Potter Park Zoo seeks Volunteers at Docent Recruitment Day

LANSING, MI — Potter Park Zoological Society is now accepting applications for participants in the Potter Park Zoo Docent program.
Join the Zoological Society on Saturday, January 9, 2010 from 10 a.m. to noon to learn all about this exciting volunteer program at the zoo.

During the informational program, guests will meet current docents, go on a guided tour of the zoo, have a close encounter with some of the zoo’s educational animals, enjoy a snack, and find out why becoming a Potter Park Zoo Docent is one of the most rewarding things you can do!

Guest will also have a chance to experience Winter Gifts for the Animals, a holiday themed animal enrichment event coordinated by zoo staff and docents that takes place from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

“Without docents the Zoo Society would be unable to continue to provide the excellent education programs the zoo is known for,” says Zoo Society Director Diane McNeil. “These wonderful individuals volunteer much of their time to helping mid-Michigan children and adults experience the natural world and learn about the vital role of zoos in wildlife conservation.”

Each year over 35,000 children receive planned educational programming from the Potter Park Zoological Society. All of the zoo’s programming is provided by the Potter Park Zoo Society’s 105 docents who volunteer over 10,000 hours of their time each year to educating zoo visitors, classes of students, families, and local organizations.

Before working with visitors, docents must complete in an eight week training course where they will be taught how to conduct zoo tours, give classroom presentations involving the zoo’s education animals, and provide hands-on learning opportunities for visitors. The training sessions will be taught by Docent Curator, Dennis Laidler and Class Coordinators, Ina Martin and Lori Patterson.

Potter Park Zoo is located at 1301 S. Pennsylvania Ave. within Potter Park along the Red Cedar River in Lansing, Michigan. The zoo is open daily year-round, winter hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (517) 483-4222 or visit www.potterparkzoo.org

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