It isn’t just kids who can learn at the zoo!
Rainbow lorikeets at the Houston Zoo
Today was our annual Educator Day at the Houston Zoo. Teachers from near and far attended to get some continuing education credits, see some animals, and learn about conservation, the zoo, and what we offer for schools. The keynote presentation was given by Hannah Bailey, our Curator of Birds. She discussed our bird collection and how the collection is managed, as well as breeding and conservation projects such as the Species Survival Plan.
There were three break-out sessions that followed, with everyone getting a chance to attend all three. Two of our education staff discussed the Houston Zoo’s regional and national conservation programs, including how teachers can get their students involved in local conservation. Amy and I led an activity/discussion session focused on how to bring conservation efforts to the classroom, as well as activities and projects that they could use with their students. The third session was a guided tour of the zoo and a visit to our exhibitor area, where local organizations had tables.
In case you couldn’t quite tell, today’s theme was conservation. The teachers that I saw seemed to be enjoying themselves, and the whole day flowed quite smoothly. I mean, where else can you throw stuffed animals, sort recycling, and guess numbers of endangered species left in the world for credit?
If you are a teacher, and you missed our Educator Day, there are still some professional development opportunities available. If you have a group of 10 or more teachers who are interested, we can arrange a workshop just for you. And keep an eye out next year about this time for our next Educator Day!