Do you ever wonder what Zoo Crew do in their section? Well here’s your chance, we’re starting a new blog series called Zoo Crew Spotlight! This will give you the inside view of what our Zoo Crew do in their primary sections, what they like about being in the program, and much more! Stay tuned for your inside view…
Week 3 Theatrical Zoo Crew
How about we slide back over to the volunteer end of the EduTeer Department for this blog? You have met Paul, and now it is time to meet the rest of the department.
Name: Patrick Cadriel
Department and Title: Volunteers; Volunteer Programs Coordinator
Job Description: I coordinate the recruitment, training, scheduling, management, evaluation and recognition of all teen volunteer programs.
Hometown: Deer Park, Texas
Favorite animal and why? Sea lions; I love how interacting they can be and how they never fail to put a smile on my face.
Patrick getting a kiss from Cali-one of our female sea lions
Favorite class (or program) at HZI: I really enjoy participating in teen programs, given I am the coordinator for teen volunteer programs. My goal is to provide an educational, informative, inspirational experience promoting the development of our young adults.
How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo? 2 years
Describe your education and experience prior to working at the Houston Zoo: I was in school for real estate and have always been in the sales field. Since working at the Zoo I am pursuing a degree in Organization Leadership.
What do you enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Department? I love working with individuals who are following what makes them happy. Educating others about animals and conservation is an important role and someone has to do it. Not to mention it is hard to find a job where you can go see a lion training window or bat feeding on your lunch break, especially in Houston!
Patrick with our fall Zoo Crew at Galveston Island SP doing a beach cleanup
What animals do you have at home? None! My wife and I are happy just with our 5 month old daughter. I like to say “I love working around the animals, not with the animals.”
Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I have a strong interest in learning different languages! With English, French, and Spanish under my belt, I am currently learning Russian!
Check back next week as we meet our last volunteer dept. employee!
On Sunday, February 27, we held our first annual Teen Career Conference. It was an amazing success!
Hollie Colahan, Curator of Primates and Carnivores, speaks to a crowded auditorium.
The event included a lot of fun stuff for teens interested in an animal-related career. Five speakers from animal sections spoke about their jobs and how they got into them. Dr. Joe Flanagan, Director of Veterinary Services, was the most popular speaker with a packed auditorium! Exhibitors included colleges, universities, and conservation and animal organizations from around Houston. Three of them also gave presentations.
Our exhibitors had a great response from participants, and some of the booths stayed very busy!
We had a staff member available throughout the conference for teens to ask questions about resumes, applications, and interviews. Two of our own, Erin and Patrick, spoke about volunteer opportunities here at the Zoo. Patrick’s Zoo Crew sessions were incredibly popular!
As this was the first time we held the event, those of us who planned it were hoping for about 100 participants. We were all surprised and pleased when we discovered we had exceeded 200! Other than a crowded parking lot (the weather was beautiful and the Zoo was packed) it went very well and everyone I spoke to seemed pleased with it.
We’re looking forward to doing it again next year!!
Learn more about zoo careers at our Teen Career Conference!
One of the things about the Zoo that intrigues people are the people that work here. That may sound odd, but consider this. Keeper Camp is the summer Camp Zoofari topic that sells out the fastest. Zoo Careers is our most popular home school series. We get lots of requests for career day speakers and many letters asking us about working at the Zoo.
It’s understandable that people are interested in careers at the Zoo. There are many people who want to work with animals, and most people don’t know a zookeeper or other Zoo staff person to ask. On February 27th we are offering an awesome opportunity for teens to explore this exact topic!
Our first annual Teen Career Conference is from 1pm – 4pm on Feb. 27th! We have a lot of exciting things planned. Five of our animal department staff are scheduled to present about their careers and how they got into them. These speakers include two keepers, a supervisor, a curator, and a veterinarian.
Zoo Crew is a great option for teens who want to volunteer at the Houston Zoo. Learn more at our Teen Career Conference!
We’ll also have conservation organizations from around Houston as exhibitors, to share information about careers and volunteer opportunities. Local universities will be here as well, to discuss their programs and application processes. Our Volunteer Programs Coordinators will be presenting about our Internships and Zoo Crew programs for teens here at the Zoo. There will also be some folks here to help with resumes and applications!
If you know a teen who’s interested in pursuing a career in an animal-related field, encourage them to attend our Teen Career Conference! More information and registration is available online.
Some of our Education Zoo Crew, educating people about insects.
Zoo Crew is a unique program offered to youth between the ages of 13 and 17 who seek to enrich their lives and gain important job skills by volunteering at the Houston Zoo. The Zoo Crew program gives teens exposure to careers in the Zoo field while learning about animals and the conservation efforts and methods at the Houston Zoo, Inc. We currently have the program split into two (2) seasons.
Summer Zoo Crew: Teen volunteers participate in an eleven week volunteer program from the first week in June to the middle of August. During the summer first year Zoo Crew are able to apply for entry positions which include Education, Theatrical, and Camp Zoofari. Once returning they may apply for animal sections from Aquarium to Carnivores and most sections in between.
Fall Zoo Crew: Teen volunteers participate in a four month weekend volunteer program from the end of September to the first week in December focusing on Conservation. A day can consist of anything from educating on Zoo grounds about endangered species and recycling to participating in a Beach Clean Up in Galveston.
As we wrap up the final months of 2010, we must acknowledge this years 307 Zoo Crew teen volunteers for all their contributions. From volunteering with Camp Zoofari, assisting animal keepers with their daily duties, on grounds giving a hand, or shall we say “green thumb”, to Horticulture, and last, but not least, focusing on Conservation. Finally throughout each area Zoo Crew volunteered a total of nearly 31,000 hours!
On the topic of recognition, I am pleased to announce our 2010 Zoo Crew Scholarship recipients: Shayak Sengupta, Elizabeth Garza, Elizabeth Poulin, Elizabeth Woodruff, Cailey Cotner and Lucy Martinez! Please join me with congratulating our Zoo Crew volunteers for their hard work and strong passion for animals and conservation.
For more information on Zoo Crew, please visit us at www.houstonzoo.org/teen or contact Patrick Cadriel at pcadriel@houstonzoo.org.
Written by Patrick, Volunteer Coordinator, Teen Programs
For those that are afraid to go into the reptile house, our education Zoo Crew will bring a few cools things outside for you to see
Name: Elise Mangin, Third Year Zoo Crew Member
Section: Education
The Education Section’s main purpose is to help enrich the experience for our zoo guests. We have a number of tasks from observing the behavior of the animals to engaging the visitors in keeper chat evaluations. We also educate the public with interactive touch carts. With these carts, we hold various animal artifacts that compliment the exhibits in the zoo. It is a very exciting place to be because we have a big part in making the guests experience more enjoyable.
Unfortunately this incident was not captured on film, but how could anything that hangs out with this guy cause that much trouble? You may be surprised. Don't let that cute face fool you. They only play innocent on TV.
Names: Jessica, Caitlin, and Tara- Third Year Zoo Crew Members
Section: Children’s Zoo
We had a blast hanging out together and stayed really cool in the hot Houston sun. Our volunteer work today in the Children’s Zoo was giving the Sheep Beau a bath and man, we got more of a bath than he did, but we had a good time trying.
A Zoo Crew volunteer shows off some cool biofacts in the aquarium. There's not many people who can say they've touched a starfish and blowfish before.
Name: Jacqaelinne Tobar, Second Year Zoo Crew Volunteer
Section: Education
Being part of the zoo sure is different from camp. I get to do biofact carts and keeper chat surveys. The people are a lot of fun to be around and are very interesting. Being here and helping to educate people is a great opportunity for me.