Posts Tagged ‘education programs’

Jul
12

Melissa Pohutsky’s Collegiate Conservation Program Memories

Posted by in Collegiate Conservation Program

The Collegiate Conservation Program at the Houston Zoo is an 8 week long conservation-education internship generously sponsored by ExxonMobil. We first introduced  some of our interns on the Zoo’s Conservation blog.

My name is Melissa Pohutsky and I am an Environmental  Studies major at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Moving to Colorado was quite a change after living in Katy, TX my whole life! When I came home for the summer I was excited to discover the Collegiate Conservation Program at the Houston Zoo. Throughout the internship, I was lucky enough to have tons of hands on field experience in various ecosystems and projects.

My favorite activity from this internship would definitely be participating in the Marsh Mania event. We had been working with the Galveston Bay Foundation all week in preparation for the event. For Marsh Mania we planted native marsh plants to help prevent erosion and further help the ecosystem. It was so much fun to go out in the water with everyone and help a good cause! this event is open to the public so don’t hesitate to get involved!

ATV ride through Armand Bayou Nature Center (Melissa is third from the left)

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Jul
11

More words from the rest of the Collegiate Conservation Program Interns

Posted by in Collegiate Conservation Program

The Collegiate Conservation Program at the Houston Zoo is an 8 week long conservation-education internship generously sponsored by ExxonMobil. We first introduced  some of our interns on the Zoo’s Conservation blog. Now you’ll meet the rest!

First up…

mussel survey in the Big Thicket

My name is Kelsey Droll and I am one year away from finishing my Marine Biology degree at Texas A&M University at Galveston. I enjoy studying ecology and have a growing passion for conservation. the Collegiate Conservation Program at the Houston Zoo has been a great experience and has exceeded my expectations as an internship. I now understand the different components of conservation and appreciate the work that goes into it.

My favorite experience this summer was the week of the Big Thicket. The Big Thicket National Preserve is a unique area containing 10 different ecosystems. During our visit we restored a walking trail, built a bridge, cut down invasive tree species, and conducted mussel surveys. This week felt the most accomplishing and was when I became friends with the other interns. I consider the experience I gained this summer priceless! I am thankful to the Houston Zoo and ExxonMobil for giving me this opportunity and I am looking forward to seeing how this program progresses in the future.

 

 

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Jun
20

“What’s the word for what a predator eats?” “DINNER!”

Posted by in Camp,Classes/Programs

…this is just one of many memorable quotes from our Camp Zoofari kids.

This happened when a student in a 6-7 year old camp was patiently waiting during an animal handling class. The instructor showed the class a chinchilla; a rodent from South America. When the teacher discussed that this animal would hide from predators, she asked “what would be another word for what a predator eats?” (she was hoping to hear the word “prey”) and the child promptly yelled out “DINNER!”. Well…we couldn’t disagree. When the teacher prompted another response, someone yelled out “LUNCH!”. We really couldn’t have been upset when the campers were just being honest!

Campers visiting the Komodo Dragon exhibit

Although this exchange stands out in my memory, there are plenty of other irresistable camper quotes that occur throughout the summer. Another famous one comes from a girl who approached our Director during lunch. She asked for a glass of water because she was “choking on hotness!”. In other words, she had eaten hot Cheetohs and needed a drink desperately!

A participant in Keeper Camp visiting the aquarium

As full-time camp staff we get the pleasure of hearing these stories from June through August, and replayed throughout the year during lunch breaks when we just need a memorable laugh.

If you have a child between the ages of 4-12 and you’re wondering what you can do for the summer-look into our Camp Zoofari program. We are in the midst of week 2 and camp will continue through August 12th. Who knows, maybe your child could be the next to make it into the Camp Zoofari memorable quotes hall of fame!

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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
15

Tours Are A Go!

Posted by in Classes/Programs,Featured,Fun on grounds

Chance feeding one of the lions at the training window!

The Zoo has always offered a variety of behind the scenes tours, but recently someone noticed that the process of registering, scheduling, and coordinating the keepers could use a bit of organization.

Fortunately, the Education department has some experience with that.

As part of the reorganization process, we got to go on “mock” tours of all the areas we now offer.  Let me tell you, there are some awesome experiences available!  Through the training process, I got to see the inside of the orangutan building, feed a lion at the training window, go inside the Zoo’s 10-below freezer, pass pieces of fruit to the cassowary, meet one of our new rhinos up close, and many more cool things!  

To make it all a little easier for everyone involved, our tours are now set to certain days and times.  For example, if you want to take a tour of the Commissary (and that super-cold freezer), you can do it on Tuesday or Thursday at 9:30am.  We’ve also made them more consistent: every tour starts with a 30-minute front of scenes tour led by one of the Education Specialists, and that person accompanies the group on the behind the scenes portion as well.

DeAndra feeds the bongo during our tour training!

As different areas offer different experiences, there are now categories of tours.  Sneak Peeks give you a look inside a back area of the Zoo, Premiere tours include an up-close animal experience, and the Star Treatment tours include an encounter with one of our coolest animals.  We’ve also added a Red Carpet Experience: The African Forest Safari Package.  This four-hour tour is the one I am the most excited about; it includes an hour front of scenes guided tour, lunch at Twiga Terrace, and behind the scenes tours of all four of the new animal buildings of The African Forest.  I hope someone books that tour, because I can’t wait to lead it!

Interested in booking a tour or finding out if your favorite animal area is available?  www.houstonzoo.org/tours

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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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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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