Now that the Christmas brou-ha-ha is over, it is time to look forward to the New Year. But before then, we are offering an OPEN HOUSE opportunity on December 29 for teens interested in becoming Zoo Crew.
Zoo Crew teens do many things around the zoo – from interpreting exhibits for visitors to grounds and maintenance. We rely on these remarkable young people to assist with programming and so much more. Without there help, it would be much more difficult to accomplish some of our summer goals.
Believe it or not, a ‘passion for animals’ is not the number one thing we look for in teens interested in applying. Rather, we look for people who have public speaking skills and/or are ready to develop these skills. We look for young men and women who would like to educate people abotu animals and conservation. Certainly we hope that anyone who applies is interested in working with/around animals and the zoo, but as I said, it is not as important as other factors.
First year zoo crew actually have no direct interaction with animals. Instead, we focus on helping them to develop public speaking skills and teach them about customer service. Using biofacts like skulls and skins, they spend the summer working with the public and our summer program participants. Returning crew have the option of working with animals.
If you are interested in becoming a zoo crew member, visit the volunteer page of the zoo’s website for more information and an application. I also recommend looking through the Zoo Crew blog to read about some first hand zoo crew experiences!
If you want to attend to the OPEN HOUSE, please contact the Education Department to register: cpzstoehrer@yahoo.com.
Melanie S – Curator of Education
