Those of us in the Field Conservation Department might spend a lot of our time out in the wilds, but we’ve been working on developing our presence at the zoos, too! Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo are ideal places for us to connect with large numbers of conservation-minded folk and help support the zoos’ conservation mission during visits and beyond.
Have you been to one of our annual Field Season Kickoff parties? We take over a tent at Stone Zoo, offer a peek at what’s ahead for our field season, and have free food and activities as well as more opportunities to get directly involved with volunteering for us. More than this once-a-year party, though, we’re hoping to develop a presence and some activities that let us connect with guests year-round.
Above is Conservation Outreach Coordinator Matthew Kamm talking to visitors during Franklin Park Zoo’s Party for the Planet – our annual Earth Day celebration. We also developed new activities and handouts for school vacation week at Stone Zoo, teaching kids and adults all about the amazing native bees, butterflies, and other pollinator insects we work hard to support. The zoos’ wildly popular annual lantern shows, Boston Lights at FPZ and ZooLights at Stone Zoo, have also started to include conservation information about what guests can do to support the amazing animals and ecosystems displayed by the beautiful Tianyu lanterns.
What’s your favorite Zoo New England event? Zootopia? Boo at the Zoo? The lantern events? Look for the Field Conservation Team there to share the latest in conservation and deliver some cool knowledge about our amazing local ecosystems.