Natural curiosity leads teen to research, TV appearance

"Sometimes there’s a snake in here," O’Bryan said, checking undergrowth at Steele Creek Park.

The snake had vacated, but the day was not a total loss – he bagged an elusive cave salamander moments later, which was enough for O’Bryan, who is not a snake hunter but a herpetologist, someone who studies reptiles. And he has plenty of curiosity for any he finds.

Poised and precociously articulate, O’Bryan, at 18, already has years of experience – including television exposure – in the naturalism field.

Herpetology is an obsession the Eagle Scout from Piney Flats has pursued since childhood.

Born in Boone, N.C., and raised in rural Shady Valley, Tenn., young O’Bryan was fascinated by the vibrant and complex ecosystems surrounding him.

O’Bryan spent hours studying wildlife, and his self-discipline earned him the admiration of prominent local naturalist Wallace Coffey, a member of the Bristol Bird Club.

"[Coffey] found me when I was doing field research on bog turtles," said O’Bryan, who at the time was volunteering with the Knoxville Zoo Tennessee Bog Turtle Program in addition to his independent study of the endangered species.

"[Chris] struck me as perfect in every way," Coffey said. "He was wearing khaki field research clothes, which blew me away. I told him no typical self-respecting teenager would be willing to dress that way. It showed me his commitment ... he’s very mature and doesn’t care what his peers think. He’s really smart, and I saw a lot of potential in him."

"[Coffey] saw my intense interest in natural history, and he saw I could make a career of it, so he took me under his wing," O’Bryan said.

Coffey spring-boarded O’Bryan into more nature projects and connected him with respected naturalists, like Dr. Tom Laughlin of ETSU.

"[Coffey] connected me with Steele Creek," O’Bryan said. At age 13, "I became the park’s first junior naturalist."

As junior park naturalist, O’Bryan volunteered 500 hours to research, cleaning reptile cages and using telemetry and Global Positioning Systems to track park wildlife.

Home-schooling gave him the flexibility to work year-round at the park while still serving as a research technician with the Tennessee Bog Turtle Program.

At Steele Creek, O’Bryan was especially intrigued by turtles’ basking habits, particularly those of the uncommon eastern spiny softshell turtle, a reclusive sharp-nosed reptile with a leathery shell.

He got a special permit from the Tennessee Wildlife Research Agency and began trapping and observing the creatures intensely.

"They are four times more sensitive to pollution than most turtles, and they are the only soft-shell turtle in the region. I found their unique nature interesting. Very little is known about them," O’Bryan said.

Shortly before his 15th birthday, ETSU granted money for his new turtle project, making him a summer Howard Hughes Research Scholarship student.

His research drew national attention in August 2004 when the Turner South Network television show "The Natural South" featured O’Bryan and his turtles in an episode.

"I was really nervous," O’Bryan said about filming. "But they cut out the parts where I was nervous. They showed me trapping turtles, and I took the crew out in a boat looking for them."

"[O’Bryan’s] commitment to the environment and all things living is unique," said Becky Wilkerson, president of the Friends of Steele Creek Nature Center and Park. "He was always willing to lead any tour, whether it was on birds, turtles – anything. He just liked to share his love of nature."

O’Bryan enjoys nature not only through research, but through sports like skiing, kayaking, and scuba diving.

Steele Creek Park put O’Bryan on the payroll when he was 16, adding more duties to his park research work.

But he found himself increasingly drawn to tropical herpetology after exploring the Amazonian jungle in December 2005 on a Smithsonian Family trip to Peru.

"By day, we looked for birds and other animals. At night, we went out in a river boat looking for caimans [Amazon crocodilians], snakes and sloths," said O’Bryan, who was inspired by the trip despite being literally covered with mosquitoes.

This summer, O’Bryan left Steele Creek to work as an undergraduate research assistant for the Field Biology Department at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn.

After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from APSU, O’Bryan intends to get his masters in biology, followed by a doctorate in tropical herpetology.

"He has what it takes to get his PhD," Coffey said. "I think he will be successful at that as he is at whatever he does."

"I’d like to work for a natural history museum, possibly doing research in South America and southern Africa," O’Bryan said.

"He is one of those bright stars who’ll really contribute to the field," Wilkerson said. "We’ll be hearing about him in the future."

"The rainforest is going fast, but the more research you do, the more chance it has of being protected," he said.

how about an article about the kids that are learning on their about engineering or technology? science and math? hell, anything skills that would be beneficial in furthering America's technological future?

you might be looking for kids who are on the conveyor belt of American education... what this kid is doing and what he's learned to do will likely help him in any field he chooses... i bet chooses more than two in his lifetime... he's learned how to be a life-long learner... that is far more valuable than someone who goes to school only to learn to do a job...

Do we need more movie directors? I sure would like to see some conservative patriotic ones in the mix, so maybe we do.

i agree... this is where conservatives can truly make an impact on the culture... movie directors, journalists, writers, authors, higher education... i'd prefer my boys choose careers from this list than become pastors...

I sense anger in this thread!!! FWIW, I thought it was a cool article. Just shows the great potential behind homeschooling of finding your niche in the world and really getting to explore it while you’re young and can enjoy it! Thanks for posting the article!

Right On, my kid is 13, homeschooled all her life and what does she want to be? A movie director! She absolutely loves reading despite my having been a terrible teacher in the subject when she was 6, then I let go. When she took the Stamford Achievement Test when she was 10, I thought the results were messed up. What on earth did it mean that she was scoring a PHS on reading comprehension? I read the fine print on the back and it told me it meant post high school. I know I did nothing to add to her exceptional talent, other than read a lot myself and talk to her/debate with her all the time because that’s when she is around! Having her and homeschooling her is the best thing I’ve ever done in my life. She is also a great writer and actress, having played Miranda in The Tempest. She is just the best, how did I get so lucky? Thank’s for letting me brag so much.

Oh, and about kids learning about engineering on their own..my other kid only 5, is constantly doing experiments with weight, asking me about speed, gravity, how things are made-that kind of stuff. Kids are different and I bet she will do something more technical than the older one. I’ll keep answering her questions and finding her opportunities to combine her talents and interests with what she and the world needs.

WONDERFUL!!! Great job there!!! :) Isn’t it wonderful to let your kids do what they love?! I am so excited about homeschooling and I don’t even have any kiddos yet (God willing by this time next year I’ll have one on the way)!

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