MDWFP announced today that Museum Director Charles Knight has retired after 31 years of service!

The MMNS Foundation staff and Board of Directors are thankful for the successful partnership we’ve had with Charles over the past three decades. We’ll miss him and we wish him all the best!

Read on for the official announcement and photos from Charles’ retirement celebration and from throughout the years.

Museum Director Charles Knight has worked at the Museum for 31 years! Charles has been instrumental in growing the Museum into a wonderful, award-winning attraction and research facility!

Get to know Charles better in this interview - and learn more about how he combines his education and passion for conservation and the outdoors to lead the Museum.

Have you met Brooke Copley, Customer Service Representative, on the Museum’s grounds, in the Dragonfly gift shop, or at the LeFleur’s Bluff Playground? Since childhood, Brooke has regularly visited and explored the Museum! She joined the Museum staff two years ago.

Get to know Brooke better in this interview - and learn more about her important role in keeping our Museum and the Playground safe and beautiful for you to enjoy.

Dalton Knight was 11 years old when he bought his first field guide at the Museum and got hooked on exploring the natural world! Today, he inspires students and visitors to understand and appreciate the natural world.

Get to know Dalton better in this interview and learn more about what it’s like to work with the Museum’s animal ambassadors.

Brady Dunaway’s lifelong love and respect for the outdoors make him a perfect addition to the Museum’s team! Brady is dedicated to preserving Mississippi’s wonderful places and species for current and future generations.

Get to know him better in this interview and learn more about how ecology is like a puzzle that ecologists work to solve.

Have you met Kaylee on a Museum visit or maybe in the gift shop? When asked why she chose this career, Kaylee says, “I've always loved nature and museums, so I wanted to spend my time in a museum any way that I could!”.

Get to know her better in this interview and learn more about what she does as an important part of the Museum’s frontline team!

Curious about what you can do with a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management? Meet Jack Creely! He’s doing the things he loves and helping conserve Mississippi’s natural beauty - from conducting field work, like bat surveys, to installing special exhibits and maintaining the Museum’s collections with his peers.

Like Jack says, “Who wouldn’t want to be outside catching bats and crawling in caves?”! Jack’s enthusiasm, skill, and dedication make him a valuable member of our team!

If you’re interested in teaching but don’t want to be in the classroom, then you might be interested in a career as a museum educator. Outreach Educator Meaghan Huseman taught middle school science for eight years and then decided to pursue an M.S. in Conservation Education - which ultimately led her to join the Museum’s education team.

Through a wide range of specially designed programs, projects, and events, our Outreach Team brings the Museum to school children and adults statewide. We hope you’ll have the chance to meet Meaghan - she’s a remarkable educator and we are fortunate to have her on our team!