National Zoo Keeper Week

[urbpan]

Tomorrow is the last day of National Zoo Keeper Week. I'll spend my lunch hour sitting at a table surrounded by AAZK information, in front of a sign that says "Ask The Zoo Keeper A Question" with an arrow pointed at me. I'm going to make a sign that says this:

3 steps to becoming a zoo keeper
1. Care about animals A LOT! This part is easy. It’s why we become zoo keepers in the first place.
2. Go to school! Almost all zoo keepers have a college degree, usually in biology, zoology, or wildlife science.
3. Volunteer! Prove that you are willing to get dirty and do the hard work it takes. If you are too young to volunteer, go to zoo camp or become a ZooTeen.

Probably every profession has a National Week. I think it's worthwhile to celebrate zookeepers, because for most people, we are the only conservationist they will ever meet. We care about animals and the environment enough to devote our lives to it. We willingly give up the possibility of great wealth to provide the best possible care for captive animals, in the hope that they will inspire children and adults to care about them as much as we do.

Comments

I was a ZooTeen!

[lunarcamel.livejournal.com]

At the Phoenix Zoo! I think that's one of the reasons I enjoy your blog so much, you're doing daily for a career stuff I got to do occasionally at age 16. They started us all out with bugs and then once we hung there for a year or so we got to move on to other things - I spent a summer helping grow endangered tadpoles into frogs, among other things. I hope you enjoy yourself tomorrow.

[brush-rat.livejournal.com]

I love my gay dead zookeeper brother.

[grace-batmonkey.livejournal.com]

May your message infect the next generation! And net all zookeepers a fairer wage! Fight the good fight!

Truthfully, I always looked up to zookeepers because it was clear they needed to be on top of everything all the time. As a kid, I thought they must make a lot of money to do something that took so much out of them. I was sad to find out otherwise. Dangit.

Happy National Zoo Keeper Week!

[(Anonymous)]

Consider yourself the link that connects people to wildlife! It's one thing to see an animal program on Discovery or Animal Planet but it is an entirely different thing when you can see an animal in real life! The icing on the cake is having a zoo keeper share his/her passion about animals, provide some information about the uniqueness of these animals and their habitat, AND offer them ways that they can help out with conservation.

Keep up the good work!

[mycologynerd.livejournal.com]

My daughter wants to be a Zoo Keeper =) Step 1 DONE Step 2 is a ways away but Oregon State has a excellent program Step 3 OSU also has a "junior beavers" program for her to get started, I will definitly check for volunteer/zoo camps/zoo teen stuff in the future

Thanks for the tips!