The Junior Zookeeper experience is designed to be hands-on and fun, illustrating key concepts in the life sciences while making time for fun and games. Each day is scheduled around a specific theme. During, "It's a Wild Life," for instance, campers meet native wildlife housed at Noah's Landing, listen to a talk from a local wildlife protector, and create feeders for local birds. Crafts and games also reinforce the theme, such as a camp that emphasizes species survival and crafts like wild animal prints. Each day typically involves the following:
Science in Action
Our "Science in Action" classes focus on basic science skills, teaching campers about scientific classification, conservation, ecology, or the food chain. But we're not interested in making our camp feel like "school." So we don't talk about oil spills, we drop oil into a lab pan and see what happens when we drop feathers in or try to clean it up with a spongue. We don't just think about the food chain, we dig into an owl pellet to see what they've eaten. And we don't memorize classification charts, we compete in classification "scrambles" and then head around the nature center on a classification scavenger hunt. During a class on insects, campers might collect bugs and then diagram their parts to learn more about their bodies. Or older campers might dissect a giant grasshopper.
Zookeeping 101
We know that many of our campers want to be veterinarians or animal keepers when they get older. So we design classes that focus on the specific roles that animal caregivers might take. During a class on enrichment, kids might build toys and treats for the animals at Noah's Landing. Or they might design an ideal habitat. Sometimes ,we bring in guest speakers from the community to talk about their jobs. In the past, we've welcomed veterinarians, wildlife rehabilitators, wildlife protection officers, and exotic animal handlers.
Volunteer Time
"What's your favorite part of camp?" Every time we ask our campers, their answer is the same: volunteer time. Each day, campers work with our staff to care for the animals at Noah's Landing. They might make fruit bowls or help with cage cleaning. It's a unique opportunity for them to get one-on-one with many of our animals. Volunteer time is closely supervised by our staff and there are limits to what the campers can do. We only let the kids work with animals that are "kid-safe" and we structure the experience to be as safe as possible.
Animal Interaction
At the end of each day, campers are invited to participate in "Animal Interaction Time," unprogramed opportunities to hold and watch the animals at the farm. Under the watchful eye of staff, they can hold smaller critters or enter enclosures with "kid-safe" creatures. Throughout the day, campers can earn extra Animal Interaction time for good deeds and enthusiasm.
Games and Crafts
Each day, we'll do games and crafts that relate to the overarching theme. In the past, we've created "mammal pots" painting Terracotta pots, "Bird Coozies" by decorating foam coozies with feathers, Tie-dye shirts, clay paw prints, foam gliders, and animal visors. We also design games that reinforce the daily lessons. You might compete against your peers in a scent marking contest or test your insect senses during a mating game.
