Leave Room for November

November first is the close of the Halloween season, and, despite some backlash, seems to have become the unofficial start of the Christmas season.  There is, of course, one major American holiday sandwiched in between the two (turkey sandwiched, perhaps?) but for some reason, Thanksgiving seldom seems to capture the public imagination and attention like Halloween and Christmas do.

This is also true at the zoos, which almost always have Halloween events, and often Christmas events.  But when was the last time you heard of a Thanksgiving event at the zoo?

The options seem limitless!  Thanksgiving, of course, is a holiday centered around a meal, so why not educate visitors about all of the work that goes into preparing meals for the zoo animals, not once a year, but every day, and with diners who possess a wide variety of preferences and restrictions (and you thought it was rough with your one vegan cousin and your brother-in-law with the nut allergy).

Thanksgiving is also about being thankful, so it provides a chance to express things that we, as keepers and other zoo staff, are grateful for - such as a conservation success story, or even just the opportunity to share our days with incredible animals.

The romanticized, kindergarten version of Thanksgiving is a happy-celebration of the Pilgrims and their early interactions with the Native Americans of the Plymouth Rock area (you know, glossing over the smallpox, land theft, genocide, and all of that other less-celebratory stuff).  Especially for zoos in New England and the Northeast, Thanksgiving is an opportunity to reflect and highlight native cultures, especially how they interacted with local species.  In my mostly-successful quest in college to turn ever essay I was assigned into an animal-themed one, I wrote a paper on cultural traditions centered around American black bears among the native peoples of New York State for my anthropology class.  That's some stuff that would make for a great exhibit or education presentation.

Keeping visitors engaged with our facilities and animals requires the constant introduction of new ideas, events, experiences, and content.  Which makes it all the more surprising that we've largely ignored one of the most universal experiences in American culture - the Thanksgiving holiday - and run straight from the trick or treating into the arms of the big guy in the red suit.  Let's savor November as well before plunging into December.