As a child of the '80s, I grew up loving Molly Ringwald for her classic John Hughes film roles in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty In Pink. So when I found out that she was guest-hosting the fourth hour of the Today Show with Hoda Kotb on the same day I was booked for my monthly wild animal appearance, it filled me with delight.
As a Naturalist with the National Wildlife Federation, it also filled me with delight that Molly instantly knew that the giant, hairy creature I brought out on my shoulder for the pre-segment tease was a binturong, or "bearcat." Her kids are big animal lovers, she explained, and that's how she was able to identify the shaggy binturong, which lives in the forests of Southeast Asia.
Hoda Kotb, Naturalist David Mizejewski, and Molly Ringwald
I was on the show to promote National Wildlife Week, the main goal of which is to connect kids to nature and teach them about wildlife, so the fact that Molly knew about wildlife from her kids was just too perfect.
Molly was a great during the segment, even when I asked her to help me wrangle a seven-foot-long boa constrictor! Watch the segment below, and then help celebrate National Wildlife Week by planting trees for wildlife.
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