The more people I get to know at the zoo, be they staff or volunteers, the more astonished I’ve become by the diversity of backgrounds and experience they bring to the table. Today, I’ll include myself in that group, for the sake of this post and the irony contained therein.
As a stylist and Image Consultant, I dress people for a living– a career requires that I look pretty spiffy myself. But when I moved to Houston and started volunteering here, my life took a 180 degree turn. I confess I’ve never felt as right as when clad in the clothes that identify me as a part of the Houston Zoo. As such, I suffer no shame in admitting how proud I am to wear the “uniform”.
And what exactly is that you ask? Here’s the rundown, from head to toe:
Shirt: We receive a Houston Zoo logo shirt with a designated color — in the volunteers case, it’s bright blue; staff wears burgundy, green or gray. I opt for the polo version when I’m doing docent work but rely on the tee shirt when I do things that could get messy– like making paper mache enrichment items or cleaning out Kiva’s pen after Hurricane Ike.
Here I am modeling said shirt. Shield your eyes… what you are about to see may be just too stunning to view full on. 
Pants: Around here, Cabella’s 7 pocket khaki’s are the hot item, as trousers or shorts. I ordered mine as soon as I completed my volunteer orientation. These are often worn with a wide leather belt, which is helpful for those, like Keepers and Rangers, who need to hook things on it, like walkie talkies.
Shoes: I sport lightweight hiking boots — sturdy for standing or walking all day, and they hold up through water, mud, and let’s just say it… poop! In summer, Keen sandals keep tootsies cool while covering the toes, which is a good idea around animals (that’s a whole other post).
Boots: Good to have a pair of Wellies in the car in case of rain or mud, a necessity if you’re a Keeper Aide. Staff are issued heavy duty ones, but are free to express their personality through this item. I’ve seen a hot pink pair and a leopard print set walking around grounds.
Accessories: Depending on what you choose to do as a volunteer, there can be hours spent out in the sun and a hat comes in mighty handy. I have one like this with a collapsible brim that I can stuff into my pocket, but the most popular seems to be the baseball caps with the zoo logo, which can be found in our gift shop.
Although my pants indeed have seven pockets, I put my volunteer-blue, HZ fanny pack to good use (see first picture above). It’s just the right size to carry a water bottle, note pad/pen (for blog ideas), my iPhone (with the HZ App of course — and HZ Ranger and emergency numbers programmed into it), my pocket guide and a few extra maps of the grounds in case a guest asks me for one. Never hurts to have a bandana hidden in there too.
I top it off with my name tag. Can I tell you what a thrill it was to put this on for the first time? With this finishing touch, I am officially official, it’s bold black and white graphic making my identity unmistakable. I think our guests appreciate these too. At a glance they can know who does what, and call us by name.
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All kidding aside, when I wear these clothes, it tells me that I’ve been trusted to represent the zoo, even when I’m off site. If I happen to go somewhere before I can get home to change, say the grocery store or the pharmacy, you wouldn’t believe how many grins I get. Grown adults eyes light up when they see the HZ logo, as if it brings out the kid in them, or recalls happy memories of visits here. I find myself answering almost as many questions on the street as when I’m on grounds. And I’m sure I’m not the only one.
It feels pretty great to be a walking reminder of a place that’s so special to the hearts of many. And since I’ve been spending my time with stars like Jonathan, Blanco and Shanti, I find I don’t miss Calvin, Armani or Gaultier one bit!
Written by Rochelle Joseph. Please visit my animal and nature blog at http://naturegirrrl.blogspot.com
Photos: Thank you to Amazon.com/hunter for Wellies, Cabella’s for Khaki’s, Altrec.com for the hat and shoes.com for the Keens. All other photos by Rochelle Joseph
