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MEDIA
RELEASE
December 12, 2011
CONTACT: Kyle Shepherd
502-238-5331 (Media Cell 502-744-5639)
kyle.shepherd@louisvilleky.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Zoo starts Tuesday Tours and Teen Docent
Program
Tuesday Tours
Guided tours of
Louisville Zoo exhibit areas will be offered beginning December 20 as
part of a new pilot program called Tuesday Tours. These 45-60
minute guided walking tours are designed to give Zoo visitors detailed
information and a different type of Zoo experience. The tours will focus
on a variety of topics including animal husbandry, zoo history and
conservation efforts. The final two Tuesdays of December 2011 will
kick-off the program with The Islands Exhibit on December 20 and Glacier
Run on December 27. Tours will take place each Tuesday at 11:15 a.m. and
will cost $5 per person. The area to be toured will be posted near the
Zoo cashier windows. Programs are subject to change or cancellation
without notice. Tickets can be purchased on a first-come first-served
basis at the cashier window and will begin at the large Map on the Zoo’s
front plaza. Price does not include Zoo admission. Tours will be limited
to 15 participants and led by a member of the Zoo’s education staff.
Teen Docents
The Zoo education
staff is also calling all teens ages 15 to 17 who are interested in
animals and enjoy interacting with people to an orientation on
December 28 from 9 a.m. to Noon to learn about a new Teen Docent
program. The Zoo’s Docents are trained, volunteer teachers that assist
the Louisville Zoo Education Department staff. The new Teen Docent
program will complement the already strong Adult Docent program. Teen
docents will help provide interpretation at specific exhibits, share
educational messages through hands-on exploration centers around the Zoo
and help develop fun and informative activities that create a variety of
learning experiences for Zoo visitors.
Training for the Teen
Docent program will take place two Saturdays a month starting January 14
and running through March 24. The training course will include in-depth
lectures, behind the scenes tours, possible keeper talks and hands-on
activities. A training fee of $15 will be charged to cover expenses for
a Teen Docent shirt and badge and related printed materials. Once a teen
has completed the training a minimum of 48 volunteer hours per year
(approximately four hours per month) will be expected to remain active
in the program.
Teens, ages 15 to 17,
interested in participating should call Doug McCoy, Assistant Education
Curator at (502) 238-5343.
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The
Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky,
is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by
providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for
visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation
education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Association of
Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
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Get
up-to-date information about the Zoo’s upcoming Glacier Run exhibit
by checking out our new
Glacier Run blog. You can also show your love for the Louisville
Zoo by becoming a fan on
Facebook and
Twitter.
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