Bug spray is important to any conservation project!

For the first time, the Houston Zoo launched a teen conservation program that put 10 kids right in the thick of conservation work at the Big Thicket. Alternative Teen Break (ATB) seeks to get kids outside, learning more about nature, wildlife and the importance of conservation work.

Our 10 participants hailed from all over the greater Houston area. They began their participation in ATB back in October of 2011 and finished in May of this year after they conducted a “re-orientation” presentation that discussed their experiences in the program.

Alternative Teen Break’s main focus is the week of intensive conservation work during the student’s spring break vacations. The week was spent together in close quarters, conducting difficult work over long hours, but it provided the participants with much more than a knowledge of conservation.

Working on a bio-blitz!

Some of the participants commented on how much they learned from, and enjoyed getting to know students from other areas of Houston, and backgrounds. Team-building was an integral part in the ATB group successfully completing their conservation work. One participant said “I also liked, how everyday there would be a new project to do, and you would think everyone would be too tired to even crack a smile or get too grumpy in the morning, to work together. But actually, it was as if everyone was given a 5hour energy shot, cause no one lost their spirits and everyone fed off each other’s energy, so there was not one person who refused to work together or to complete the task. Everyone worked as one, and that way we finished earlier than planned!”.

Other participants commented on how much they increased their knowledge of conservation and wildlife.

“My favorite aspect of the program was all of the knowledge that we were able to receive from the various specialists that we were able to work with. It was my favorite part because there was so much about conservation that I didn’t know and was able to learn from these specialists.”-ATB 2011/2012 Participant

The whole group!

“Actually working in the preserve gave me a sense of accomplishment and made me learn a lot about what conservation is really about.” -ATB 2011/2012 Participant

Rebuilding a bridge

“My favorite aspect of ATB was that I was learning more about nature and at the same time I got to work with other teens that had the same interest as me.”-ATB 2011/2012 Participant

Lessons were learned in many areas; wildlife conservation, fundraising, team-building, conflict resolution, and even cooking! It was amazing to have such a dedicated first group of participants and we are looking forward to what year #2 brings!

 If you are interested in participating in an Alternative Teen Break, check out our teens and adults page towards the end of the summer for more information!

Our badge days are usually broken into morning and afternoon sessions to give scouts the opportunity to take more than one class. Our morning sessions will run from 9:30-11:30am followed by the afternoon sessions from 1:00-3:00pm.

We’re really excited for this event because our department has really mixed things up with our badge topics! What does that mean, you may ask? Well, let me explain…

One of the Zoo machines participants in the Wolf badge will learn about.

We’re adding in all kinds of fun and unique electives and achievements into our badge programs. For example, our Bears will be learning the ins and outs of photography while our Wolves take a look at machines and man power and compare them to the strength of animals!

We’ve even added an artistic element to many of our programs. The Webelos will learn how to sculpt and use primary and secondary colors, while the Bears will be busy making paper mache animal masks!

The day is sure to be packed with fun activities both in the classroom and out on Zoo grounds. Member adults are FREE, so parents and scout leaders are welcome to join in the on-grounds fun as well.

Want to know more? Visit our website for pricing, class availability, and the schedule for the day.

Cub Scout Badge Day is generously sponsored by ExxonMobil.

Teaching Point, Click, Zoo

I am so excited about a new opportunity that we are offering here in the Education Department!

My favorite class to teach is Point, Click, Zoo, our beginning-level adult photography class.  Last fall I trained all of my coworkers on the program so they could start teaching it as well.  I can now reveal the reason for this: Point, Click, Zoo, part 2!

That’s right!  Starting this year we’re offering an addition to our photography class lineup.  The first class of this new program will be on Feb. 25th.  Since it is part 2, we are assuming a certain level of photographic knowledge, particularly how to use the manual settings on your camera, but we’re not requiring participants to have joined us for part 1. 

This time, we’ll spend most of our time out on grounds, discussing some of the exhibits that present challenges for our photo-minded guests.

Want more information about either the original Point, Click, Zoo or the new Point, Click, Zoo, Part 2?  Check out www.houstonzoo.org/teensandadults!

A carnivore keeper training our male African lion

It turns out that teens all over the Houston area are getting a jump start on their future. Along with Houston Zoo speakers from various departments (Carnivore staff, Vet Staff, Primate Staff, Conservation staff, etc.) we had exhibitors from all over Texas! Some of these exhibitors included University of Houston, University of Texas, Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge, Texas A & M and the Art Institute. The wide array of speakers and exhibitors allowed teens to really focus on their interests, and ask questions to the people who could offer the most help! We also hosted several resume workshops, and an introduction to Zoo Crew by the program coordinator, Patrick Cadriel.

While most teens who visit the Houston Zoo for the conference come here to explore animal-related careers, it is always fascinating to me to explore the variety of careers offered at a zoo or aquarium that don’t necessarily have direct contact with animals everyday.

Education staff presenting our assembly program, "VERSUS: A Wild Challenge!"

Like what? Well, what about education? There are teachers at the Zoo (just like me!) and I even get to handle a variety of animals in programs (like porcupines, macaws, alligators and chinchillas!). Or, maybe you really like to garden-we have an entire horticulture team here that takes care of all of the plants. Maybe it’s art that you’re interested in….well, we have a staff photographer and graphic designers that work here as well.

 The possibilities really are endless, and whether you work directly with animals every day or not, if you’re working at a Zoo, you are making an impact on wild animals. So, if you missed our last teen event, look out for our next conference in January!

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems

I know when you think of cold weather the last thing on your mind is naked mole rats. Some of you may even ask yourself “What in the world is a naked mole rat?” That’s all okay because for this story “You only need to know three things: 1. They are a little bit rat. 2. They are a little bit mole. 3. They are all naked. All except Wilbur…” Want to find out why Wilbur likes clothes so much? Well join us for Story Safari to find out! (hey, maybe he’s cold!)

I'm helping a participant with her camera.

I have mentioned before that my favorite program to teach here at the Houston Zoo is our beginner-level adult photography class called Point, Click, Zoo.  It’s a good thing that I like it, because until recently I was the only person in the department who could teach it!

Now, there are six of us Education Specialists in the Education Department, and it seems a little unfair for me to hog all of the photo classes.  The issue is not that I’m unwilling to share; rather, it is a technical class and the other specialists did not have the background needed to be comfortable teaching it.

We’ve changed that now!  This fall, we did several sessions together to get everybody trained on camera techniques as well as the specifics of the curriculum.  Not everyone is quite comfortable with the program yet, but we have a couple who are ready.  On December 10, it’s time for me to pass the torch as two of my coworkers, Amy and DeAndra, team up to teach their first Point, Click, Zoo!

Elizabeth took this awesome tarantula photo during our staff training!

It’s a little bittersweet for me.  I’m excited that I can share the program with others and proud of Amy and DeAndra for tackling it head on, but at the same time I am a bit sad that I don’t get to teach it.  Our photo program has grown like a weed, though, with Wildlife Photography offered as a summer camp this year and as a Winter Camp in December!  Perhaps getting everybody ready to teach Point, Click, Zoo will mean that I can start working on more photography possibilities!

If you’re into photography, I hope you can join us for the next Point, Click, Zoo on December 10!  I’m certain that Amy and DeAndra will do an amazing job!

So, you now have an idea of the types of classes we teach as Education Specialists. We are not always in the classroom or going to schools. Sometimes we use nature as our classroom!

Marine Seining

One of the FREE (yes, I said free!)  programs we offer is a field research trip to Texas City Prairie Preserve. During the school year 3 specialists go to the preserve and lead activities such as marine seining, water quality testing, and insect sweeping with different age groups. During marine seining, the kids go out in the water with a net and try to catch whatever they can. This is usually their favorite activity because they like to get in the water. They catch all kinds of aquatic life such as crabs, different kinds of fish, and tons of shrimp!

Testing for salinity

My favorite activity to teach at Texas City is water quality testing. I take my group down to the gazebo and we talk about why water quality is important to animals and us too! We do pH and dissolved oxygen tests. We also test for salinity, turbidity, and take the temperature. All important tests when collecting water quality data.

We like to wrap up the day by teaching the group the Attwater’s prairie chicken dance. The male prairie chicken does a mating dance to attract a female. The kids think this is hilarious but it is actually a really important piece of the prairie chicken’s survival.

So, now you know what an Education Specialist at the Houston Zoo actually does. It is a very exciting and rewarding occupation. I feel very fortunate to be able to share the knowledge and experience I have with kids all over! I hope you enjoyed reading this blog series. Stay tuned to see what happens next in the life of an Education Specialist!

Amy Barnhill on a Zoomobile with an American Alligator

In the last blog I was teaching an Adventure Class. Today I am going on a Zoomobile! What is a Zoomobile you might ask? Well, it is a class (similar to an Adventure Class) but instead of the participants coming to the Zoo, the Zoo comes to them! We bring biofacts and live animals to the interactive learning experience. We have done Zoomobiles for all different ages, from Pre-K groups to seniors. Everybody loves to learn about animals, no matter what the age!

Sometimes the table isn't big enough for all the Biofacts!

Since I am traveling to a school for the class, I need to pack ahead of time. I strategically place my biofacts in a plastic bin trying to fit everything I need in a small space. Once I ‘m packed it’s time to pick up the animals from the Children’s Zoo. I load up the animals in the Zoomobile and head out. After arriving at the school I am escorted to my classroom where I set up my table. The kids come in and it’s show time!

Sometimes a Zoomobile can take you away from the Zoo for hours. I have had plenty where I come back, return the animals to the Children’s Zoo, walk back to the Brown Education Center, unpack my biofacts, and it is time to go home!  It is always an adventure whether you are teaching at the Zoo or traveling to a school.

Stayed tuned next week to see what else an Education Specialist does other than teach classes…

With busy schedules, families, jobs, etc. sometimes it’s hard to make the trek out to the Zoo. So, when we have over 100 educators join us for our annual Educator Day we are thrilled! This was the case this past Saturday.

Educators from all over the greater Houston area came out to learn more about wildlife, conservation, education programs, and activities they could bring back to their classroom. In the morning, we welcomed our participants with 2 birds of prey. A great horned owl visited from Natural Encounters, and a Harris hawk came to see the Educators all the way from the Children’s Zoo!

A sneak peek at our new Teacher Tools page!

After our introduction and welcome, participants had the opportunity to pick between several tour options. These new tours (called Creature Quests) are brand new FREE resources offered to teachers.  When they visit the Zoo they can take their students on a meaningful, fun, and educational trip to several different exhibits. The Creature Quests prompt teachers to ask students further thinking questions, and are all topic specific.

In the afternoon we offered several workshops that included hands-on activities. Our auditorium was the conservation hot spot, and host to Carole Allen (Gulf Office Director of Sea Turtle Restoration and HEART) along with Rachel Rommel and Paul Crump (important members of our Conservation Department). We talked about amphibians (including the Houston Toad), sea turtles, and native freshwater turtles-all animals that need our help, right in our own backyards!

Green Sea Turtle

Needless to say, the day went well. We gave away 3 amazing raffle items which included some very vibrant paintings done by our own Kenyan sand boa, as well as HZI swag for all of Educators who participated.

I bet you’re now wondering how you can be involved in our next Educator event? Right?

Well…don’t look any further because our next event will be the Educator Overnight on Friday, January 27th from 6pm to 9am the next day. Registration isn’t available yet…but we will be sure to post it on our Facebook page (Houston Zoo Teacher Talk), our NEW teacher webpage (www.houstonzoo.org/teachers) and right here on our blog!

We hope to see you then!