Location: Lincoln Park Zoo Administrative Building
Date: Saturday, April 26, 2014; 8:30 am-2:30 pm
Now that my interview had been
successful, next step was to attend a couple of orientation sessions, starting
with something called “Zoo Connections”. They sent me lots of paperwork to fill out
and some other manuals through which I learned that through with my volunteer
card, I could get access to almost all of the museums throughout the city. Now that is a sweet perk! I arrived at the same building as my
interview and saw that there were already a few people assembled in a room,
along with a gentleman who looked like he would be conducting the session. I took a seat up in the front and went
through a folder that had been placed on the table before us. It included map of the zoo, the mission
statement and a page on behavior on social media and blogs. So without further ado, “The views expressed on this weblog are mine alone and do not
necessarily reflect the views of my employer.”
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| A day at the zoo |
The first thing was to hand over
all of the paperwork as well as money for the uniform, which was a green polo
shirt. Next, all of the volunteers were
photographed for the id’s, with a background painting of what looked like a forest. After that we were ready to begin and the
gentleman who would be conducting our orientation introduced himself as Rick,
the ‘Director of Training’. He said that everyone at the zoo was on a
first name basis, irrespective of their title.
He then pointed out the mission statement, which is “We are dedicated to connecting people with nature by providing a free,
family-oriented wildlife experience in the heart of Chicago and by exhibiting
leadership and advancing the highest quality animal care, education, science
and conservation.” He asked us to
identify some key words in that statement that appealed to us and then introduce
ourselves and say which words we had chosen and why. When my turn came, I said that I was applying
for a ‘Guest Relations Volunteer’ or ‘GRV’ position and I had selected “connecting people”, because that’s what
our role is as we welcome our guests.
Once the introductions were done,
Rick started the presentation by telling us about the zoo and its
activities. He said that while it was
the longest open zoo, it was not the oldest.
What that meant was that the Philadelphia zoo had gotten the permission
before this one; their opening was delayed due to the 'Civil War'. In terms of the money required to run the
zoo, it was all acquired through grants and donations, with no support from the
city. While there were significant operating expenses, the zoo hit their budget
every year, and have been operating free for over 100 years!
Next we went for a walk to the ‘Farm In The Zoo’, which is outside the
main zoo and where they keep livestock for kids to interact with; and also where
they grow their produce. We went to see
chicken and ponies and even a pig that is pregnant. He told us how they provide “enrichment” for animals - some
activities to keep them engaged and entertained. Essentially, these are some objects for them to play
with. We returned from our expedition
and another staff member then talked about some of the other zoo programs and
initiatives related to animal care. She
told us how the zoo breeds animals only after extensive genetic testing. Also, to my surprise, I learned that some
animals actually prefer being by themselves rather than with a companion. I mean, who would want that right? But it’s the reality and that’s why sometimes
you see animals isolated in their own enclosure. This is not the zoo being cheap or insensitive,
but rather cognizant of the animal’s needs. We
also learned how the zoo is doing programs all over the world, including open
wildlife parks in Africa. This is not
just a zoo, but a conservation institution as well.
Rick then took us out for another
expedition to the center where we I had come for my original orientation and
handed us all ‘iPads’ for a study
that we were about to conduct. We went
over to the ‘Primate House’, where we
were going to do a 5 minute study of an animal using an app by taking readings
every 15 seconds on activity the animal was up to; for example: “Active” or “Feeding” or “Inactive”
or “Not Visible” or “Self-Groom” or “Social”. We all spread out
and I chose a Lemur who was with his mate and an infant. For the next 5 minutes I took data every 15
minutes and recorded on the ‘iPad’. The little fella was up to a few things and
at the end I had a graph, as did others, and we discussed our findings. This is something that the zoo uses to study
animal behavior and is even available as an app for a mobile device. I made a mental note to download and take with
me to a coffee shop to observe the most unpredictable species – humans!
We had a lunch break in the cafe,
after which we met up with Rick and he took us on a tour of the zoo. We visited each building and learned "inside
stories" from Rick, who is an outstanding narrator. He told us about why some of the glass windows
have smudges – to prevent migratory birds from flying into them – and why birds
in open areas do not fly out – because the outside area is kept dark and they
prefer to stay in the light. On the way
back to our classroom, Rick stopped to tell a family that could not have a dog
on the zoo premises. Pets are not allowed due to
safety reasons and this will be one of the things that I will need to keep
track of as a 'GRV'. We had a final
wrap-up with Rick and then after collecting my name-tag and ID – they did not
have my shirt size today - it was time to leave. I left knowing that of all of my volunteer
assignments, this will be like a real job.
I look forward to that.
“The views expressed on this weblog are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.”
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