Active Exploration

Think back to one of the really great nature experiences you've had in your lifetime. Perhaps it was camping below the crown of a stand of majestic trees. Maybe it was scuba diving among a memorably colorful and varied group of exotic fish. It might have been a youthful afternoon spent investigating the banks of a creek with friends.
 
Or maybe you prefer simply to listen as others tell you about their adventures in nature. It's not quite the same thing, is it?
 
The difference between active and passive exploration illustrates how we approach the mission here at the Chicago Zoological Society of connecting people with wildlife. Instead of merely talking about the wonders of nature, we have designed our programs to make the natural world come alive through actual encounters. In doing so, we create an energy and excitement for nature in individuals of all stripes, providing the skills for further discovery, whether it be studying nature or helping to conserve it.
 
A potential example of this concept begins in our Hamill Family Play Zoo. There, kids from birth to age 10 or so are invited to "unearth" nature in an informal way: playing in dirt or imitating an animal, among many activities. A visit to the Play Zoo might draw a particular child to the Nature Swap area, in which found nature items can be turned in for points that lead to "better" items.
 
That child may become such an engaged Nature Swapper over the years as to want to join our Youth Volunteer Corps. Later in the program, the Corps offers dedicated participants college scholarships toward degrees in conservation and science. Former Corps volunteers have been known to earn master's degrees and go on to careers in conservation!
 
Although that is a very specific example, our casual guests benefit from these programs as well.
 
For instance, our summer Zoo Chats---during which zookeepers interactively engage audiences about the animals in their care---may provide the intellectual and emotional engagement that prompts a young boy or girl onto a path that results in successful conservation efforts for a species encountered here at Brookfield Zoo.
 
That's the best kind of nature experience there is.