Speaker 1: Ruby.
Speaker 2: Hi, I'm Rick Schwartz.
Speaker 1: When el Z s world, I'm Marco went.
Speaker 3: Welcome to Amazing Wildlife, where we explore unique stories of
Speaker 3: wildlife from around the world and uncovered fascinating animal facts.
Speaker 3: This podcast is a production of iHeartRadio's Ruby Studio and
Speaker 3: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in international nonprofit conservation organization
Speaker 3: which oversees the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.
Speaker 4: You know, Rick, it's a Monday morning, and I really
Speaker 4: appreciate you for doing those lines every single time. You know,
Speaker 4: It's great, you know, but life is good. Right, We're
Speaker 4: at the San Diego Zoo. We got a manned in
Speaker 4: the crew here. Man, how we looking and looking pretty good?
Speaker 1: Yeah? Man is giving us the thumbs.
Speaker 4: Up, you know, because there is that visual component too,
Speaker 4: reminding our little listeners right which.
Speaker 2: I do wonder where Marco, will the visual component.
Speaker 1: Be possibly on YouTube in the future, the other media and.
Speaker 3: Interestingly enough tell me this time of year, we always
Speaker 3: like to talk about the fact that YouTube's very first
Speaker 3: video was uploaded from the San Diego Zoo by the
Speaker 3: founder of YouTube way back in the day.
Speaker 1: To think how much YouTube has grown right.
Speaker 2: Now, how much has this podcast grown. Oh, I know,
Speaker 2: and just keep.
Speaker 4: An eye out on our Instagram handles myself on TikTok
Speaker 4: as well as Zoology Rick or Zoology Marco's for us
Speaker 4: to promote a little of it in the future. But
Speaker 4: we're not here just to hang out right and enjoy
Speaker 4: our Monday. We're here in this beautiful reptire room also
Speaker 4: used as an educational room.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's what I love about this episode.
Speaker 3: We're going to dive into the importance of wildlife education,
Speaker 3: conservation education, and that's really what this podcast has always
Speaker 3: been about. Right, So, I think it's time to introduce
Speaker 3: Lisa via Lisa gonnass up your last names Solo Bslo,
Speaker 3: Lisa Yelso, the vice president of Education here at San
Speaker 3: Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. What exactly does that title mean?
Speaker 3: It seems like a pretty big that's a lot going
Speaker 3: on there.
Speaker 5: Yeah, it is. Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 6: Yes, So, the vice president of Education works with all
Speaker 6: the different educational initiatives for the entire alliance. That means
Speaker 6: I work with the education staff at the zoo and
Speaker 6: at the Safari Park and out of our Conservation Science
Speaker 6: Research Center. So we have more than thirty education programs
Speaker 6: across the Alliance, delivering all different types of education, whether
Speaker 6: it's field trips, summer camps, after school programs, weekend programming,
Speaker 6: teacher professional development.
Speaker 5: I could go on and.
Speaker 3: On, right, and I think that's important for our audience
Speaker 3: to understand that our Education department isn't just like tours or.
Speaker 2: A summer camp, temporary thing.
Speaker 1: Right.
Speaker 3: The breath and scope of all of this that we
Speaker 3: do as an organization for education. I think a lot
Speaker 3: of people don't fully understand that. So that's what I'm
Speaker 3: really excited that you're here with us today. Also, by
Speaker 3: the way, you wrote an article that's going to be
Speaker 3: in the main journal, so our members that are out there,
Speaker 3: they're going to see this article as well, and we're
Speaker 3: talking a little bit about some of the things you
Speaker 3: touch on in that.
Speaker 2: Article as well.
Speaker 5: Excellent, let's do it.
Speaker 1: I'm excited.
Speaker 4: He hinted a little bit about the article, but in general,
Speaker 4: I got a sneak peak a little.
Speaker 1: Bit, just a little bit.
Speaker 4: And we always say, you know, working here at the
Speaker 4: Zoo and the Safari Park, animals are amazing.
Speaker 1: They inspire everyone.
Speaker 4: But what we say conservation begins with human beings, right,
Speaker 4: So we got to start even with the little youngsters.
Speaker 4: So I really appreciate you coming in and highlighting all
Speaker 4: the unique opportunities we're giving the kids of San Diego
Speaker 4: County and a lot of people from the world too
Speaker 4: in these programs. So, yeah, can you tell me a
Speaker 4: little about this awesome article that Rick was hinting at?
Speaker 6: Sure, So this is an article that's coming out in
Speaker 6: the journal, okay, and it's focused all about what we
Speaker 6: do in education and what is the real purpose and mission.
Speaker 6: And our purpose is to connect people with nature and
Speaker 6: with wildlife and with each other, because you're very right
Speaker 6: that conservation begins with people, and to make sure that
Speaker 6: students have the knowledge, the skills, the efficacy to really
Speaker 6: make a difference in their communities. That's the main mission
Speaker 6: of all of our.
Speaker 5: Education programs, right, I love it.
Speaker 4: I mean a little bit ago, there is a program
Speaker 4: that you all have facilitated that I was really stoked about.
Speaker 4: I think it was called Conservation Core I from not mistaken,
Speaker 4: Is that correct?
Speaker 1: Right?
Speaker 5: Yes?
Speaker 4: Yeah, can you highlight a little bit about that because
Speaker 4: that was a really cool experience for me.
Speaker 1: But I think you better describe it better than I.
Speaker 5: Okay.
Speaker 6: Conservation Corps is an amazing program. It's been running for
Speaker 6: ten years and it runs out of the Safari Park
Speaker 6: and it is geared towards high school students and what
Speaker 6: they do is they apply, they do a group interview,
Speaker 6: and if they're selected, they spend two saturdays a month
Speaker 6: with us. So these are high schoolers that want to
Speaker 6: give up two saturdays a month to spend time with
Speaker 6: us at the Safari Park and out in the community
Speaker 6: doing conservation work. So they're learning all about conservation challenges,
Speaker 6: they're finding conservation solutions, they're giving back to the community,
Speaker 6: and they're developing their leadership skills. So it's a really
Speaker 6: special program that goes for four semesters.
Speaker 1: Oh it's incredible. Honestly, when I was there seeing the kids'
Speaker 1: faces and some of them.
Speaker 4: Like reminded me of me, Like I swear I saw
Speaker 4: a little like my key dolls there around in front
Speaker 4: of it, you know.
Speaker 1: But what I loved about, like, I'm a native.
Speaker 4: San Diego and I grew up here and at the time,
Speaker 4: there wasn't a lot of diversity being represented in some
Speaker 4: of the programs. As a child, I was trying to
Speaker 4: get involved in but now today, I see the diversity
Speaker 4: of different people nuances of community we support, especially me
Speaker 4: speaking to the Latino community, So I really really appreciate that.
Speaker 4: That's really great to integrate how zoos can also support
Speaker 4: local community as well.
Speaker 6: And that's a big part of our mission. Our mission
Speaker 6: is to be part of the community and embedded in
Speaker 6: the community.
Speaker 3: And I think what you had said earlier too, is
Speaker 3: that installing that empathy and that knowledge of how people
Speaker 3: can make a difference. And we both Mark and I
Speaker 3: come from a history of wildlife education outreach to the
Speaker 3: public that a lot of times you go into the
Speaker 3: more urban areas, the city communities, and there's this disconnected
Speaker 3: I can't really do anything because I don't live near
Speaker 3: these areas. Talk a little bit about what you've seen
Speaker 3: and experience as far as these kids going through these
Speaker 3: programs or some of the things that can help inspire
Speaker 3: those that might be in more urban areas that feel
Speaker 3: a little removed from wildlife definitely.
Speaker 6: So I think we try to tackle that in a
Speaker 6: few different ways. One is in the programs themselves, so
Speaker 6: sometimes we're going out into the community, and sometimes we're
Speaker 6: bringing the community on site and just letting them experience
Speaker 6: the amazing wildlife we have here at the zoo of
Speaker 6: the park, the amazing.
Speaker 5: Plant life that we have.
Speaker 6: But we all so always try to instill the sense
Speaker 6: that nature is all around us, so it can be
Speaker 6: found in pocket parks and on our balconies and all
Speaker 6: these different areas that you don't have to drive somewhere
Speaker 6: really far, that nature's not separate from us.
Speaker 5: We're all also part of nature.
Speaker 4: I love that I'm saying that all the time. You know,
Speaker 4: it doesn't matter where you live. That one of the
Speaker 4: wonderful things I love about the Safari Park in the
Speaker 4: San Diegos it was an ability to get reconnected. Like
Speaker 4: my favorite thing is when I see some guests who've
Speaker 4: never been there before. They come in and honestly, the
Speaker 4: first thing they do is like they take a big
Speaker 4: side now and they forget like we're all human, we're
Speaker 4: all mammals, right, We're all in these ecosystems, and we
Speaker 4: forget to get connected again. So I just love this program.
Speaker 4: Can ask you, like, what inspired you to really to
Speaker 4: startle this? Why do you feel education is so important
Speaker 4: in a zoo setting.
Speaker 1: That's a loaded question, I know.
Speaker 5: Yeah, how much time do we have to tell me.
Speaker 6: I'm a lifelong educator. So I was a teacher, I
Speaker 6: was a school principal. I was also a school director,
Speaker 6: and I worked in international schools. So I worked in
Speaker 6: South Korea, in Cambodia and Rwanda and Austria. But I
Speaker 6: always felt like something was missing, and that was that
Speaker 6: environmental literacy, that was sustainability stewardship, and that just became
Speaker 6: more and more important to me. So I needed to
Speaker 6: find the perfect job that would let me meld these
Speaker 6: two things, and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is
Speaker 6: the place for that. So everything that we're doing is
Speaker 6: just around environmental literacy and empathy for wildlife and connection.
Speaker 6: So it allows me to live the very best part
Speaker 6: about education and the natural world.
Speaker 1: That's really great.
Speaker 5: I'm really lucky.
Speaker 4: But I have to ask you said it two times,
Speaker 4: something's picked up on it, Rick, But environmental literacy. You know,
Speaker 4: we have a lot of adultsa listen to the podcast,
Speaker 4: but there's a lot of kids as well.
Speaker 1: Can you highlight what that really means?
Speaker 5: Sure?
Speaker 6: So environmental literacy is the ability to understand about the
Speaker 6: natural world, about environmental ethics. It could be something as
Speaker 6: simple as understanding about recycling. So we would take the
Speaker 6: concept of environmental literacy and we really gear it towards
Speaker 6: the age group that's in front of us. Well, make
Speaker 6: sure it's developmentally appropriate and each appropriate.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean you each change it up right, elementary kids,
Speaker 4: high school kids, you know, adults. You got to gear
Speaker 4: your communication into that way. So that's a very nuanced
Speaker 4: e FIA. That's awesome.
Speaker 3: One thing I want to ask you, it's something that
Speaker 3: I know, Mark when I've run into over the years
Speaker 3: of doing wildlife education in many different formats, But I
Speaker 3: love your take on it in the sense of a
Speaker 3: lot of times when kids start to become excited about
Speaker 3: wildlife and they want to learn more, some of the
Speaker 3: first things they hear about is they're endangered or the
Speaker 3: challenges they face in the wild.
Speaker 2: Due to habitat loss.
Speaker 3: Sometimes for a lot of people, that can be very
Speaker 3: overwhelming to the point of almost you need to turn
Speaker 3: away from it, because it's just like, how can I,
Speaker 3: as a kid or a high school or make a
Speaker 3: difference when it comes to creating that empathy you're talking
Speaker 3: about in that environmental literacy. What are some of the
Speaker 3: things that can empower kids to feel not overwhelmed and
Speaker 3: that they can make a difference.
Speaker 6: That is a great question and something that we take
Speaker 6: so seriously. Believe that children of all different ages can
Speaker 6: learn about the challenges that are facing our planet today.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, but how we.
Speaker 6: Introduce that content is just as important as the content itself,
Speaker 6: So we need to make sure that it's very carefully chosen,
Speaker 6: we're being very intentional, and again that it's age appropriate,
Speaker 6: and we're always pairing success stories, stories of hope, and
Speaker 6: also concepts around empathy for wildlife, and we pair those
Speaker 6: things together so that students and young learners, young adults,
Speaker 6: really any age can see that they have agency and
Speaker 6: they have efficacy and what they do can make a difference.
Speaker 5: So we have to be really careful.
Speaker 6: And then if we're talking about possibly older learners, maybe
Speaker 6: you have teens like our team program we were talking about,
Speaker 6: they're really ready for complex conversations, right, They have the
Speaker 6: skills to research, they like to dialogue, they like to debate,
Speaker 6: and so we can go into much greater depth there.
Speaker 5: But again we always bring it back back to action.
Speaker 6: So we often talk about our work and the alliance,
Speaker 6: we talk about what's happening in the world, and what
Speaker 6: they can do in their community.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think sharing stories about things that had success.
Speaker 3: So you might be focusing or talking about in a
Speaker 3: dangered environment or critically dangered species, but you can also
Speaker 3: look at that and go and here's the species that
Speaker 3: was there ten, fifteen, twenty years ago. But the work
Speaker 3: is starting to turn that around. So that same type
Speaker 3: of work and commitment can turn it around for this
Speaker 3: species if we apply it appropriately. So it's a great
Speaker 3: concept and I think it's important part of their discussion
Speaker 3: here today because we have parents that listen, and it's
Speaker 3: one thing I always think about it is like, how
Speaker 3: can a parent make sure their child can learn these
Speaker 3: important facts that these animals are having challenges but it's
Speaker 3: not hopeless. It's hopeful there are successes out there, and
Speaker 3: then becoming involved and passionate about it can also make
Speaker 3: a difference for these species around the world.
Speaker 4: Oh So, like a little follow up to what Rick
Speaker 4: had just said, do you have any recommendations like what
Speaker 4: parents could sign their kids up for in some of
Speaker 4: the programs we have here in the Alliance?
Speaker 5: Sure?
Speaker 6: So the top thing that comes to mind right now
Speaker 6: is camp. Yes, we have a very very large summer
Speaker 6: camp here, especially at the San Diego Zoo. Starting next year,
Speaker 6: our summer camp will be back at the San Diego
Speaker 6: Zoo Safari Park, and that is just such a time,
Speaker 6: that's so much fun. We have kids coming in every week,
Speaker 6: We plan all these fun activities and they get to
Speaker 6: experience wildlife and unique ways that they don't get if
Speaker 6: they just come as a regular zoo visitor. So that
Speaker 6: is probably the number one offering that parents are always
Speaker 6: looking for. We occasionally have other programs that either young
Speaker 6: adults like teens can sign themselves up for or parents,
Speaker 6: And then we have a lot of opportunities for teachers
Speaker 6: as well, so teachers, Yeah, teachers can come for professional development.
Speaker 6: They can also come for field trips. And we can
Speaker 6: also create really meaningful partnerships. So we have partnerships with
Speaker 6: different schools where we run things like after.
Speaker 5: School programs Oh Wow.
Speaker 6: And if someone's not in the area and they're interested
Speaker 6: in learning more as a parent or as a teacher,
Speaker 6: can go to our website. So we have our Wildlife
Speaker 6: Explorer's website which has curriculum on it. It has all
Speaker 6: different activities for children and they can learn a.
Speaker 3: Lot about that's wildlife Explorers the website. But also I
Speaker 3: mean as a parent, I can say the camps are awesome.
Speaker 3: My daughter's been through a couple of.
Speaker 2: Times, and she's grown up in the zoo basically.
Speaker 1: Because of where I wonder where its work.
Speaker 3: But because there's so many different activities involved in the
Speaker 3: process of learning, you know, the arts and the crafts,
Speaker 3: the exploring, the different things they have to do to
Speaker 3: find out information, and it's always so age appropriate. So yeah,
Speaker 3: then people can find out more information on that just
Speaker 3: on the website, Sandy goozo dot org.
Speaker 2: But I'm so happy to hear it's coming back to
Speaker 2: the fly Park next year. Yeah.
Speaker 6: Yeah, we are really excited. So it was just paused
Speaker 6: during the construction of Elephant Valley. Yeah, and now we're
Speaker 6: going to bring it back. It's going to be bigger
Speaker 6: and better than ever.
Speaker 4: That's right, right, look at for Elephant Battle a little
Speaker 4: later on next year, you know, sometime earlier next year.
Speaker 4: So that's going to be really cool. But you said
Speaker 4: something that like made me think. You said teacher programs.
Speaker 4: It's really interesting because most people think of just kid
Speaker 4: focused educational programs. Can you speak a little more about
Speaker 4: what programs we offer for teachers because man, they need support.
Speaker 6: Right definitely. As a former teacher, my heart has always been.
Speaker 5: Teacher professionals development.
Speaker 6: So we have this amazing program over the summer where
Speaker 6: teachers can come we call them teacher workshops. It's residential
Speaker 6: and then they come on to site at the Conservation
Speaker 6: Science Research Center and they get to learn about all
Speaker 6: the different programs that we do, and our community engagement
Speaker 6: team delivers those. They're learning how to deliver different labs
Speaker 6: for their students. It's geared towards middle school and high
Speaker 6: school teachers, and the best thing about it is after
Speaker 6: they go through all this training and they have this
Speaker 6: great sense of community with their cohort.
Speaker 5: If they don't have the.
Speaker 6: Materials in their school to deliver those labs, we send
Speaker 6: it to them.
Speaker 1: Nice we send it to them.
Speaker 6: We send it to them completely free, and the training
Speaker 6: is completely free, and we even offset costs with a stipend.
Speaker 6: It's the most amazing program that's just generously funded by
Speaker 6: some donors and provides amazing professional development for teachers. And
Speaker 6: we've had teachers not just from San Diego, but across
Speaker 6: the country and even participants from across the world.
Speaker 4: Rightly well, a big thank you for donors, because that's amazing.
Speaker 1: I love that program.
Speaker 4: I'm actually going to be going to it's called the
Speaker 4: Latin American Easy a Cup outside just a couple of weeks,
Speaker 4: and I'm going to be speaking about this particular program
Speaker 4: to help remind people of the support, because we all
Speaker 4: got to do this together, right, I mean, that's why
Speaker 4: have these eight conservation hubs around the world, over two
Speaker 4: hundred collaborators, and like we said earlier, teachers really need support.
Speaker 4: I was in Beckman a little bit ago watching one
Speaker 4: of these school programs and something that I really love.
Speaker 4: There is a way for translating direct English interpretations in
Speaker 4: different languages. So I saw kids that are Spanish speaking
Speaker 4: natives learning what the teacher, our educators are showing through
Speaker 4: this wonderful tech that we were offering too.
Speaker 1: And the teachers are going in English and in Spanish.
Speaker 4: And for me growing up, I was one of the
Speaker 4: few kids speaking Spanish and it was very difficult for
Speaker 4: me learning in that way.
Speaker 1: So that's amazing that we.
Speaker 4: Offer sources of teachers for students, real time education and translations.
Speaker 1: So man, you guys are doing it all. You're killing
Speaker 1: it out there.
Speaker 6: We are trying to be very inclusive and make sure
Speaker 6: that all of our programs can reach all of the learners.
Speaker 6: When people come for a field trip, we often don't
Speaker 6: know what the student's needs are before they arrive. So
Speaker 6: it's really important that that responsibility is on us, that
Speaker 6: we can make our lessons accessible and we can make
Speaker 6: every student successful and every student feel like a scientist.
Speaker 5: And so part of that is being.
Speaker 6: Able to understand all of those really key vocabulary that
Speaker 6: they're learning in their science lessons. So I'm so glad
Speaker 6: you got to see it. We actually just started that
Speaker 6: maybe six months ago, so yeah, that's I'm really glad
Speaker 6: that you got to.
Speaker 2: It was amazing.
Speaker 4: Why and they say, brightened up they were involved in
Speaker 4: it because that was rough for me. I didn't want
Speaker 4: to speak up as a kid. I was embarrassed not
Speaker 4: being able to speak English. So it's me and my
Speaker 4: heart smile. So thank you for that. That was really cool.
Speaker 2: The impact of that too.
Speaker 3: Margo's talking about I want our audience to understand that
Speaker 3: making these accommodations for those who can be completely participating
Speaker 3: that way. It is, like you said, it's our responsibility
Speaker 3: to meet these students where they are it's our responsibility
Speaker 3: to meet the communities where they are, no matter where
Speaker 3: they are. If we can have the tools to meet
Speaker 3: them where they are, to bring them up in the
Speaker 3: sense of understanding the need for conservation education, that's such
Speaker 3: a huge impact. Instead of tasking others to have to
Speaker 3: struggle to meet us where we are, we can go
Speaker 3: to them and offer that hand up as far as
Speaker 3: the understanding and the comprehension, like you said, feeling a
Speaker 3: part of it that way, empowering them that much more.
Speaker 3: That leads me than to want to ask you too,
Speaker 3: from your experience in your years, I mean you're taught
Speaker 3: all over as a teacher now here in this organization,
Speaker 3: these amazing programs for you, what have you seen as
Speaker 3: an impact? Like what is that warm fuzzy you get sometimes?
Speaker 3: You know, because we all get them, we all get
Speaker 3: choked up in that moment of oh my gosh, there
Speaker 3: it is. There's the impact.
Speaker 2: What is that for you?
Speaker 5: Yeah, I would say that, I mean it happens often.
Speaker 6: I'm sure there's so many different ways that it can happen.
Speaker 6: But especially when you see young adults come back and
Speaker 6: they come back and they share stories, they share how
Speaker 6: something like Conservation Corps or other teen programs have helped
Speaker 6: them pick a career path. It's helped them find a
Speaker 6: sense of community, and that is amazing. We have a
Speaker 6: staff member in our education department that came through camp
Speaker 6: and zoo Core. I was at a teacher symposium at
Speaker 6: on Zabrago Desert State Park recently and the ranger who
Speaker 6: was doing our interpretation came through zoo Core.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 6: And so you make networks in the community and you
Speaker 6: talk to people and you realize how many lives have
Speaker 6: been impacted by some of these programs.
Speaker 5: And a lot of these programs are not big.
Speaker 6: You know, maybe only twenty or twenty five students at
Speaker 6: a time are going through them, and there are a
Speaker 6: lot of hours and they spend a lot of time
Speaker 6: with us. But that's how we can create really meaningful
Speaker 6: change is by having these relationships.
Speaker 2: Absolutely.
Speaker 3: Absolutely, I want to ask more about Zoocre because it's
Speaker 3: funny you mentioned that the person you you know.
Speaker 2: Have gone through it now you see them as an adult.
Speaker 3: I was a wildlifere specialist in the children's who eons ago.
Speaker 3: When I first started, I met a young boy I
Speaker 3: think he was probably for seven other time and they
Speaker 3: didn't even live in San Diego, but they were here
Speaker 3: all the time, he and his mom, And long story short,
Speaker 3: he waited till he was whold enough. He did Zucor.
Speaker 3: His mom would drive him all the way down for
Speaker 3: Orange County to be a part of Zucorp. He crushed
Speaker 3: it in Zucor. He went to college for zoology and
Speaker 3: now he's the keeper at the Fresno Zoo.
Speaker 2: Wow.
Speaker 3: And so that's the level of impact programs like this have,
Speaker 3: is that it's that inspiration that then lights that fire.
Speaker 3: So tell me a little bit tell our audience I
Speaker 3: say a little bit.
Speaker 2: About zuok Coorp. It's one thing we haven't mentioned yet.
Speaker 2: I'd love for you to expand on that a little bit.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Sure.
Speaker 5: Zoopor is a program.
Speaker 6: It's another teen program that we have and actually right
Speaker 6: now we're redesigning it.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah.
Speaker 6: Yeah, So it's paused and what we're going to be
Speaker 6: doing is we are going to work with teens and
Speaker 6: we are.
Speaker 5: Going to co design it.
Speaker 2: Oh wow.
Speaker 6: Yes, so we want to relaunch it and we want
Speaker 6: to make sure that it's everything that teens.
Speaker 5: Are looking for. So yeah, so we're right in the process. Again.
Speaker 6: We just secured some very generous funding to allow us
Speaker 6: to do this so that we can reimagine it and
Speaker 6: make sure it's meeting all the needs of teens. As
Speaker 6: you know, things change and evolving needs. So that's where
Speaker 6: we are with Zooko right now. But that is another
Speaker 6: weekend program where students self select to spend a lot
Speaker 6: of time with us and we get just full saturdays
Speaker 6: with them and we can do all sorts of things,
Speaker 6: so we can do career exploration, leadership development, professional skill development,
Speaker 6: and they can try on different hats for different positions
Speaker 6: around the organization. And so I think it's really important
Speaker 6: too that for young people that are very passionate about
Speaker 6: wildlife or nature, they realize there are more jobs than
Speaker 6: just a wildlife care specialist, right, there are so many
Speaker 6: different opportunities, and that we can take that love for
Speaker 6: wildlife and nature.
Speaker 5: Into almost old different professions.
Speaker 6: So we really like to also give that career exploration
Speaker 6: opportunity and a lot of our older.
Speaker 4: Programs, right, that's amazing. I'm actually part of what's called
Speaker 4: Plane to See program. It's under the culture and belonging
Speaker 4: our DEIA initiatives here in the Alliance. The similar concept
Speaker 4: too is we want different communities, people of color, unsupported communities,
Speaker 4: possibly depending where we're talking about.
Speaker 1: Intercity communities, specifically.
Speaker 4: Around the zoo and also in the Safari Park because
Speaker 4: I grew up in Escondido, Escondido High kids coming up.
Speaker 4: But just show exactly that that wildlife care I mean
Speaker 4: where the lines is like a big city.
Speaker 1: Right.
Speaker 4: So everything from like if you're into PR, public relations,
Speaker 4: social media, are into cameras video.
Speaker 1: And that was like my latest way of describing how
Speaker 1: awesome you guys work. It's behind the cameras. But but
Speaker 1: but the point is, right, Yeah, you can apply what
Speaker 1: you're good at.
Speaker 4: You know, for instance, my husband is great with technology,
Speaker 4: he's working for the Alliance. But to that point, all
Speaker 4: kinds of people, all different backgrounds, apply what you love
Speaker 4: and you can be part of something big or something
Speaker 4: that kind of impacts the world in.
Speaker 1: A good way. Right. So that's awesome. I love that.
Speaker 3: I love that the redesign of Zucorp is now including
Speaker 3: teams inputs. So again that takes that concept to meet
Speaker 3: them where they are so we can have the biggest impact.
Speaker 3: Stead of asking them to meet us where we are,
Speaker 3: we can take our stuff to them.
Speaker 2: That is so amazing. I absolutely love that.
Speaker 1: That's inspiring.
Speaker 4: It makes me think of where we're at now, like
Speaker 4: Wildlife Explorers based and some of the designers working with
Speaker 4: child psychologists to really learn how kids grow and process information.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it makes perfect sense.
Speaker 4: And the key is sounds silly, but just to listen, right,
Speaker 4: to listen to what the needs are of the youth
Speaker 4: of these communities.
Speaker 1: So that's that's awesome. Friend. I really appreciate that.
Speaker 4: I actually have a side question because I'm always curious
Speaker 4: about this one that I asked, and it might throw
Speaker 4: your out.
Speaker 1: At the loop, friend, but I am furious. What You're
Speaker 1: ready for this?
Speaker 4: What is your favorite animal or plant of all the time?
Speaker 4: You know, I say plant also because organisms because maybe
Speaker 4: it's something different. So of everything out there, what's your favorite?
Speaker 4: I know, rickron right crusted for me.
Speaker 1: What's it for you?
Speaker 6: So I am going to have to pick something that's
Speaker 6: not actually.
Speaker 5: Here that's for you.
Speaker 1: That's fine.
Speaker 5: I love Newdi branks.
Speaker 6: So sea slugs we got called out rich. I love
Speaker 6: sea slugs and I'm a big tide pooler. And here
Speaker 6: in San Diego you can see so many different types
Speaker 6: of moody branks in our tide pools, and so I
Speaker 6: think one of my favorites is the Hopkins Rose right,
Speaker 6: pink bubblegum pink sea slug. I encourage you to look
Speaker 6: it up if you're listening and you don't know, So
Speaker 6: we want everyone.
Speaker 2: To look at the hops What is it?
Speaker 6: Hopkins Ross I'm going to go, I know.
Speaker 4: But also reminded why San Diego is so great, right,
Speaker 4: I mean not only our conservation parks right this at
Speaker 4: Fari Parks San Diego, so you put all the wildlife
Speaker 4: around San Diego. I mean it is one of our
Speaker 4: conservation hubs right over the biodiversity here. Thank you for
Speaker 4: answering that. That's really cool and I feel like I
Speaker 4: know you a little better.
Speaker 2: Well with that.
Speaker 3: Before we wrap up, I do want to ask is
Speaker 3: there anything that you would like to share with the
Speaker 3: audience about your work or education for wildlife and conservation
Speaker 3: that we haven't touched on yet.
Speaker 5: Oh that's a great question.
Speaker 6: I guess the biggest takeaway I would have is just
Speaker 6: that whether you're a parent listening or you're a young
Speaker 6: person a teacher, just fostering that sense of empathy and
Speaker 6: feeling connected to nature, it can happen anywhere, and it
Speaker 6: happens by slowing.
Speaker 5: Down and really looking right.
Speaker 6: Asking questions, feeling that sense of inquiry and curiosity. Whether
Speaker 6: you're just going for a walk in your neighborhood, maybe
Speaker 6: you're walking your dog. Look, look in the flowers, see
Speaker 6: what's happening, See if you see any insects. And the
Speaker 6: more we feel connected to nature, the stronger we will
Speaker 6: be as a community.
Speaker 1: I love it.
Speaker 2: Thank you so much. I really appreciate you taking the
Speaker 2: time to meet with listeners.
Speaker 5: Thank you. I really appreciate you inviting me.
Speaker 2: Excellent.
Speaker 1: I love that. That was great.
Speaker 4: I love the recommendation just being calm and looking around
Speaker 4: because I just keep talking about that.
Speaker 1: Just take a moment instead of running around like I
Speaker 1: always am, you know.
Speaker 4: Take a month, look up, look at a bird, look
Speaker 4: at a tree, look at a butterfly.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's one thing too.
Speaker 3: I always hope people when they come to the zoo,
Speaker 3: it is like, make sure you slow down and look
Speaker 3: in the habitats for a while, because the animal might
Speaker 3: be looking like it's sleeping, but it might get up
Speaker 3: in two minutes.
Speaker 2: You'll take your time.
Speaker 1: But she's right.
Speaker 3: It also applies to when we're outside I love the
Speaker 3: term she used pocket park.
Speaker 2: You know, small urban areas, right, Yeah, yeah, those are
Speaker 2: the places or.
Speaker 3: Even like you know, on your balcony or a patio,
Speaker 3: a potted plant might have a caterpillar in it, or
Speaker 3: something curious to watch it, watching a spider make its web,
Speaker 3: any of that stuff, and then growing that empathy and
Speaker 3: having that curiosity.
Speaker 2: It's so so important.
Speaker 1: Oh man, Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 4: Someone's good work that they're doing too, and it reminds
Speaker 4: me see the benefits of being in a zoo, right,
Speaker 4: whether it be supporting park or the San Diego is
Speaker 4: not just for wildlife care and plants, you know, conservation,
Speaker 4: which is very important, but building up community, supporting community
Speaker 4: and empowering community.
Speaker 3: And like she said, if you're not in the San
Speaker 3: Diego area, check out your local zoo. Check out your
Speaker 3: local you know, maybe you're living near the ocean and
Speaker 3: there's some sort of aquarium you can check out, or
Speaker 3: any of those areas where there's a chance, even if
Speaker 3: it's just a a nature park to take a hike
Speaker 3: through a hundred there's usually some sort of literature or
Speaker 3: things you can look up.
Speaker 2: And now with our phones, you can take a picture
Speaker 2: and go what is this? I know you can learn
Speaker 2: more that way as well.
Speaker 3: So there's always an opportunity to get more in touch
Speaker 3: with nature and follow that curiosity.
Speaker 4: And I couldn't set a better mess up on me
Speaker 4: going that article, right, it's going to be in May, yes, major, Yeah,
Speaker 4: So everyone keeping out for that.
Speaker 1: Man.
Speaker 4: We've been doing so much this year so far, it's
Speaker 4: been really really cool. But I think we have another
Speaker 4: little extra thing we're going to offer for the next episode.
Speaker 1: Right, We're going to change it up a little.
Speaker 3: Bit, a little bit in the sense that really like
Speaker 3: the future and talking a little more about the future.
Speaker 3: But it's kind of leaning in the fact, like you mentioned,
Speaker 3: this year twenty twenty five, we've talked about it for
Speaker 3: it is the fiftieth anniversary of the Frozen it is
Speaker 3: it is. We happen to have somebody available we can
Speaker 3: talk to that's been there as an intern from the
Speaker 3: beginning and is now the curator.
Speaker 2: Of the Frozen Zoo.
Speaker 3: Not only can we talk a little bit about the history,
Speaker 3: but also a lot about where it's going.
Speaker 4: I know, I'm excited, man, it's going to be about
Speaker 4: women in science, see the future. What's happening so I
Speaker 4: get it's going to be great, all right, and we're
Speaker 4: going to go to this safari park, which you know
Speaker 4: always makes me very very happy.
Speaker 2: Well, be sure to join.
Speaker 3: Us and subscribe if you haven't already, to make sure
Speaker 3: you catch what's going on in the future at the
Speaker 3: Frozen Zoo.
Speaker 1: All Marcolet and I'm Rick Schwartz.
Speaker 2: Thanks for listening or watching.
Speaker 3: For more information about the San Diego Zoo and San
Speaker 3: Diego Zoo Safari Park, go to SDZWA dot org. Amazing
Speaker 3: Wildlife is a production of iHeartRadio. Our supervising producers are
Speaker 3: Nikkia Swinton and Dylan Fagan, and our sound designers are
Speaker 3: Sierra Spreen and Matt Russell. For more shows from iHeartRadio,
Speaker 3: check out the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
Speaker 3: listen to your favorite shows.