Educational Resources

Zoo Pals!

Do you have something that you would like to share with a favorite animal here at the zoo? The Zookeepers are caring for our animals, and would love to hear from you!

You can be a Zoo Pal! Take a moment to draw a picture and write a letter to show you care for a favorite Mesker Park Zoo animal. Send it to us, and we will share them in an album in the Mesker Park Zoo Facebook page. Your artistic creations may even be selected by a Zookeeper to be read aloud & shown to the animal(s) while on our daily live Facebook stream. (Don’t forget to thank our Zookeepers for caring for the animals!)

We are offering many resources on our website to help you with your Zoo Pal project. We have added pictures of 15 popular Mesker Park Zoo residents to help you identify their names and faces, and some prompts to help you with your writings and drawings. We have also added many online weblinks so you can do & learn more about them, including websites, videos, virtual experiences, and downloadable activities. Check them out below!

Be a Zoo Pal! Create something beautiful for our zoo friends, and share them with us. Submit your artistic creations by scanning or photographing, and email to education@meskerparkzoo.com. Be sure to include your name and age! Then watch our Facebook page for more. Have fun!

Need some ideas for your letter?

What is your favorite animal and why?
What would you tell this animal if you could speak its language?
What would you like to tell the Zookeeper that cares for this animal at our zoo?
Did you thank the Zookeeper for caring?
What can we do to help these animals in the wild?
What can we do to help our Earth home – yours and theirs?
What is a cool fact about your animal?
What is something you would like to know about the animal?

Need some ideas for your drawing?

Can you draw this animal?
How does it look when eating, sleeping, playing, or grooming?
What do you think the animal likes to eat?
What might its young (babies) look like?
In what kind of habitat does the animal live in the wild?
What does a healthy Earth home look like?
Does your animal have any animal friends?
How does a Zookeeper care for the animal?

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[separator headline=”h3″ title=”Enhance Your Visit”]Make the most of your Zoo visit! Utilize any of the following self-guided resources to enhance your experience, before, during, and after.

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[separator headline=”h3″ title=”Wild about Trees”]

Observe, measure, and identify any of the hundreds of trees on Zoo grounds. The Wild About Trees S.T.E.A.M. packet comes with everything* you need to get started on your study of trees, including a list of native trees, leaf identification key, and instructions on how to identify a tree based on visual and numerical observations. Report your findings to zoo staff to be cataloged for future use.

(NOTE: Wild About Trees is most suited for middle and high school students, but can be done by any age child with the help of an adult. *Requires writing utensil & measuring tape or string ~3ft in length.)