Archive for the ‘Education Office’ Category

Aug
29

Calling All Teens!! Alternative Teen Break is Here!

Posted by in Education Office,Volunteer Programs

The Education Department at the Houston Zoo strives to create meaningful learning experiences for all ages. This year we are embarking on a brand new program strictly for teens!

The program is called Alternative Teen Break and it is a conservation education program for 10 teens ages 15-18 in the Houston area, with a field site visit to the Big Thicket National Preserve occurring over spring break in March 2012. Team members who are chosen for this first Alternative Teen Break trip (or ATB for short) will work as week-long volunteers in various conservation projects, providing invaluable conservation services for this area and ecosystem. Team members will learn skills and conservation knowledge from Houston Zoo staff and employees of the Big Thicket National Preserve.

ATB team members will meet monthly leading up to their trip to discuss conservation issues, local wildlife and conduct fundraising events. All team members will have the opportunity to raise funds to help pay for their trip. At the conclusion of the service trip team members will put together a presentation of their knowledge gained for Zoo staff and students’ families and teachers.

Big Thicket National Preserve

So, if you’re a teen between the ages of 15 and 18 that loves wildlife and wild places, and wants to help protect them for the future, join us this spring break as we do something about it!

Applications are available now. All applications will be due on Friday, September 30th. For more information on this program please visit our website.

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Jun
22

Collegiate Conservation Program sponsored by ExxonMobil

Posted by in Classes/Programs,Education Office

This spring our Director of Education and Director of Conservation wrote a grant for a brand new collegiate level internship program at the Houston Zoo. ExxonMobil generously donated the money needed to fund this comprehensive conservation-education program. It is an 8-week long internship granted to 10 deserving college students.

On May 16th we began our first of eight weeks. I am lucky enough to coordinate this program with Elizabeth Fries (who you may have read about here) under the supervision of our Director, Chance. We furiously started working to put together 8 weeks of meaningful educational and conservation opportunities for the interns.

Looking for an osprey at Armand Bayou

Each week has a different theme. Our first week concentrated on the coastal prairie. We spent our time at the Texas City Prairie Preserve planting native prairie grasses, visiting the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge removing fences, and learning about field research techniques.

Week 2 was centered on community education. The interns took part in on-grounds interpretation, Zooper Challenges, Conservation Stations and even attended an amphibian workshop! They also worked at the Katy Prairie and with the Hermann Park Conservancy.

Week 3 was spent in the Big Thicket National Preserve. We stayed for 3 days and 2 nights in their field research station doing a variety of work. We constructed a bridge, cleared Chinese tallow (an invasive tree), and completed several mussel surveys.

Constructing a bridge at the Big Thicket

Last week we spent the majority of our time with the Galveston Bay Foundation. We harvested marsh plants for their Marsh Mania event and staged the plants at various sites. We then went back and planted the cord grass during a Saturday Marsh Mania. If you haven’t yet helped out at one of these events you definitely should. The staff is outgoing and friendly and the work is fun and well worth it!

All 10 interns with our friends at Galveston Bay and NRG

 This week we are learning about some of our international conservation projects including the Painted Dog in Zimbabwe and various projects in Borneo. The interns are learning how to use a camera trap and identify species in time-lapse photos from around the world.

The next 3 weeks will be very busy as we wrap up the internship. Our interns will work on a variety of different projects from sea turtles to amphibians as well as complete a conservation project proposal by the end of their time here. They will pick a regional conservation need and address it with a solution in a lunch-and-learn presentation with Zoo staff and ExxonMobil representatives. This will be the culmination of their time spent here at the Zoo and throughout the Houston area.

Hard at work on their project proposal

As our Education Department partners with our Conservation Department in programs like these we can only hope that the participants will take what they’ve learned and become conservation heroes in their own right.

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Jun
17

Introducing…Leigh Whitted Spencer!

Posted by in Education Office

So you have met 5 specialists and we are onto our final one! Our last specialist happens to be our Senior Education Specialist and she has been with the department for several years. Read more about her below!

Name: Leigh Whitted Spencer

Department and Title: Education; Senior Education Specialist

Leigh in a Harpy Eagle hut in Panama!

Job Description: Along with several other staff, I write and teach some of every program we offer. I am also responsible for the logistical side of our adult and family public programs.

Hometown: Bloomington, IL

Favorite animal and why? Acorn Woodpecker. Birds are my favorite group of animals, woodpeckers are my favorite birds, and the acorn woodpecker is my favorite woodpecker.

Favorite class to teach at HZI: I love to teach Point, Click, Zoo, our beginner-level adult photography class.

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo? Two and a half years; I started in June of 2008.

Describe your education and experience prior to working at the Houston Zoo: I have my bachelor’s degree in Zoology and my master’s degree in Resource Interpretation. I worked as a show trainer and speaker for a bird show company and as a swing keeper at another zoo before coming to the Houston Zoo.

What do you enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Department? Because we offer a variety of programs, every day is different.

What animals do you have at home? I have a dog and an African grey parrot, both of which were rescues.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I worked with llamas while in high school and college, and I collect llama figurines and toys.

Leigh and Zuri-an African pygmy falcon

Thanks for reading our series on the EduTeer Department! We hope you enjoyed reading it as much as Leigh and I enjoyed writing it. We’ll see you back on this blog for stories on everything from Camp Zoofari to new happenings in the department!

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Jun
10

Introducing…DeAndra Ramsey!

Posted by in Education Office

We are down to our last 2 specialists…meet our 2nd to last today!

Name: DeAndra Ramsey

Department and Title: Education; Education Programs Specialist

DeAndra with an African pygmy falcon

Job Description: Everyday I find ways to promote conservation by educating the public about wild animals, wild places, and the issues facing both. I get to be around the animals I love as well!

Hometown: Friendswood, TX

Favorite animal and why? I love all bats! They are such amazing creatures and they are often misunderstood. Bats have incredible adaptations that allow them to fill various roles in the ecosystems including pollinators, seed dispersers, and insect controllers. The world’s smallest mammal is a bat: the bumblebee bat which is less than an inch long full grown. They have amazing social structures. Vampire bats will even adopt orphaned vampire bat pups and raise them up with their own pups if the other mother dies. I can go on and on about beautiful bats!

Favorite class to teach at HZI: I love teaching Zoomobiles to older audiences. I get to go out into Houston and interact with the public while educating them about the amazing natural world in which we live. I enjoy teaching the older audiences because I get to dive into more of the “nitty gritty” science of all my topics and discuss things more in detail. The older audiences also tend to ask more questions of me that I might not know, which leads me to more research and learning on my part.

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo? Since May of 2010

Describe your education and experience prior to working at the Houston Zoo: I attended Friendswood High School. Upon graduating, I attended Texas A&M University in College Station. While there, I was given the opportunity to work with pallid bats and also conduct research in West Texas with bat populations around the Big Bend area. This work lead to my discovery of all the amazing aspects of bats and my love for them! I graduated with my B.S in Biomedical Science and then moved back to the Houston area. I obtained a job as a basic researcher in urological oncology at Baylor College of Medicine. I also started tutoring students ranging from 5th grade to college students in science and reading. But of course my favorite subjects to tutor were the sciences! After working in the lab for 4 years, I decided that it was time to get back to my passion: animals. So I came to the Houston Zoo!

DeAndra on a ZooMobile program

What do you enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Department? I enjoy the fact that I can combine my passion and my talents. From a very young age, I have had a passion for animals and conservation that was nurtured by my mother. She also shared my passion and always encouraged me to follow it where ever it might take me. Here in the EduTeer department, I get to revel in that passion every day. I also have always enjoyed science and teaching. I feel very comfortable teaching and tutoring and speaking to people of various ages. And if I get to speak about anything dealing with science, even better! Plus, every single one of my colleagues is amazing and I love the fact that I get to come to work in a department with people who share my love of the natural world!

What animals do you have at home? I have a house full of carnivores.  I have 2 cats, Poly and Jack, which were both rescues from the SPCA. And yes, Poly should be spelled that way (short for polychromatic).  I have 2 ferrets, Billie (named after Billie Holiday and she is a girl) and George.  Billie was purchased from Petco and I went and got George from the SPCA.  And last but not least we have Condi, our beta. 

Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I love to knit, bake, read, and garden.

Check back next week and meet our last (but certainly not least) Education Specialist!

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Jun
03

Introducing… Martha Petre!!

Posted by in Classes/Programs,Education Office,Teacher Resources

Martha gets inspected by our big male giraffe, Kiva

One of our fearless bloggers, you can always learn more about Martha from her blog bio and frequent posts.  Now you have a chance to find out even more about her!

Name: Martha Petre

Department and Title: Education – Education Programs Specialist

Job Description: I write curriculum as well as teach all of our programs. My area of responsibility includes all things teachers-educator days, overnights, career days and professional development!

Hometown: Chautauqua, NY

Favorite animal and why? Sea turtles! I was lucky enough to study leatherback turtles in west Africa during an interim session of college and ever since then I’ve been hooked on all things sea turtles!

Favorite class to teach at HZI: I love our ZooMobile and Adventure Class programs. They are structured the same however our ZooMobile program goes off grounds while our Adventure Classes are held in our classrooms here.

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo? I started here in September of 2009.

Describe your education and experience prior to working at the Houston Zoo: Before coming to the Houston Zoo I worked at a preschool in Austin, TX. I graduated from Lafayette College in Easton, PA with a major in International Affairs and a minor in Spanish. Although my formal education may not line up with the job I have now I volunteered and interned with wildlife organizations throughout college and always knew I had to work with animals in some capacity!

What do you enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Department? Everything! I am fortunate enough to have an ever-changing job where I’m never doing the same thing on a daily basis. I also have a fabulous group of people to work with-not only are they passionate about what they do, they are funny, easy to be around and dedicated workers!

What animals do you have at home? Unfortunately I am not allowed to have pets where I live, but if I move I’ve already picked out what type of dog I would like and what I’d name him!

Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I am the youngest of 4 and the only girl. Since I am much younger than my brothers (and not as strong), I had only one thing I felt I could hold above their heads-I am the only child in the family that could become president of the United States. This certainly is not a career goal of mine but my brothers were all born in Taiwan, making them ineligible.

Martha and DeAndra (another Education Specialist) with Tupelo-our baby Asian Elephant

We’re getting near the end!  Only 2 more Specialists to go before you’ve met our entire staff!

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May
27

Introducing…Elizabeth Fries!

Posted by in Education Office

It is time to meet the 3rd of our 6 specialists. She came to the Education Department after working as a Summer Camp Zoofari teacher for a summer.

Name: Elizabeth Fries

Department and Title: Education; Education Programs Specialist

Elizabeth conducting water quality tests at Texas City Prairie Preserve

Job Description: I write and teach the programs we offer on and off Zoo grounds. I am also the safety representative for the Education Department as well as a member of the safety inspection team. As the safety representative I make sure that our department is following all safety procedures. As a safety inspector I go into other departments and check that they follow safety procedures. I coordinate our Target Title I program as well.

Hometown: Zephyrhills, FL

Favorite animal and why? Leopards are awesome!

Favorite class to teach at HZI? Adventure Classes are my favorite to teach because I can take as many biofacts as I want. I also like to use the big animal mounts that live in the classrooms. Those usually get a great reaction from the kids! I also like our field research program at Texas City Prairie Preserve.

Elizabeth with Ernie-a North American porcupine

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo?

1.5 years

Describe your education and experience prior to working at the Houston Zoo: I have a Bachelors in Biological Sciences from University of Houston-Clear Lake. I was a nanny while I was in school.

What do you enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Department? I enjoy lunch time in our department. We have the most random conversations at lunch. You never know what we’ll talk about next!

What animals do you have at home? I have a pug named Maximus after the character in the movie Gladiator.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I love roller coasters. The higher and faster, the better! I’ll even ride by myself if I have to.

Check back next week and meet me! Leigh will be posting the next blog on our 4th Education Specialist.

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May
20

Introducing… Amy Barnhill!

Posted by in Education Office,Zoomobile

Amy working with our North American porcupine, Ernie

Our next Education Specialist to meet is one of the more colorful characters in our department.  We’ve all enjoyed getting to know her, and I hope you do, too!

Name: Amy Barnhill

Department and Title: Education Department; Education Program Specialist

Job Description: I teach and write all the education programs that the Houston Zoo has to offer. I also take care of the invertebrates and sand boa here in the education department.

Hometown: Salina, KS

Favorite animal and why? My favorite animal is the octopus! I love all types of octopi but my favorites include the Giant Pacific, blue ringed, and dumbo octopus. I love these animals because they are unique in behavior and physical appearance. And there in nothing else like them in the world.

Favorite class to teach at HZI: I love to teach all of the classes, but my favorite would be the ZooMobiles. I love the chance to leave zoo grounds and bring the zoo to a group of children or people that may not otherwise be able to make it out to the zoo. We always take live animals with us and bio-facts and having those things in a child’s classroom gives the students a chance to feel that connection with the animals and the zoo without ever leaving there desk!

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo? 2 years

Describe your education and experience prior to working at the Houston Zoo:   I attended Friends University for their Zoo Science Program. There I got a lot of keeper experience working as a student keeper in the program at Sedgwick County Zoo. I also did an internship at Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure in the education department where I helped teach and write their education programs. After my internship I started here at the Houston Zoo and have been here ever since. My years in an AZA accredited zoo total 5 years and I have been lucky enough to have worked with a varity of animals.

What do you enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Department?  The thing I enjoy most about working here is that everyday it is something new. I never have the same work day twice. I also enjoy the chance to meet hundreds of kids a year and help them discover their love for nature and the natural world.

What animals do you have at home? I have a terrier mix puppy that is almost 6 months old!

Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I was a baton twirler for 14 years and have even won a national title with the National Baton Twirling Association.

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May
13

Introducing…LaKila Anders!

Posted by in Education Office

Since you have met everyone in the department except our lovely teachers, we’ll start with the top of the alphabet. We have 6 education specialists who write curriculum and teach programs, and today you will get to meet the first!

Name: LaKila Anders

LaKila with one of our female sea lions who loves to give kisses!

Department and Title: Education; Education Programs Specialist

Job Description: I write as well as teach outreach programs and do all the behind the scenes preparations for the Wild Wink programs.

Hometown: Houston, TX

Favorite animal and why? Cheetahs, because they are so AWESOME and beautiful!

Favorite class to teach at HZI? Our Survival Gear Adventure Class.

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo? A year and a half.

Describe your education and experience prior to working at the Houston Zoo: I started out driving school buses while persuing a degree in education.

What do you enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Department? No day is ever quite the same here.

What animals do you have at home? None.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I am the oldest of 7 siblings and my all time favorite color in the entire world is…..PINK!

Check back next week as we meet another education specialist!

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May
06

Introducing… Viviana Valdez!

Posted by in Education Office,Fun on grounds

We got to meet Bennett a while back.  Now it’s time to meet Viviana, the other person on our two-person Interpretive team! 

Name: Viviana Valdez

Department and Title: Education Department; Interpretive Specialist

Job Description: My job includes, but it is not limited to, performing on gounds Educational programs, such as Story Safari, Zooper Challenge, and Zoo Adventures.

Hometown: Houston, TX

Favorite animal and why? Well I’m a big fan of all primates, but my favorite animal is definitely the mandrill. I love their beautiful colors.

Favorite class to teach at HZI: Story Safari.

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo? 3 years

Describe your education and experience prior to working at the Houston Zoo:  I didn’t have much experience prior to the Houston Zoo. I was fresh out of high school when I joined the Zoo team, with only one year of clerical experience from working an intership at the U.S. Treasury Dept. The Admission’s department hired me as a part-time carousel operator, and I’ve been working my way up the ladder since.

What do you enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Department?  Well, I love my job and that makes working here enjoyable for me. If theres anything I enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Dept is the casual atmosphere within the team.

What animals do you have at home? I have a guinea pig named Mr. Man.  Although, I’m hoping to adopt a dog once I move out of my apartment complex.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I like to collect office supplies, especially post-its.

Now that we’ve gotten to the Specialists, be prepared for some more fun responses! The first of SIX Education Specialists is next week!

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Apr
29

Introducing…Alexandra Gomez!

Posted by in Education Office

Last week you met Megan, one of our Call Center Agents. Now it is time to meet her co-worker!

Name: Alexandra A. Gomez

Department and Title: Education; Call Center Agent

Job Description: I process school field trip requests, academic reservations, in-house ticket requests, and tours.

Hometown: Houston, TX

Favorite animal and why? I do not have a favorite animal. I like exotic animals especially newborns.

Favorite class to teach at HZI: In my position I do not teach however I do enjoy assisting with Camp Zoofari!

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo? 1 year and 10 months!

Describe your education and experience prior to working at the Houston Zoo: Prior to working at the Houston Zoo, Inc. I was in tele-marketing. I am currently enrolled in college.

What do you enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Department? I enjoy having outgoing co-workers that are dependable and enjoy what they do.

What animals do you have at home? I do not have any pets at this time. I have a seven month old daughter who will be getting an aquarium soon!

Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I love to scrapbook!

Check back next week as we introduce the rest of our interpretation staff and our 6 education specialists!

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