Hands-On Wild

I was a fairly good student in college, far better, at least, than I was in high school.  I was attentive in class, I studied regularly, I was thorough with homework, and I did well on tests and projects.  In high school, given the choice, I would have stayed home everyday.  In college, with no one there taking attendance or making me get out of bed, I only played hooky once... and it was worth it.

At the invitation of a professor that I had met, a fellow undergrad and I drove two or three hours from campus, off into the middle of nowhere.  From there, we trekked into the woods until we found ourselves at the entrance of a seemingly small hole in the ground.  Creeping in carefully, the beam of our flashlights eventually lit up two squirmy black balls of fur... and the sleeping bear that was their mother.

These weren't just any college shenanigans that we were engaged in that day.  My friend and I were assisting our professor, who in turn was assisting a state agency in doing a survey of denning black bears.  We watched as he darted the female (just to make sure), then hauled her out into the open air to take blood samples, recheck her radio collar, and give a quick health assessment.  Then, we took care of the cubs, weighing them and measuring them and trying hard to make it look like we weren't just there for the cuddles.  When everything was done, we placed everyone back in the den as neatly as we found them, then set off for the next one.

Both in college and at work, I've had a few opportunities to help biologists in the field.  Many zoos and aquariums have relationships with their local agencies to assist in projects, whether its banding pelicans, surveying shorebirds, or measuring hellbenders or indigo snakes.  The government biologists benefit from the assistance of helpers who are trained in spotting animals, working around animals, and, when the job calls for it, safely handling animals.  It also helps that these volunteers are less likely than laypeople to be fazed by the cold, heat, rain, or the inevitable urine or feces that are a part of working with animals.  The zoo staff, in turn, benefit from the chance to connect their day-to-day work with hands on conservation.  It's one thing to know that you're part of a zoo that supports conservation programs financially in Africa or Asia or Latin America.  It's another to do something with your own hands.

Some zoos even allow their staff the opportunity to go abroad to assist in field work.  Among the opportunities that are available to keepers is the chance to volunteer with SANCCOB, the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds.  Zoo professionals from across the world travel to South Africa to help rehabilitate and release African penguins, cormorants, and other seabirds.  Earlier this year, there was also considerable need for helpers to assist with rehabilitating abandoned flamingo chicks.

On a smaller, more local scale, zoos can get their staff, their volunteers, and their communities involved in local conservation projects, such as Citizen Scientist monitoring of local amphibian populations or restoring local habitats by removing invasive plants and replacing them with native ones.  Having the chance to get your hands in nature, working up a sweat and knowing that you are making a difference, not only provides the immediate benefit to the animals and their habitat.  It helps create a sense of involvement and investment in conservation.  In an age of overwhelming doom and gloom messaging about the future of our planet, it can also be a poignant reminder that a small group of dedicated individuals can make a difference.