Journal

Journal Entry #1 September 15, 2011. 7:30 p.m.

I have already spoken with my mentor, Cindy, about doing my volunteer hours at the Elmwood Park Zoo. She is more than happy to accomodate me. I'm going on the 24th and the 25th.I love working with the animals and I'm excited to start my project.

Journal Entry #2 September 24th, 2011. 4:17 p.m.

Today was my first day logging in my 30 hours. I took care of the reptiles and the mammals. The ball python, Monty has been having a terrible shed, so my co-docent and I put him in a tub with lukewarm water to soak in. It's been helping a bit, but his eye caps are still not coming off. Also, I worked a barnyard-themed interperation table with aplaca hides, rabbit pelts, sheep whool, nubian goat horns, and barn owl eggs. Children enjoy this because they get to touch the artifacts on the table and get a personal experience with the animals. We also sell cones with feed that they can feed to the goats and sheep. They can also brush the goats' fur. I think the goats enjoy this more than the kids do. I logged in 5 hours.

Journal Entry #3 September 25th, 2011 6:09 p.m.

Today I worked another day at the zoo. Again, I took care of the reptiles and mammals and assissted the zookeepers with diets. We had 2 birthday shows and a regular live animal show in the ZooBowl. I'm not certified to perform shows, so I boxed up animals and held out artifacts for the audience to touch. This gives them a closer look at the animals without actually touching them. Kids love to watch the leopard tortise, Leah, because she is very active. I think it's good to condition young children to have an admiration for animals so that they have a compassion for them still when they are adults. I logged in 5 hours.

Journal Entry #4 September 30th, 2011. 8:20 p.m.

Cindy mailed me back my mentor forms today. I was really thrilled and I think I will go back on October 8th. I normally would go in sometime this weekend but I think I'm getting a cold and I can't work with the animals.

Journal Entry #5 October 8th, 2011. 11:23 a.m.

Cindy and Julian are going to the Renassanice Faire on Sunday, so no junior docents are needed. I miss my favorite snakes, Creamsicle (albino Nelson's milksnake) and Monty (ball python).

Journal Entry #6 October 9th, 2011. 5:39 p.m.

The new junior docents have been selected and I'm really excited because Cindy and Julian both told me I would have the utmost approval. I'll probably meet some of them when we have our annual "Nightmare at Elmwood" Halloween festival. We dress up as pirates and perform a skit for the guests. The kids get to interact with the pirates and at the end, they find the treasure chest filled with candy. Every year we draw in bigger crowds. I wonder how this year is going to be.

Journal Entry #7 October 14th, 2011. 9:02 a.m.

I emailed Cindy about working Nightmare, I'll be going in on the 23rd of October. Junior docents that graduated at the end of summer are going to be coming for a visit. It will be a nice reunion.

Journal Entry #8 October 23rd, 2011. 9:48 p.m.

I worked a Nightmare at Elmwood event tonight. The other junior docents and I dressed up as pirates and performed a skit (more or less) for the guests. Several of the little kids that came through were wearing their Halloween costumes. Even some of the parents carried wands or broomsticks. I met a few of the new junior docents, they were a little shy. But I was like that when I first started working there, and I ended up loving everyone there. I logged in 3 hours.

Journal Entry #9 November 8th, 2011. 8:42 a.m.

I emailed Cindy about progress reports and I will be able to have the official reports filled out this Saturday. I'll be doing another 5 hour shift that day as well. Also, there is the Volunteer Awareness Banquet the same night at the Jeffersonville Country Club. It's the zoo's way of saying thanks to the docents for working hard and being tireless advocates for conservation.

Journal Entry #10 November 12th, 2011 10:00 p.m.

Today I worked another shift. We are recieving new education animals, including 2 opposums and a raven. We even had to rearrange the mammal room to fit everybody. Also, we now have 2 new diamond-back terrapins. I'm excited to start working with the new animals. In display, we got a new peccary, named George. Two other junior docents and I had a birthday show for a 4 year-old. She loved seeing the chinchilla and ferret. After my shift, my fellow docents and I went to the Volunteer Recognition Banquet at the country club. It was great to be reunited with all my junior docents. It was a great time.

Journal Entry #11 December 4th, 2011. 7:18 p.m.

Today I worked yet another shift. It was pretty brisk and cold, so the zoo didn't get a lot of guests coming through. There were only 2 junior docents including myself, so our chores of reptile and mammal care took a very long time. Since it was a slow day, Julian told me I could leave at 2:00, which is an hour eariler than the usual shift. I have logged in 19 hours now, so on the 17th I will have completed 24 hours and thus completed my project.

Journal Entry #12 December 17th, 2011. 5:09 p.m.

I have now successfully completed 24 hours at the zoo. It was a great experience working with the new animals and junior docents. Even though my project is finished, my time at the zoo is not. I have the rest of this school year and the summer to work at the zoo. I love it so much and I don't want it to end. I have learned so much about animals, the environment, and the importance of conservation. I will always continue to be an advocate for conservation because during the course of my research I have found that is so vastly important that we protect our planet and its inhabitants for future generations. I have also met some awesome people during my time at the zoo and I look forward to meeting more. It was an incredible experience.