The Micke Grove Zoo Education Department launched a series of mini-zoo camp field trips for students from Title I San Joaquin County schools on October 8 and will continue the programs from 9AM – 12PM on October 22, 23, 29, and 30. These unique half-day camp programs will serve over 300 third grade students from Lincoln, Heritage, Live Oak, and Park Lane Elementary Schools and are funded through a local grant.
Through the use of hands-on learning opportunities presented by the knowledgeable edZOOcation staff, zoo campers will be able to identify inherited and learned traits in birds, reptiles, and mammals and recognize key differences in animal life cycles. Students are also are introduced to wildlife conservation concepts such as minimizing habitat loss and preventing pollution.
“These children can make a difference in the kind of world we will be living in, and that is why it is important to teach them important conservation concepts now,” said Natalie DeJong, Education Assistant and Zoo Camp instructor at Micke Grove Zoo.
While zoo camp is designed to be an extension of the classroom experience, zoo camp is not all work and no play. Campers get the opportunity to conduct experiments and create crafts, receive a private tour of the zoo, and meet live animal ambassadors from the edZOOcation collection, including an African pygmy hedgehog, African bullfrog, and California domestic rabbit.
“Viewing wildlife in a safe environment helps children to better connect with the natural world around them, making their experience at the zoo more memorable and certainly more meaningful,” added DeJong.
Micke Grove Zoo is located inside Micke Grove Regional Park at 11793 N. Micke Grove Road in Lodi, CA. It is open every day of the year except Christmas from 10AM to 5PM and the admission gate closes at 4:30PM. Tickets are $5 for guests 14+, $3 for children 3-13, and free for children 2 and under and members of the Micke Grove Zoological Society. For more information regarding the zoo, visit
www.mgzoo.com. For parking information, please visit
www.sjparks.com.