Teens Reaching Out to Zoos & Aquariums

[Sphenisciologist]

Hey everyone,

Like many other industries and departments, in the zoological world, it is very difficult to get anywhere without finding a starting point first and potentially using that to network elsewhere: Whether it be to other zoos, schools for zoological and environmental education, reaching out is key.
Seeing the future of zoos on this very site alone through the lens of other well-minded teens is exciting, but it also leaves me very curious as to what’s going on with the relationship between a teenager and their local zoo.
For the teens who are here, I was wondering what you guys have personally done to stay interactive within the zoo world, and what you guys plan on doing when you get older to assist on it, and to the adults, what did you do when you were younger to stay involved in the zoo world (if you did at the time), and what would you do differently?
For me, I spend several days of each month volunteering at my local aquarium, to get volunteer experience and potentially prepare for future volunteer experience. I also shadowed the penguin house at my local zoo a few months back, where I got to see the day-to-day process of how these birds are kept.
Which ones do you have, if you’re willing to share, and how are they memorable to you?

 

[aardvark250]

As a soon-not-to-be teen (still 19 until i'm 20) who is on the internet a lot, I must say its www.zoochat.com. I don't imagine i'll work in a zoo setting when im older, (there's more chance of me working in the nature/conservation area, or just a "normal" 9-5 job.) and I don't really visit a lot of zoos(HKZBG is bad, ocean park is overpriced, I go to mainland way less now for reasons). I geniunely believe, especially in the last few years where i can't visit any foreign zoos, if i'm not in this community chatting and learning with all of you, I probably would just move on and focus on other interest. So yeah, even though i dont really visit zoos a lot, I still love it and all of you pay a big part.

I'm not sure if that's relevant or the answer you're looking for, but I still think it's worth sharing.

 

[LiSom]

I am not a teenager anymore but I started to feel interest on zoos when I was 12 years aprox.
I always knew I wanted to work in a zoo environment so I just basically started talking with some of the keepers at my local zoo and volunteering at a rescue center, since then I have always been involved in things related to zoos and wild animals

 

[Sicarius]

I'm currently 22 years old. I always tried to be part of the zoo world, but not job-related. I have focussed on photographing rare species, bringing me to many private collections and companies around Europe and beyond. I do not have any connection to local zoos, but I work a lot around animal identification to the point that many people ask for my help daily. Where I'm from, getting a biology or even a zoology degree requires a very difficult mathematic study, which I do not feel interested enough for. So I will keep my passion for animals as a hobby. I do help in a private bird park from time to time. I tend to keep on collecting new species as much as I can.

 

[15399]

getting a biology or even a zoology degree requires a very difficult mathematic study, which I do not feel interested enough for.

If you don't want to, that's fine, but you may be interested in looking into Animal Behavior or Ethology programs (I'm in a great program for animal behavior right now and am loving it!). Oftentimes the math/core sciences requirements for an animal behavior degree is less than that for a zoology degree. For me, not having to take chemistry was one of the big appeals to the animal behavior program instead of a program for zoology (which I also looked into doing).

 

[Mac]

Finally! A thread that I will be able to engage in properly.

So.. I'm currently 16 and have wanted to work in some sort of zoological facility since 2018 (I was 11ish). I have managed to get myself onto a course at a college that claims to have good ties with a number of local collections, which I hope will help me get my foot through the door. However, my nearest proper facility is about an hour's drive and doesn't usually recruit many, if any, volunteers/interns etc. So, being 16, unable to get my way to a collection nearby, and with a relatively low count of nearby collections that offer suitable placements/experience, I've been relying on visits and getting to talk to a few keepers. I hope that once I get my driver's license, I will be able to open a few more doors, but am too anxious/worried about ruining my chances to directly contact a facility at this point in time. For now, I've spoken briefly to a local wildlife rescue organization, which has agreed to take me on if we are able to work around the difficulties of availability & transport. So now, it's just hoping, waiting, and trying to overcome anxiety!!

I also feel compelled to mention my attraction and appeal to (hopefully) emigrating to Australia at some point in the future. For now, I'll rely on a vacation there later this year, and more regional facilities. I'm also open to venturing further into the conservation field/in-situ programs, but for now, zoos seem to do it for me.