Zoo School

While I visited the zoo and observed the surroundings and animals I noticed two kids watching the goats and talking animatedly about the zoo. At first I was a little skeptical about approaching them because I was afraid they might not open up to a stranger. But I got over my fear and walked over to them and decided to ask them some questions. Here is a little Q & A with the students I talked to.

Q: I heard you guys talking about this “zoo school” can you tell me a little more about this?

A: Well it’s a volunteer program for kids ages 12 and up who want to work with animals some day or who enjoy working with animals.

Q: That is really cool! What kind of jobs is this preparing you for?

A: Well there are a lot of options but some of the ones we have learned about so far are working in a zoo, owning your own organic farm, becoming a zoologist, or having a nursery for newborn animals.

Q: So how did you learn about this?

A: Well it is one of the biggest volunteer programs in Nebraska and we heard about it from our school.

Q: So what kind of things do you learn in the program?

A: Some of the things we learn about include: learning about animals and how to care for them, working hands on in the zoo, and we have also learned more about nature and wildlife preserves.

After the kids started looking a little bored I decided to let them continue with their goat watching and I decided to do a little more research on my own. According to the Lincoln zoo’s website, 400 students can enroll in the program. There are also 5 levels of the school. Levels 1-3 work for half of the summer and then levels 4 and 5 work the entire summer. Some of their responsibilities include: leading and caring for the ponies, sharing facts about the animals with the public, caring for the animals in The Hive and Critter Encounter, and leading goats on leashes.

The kids work an 8 – 5 shift in the summer and the hours they work can be used for volunteering hours. The two options of work they choose to specialize in can either be education or husbandry. The education students interact with the public, present animals, and share information about the zoo. The husbandry students specialize in animal care, perform wellness checks, and daily cleanings.

I thought it was kind of ironic to find out about this zoo school because we were pondering why it was so important for zoos to teach kids something. And this is definitely carrying out what we said about the learning portion of it. Whether it is to learn something new about their environment and about the animals that inhabit the area to learning how to specifically care for animals and prepare them for a possible future working with animals.

"Zoo Crew." Lincoln Children's Zoo. Lincoln Children's Zoo, 2012. Web. 25 Apr 2012. <http://www.lincolnzoo.org/education/zoo_crew.html>.