Zoo InternQuest is a seven-week career exploration program for San Diego County high school juniors and seniors. Students have the unique opportunity to meet professionals working for the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and Institute for Conservation Research, learn about their jobs, and then blog about their experience online. Follow their adventures here on the Zoo’s website!
In a time of climate change denial and science skepticism, we need more people like Maggie Reinbold. Throughout her life, Ms. Reinbold has never taken her role as a conservationist lightly. As the Director of Conservation Education at the Institute for Conservation Research, Ms. Reinbold not only implements conservation into her daily life, but also educates the public through different conservation-minded educational programs.
More specifically, one of these programs helps classroom teachers learn about conservation, and how conservation can be incorporated into their everyday lessons. In these workshops, teachers from middle and high schools from across the globe, spend a week immersed conservation science. Teachers participate in intensive studies in the lab and spend time at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park interacting and learning from staff members. By the end of these workshops, Ms. Reinbold and the rest of her team hope teachers will learn various tips and tricks to start incorporating conservation science into their classroom curriculum.
Ms. Reinbold spends her days fundraising, fostering partnerships and drafting proposals for current and future endeavors. Furthermore, every program she develops serves as a means to engage and educate the public. Through her work as a conservation educator and personal conservationist, my fellow interns and myself found her to be very inspiring. Just through small, seemingly mundane, daily tasks such as turning off the lights when out of the room, recycling, and short showers, everyone can have a huge impact on the conservation of our world, just like Ms. Reinbold does every day. Every human has, not only the power, but also the obligation to do everyday things to protect our earth. The first step to being a conservationist is being educated about the current threats to of our environment and those who live on earth every day.
For example, Ms. Reinbold taught us about the California condor, and its journey from being on the verge of extinction to recovery. By 1982, there were only 22 California condors left in the world, and their population was rapidly decreasing. San Diego Zoo Global, along with other zoos and conservations organizations, worked together to rescue, breed and rehabilitate the condors. Due to these efforts, there are now more than 430 California condors alive today!
However, there are still threats to California condors such as power lines, micro trash and lead poisoning. As humans, we can prevent the endangerment and extinction of these magnificent animals through everyday actions. Picking up trash we see on the street, even small things like bottle caps, and putting them in their rightful place can prevent hazardous items from being eaten by condors.
Kailey, Real World Team
Week One, Winter Session 2017
