Zookeeper Class

Reptile & Amphibian Discovery Zoo

Discovering the Zoo-Keeper Experience

In addition to the one hour programs available on the educational programs page we are offering a five day program called "Discovering the Zoo-keeper Experience" where we teach the students about being a zoo- keeper specializing in reptiles and amphibians. This is a two hour a day mini-course which combines live animal presentations, in combination with lectures, games, and a group project. Following this theme, the students are divided into groups, with each group being assigned a type of animal that they will be responsible for setting up a care plan and designing an exhibit for. They do this using information learned during the animal presentations and using resources that we provide. This course can be scheduled to run daily for one week, or offered one day a week for five weeks.

Day 1 We talk about what is involved in being an animal keeper, and explain the goal of the course to the students: Learning about how an animal lives and using that information to set up a habitat and a care plan for that animal. We divide them into work groups, and assign each group with a different reptile or amphibian. We then select a sample animal and show how we would prepare a care plan for it. This is followed by a presentation combining live animals with an interactive lecture teaching about the first group of animals, the amphibians (frogs, toads, and salamanders)
Day 2 This day includes the second live animal presentation focusing on turtles and tortoises. After the presentation the work groups use the remaining time to began work on their animal care plan.
Day 3 This day includes the third live animal presentation which focuses on lizards and snakes. After the presentation the work groups use the remaining time to finish their animal care plan.
Day 4 This day includes the final live animal presentation which focuses on alligators and crocodiles. After this our presenter teaches them how to set up an aquarium for our sample reptile and explain the reasoning behind the process. Following this they are divided into their groups and they began setting up the habitat in an aquarium for their assigned animal. We supply the necessary materials. The groups are then assisted by our presenter and your teaching staff at your option.

Two Exhibits Set Up By A Preschool Zoo-keeper Experience Class

Day 5 Each group presents their animal care plan and exhibit design to the other groups with help from our presenter. On this day we bring in the animals that each group has focused on, and as the group finishes their presentation we let them introduce their animal to the aquarium containing the habitat that they had created. At the conclusion of the presentations we give each student an honorary RADZoo animal keeper diploma.

Kids Admiring The Milksnake Exhibit They Just Built In Class

The four days of animal presentations cover topics including the natural history of the animals to include their habits, diets, reproduction, and behaviors. We also discuss the Minnesota natives of each grouping. These topics are then tied into how we provide the proper care for these animals in a zoo setting.
Additional materials including reptile and amphibian related games, coloring pages, and puzzles are also provided as a supplement to use after our visit if you choose.
This program is available for students from the pre-school to the high school level.
We prefer to offer this course to groups of up to forty students per session to allow for maximum individual attention. The cost for this two hour a day, one week course all inclusive is $850.00. This rate will drop to $750.00 per course if you book more than one two hour course in a day.

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