Final Reflection

Overall, I had a very positive experience at my applied study site, and will take with me valuable lessons and information with respect to education in a zoological facility. I was looking forward to learning more about the educational programs at the zoo and what aspects of their curriculum work best. I was able to do just that as I observed the information sessions at the orangutan exhibit, the otter exhibit, and the squirrel monkey exhibit. I learned that hands-on, experiential learning really is the best and people gain much more from these unique opportunities than they would from watching a video or listening to a lecture. Experiential education is most successful at the zoo in their outreach program, in which zookeepers and educators bring animals to various schools, churches, and organizations in the area in order to give them an up-close understanding of these animals. I was also able to learn more about the informational signage throughout the zoo and the impact that narrative signs can have on a person’s visit to the zoo. We discovered which placements of the signs worked best and how much text to put on each sign. Something that I did not expect to experience during my internship was sitting in on important meetings about the progress of various projects throughout the zoo. The one which was the most interesting was learning about the new komodo dragon exhibit which is currently under construction at the zoo. I had the opportunity to sit in on meetings about concrete, lighting, sound systems, zoo keepers paths, plumbing, anything you could think of, that goes into building an exhibit of its magnitude. It was fascinating to learn about how much coordination is required for such an amazing exhibit. My favorite part of my internship, besides seeing areas behind-the-scenes and talking with the public, was working with the ZooTeen program. I had the opportunity to supervise ten high school aged students as they hosted various tables with animal artifacts and information. I was responsible for their behavior as well as the information they were giving to the public. It was great being able to work with these students and learn more about zoological education through them. Throughout this experience, I was able to build my skills in public speaking and relating to guests. I was also able to learn a tremendous amount of animal information and ways to talk about sensitive subjects such as captivity. Overall, it was a very positive experience and I had a great time this semester!