Teen L.E.A.D.E.R.S.

Lead by Educating with Activities and Demonstrations on the Environment, Resources and Sciences

Join Me and Be Plastic Free!

Hello all! My name is Shauna Dauderman and I'm a Fresno Chaffee Zoo employee and the mastermind of the 30 Day Plastic Challenge, which I’ve nicknamed “30DPC”.

This is my personal journey on the plastic challenge path, avoiding single-use plastic and, so far, it has been smooth sailing.

July 10th marked the first ten days of the 30DPC and a majority of those ten days were spent on a family vacation away from home.

I was in Los Angeles on day one of the Plastic Challenge and, although the city is a huge, urban metropolis, it was not difficult to find substitutes for plastic. My family stayed in Embassy Suites for two days, which offered a continental breakfast that was completely plastic-free. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Dodger Stadium in downtown L.A. offered almost all concessions in cardboard containers and glass bottles.

Shortly after returning home, I shopped for items that were free of any single-use plastic. I invested in some canvas bags and was absolutely thrilled to find peanut butter in glass jars.

On vacation, I couldn't help but pick up the
non-decomposable plastic that I saw lying
around on Cayucos Beach

I was on a roll until my local supermarket would not let me purchase fresh produce without a plastic bag. I did end up purchasing the produce and made a mental note to save the bags and use them again or to buy produce at a Farmer's Market where plastic bags are not a requirement for purchase.

On July 2nd, the Teen LEADERS volunteer program went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium to collaborate with their volunteers and to enjoy the aquarium. My brown-bag sack lunch that day consisted of an orange, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with bread that was purchased wrapped in paper, and fresh cucumbers and carrots that I packed in re-usable Tupperware. 

The last three days of my vacation were spent in Morro Bay, California. I brought my plastic-free groceries with me for snacks and did not use a straw or plastic utensil whenever my family ate out.

Although it has been challenging at times, my experience with the 30DPC has been extremely rewarding. I have never felt as fulfilled as I have now, explaining how I am doing my part to conserve and do what I love. Are YOU up to the challenge? Follow along with other Teen LEADERS' 30DPC journey on our blog. Looking forward to sharing other ways we can be plastic-free!

Teen L.E.A.D.E.R.S

Lead by Educating with Activities and Demonstrations on the Environment, Resources and Sciences

It was 6:45 AM Monday morning, and 32 teens were loading on a bus for the 3 hour drive that lay ahead of them. But these weren't just any normal teenagers, and this wasn't any normal bus ride. These were FCZ Teen LEADERS, and we were on our way to the Monterey Bay Aquarium!

                        The aquarium welcomed us with open arms- or should I say fins? flippers? tentacles? They have a teen program very similar to ours, focused on sharing messages about why we should care about wildlife and how we can protect our planet. We made this trip to meet them first-hand and share ideas, tour the aquarium, and of course have a lot of fun! The aquarium staff planned an exciting day for us with behind-the-scene tours, walks around the aquarium, icebreaker games, lunch on the beach, and I've got to say, the most entertaining game of beach tag I have ever played!

            According to Teen LEADER Sam, the best part of the day was touring the aquarium with the MBA volunteers. "We got to see all the cool, engaging parts of the aquarium, like the Kelp Forest and new ‘Jellies Experience’ exhibit. It was fun spending the day with teens our own age that share common interests." Another highlight was spending time in their Discovery Lab, where we got hands-on with some underwater critters such as sea stars, urchins and decorator crabs. We even got to feed an abalone its lunch!  

            Our trip to Monterey was definitely one to remember. Teen LEADER Monica knew just how to recap the best parts of her day, "Playing on the beach! Tours! Meeting new people and really getting to know them!" The experience of connecting with and learning from so many others who care about the oceans and the future of our planet was encouraging, energizing, and reminded us all why we volunteer our time to help our environment as Teen LEADERS. 

            This trip, along with all parts of the Teen LEADERS program, was made possible by a grant from The Ocean Project. We would like to thank them for their very generous sponsorship not only to this program, but to other ocean conservation projects world-wide.

Teen L.E.A.D.E.R.S

Lead by Educating with Activities and Demonstrations on the Environment, Resources and Sciences

Paying It Forward

As a Teen LEADER veteran, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in truly unique experiences that make for great memories. I’ve traveled, canoed, and cleaned up local rivers, but no experience has been more rewarding than working the Activity Station cart. Through working with young zoo visitors at the cart, I’ve learned that the true basis of making a change is simple—interaction and influence. It is there, during the hot summer, at the zoo, behind the cart where I feel closest to the cause of inspiring people to help our environment in simple, everyday ways.

 

As a student, a daughter, and a teenager, I’m always being taught and always being influenced—never really influencing. Sure, I’m getting smarter and growing wiser every day, but what good are knowledge and wisdom if they are never shared? When I’m out at the cart, sharing my experience, knowledge, and awareness with both children and parents alike, I feel like it’s all worth something. Last Tuesday, my friend Sam and I were at the cart doing a simple activity that illustrates the function of blubber using a glove filled with Crisco and ice water. A small figurine of a harbor seal sat on the cart, which drew the attention of a very young girl. Before the activity, I asked her what animal it was. Without hesitation, she said, “Pacific harbor seal”. I was shocked—this girl was still in diapers! Her interest and specificity at such a young age inspired me to share what I know with children even more.

Similar to our cart activities, the childhood stories’ ability to simplify complicated morals and concepts that are growing more and more complex with time astounds me. I take these concepts to heart, and love the simplicity with which I am able to educate children on unfortunate issues that generations of today will leave in their hands to fix.

Stay Young,

Hunter Laningham

Teen L.E.A.D.E.R.S.

Lead by Educating with Activities and Demonstrations on the Environment, Resources and Sciences

Greetings readers!

My name is Jared Price. I am an educator at Fresno Chaffee Zoo and just finished my junior year at Los Banos High School. The past two weeks I took a little time off my job for a vacation in Italy (my first trip to Europe!) but I still managed to take a little bit of the zoo with me.

Everywhere I traveled I brought along my red Fresno Chaffee Zoo water bottle to help:

• Reduce my own consumption of single-use plastic water bottles

• Show all of the teens I was traveling with just how easy it is to go REUSABLE

And I made sure to photograph the entire journey!

Choosing a reusable water bottle over single-use plastic is SO IMPORTANT to our environment because:

• Using the same reusable bottle multiple times, you can save hundreds of plastic water bottles from ending up in landfill or as litter that eventually drifts down rivers and into the sea

Reusable water bottle making history at the Roman Coliseum!

• Plastics often find their way into our local ecosystems where they can endanger native wildlife

• Choosing to use a reusable water bottle also can save you a lot of money - Just think about much money you spend buying bottled water. After all, isn’t it just water?

• You’re saving WATER by going reusable- did you know it takes an average of 1.5 gallons of water just to MAKE a normal sized single-use bottle? That doesn’t even count the water needed to fill it!

• Reduce your carbon footprint and energy use- even producing and recycling plastic bottles uses a lot of energy!

Making a pit stop at the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Throughout my trip, I took my FCZ water bottle everywhere. From the ancient ruins of the Roman Coliseum, to the canals of Venice, and even to seaside cliffs of Sorrento, my bottle was by my side. In fact, it was pretty nice always having it with me. I saved a lot of money by not buying water. In Italy an average size bottle of water would commonly sell for 3 euro!  That means over the course of my 10 day trip I saved at least $38 US dollars! It was also a lot of fun. Commonly when photographing my bottle I’d get some funny looks, but that was a great part of sharing my message when I got to explain the reasons behind my funny antics to those I was with.

So how can YOU help? One easy thing to do is commit to carrying your favorite reusable water bottle. It’s really not that hard, I took mine all over Italy!  

Jared Price

Educator, Fresno Chaffee Zoo

Producers Dairy Ice Cream Zoofari

August 11, 2012 
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Producers Dairy Ice Cream Zoofari, a summertime tradition for over twenty years, will take place at Fresno Chaffee Zoo on Saturday, August 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. Beat the heat in this all-you-can-eat ice cream FUNdraiser. Enjoy unlimited ice cream, sherbets, frozen yogurt, sundaes and smoothies with zoo-centric names such as Rocky Toad, Mint Monkeys ‘n Cream, and Cockatoo Cookie Dough. Guests will satisfy their sweet cravings while strolling through the Zoo and getting the latest scoop on their favorite animals. Kid-friendly entertainment will include live music and magic!

This event sells out. Get your tickets early!

 Ticket Prices: Children 1 yr. and under are FREE

Fresno Chaffee Zoo Members: 

Adults (12 years and up) $12.00 

Children (2-11 years) $8.00

Non-Members: 

Adults (12 years and up) $14.00 

Children (2-11 years) $10.00

Non-Member Day of Event: 

Adults (12 years and up) $16.00 

Children (2-11 years) $12.00

Ticket orders made after August 6, will be held at Will Call at the Zoo entrance. 

Order online at www.fresnochaffeezoo.org  , the front admission booth, or by calling 559-498-5921. 

Thank you to our generous sponsors: 

Monterey Beach Clean-Up

After learning about oceans, the importance of keeping them clean and healthy, and their own connection to the marine environment even in the Central Valley, approximately 175 students from Tioga Middle School in Fresno helped out the seashore over 150 miles from home-- at a large beach cleanup and dune planting event on Municipal Beach on the morning of June 5^th. Tioga students were selected for this cleanup event by participating in a writing contest in their Language Arts classes. Students with the top five essays in each class were awarded permission slips to attend this event. Their essay’s focused on pollution in the ocean and how it effects our environment.   

Fresno Chaffee Zoo organized the event and gave presentations to the youth in their schools prior to June 5^th.  Kids’ Ocean Day, honoring World Oceans Day on June 8th, is being organized statewide by the California Coastal Commission.  The Monterey event is part of the 19^th Annual Kids’ Adopt-a-Beach Cleanup, a series of Kids’ Ocean Day Adopt-A-Beach Cleanups at six beaches up and down the California coast and one in Marineland, Florida.  The event for Fresno students involved removing litter from the beach as well as installing native plants on sand dunes to filter polluted runoff before it reaches the ocean.

Fresno’s Chaffee Zoo is running the program locally by giving presentations at the school site and organizing the June 5th event. “The Fresno Chaffee Zoo Education Staff is grateful for this opportunity to have Central Valley students participate in a coastal beach cleanup project. This grant funded program provides a special opportunity for some of our children to learn more about how humans impact our natural world and also about stewardship behaviors and actions. Participating in this Monterey beach cleanup and dune planting gives these students a special connection to the ocean. We hope this hands-on experience empowers them and helps them understand that each person can make a difference in keeping our earth clean.” said Adrienne Castro, Director of Education, Fresno Chaffee Zoo.

“These kids are like modern-day knights in shining armor,” said Mary Shallenberger, Chair of the California Coastal Commission.   “They are defending our ocean from marine debris and other forms of pollution that harm marine life.  I’m so proud of them that they took this day to go forward into battle with everyday trash to keep it out of the sea.  It makes me optimistic that these young people will continue the crusade to keep our coast and ocean clean.”  The Coastal Commission coordinates the program statewide and provides financial support from the Whale Tail License Plate Fund.

Fresno Chaffee Zoo provides environmental education programs to visiting students from the Central San Joaquin Valley. As stated in the mission statement, “Fresno Chaffee Zoo inspires wonder of our natural world, provides an engaging learning environment, and creates a passion for conservation.” The zoo allows students to come to one location and learn about animals in a variety of habitats.

The Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education and the California Coastal Commission started the annual event in Los Angeles in 1994. With funding from the Whale Tail License Plate, this program expanded to serving Central Valley children in 2001. The program focuses on reaching children in underserved and inland schools.  Prior to the cleanup, the program includes a school presentation providing information about the importance of the ocean and how the students’ actions affect it. 

The California Coastal Commission is the statewide coordinator of the Kids’ Ocean Day Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup, the year-round Adopt-A-Beach program, and Coastal Cleanup Day. All of these programs are funded by the generous support of the Whale Tail License Plate Fund. Over 205,000 plates have been sold since 1996, raising $19 million dollars for marine education and protection.  For more information about the California Coastal Commission’s programs and how to buy a Whale Tail Plate, call (800) COAST-4U or visit www.coastforyou.org.

Teen L.E.A.D.E.R.S 5/30/12

Lead by Educating with Activities and Demonstrations on the Environment, Resources and Sciences

On May 19, 2012 Fresno Chaffee Zoo Teen LEADERS got a sneak peak of the Zoo’s new Sea Lion Cove exhibit! Lead by Adrienne Castro, Director of Education, the TL’s were able to tour the construction site and see the amazing development of the detailed ocean-like setting first-hand. Some highlights of the tour were gazing through the underwater viewing window, seeing the backstage keeper work areas, and above all walking along the empty pool bottom lined with sculpted sea stars, barnacles and mussels. Teen LEADER Hunter Lanningham remarked about the experience “It was really bizarre—walking where it would soon be covered in 10 feet of water. It was literally a once-in-a-lifetime experience! I’ll never forget it!” Castro also included many interesting facts in her tour including the pool’s 200,000 gallon capacity and details on a unique constructed wetland that will actual help to clean and filter water from the exhibit pool. Teen LEADERS also commented “It was great to see the new home for these animals being built right in front of us. We’re very excited to see what it will look like when it’s finished!”

            Sea Lion Cove is a multi-million dollar exhibit that will bring a taste of the California coast to Fresno. Funded by the 2004 tax initiative Measure Z and modeled after the breathtaking Point Lobos, Sea Lion Cove will feature sea lions and seals in a naturalistic setting. The exhibit will be complete with an underwater viewing window, large presentation area, and nose-to-nose viewing structure. Sea Lion Cove is scheduled to open fall 2012.

-Jared Price

Educator, Fresno Chaffee Zoo

Director of Education, Adrienne Castro, shows Teen LEADERS the underwater viewing area where they’ll soon be face to face with seals and sea lions.

Teen LEADERS were able to tour the empty pool itself, after snapping a few photos of course!