Hello. Julie Scardina here. A trip to the Pantanal, how cool is that?! Of course, being a career animal trainer up until several years ago, I hadn't been able to make many trips abroad for business, so I had never even heard of the Pantanal. Once I did however, my conservationist/biologist side took over, and I immediately wanted to visit this great wilderness area.

I was born with a deep passion for animals – I've always had it. That's why I selected training animals, it gives me the opportunity to develop amazingly close relationships and communicate with them. In essence, an animal trainer is parent, friend, and teacher all wrapped into one. Along with that love for animals I think it is inevitable that there is also a love of the land and water that sustains life. As a result, I care deeply about the health of wild areas around the globe, and want to see firsthand what's being done to protect the outdoors. Working as Animal Ambassador for SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove has allowed me to become more active on the environmental and conservation front, as that is part of the Anhueser-Busch Adventure Parks' mission. So this trip allows me the opportunity to see our support and look for animals in the wild at the same time. So ready or not Brazil, here I come!