Franklin Park Zoo’s First Annual Zoo Careers and Conservation Workshop for Youth!

By: Toby Klein, Youth Programs Assistant

On Monday, January 19^th, Zoo New England had its first annual Zoo Careers and Conservation Day! Zoo Careers and Conservation Day was created as an opportunity for youth to explore a future involved in Zoos and learn how they can contribute to conservation efforts both locally and nationwide. We invited local youth between the ages of 11-18 to come to Franklin Park Zoo and participate in a day of learning geared toward their future aspirations.

Youth listening intently at the speed session.

The day began around 12:30 p.m. with an endangered species talk presented by Colleen O’Donnell and Toby Klein, along with the help of Teen Ambassadors and our program animals. The talk focused on different causes that lead to species being listed as endangered and discussed current efforts to protect and conserve wildlife and their surrounding environment. The turnout from youth and parents was fantastic! The participants willingly asked and answered questions while listening intently, truly interested in the topic of endangered species.

Speed session in the Tropical Forest classroom.

Immediately following the talk, the participants were split into two groups: 11-14 year-olds and 15-18 year-olds and escorted to the Tropical Forest classroom and ECO Center, respectfully. Each group was introduced to four Franklin Park Zoo employees from a few different departments during the speed session portion of the day. The employees that participated were Caitlin Reardon and Jen Maltese from Education, Melissa Durham, Erin O’Brien, Maggie Sawyer, and Rachel Jakosalem from Animal Care, Hanad Duale from Community Outreach and Robert George, Executive Vice President and Site Director of Franklin Park Zoo. A special thank you to everyone for taking time out of their busy day to talk with everyone! The youth sat down with each employee for about 10 minutes to hear their story, how they came to work at the Zoo and what their job duties entail. The youth were engaged, asking thought-provoking questions that I would never have thought to ask! All of the guest speakers enjoyed sharing their stories with the youth, as well as the parents who began joining groups as the session went on. The speed session could have continued for another hour, but there was one more talk on the agenda to hear!

Brian talking about climate change!

For the last talk of the day, we all met in the Tropical Forest classroom to meet Brian Stillwell and hear his presentation on climate change. Brian represented The Alliance for Climate Education (ACE), a group dedicated to spreading the word to youth about climate change and what they can do to help, through a fun and interactive slideshow. The entire group was paying close attention to the information Brian was sharing. His questions were met with bursts of hands from the audience! Climate change is a popular topic that the group seemed to relate to and enjoy learning about.

The presentation ended at 3:30 p.m. which, sadly, concluded our day. After the closing speech, filled with thank-yous and our appreciation to the participants, the group exited the Tropical Forest classroom with new knowledge gained from all of the events of the day. We already look forward to planning next year’s Zoo Careers and Conservation Day with hopes of including additional Zoo careers, as well as other conservation-based careers to enhance everyone’s experience. 

The Alliance for Climate Education Presentation

The Madagascan Adventure - A Teen Ambassador Book Creation

By: Jenaya, 18, Current Teen Ambassador

It’s around 5:45 pm on a Tuesday evening; Teen Ambassadors (TA) Kadeem, Justin, Christina and I are trying to compile a list of projects to do during the academic school year. Projects range from making videos to creating plays that all speak about the Zoo and Teen Ambassador missions. The project we brainstormed that sounded truly amazing was the creation of a children’s book. We were extremely excited about making a book come to life. We started forming many ideas but ultimately knew we wanted to base our book on biodiversity. However, we immediately ran into a roadblock. How do we make a book fun yet informative for children under the age of 12?  Well, the excitement and motivation we experienced that Tuesday evening was awesome! In all honesty, we thought creating a children’s book would be a piece of cake – that we would be done with the book in no time … WRONG!  We were definitely not ready for what would lie ahead.

It took an enormous amount of time to figure out the plan for the book, just the plan! We ran into many obstacles:

1.       How do we make the book fun and engaging for children below the age of 12?

2.       Who was going to illustrate and how do we illustrate?

3.       What would be the setting and plot of the book?

4.       Which animals would go on an adventure?  

So many questions needed to be asked and answered! It was a huge thought process and around midyear, we figured out the format for the book. It was awesome to get to the point where we knew what we would be writing. Towards the end of the academic school year, with the help of the rest of the Teen Ambassadors, we all started to draft pictures of the animals we were going to use and began working on the story line. However, June came around and it was time to close out the first Teen Ambassador year before summer began. When the second year of the TA program started, three new members – Arjanae, Isabelle, and Randy – were ecstatic about the idea of continuing the book from the previous year. The previous year’s teens however, all looked at each other with the same stare that indicated how much work would need to be put into the project. Ultimately, we all came to the conclusion that we wanted to finish the children’s book.

As mentioned, all of the teens from the previous year had worked extremely hard to bring the book to life. People who were great at illustrations, drew the animals for the book. Teens who were good at editing spent time editing the story line of the book. Everyone was contributing to the book in their own way to make sure it would be complete! The day came when our book was finalized and we had to pick a title. We came up with “The Madagascan Adventure” … PERFECT! 

After our book was complete, we connected with Dr. Machanda from Harvard who eventually took our book to Uganda, Africa where it was shared with students from the Kasiisi Project. Hundreds of students were able to enjoy and learn from our project. We were told one of the kids’ favorite parts from the book was when the animal’s canoe had a leak and they all tried to work together to remove the water! Not only did our book reach Uganda, it also made its way to Madagascar. When the TAs heard this, we found it so cool that a book a bunch of teens created turned out to be an international hit. The book was a success! Just like chameleon in the book, who thought he did not have the power to make a difference in his home because he was small and couldn’t be heard, actually did make a difference. As Teen Ambassadors, we may be a small group, but we know that hard work and dedication truly pay off. 

A Fundraiser With Heart!

Tis the season of giving back - a season where some give their time, some offer their knowledge and expertise and others purchase gifts for those they hold dear. Another great way that some choose to give back is by raising money in support of their favorite charities and organizations – this was the case with Adam, a member of the Youth Council here at the Zoo. Learn about Adam’s adventure and fundraising efforts to support the Zoo – all in the spirit of giving back!

Hi!  My name is Adam.  I’m thirteen years old and I’m a member of the youth board at the Franklin Park Zoo.  One of the ways I support the Zoo is by raising money, especially for animal conservation.  Just recently I decided to do a raffle.  I thought it would be an efficient and fun way to raise money.  The prizes were a one year family membership and a behind-the-scenes tour of the Zoo. I challenged all of my family members and some of my friends to sell 75 tickets each. We offered the tickets at $1 each, 6 for $5 and 13 for $10.  We sold a bunch of tickets at the Lantern Parade at Jamaica Pond.  I met Mayor Walsh and he bought $20 worth of tickets.  The Lantern Parade was also a great chance to talk to people about conservation at the Zoo. I sold tickets at school to my teachers and friends, and my parents sold them at work.  On Halloween, while giving out candy we sold many more tickets.  In the end we raised $750 for the Zoo.  It was a really fun project and a good way to get other people involved and to talk about how much I love the Franklin Park Zoo.

To learn more about how you can support the Zoo, check out what you can do here! 

Adam reading up on big cats! 

Get Out and Explore!

Conservation begins with using your senses to discover the hidden treasures within your own backyard. Explore the beauty of your natural surroundings while leading your friends and family on an outdoor adventure!     

In late fall of last year, Franklin Park Zoo’s Teen Ambassadors did just that! With backpacks full of snacks, water, extra gloves and hats; teens stepped out and into a completely different world in the wondrous wooded Blue Hills Reservation located just a short drive outside of Boston in Milton, Mass.  Each Ambassador took on the responsibility of leading the group on portions of the expedition. Leaders were challenged with everything from reading maps of the Blue Hills’ numerous trails to making sure the group persevered on the rugged uphill terrain.  As it turns out, even a trek into the wilderness only a stone’s throw away from Boston can still deliver the beauty of an unspoiled forest, complete with peaks that showcase breathtaking views of the city!  With positive attitudes, communication, and teamwork, the teens beat out the harsh cold and completed a portion of the fittingly named, Skyline Loop trail. When asked about their experience, teens heartily replied, “When can we do this again?!!”

Lili connecting with nature!

Teen Ambassadors enjoying the beauty of the Blue Hills!

CONSERVATION: WHAT DOES IT MEAN AND HOW YOU CAN HELP

Conservation – an issue that can have a broad impact to our quality of life and to the world around us.  For the past few months, members of the Youth Council at Franklin Park Zoo have been volunteering their time to find ways to best serve the Zoo’s mission to inspire people to protect and sustain the natural world for future generations by creating fun and engaging experiences that integrate wildlife and conservation programs, research, and education.

We asked our members, “What does conservation really mean to you?” and here’s what they said:

“Conservation is a vital issue - the issue of our future, and the future of our planet. If we don't take care to preserve and restore our environment now, we will be in trouble in the future.”

 – Sasa, First Year Council Member

“To me, conservation is protecting our natural resources and the animals that live there.” 

– Emma, First Year Council Member

“Conservation means protecting the planet. It means taking care of land, air, water and all living things. It means we have to pay attention and change how we do things so we don't do any more damage.”

– Adam, First Year Council Member

But is it enough to have knowledge without taking action? Youth council members think not!  To encourage everyone to move beyond the realm of information, our youth compiled a list of 10 simple action-oriented tasks, anyone can do.

1. Share the enthusiasm! Tell someone what you know and show them where they can find the tools to learn more about conservation.
2. What are you passionate about? Find an organization that supports your beliefs and find out how you can contribute.
3. Donate time, money and/or items the organization can use to fulfill their mission.
4. Volunteer.
5. Are you recycling properly? Find out what recycling programs are available in your area and play your part.
6. Pick up trash.  It’s the quickest way to beautify a neighborhood!
7. Enjoy our state and national parks with friends and family.
8. Create education pamphlets for your local church or school.
9. Fundraise for the causes you are most passionate about.
10. Create a club at school or local organization.

With a collective voice, youth are being heard and making a difference. Do your part and join the cause! Visit Zoo New England's conservation page to learn more about projects and what you can do to make a difference!

Earth Day Youth Rally and a Party for the Planet!

Party for the Planet!
Earth Day celebration, Sunday, April 21 at Franklin Park Zoo

Don’t miss the Earth Day celebration at Franklin Park Zoo! Franklin Park Zoo has teamed up with Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts and the Cambridge Science Festival to present a fun and engaging day to raise awareness for the planet and all it has to offer!

Learn how you can contribute to a healthy planet and preserve the Earth. The festivities will include opportunities to meet the zookeepers, plus animal enrichment activities, scavenger hunts, entertainment, performance by TheChorallaries of MIT and the Felix Brown Band, eco-friendly exhibitors and much more! Zoo New England’s 2013 radio partner, MAGIC 106.7, will be onsite from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. with music, games and prizes.

Schedule of events:

· Meet with exhibitors – 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

· Entertainment and activities – 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

· Felix Brown Band performs – 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

· Youth Rally – 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Click here to learn about the speakers!

At the Youth Rally, sign up to find out when different conservation projects around the city are going to happen so you can be a part of the solution!