Smithsonian Voices

From the Smithsonian Museums

Ashley Goetz

Ashley Goetz is a web content writer at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, where she translates animal care research and conservation science into compelling stories. Ashley earned a bachelor's degree in public communication with a minor in marine biology from American University. When she isn’t at the Zoo, she spends her time traveling, crocheting and watching reruns of "Parks and Recreation" with her two cats.

Caribbean flamingos

10 Things You Didn't Know About Flamingos

Flamingos are unusual in more ways than one

The coast on the island of Curaçao

Connecting Ocean Conservation from Sea to Sky

A sea lion at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

5 Free Programs Streaming for Earth Week

Reptile keepers are warming up to a new monitor lizard this winter, a young Komodo dragon named Onyx.

Caring for Komodo Dragons, the World's Largest Lizards

A cheetah cub at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia.

8 Aww-Inspiring Videos of the Year's Best Animal and Conservation Stories

A bison on the Northern Great Plains.

I Spent the Summer Studying a Herd of Bison, And Here’s What I Learned

The Peruvian tern's desert camouflage makes it almost impossible to track, but that’s exactly what our research team set out to do. It would take us four months to survey more than 1,851 acres for the bird, battling sandstorms, stifling heat and impossible landscapes inside Paracas National Reserve — terrain that the tern has mastered.

Searching for the Invisible, Invincible Peruvian Tern

Spindly legs and thick, red fur have earned them the nickname “foxes on stilts,” but maned wolves are neither fox nor wolf.

What the Rhythm of a Maned Wolf's Heart Reveals

Tigers are the largest cat species in the world. Amur tigers (sometimes called Siberian tigers) are the biggest tigers, with males weighing up to 660 pounds and measuring up to 10 feet long from nose to tip of the tail.

What Does Tiger Poop Look Like? And More Tiger Facts

A hundred feet above the forest floor and dense with leaves and plants, the rainforest canopy is a challenging place to study. It’s hard to observe from the ground and difficult for researchers to access, so conservation biologist Tremie Gregory learned to climb trees.

Heights Unseen: The Hidden World of Tropical Rainforests

Bozie (left) and Shanthi (right) may be from different family groups, but they have built a lasting friendship.

How Do You Encourage Elephants to Build Positive Relationships?

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute welcomed many new animals in 2019, including this endangered red panda cub. (Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute).

2019's Conservation Stories Worth Celebrating

Black-footed ferrets are well-suited for their prairie environment, where their colors help them blend in with grassland soils and plants.

What Sound Does a Black-footed Ferret Make? And Other Ferret Facts

A Savannah sparrow stands on a patch of melting snow in a warm-season grass field in Virginia. (Amy Johnson, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute)

Not All Birds Fly South for the Winter

It's easy to spot the difference between Karl and Karoline (even without Karl’s beak). Karoline is smaller and has a blue and black throat sack. Like other male Abyssinian ground hornbills, Karl has a red and blue throat sack.

When Karl Met Karoline

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