The Waterhole Archives - Page 5 of 36

Juju, a 43-year-old female Western lowland gorilla, is adjusting to a new care plan after a health scare at the end of October 2023. She has experienced phases of discomfort that her team supported her through in the past. But, this time, she seemed to have less specifically-located pains and more general discomfort.

After a few days of what appeared to be headaches, lethargy, reduced appetite and behavioral changes, like choosing to spend time alone in her den rather than with the group, Juju’s care team decided they could best help her with an immobilization.

“Gorillas are incredibly intelligent,” said Joanna Husby, animal care manager in Primate World. “Juju knows that when we have immobilized her to address health concerns in the past, we have first asked her to go into her den and take a voluntary injection to begin anesthesia. This time, without us asking, she chose to go into her den and started presenting her voluntary injection behavior, putting her shoulder up against the mesh toward us. I think she understands that the injection would be the first step towards us helping her feel better, so it’s like she was communicating that she wanted our help.”

During the immobilization, Juju received IV fluids while the team did an ultrasound, took x-rays, drew blood and collected urine for diagnostics. Sadly, those results revealed that Juju is in late stage kidney disease. It appears to have progressed rapidly, as it was not evident in her previous tests only two years earlier. The disease is unfortunately not reversible, so the team is now focused on preventing it from getting worse while keeping her comfortable.

To achieve that, her team needs to manage her blood pressure and reduce or eliminate medications that can cause kidney damage. The medications that need to be adjusted are also the medications that have kept her physical pain at bay. So, in addition to finding a blood pressure medication that she can tolerate, the team needs to find new ways to manage any discomfort.

Juju’s team has changed her pain medications or their dosages started an oral blood pressure medication, and she seems to be improving. Over time, the team hopes that she will be willing to train for voluntary blood pressure checks and voluntary blood draws, so they can monitor her kidney blood values without the need to immobilize to get that information.

“We’re seeing subtle improvements in Juju,” said Husby. “She’s spending time with the troop, eating and drinking normally and appears to be more stable when moving around. We recognize we can’t put a gorilla on dialysis, which is what a human with this stage of kidney disease would likely be encouraged to do, so our treatment options are somewhat limited, but they seem to be helping.”

The median life expectancy of a female Western lowland gorilla in human care is 39 years, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. With that in mind, Juju’s care team is working to give her as many good days as possible, while balancing the risks and benefits of future immobilizations. Putting an animal under anesthesia is always risky, but if the team sees Juju decline in a way they believe they can help under anesthesia, another immobilization is not out of the question.

Juju’s team tracks quality-of-life markers that help them identify if and when they need to escalate her care, including her appetite, activity level, social interactions with other gorillas, mobility and interest in training and enrichment.

“She’s interacting well with the troop and participating in voluntary behaviors, like EKG readings that help us monitor her heart, which can also be impacted by high blood pressure,” said Husby. “We’re cautiously optimistic about the progress she has made over the past couple of weeks, and she has an excellent team of humans and gorillas surrounding her with care and camaraderie.”

Roxie – a 47-year-old female gorilla who Juju has the closest relationship with – has been staying close by, and was especially attentive before Juju’s immobilization.

“We’re going to make the best decisions for her and the social dynamic of the troop as a whole,” said Husby. “We know them all so well that we can make changes quickly to address Juju’s health and the troop’s well-being. She could decline rapidly or we could be lucky and have her with us for many more years. We’re holding onto hope for the latter.”

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Ewaso Lions is a longtime member-supported conservation organization in Kenya dedicated to conserving lions and other large carnivores by promoting coexistence between people and wildlife. They provide local communities with conservation advocates, transportation, veterinary equipment and vaccinations for pet dogs, among other things. Since 2017, CMZoo members have sent more than $80,000 to support their important conservation work through the annual Member Conservation Vote.

In October, Dr. Jessicah Kurere, the lead veterinarian for Ewaso Lions’ domestic animal mobile veterinary unit, spent a few days on the mountain to inspire, educate and even practice some veterinary techniques that could help animals in the wild.

In the U.S., many learn about the plight of iconic African animals, like African lions, elephants and giraffe, and it can be hard to understand why they aren’t better protected. By connecting with people like Dr. Kurere, more animal advocates can start to understand how difficult it must be for communities to live with these animals, no matter how revered they are in other parts of the world.

“In Colorado, we share recreational and living spaces with wild bears and mountain lions, so we can understand the struggles that might arise when human-wildlife conflicts inevitably occur anywhere in the world,” said Amy Schilz, senior animal behaviorist at the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Schilz worked with the African lions at CMZoo for 10 years before embarking on her journey at The Center, and has maintained a relationship with the team at Ewaso Lions. “In Kenya, they’re choosing to live with wildlife and share the landscape. If we consider the number of bear-human conflicts we hear about in our home state and relate that to native African animals and the pastoral farming communities that live amongst them, it’s easier to understand.”

Ewaso Lions works to help locals understand, respect and coexist with native African species. According to Ewaso Lions, the African lion population has declined by 43% in the last 20 years and lions now occupy only 8% of their historical range in Africa. The estimated number of lions across Africa is approximately 20,000. In Kenya, the national population now numbers less than 2,500 individuals. This reduction in lion numbers is primarily due to habitat loss and conflict with humans, typically when lions kill people’s livestock.

During her visit, Dr. Kurere met with staff, Teen Program participants and docents, sharing stories of helping livestock injured by lions from her mobile vet clinic, complete with a flip-down exam table that hangs from the side of the van. In addition to the conservation programs detailed below and others, Ewaso Lions jumps in to assist wildlife in emergencies. They dig wells for wildlife during droughts and rehabilitate struggling grasslands, which attract hoof stock to wildlands and thus, lions away from communities and toward those food sources, hopefully helping to restore the natural ecosystems that animals and people need to thrive.

“Hearing her passion and the stories from the field brings us all closer to the important work our Zoo members are supporting,” said Schilz. “Dr. Kurere told us about an entire pack of African painted dogs that contracted canine distemper and passed away, and the work they’re doing with Kura’s Pride vaccinations is helping to address that.”

In between updating staff on the progress of Ewaso Lions, Dr. Kurere worked closely with big cat keepers in African Rift Valley, sharing what she knows about wild lion behaviors and assisting with voluntary blood draws on Abuto, CMZoo’s 12-year-old African lion patriarch.

During blood draw training, the team asks Abuto to enter an open-ended mesh tunnel, which he always has the choice to leave if he wants to. Communicating the steps with Abuto throughout the process– and feeding him lots of yummy snacks – the team asks him to position himself so he can present his tail through a small port at the bottom of the mesh.

“It was very different from what I am used to, but very exciting,” said Dr. Kurere. “I was fascinated with the trust and ease he presented his tail for blood draws. That makes it very easy to give him medical exams. It was my second time to draw blood on a lion, but certainly the first-time drawing blood on a wild carnivore wide awake!”

Dr. Kurere has been assisting a local veterinarian in Kenya on clinical cases in lions and other wildlife, and this experience with Abuto is another way she’s continuing to gain more skills in wildlife clinical practice.

The benefit to wild lions doesn’t end there. Because Abuto and the rest of the pride – 16-year-old matriarch, Lomela, and their 8-year-old daughter, Elsa, and son, Aslan – inspire new African lion advocates every day by connecting with CMZoo guests. Furthermore, through the CMZoo members who have developed relationships with CMZoo’s lion pride and voted to support Ewaso Lions in the annual Member Conservation Vote, they are making a direct impact by supporting Ewaso Lions’ imperative conservation efforts.

Ewaso Lions hosts a variety of programs that monitor and protect wildlife, connect communities to conservation and lift up underserved populations, and provide veterinary care to local pets, livestock and wildlife.

Mama Simba – which means “Mothers of Lions” in Swahili – is one of their programs, which provides a platform for traditional women to reclaim their place as the owners and protectors of wildlife, through environmental literacy, lion habitat recovery activities, engagement and awareness work on coexistence and culture.

Warrior Watch is a community-led program that engages Samburu warriors – a group traditionally neglected, overlooked or blamed for wrongdoing – in conservation decision-making. The program builds on the warriors’ traditional protection role by increasing their ability to mitigate human-carnivore conflict. The Warriors serve multiple communities, informing herders of lion presence so they can avoid certain areas, averting depredation. This network also monitors threatened species and records conflict incidents over a wide-ranging area. Following lion attacks on livestock, Warriors encourage herders not to take retaliatory action and work with them to prevent future livestock attacks.

Lion Kids Camp are five-day camps that teach tomorrow’s conservationists about peaceful wildlife coexistence. Most Kenyan children, despite living in close proximity to world famous national parks and reserves, have never had the chance to observe wildlife at close range. Instead, they are exposed to negative interactions between wildlife, livestock and people, which shape their perceptions of wildlife. The program empowers a new generation of wildlife ambassadors by engaging young people in environmental education and long-term conservation values.

Kura’s Pride provides vaccinations for local pets, with a goal to reduce the spread of diseases like canine distemper and rabies among beloved pets and wildlife.

“At our Zoo, we have the privilege of knowing Abuto as an individual and witnessing how incredible he is,” said Schilz. “Dr. Kurere and the Ewaso Lions team are saving the world’s wild ‘Abutos.’ I picture every single lion being as beautiful and amazing as he is, and that’s who she and our members are protecting. She’s our hero, and no matter how old you are, it always reignites your passion to save wildlife and wild places when you meet your wildlife heroes.”

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Exciting news! One of the red-necked wallabies in our mob, Gidgee, is carrying her third wallaby joey. Gidgee was first time mom to Clifford in 2020 and had her second joey, TimTam, in 2021.

It’s hard to know the exact birth date but we think that Gidgee’s wiggly joey is about two months old. Wallaby joeys are born after approximately 29 days of gestation and are about the size of a jellybean. After the joey is born, it crawls into their mother’s pouch and latches onto a nipple for about 3 months. Joeys typically pop their heads out of the pouch around 5 or 6 months and start regularly exploring outside the pouch at around 7 months.

Keep an eye out for a little pink wallaby head popping out of Gidgee’s pouch in March and a bouncy joey exploring the yard in June.

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They may be tall but Viv, Kay, and Wednesday are the littles of the giraffe herd. Their zoomies, curiosity and bold personalities breathe energy into the herd. Viv, Kay and Wednesday are besties and munch, nap, play and even train together. Each giraffe is at a slightly different level of hoof care training and blood draw training but they are all learning how to voluntarily participate in their own healthcare.

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The harvest season looks a little different at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. In 2021, CMZoo acquired its first shipping container farm, followed by a second in 2022. Currently, only a handful of zoos are working with hydroponic farming systems, like these. Being on the cutting-edge of this technology allows the CMZoo horticulture team to gather valuable data and conduct tests that contribute to the ongoing improvement of hydroponic systems and the production of top-quality produce.

While we will continue to run tests and collect data with our two current farms, the goal is to add more shipping container farms sourcing 50 percent of the lettuce for the giraffe feeding experience. An even longer-term goal is to grow 80 percent of lettuce for Zoo animals in farms like this one.

Visit the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo shipping containers across from Grizzly Grill during your next visit to CMZoo!

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New tree ‘roo Som (pronounced like ‘roam’) is settling into her new home and building trust with her new keepers. Som is a 3-year-old female Matschie’s tree kangaroo who joined Cheyenne Mountain Zoo about a month ago.

Only about 2,500 Matschie’s tree kangaroos remain in the wild in their only known habitat: The Huon Peninsula of northeastern Papua New Guinea. Threatened by logging and mining exploration, the marsupial arboreal species is considered endangered by the International Union for the Conservancy of Nature (IUCN).

CMZoo supports the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo Species Survival Plan (SSP) by providing homes and care for tree kangaroos that don’t have current breeding recommendations, like Som. While Som receives quality care, she’s also contributing to the conservation of her species by inspiring and educating guests.

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As a conservation organization in Colorado, water savings are high on the list of local preservation focuses for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Five CMZoo staff members and a CMZoo board member recently returned from a two-day trip to Del Norte in the Rio Grande Basin of Southern Colorado. There, they got to witness how water truly touches everything and everyone.

“The landscape and the community near the Conejos River are beautiful – and important to the survival of countless species of fish, plants, mammals and birds,” said Nicole Chaney, conservation coordinator at CMZoo. “Feeling the roar of Clear Creek Falls, witnessing the wildlife that rely on the river, and meeting the people whose livelihoods depend on it was really moving. The experience made us all the more grateful for our guests and members, who make the Zoo’s support for this effort possible.”

Earlier this year, CMZoo celebrated a huge conservation milestone reducing its water usage by nearly half, saving 13 million gallons of water per year. To offset its water usage, CMZoo also continued a commitment to Trout Unlimited, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of habitat for animals that rely on our local rivers, which operates a program in the Rio Grande Basin of southern Colorado.

Under the program, Trout Unlimited arranges for releases of water from storage reservoirs to restore river flows for the benefit of fish populations and the riverine environment. Each year, CMZoo reviews its water use for the previous year and purchases that same amount of water, which is distributed to help restore stream flows in the winter months in the Upper Rio Grande Basin. This water is re-timed for winter releases, when normally the entire flow would be stored in reservoirs for future irrigation use in the summer months.

Trout Unlimited conducts complicated negotiations with water rights holders in efforts to get multiple uses out of that water. If the Zoo uses 20 million gallons per year, the Zoo purchases and restores flows by putting back 20 million gallons into the local waterways. Last year, the Zoo purchased 20 million gallons and spent $20,000 to offset that usage. Since the Zoo was able to reduce its water use by 4 million gallons in 2022, it will be purchasing 16 million gallons to restore to the waterways this year.

During their trip, the team visited reservoirs, water delivery facilities, and several streams where flows have been restored. In areas where winter flows have been restored, the surrounding areas have benefitted. If a stream stays flowing, it keeps the water table high, which has a dramatic effect on the landscapes the team visited, by improving the presence and health of vegetation that attracts the native wildlife back into this area. Flowing streams are very important for fish.

If flows are reduced in the winter months, fish have to crowd into small pools and compete for resources which affects their populations negatively and limits aquatic ecosystem productivity. In addition to its flow restoration efforts, TU also restores stream habitat in the area to provide healthier habitats for the fish during low flows. They also work with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to monitor the health of the fish populations in the basin.

“We learned that this basin is an important habitat for two threatened bird species,” said Chaney. “The Southwestern willow flycatcher, a federally endangered bird, and the Western yellow-billed cuckoo, a species of concern with declining populations, rely on these waterway habitats for their survival. Healthy rivers provide safe habitats, food sources and breeding opportunities for these birds.”

The team also learned about impressive conservation technology being used in the region that measures and controls water flows impressively accurately. Water rights holders can look at their smartphones each day for real-time data.

The region’s people, who are local stewards of this rich ecosystem, depend on the river for jobs, tourism and recreation. The town’s population triples in the summer months with tourists that make a huge impact on the local economy. The CMZoo team visited the Riverfront Project in Del Norte, Colorado – a large-scale renovation at a point in the river that flows through town. It was designed to facilitate recreation on the river including nature trails, picnic, swimming and fishing areas, and a “river wave” that people can surf or tube in.

Seeing the projects up-close left the team feeling inspired to continue their hard work in Colorado Springs, inviting people to visit the Zoo and inspiring them to take action to save wildlife and wild places. The Zoo is an exciting place to learn and make memories, and it’s an easy way for guests to contribute to reputable conservation efforts the Zoo vets and supports. All they need to do is visit the Zoo.

“Modern zoos act as links between frontline conservation organizations and the general public,” said Grace Sullivan, senior lead keeper at Water’s Edge: Africa, who went on the conservation trip. “Because of the number of people our animal ambassadors reach and inspire, we can help our members and supporters learn about and advocate for our shared conservation causes. This trip made a big impact on me, and I learned new ways to help connect our community to the Rio Grande Basin community, so we’re going to incorporate them into our education opportunities for guests right away.”

Every visit to CMZoo is conservation in action. Through the Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation program, which allocates 75¢ from every admission to frontline conservation efforts throughout the world, guests and members have raised more than $4.5 million since 2008. Annually, CMZoo members contribute $75,000 to smaller-scale staff-championed projects, and with additional conservation funds from Zoo revenue, CMZoo supporters help fund ongoing conservation partners, like Trout Unlimited.

“I hope our guests and members know what an impact they’re making for wildlife and wild places through this partnership,” said Sullivan. “We’re excited to bring back what we learned so we can inspire more members and visitors to continue supporting the Zoo as an easy way to continue supporting important work, like this.”

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In the coming weeks, 9-year-old female Red River hog, Zena, will head northeast to Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York. Her relocation supports the Red River Hog Species Survival Plan (SSP), with Zena moving as a companion animal.

To prepare her for the move, her care team has been refreshing her voluntary crate training, as Zena will be fully awake for the trip. Zena came to CMZoo from another zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in 2019, and quickly adapted to her new home with the support of her team. For this move, her keepers will also work with her new care team at Rosamond Gifford Zoo to make Zena’s transition go smoothly again.

“She was an excellent mother during her time with us here, and I know she’ll be a great companion and ambassador for her species in her new home,” said Brooke Powell, animal keeper in African Rift Valley at CMZoo. “We’ll miss her, but this gives even more people an opportunity to fall in love with Zena and Red River hogs as a species.”

Zena, whose keepers describe her as expressive, vocal, sweet and commanding, had two hoglets, Augustus and Pinto, with CMZoo’s late male Red River hog, Huey. Huey’s genetics were extremely valuable to the assurance population in human care, because his family line was relatively rare.

Now, it’s young Augustus “Gus” who has the breeding recommendation. Zena and Huey’s 1-year-old son, Gus, will stay at CMZoo. He’ll soon meet his first-ever potential mates: two 7-year-old Red River hog sisters from another AZA-accredited zoo.

“Gus is not quite mature enough to breed with the incoming sisters yet, but we’re hopeful they’ll be a good match when he’s ready in the next year or so,” said Powell. “Gus is used to living with other hogs, so we’re excited we can welcome the girls and introduce them as companions along the same timeline that Zena will be leaving.”

CMZoo has long supported the Red River Hog SSP by serving as a breeding facility. CMZoo has welcomed six healthy hoglets to the world since 2008, when Huey moved to the Zoo.

“It’s always exciting to contribute to a species by welcoming babies, but Red River hoglets are especially adorable,” said Powell. “They have these really cute brown-and-orange striped coats and tiny pink hooves, and they’re known for having zoomies almost nonstop.”

The African Rift Valley team is keeping their fingers crossed that Gus will help bring even more hoglets into the world in the coming years. According to the International Union for the Conservancy of Nature (IUCN) Red List, Red River hogs’ wild populations are decreasing. Guests who would like to wish Zena well on her travels to New York should plan to visit her when she’s outside with Gus in the Red River hog yard on warm and sunny fall days, before mid-November.

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO –
Just like people, animals’ diets play a huge role in their overall health. In addition to enrichment activities, training sessions and environmental elements that support animals’ mental and physical wellness, planning their daily meals is a major focus for animal care teams.

As the holidays roll around each year, many people are looking forward to gatherings centered around helpings of sweet and savory treats. Food traditionally connects people at the holidays, and celebrations can present opportunities to try new foods and stray from the diet and exercise routines that keep our bodies operating at their best.

Our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado offer advice for helping kids stay healthy during the holidays while enjoying seasonal or traditional treats and activities. CMZoo’s commissary, veterinary and animal care teams work together to follow similar practices to keep the animal residents at the Zoo healthy year-round.

Throughout the year, animal care teams lean on seasonally available items, like pumpkins in the fall or watermelons in the summer, to introduce novel foods to certain animals’ diets.

“The key is moderation, just like people practice around yummy holiday treats,” said Dr. Lizzy Arnett, CMZoo veterinarian. “It’s stimulating for our animals to receive novel foods, but we offer them sparingly and prioritize nutritious meals first.”

Just like humans, animals have individual preferences. That’s one of the things that makes keepers’ relationships with their animals so vital to each animal’s health and well-being. CMZoo’s African penguin flock is a great example of how species knowledge is supported by their care team’s connection with each individual.

Everyone knows penguins eat fish. Some might think that all penguins of the same subspecies would like the same kind of fish, but they would be wrong. The unique tastes of each CMZoo African penguin are on full display during daily penguin feedings in Water’s Edge: Africa. Guests can watch keepers offer four kinds of fish – herring, smelt, capelin and sprat – to accommodate CMZoo’s 16 picky penguins’ penchants.

“We usually know which type of fish to offer to each penguin, but changes in the seasons seem to inspire changes in their choices,” said Erin Henninger, Water’s Edge: Africa animal keeper. “For example, right now, Gary and Ichaboe like smelt, but they won’t eat herring. Safara and Rufaro are currently into herring, but won’t go near smelt. Most of the flock is choosing capelin right now and some will eat sprat occasionally. They have a hilarious way of telling you that you’re offering them the wrong fish. They shake their heads from side to side quickly or turn their faces away from it and wait – with intense side-eye stares – until you get it right.”

When a new animal arrives at CMZoo from another organization, its former care team is asked to provide an overview of its existing diet – main staples, favorite treats, high-value training rewards and things they don’t enjoy or haven’t responded well to in the past.

“To help a new arrival settle in, the veterinary team works with keepers and our commissary team to review their diet, order items we might not have and make any adjustments based on our experience with their species,” said Dr. Arnett. “Offering food to an animal is often a first opportunity to build a relationship, so we want to make sure they have their favorite treats and healthy meals.”

Again, it’s more important to support the animal as an individual, and not necessarily lean on what’s known about their species. Som, a female tree kangaroo who arrived at CMZoo last month, is a big fan of kale, so her keepers offer that leafy favorite as a way to calmly build trust with her during this foundational time. Tristan, CMZoo’s former male tree ‘roo who moved to Denver Zoo on a breeding recommendation from the Tree Kangaroo Species Survival Plan, despised kale. To each ‘roo, their own!

Atka, CMZoo’s 3-year-old male moose, arrived at Rocky Mountain Wild in July 2020 after being orphaned in the wild. He was only 8 weeks old when he came to CMZoo, so he was bottle fed by his keeper team. Although CMZoo had cared for moose before, he was CMZoo’s first nursing moose calf. Teams relied on the Association of Zoos and Aquariums network of expert knowledge and ever-evolving animal care science to create a formula and feeding schedule for the little guy.

“Currently, Atka’s diet consists of grain, some rye crackers for training, occasional algae from his pond, and a whole lot of browse, otherwise known as tree branches,” said Erika Furnes, animal keeper in Rocky Mountain Wild. “We’re one of the few zoos that is set up to care for moose, because we have a cooler climate, space to roam and swim, and a lot of native roughage.”

Atka’s team monitors his weight and body condition regularly, especially as he continues to grow. In the wild, moose snack on tree branches, bark, shrubs and aquatic vegetation. In human care, animal care teams provide items that species would eat in the wild and supplement with more readily available items, like grain. Moose are one of the few animals that eat pine needles, so guests will also see Atka snacking on the several pine trees in his habitat during the winter months.

CMZoo has a dedicated team of people who supply hundreds of pounds of browse daily for the various animals who need it. Browse, which includes tree logs, branches and leaves, is nutritious for many species. It’s also enriching for them to ‘work’ for their meals, by moving branches, stripping bark and chewing leaves.

Whether you’re gathering around a big bowl of leafy greens or snuggling up with a cup of hot cocoa, we encourage you to enjoy the holiday festivities in moderation – just like the animals at CMZoo!

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Teenagers interested in learning more about nature have a brand-new opportunity at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. A 3-evening course, called Teen Naturalist Training, is tailored to nature-enthused teenagers – and its very first session is on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.

“Each evening, we’ll connect with the wild world through different educational experiences indoors and outdoors,” said Austin Kennedy, Extended Education Supervisor. “We’ll make wind chimes, press flowers, make clay imprints while we explore, discuss topics, and learn all along the way.”

During each 3-hour class, teens will learn about the natural world and gain a deeper understanding of Colorado’s wildlife and wild places, which could help future naturalists or nature hobbyists see if any of these specific topics spark a passion or interest in them.

The three-session training program will take a deeper dive into five topics:

Nature Mentoring and Understanding the Role of a Naturalist
Leave No Trace Methodology
Colorado Plants
Colorado Mammals
Colorado Birds

Attendees can sign up for one, two or all three sessions, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Oct. 11, Oct. 18 and Oct. 25, 2023. The classes are intentionally kept on the smaller side, with around 16 spots available each night. Longtime members of CMZoo’s Teen Program will attend the course as peer mentors to new attendees, so teens can learn from and relate experiences to each other, too.

“If you’ve ever thought to yourself, ‘I’d really like to learn more about rocks, or birds, native wildlife, and how they work together.’ and you’re a teenager, then this is a great place to start digging deeper,” said Kennedy. “We’re excited to offer this uniquely focused training to teenagers in our community so they can see if these topics might lead to a calling as a naturalist.”

Kennedy and the CMZoo EdVenture team plan to add more opportunities for naturalist training for teens and adults. More information will be available at cmzoo.org/outdoorschool in the coming weeks.

The deadline to register for Teen Naturalist Training is Wed., Oct. 4. For more information and to register for one, two or all three sessions in the series, visit https://www.cmzoo.org/series/teen-naturalist-training-series-1-oct-11-18-25/.

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