Dr. Paul Gerard, M.D.

Dr. Paul Gerard was born in Bowling Green, KY and lived on College Street Hill leading
to Western Kentucky University (WKU). WKU was an important site to Paul; he went to
various parts of WKU from Kindergarten through his Bachelor of Science degree in
Biology and his grandfather, Dr. Whitmer, taught Biology at WKU. Dr, Whitmer’s
college students constantly brought him specimens and animals, especially snakes for
identification. On the weekend, Paul’s greatest joy was to learn about the specimen’s
habitat, and then to accompany Dr. Whitmer in releasing it to woods or a stream. By
the 2nd grade, Paul could identify most of these Kentucky animals by the species and
genus to which they belonged. Thus began his lifelong passion for wildlife and nature.

In 1970, Paul left Bowling Green for the University of Louisville Medical School to
become a family physician. Following a fellowship in Geriatrics in London, UK, he
developed a Family Medicine practice in Elizabethtown, KY., worked with a steering
committee to begin a Hospice Organization for which he served as Medical Director,
and became a nursing home physician.

During the early 1980s, he and his wife, Jackie, welcomed two sons, Whit and Carter to the family.
During the forty three years that he provided care for Hardin County patients, he also
gave hundreds of hour-long classes ,“Kentucky Critters” to the primary grades in
schools of the surrounding five county area. Always he provided live animals for the
students to observe and to respect. Another exploratory class Dr. Gerard’s “Turtle
Walk/Talk Class “ given by Greenspace annually drew over a hundred persons. His
classes are simultaneously orderly, fun, and educational.

In Oct. 2023,, Dr. Gerard retired from medicine. He continues to teach his love of
nature and transform two KY farms into environments to nurture wildlife.