Dear Reader,
This summer, the Nature Net team (Brenna, Betsy, and I) decided that we would like to take some time to highlight all of the wonderful things our member sites do to promote environmental education and to share many of the exciting programs and events offered to families like you. With 16 member sites, it is often difficult to keep up with all that each site has to offer, they’re doing so many incredible things! My goal is to visit each of our member sites throughout the summer months so I can get a better idea of what opportunities exist for families at each site. I will be posting “Nature Net Site Spotlight” blog posts throughout the rest of the summer. I hope that you and your family will find this helpful in planning activities for the summer months and beyond.
Enjoy,
Kelsey
Nature Net Intern
Henry Vilas Zoo
My Visit:
The Henry Vilas Zoo offers Madison residents and visitors an admission-free zoo experience with beautiful exhibits, a variety of animals, and many fun, family-friendly attractions. During my visit, I was given the opportunity to shadow the Summer Zoo School program. These Zoo School classes are offered throughout the summer, and aim to provide students with an opportunity in which they can learn more about animals and about what it takes to be a zoo keeper. The classes are offered by age group, which determines the theme and topic. I attended the last day of the “Jr. Zookeepers” class, a three-day learning experience for kids going into 6th grade and up. Since this class was aimed at an older audience, the main focus of the class was to explore different 
aspects of zoo work. The students shadowed zookeepers and learned more about conservation, animal enrichment, education, and training techniques.
One activity that I was able to attend with the students was “animal painting”. One of the zoo’s African Penguins, Meredith, was placed in the center of our circle and given the opportunity to walk through paint and across a blank canvas. Meredith was feeling a bit shy that day, and not really in the “painting mood”. The students learned about the importance of making sure animals feel safe and comfortable, and the dangers in forcing animals to do what they don’t want to do. It was great to see how invested and interested the students were, they all had so many 
great questions for the zookeeper.
Another activity was “cleaning and maintenance”. We learned about what it takes to clean cages and pens and provide food for the animals. The kids’ first reactions were, “Seriously, cleaning?” and “Ughh, why do we have to do this?”. After a few minutes, however, the kids were all laughing and having a blast. They made teams and were competing to see who could finish cleaning their respective enclosure first. I asked a few of them if they still wanted to be zookeepers, even though they would have to clean. They responded with a resounding, “Yes of course!”
For more information on Summer Zoo School, please visit the Zoo School page.
Upcoming Events:
- Halloween at the Zoo – October 25th
- The zoo’s annual “Safe Place to Trick or Treat” event is admission-free and features trick or treat stops, Halloween-themed zoo animal enrichment, and a costume contest.
More Information:
Please visit the Henry Vilas Zoo website for more information. Here are a few quick links which may also be helpful: