetic are usually what come to one's mind. With her light brown, shoulder length hair, oversized green hat, Xtratuf rain boots, and beaming smile it is easy to see that Eryn Field fits the stereotypical six-year old girl description. This, however, is only the tip of the iceberg.

Eryn is adorable, no doubt about it, but as soon as she begins to talk it is clear that she is also extremely intelligent and wise beyond her years. When asked what she likes to do for fun Eryn paused before replying, "Well... I like dance! I did hip hop." Eryn also likes to play Candyland and her favorite move is either Alvin and the Chipmunks or Tom and Jerry. This is where the story starts to change and her interests and comments become less childish and a little more unique.

Most six-year-olds have a favorite animal, be it a giraffe, a dog, or whatever other animal they may have had the chance to see or learn about in their lifetime. Eryn's favorite animal is the Nudibranch. Don't know what that is? Never even heard that word before? That's ok, many people go their whole lives without hearing it. A nudibranch, as Eryn explained, is "a bright colored, shell-less snail!" This is only the first surprise to come to anyone who is willing to take the time to talk with Eryn. For example, Eryn's second favorite animal is the octopus because "their tentacles are SO sticky!"

This odd choice in animals becomes much less surprising when you learn that Eryn's parents are Carmen and Conrad Field, both of whom are professional naturalists. Conrad Field is also a biologist. Carmen works as a marine science educator for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Because of her parents jobs Eryn also gets to travel to interesting places. This winter her parents took a break from lecturing and took a family trip to Hawaii. Eryn's face lit up when she began talking about the time she got to spend with her family and the animals she got to see. Eryn pulled out her dad's digital camera and excitedly showed me the pictures of the turtles she saw. Hawaii was a family vacation, but this August Eryn will be going with her parents to Saint Paul Island in the Bering Sea. Conrad and Carmen will be teaching classes for children about natural history. Eryn's only comment about their trip to the Bering Sea was, " You never take your jacket off there." Eryn will also be accompanying her parents to Antarctica soon.

For a little girl, Eryn is very unique. She plays Candyland, watches silly movies, and loves to play outside, but she also knows the scientific names of many sea creatures and is excited to learn much more. After a long conversation with Eryn, one has only to look at her bright pink fingernails (her favorite color) combined with a green and blue lifejacket, in which she appears right at home, to know that she is really an interesting kid.