Another Zoo Experience!

I hadn't been to the Zoo since February 27th, when I went to the monthly Docent Meeting.  Even then, I left a little early because Mary Lynn and I had Line Dancing at Noon, so I didn't go to the Docent room to put my time in the books. 
So, today I decided I'd better go over and see if there was anything I could sign up for, and put my time for the meeting in the books.  When I walked into the room, one Docent was there getting ready to go on an Outreach to Friends School.  After telling her I'd just stopped by to see what was available she invited me to go on the Outreach because there was just two of them going.  As it turned out, 2 Docents didn't show up for School at the Zoo, so they were short handed, and the other lady stayed there to help and Ann and I went on the Outreach.  This was my 3rd Outreach, 2nd since becoming a Docent.  Every time I work at the Zoo I learn more, so it's always interesting.

We took 4 animals with us.  A Bearded Dragon, pictured to the left, a Box Turtle, Chinchilla, and Hissing Cockroach.  We taught a class "Experiencing Animals" to a Kindergarten Class.  It went well, and the Lady I went with, Ann, had done this many times and I was able to learn a lot from her.  One of the things she did that the kids liked, was to bring along some meal worms.  She put the Bearded Dragon on some papers on the floor and fed it the meal worms.  The kids really liked watching that tongue dart out to eat those worms. So, whenever I sign out a Bearded Dragon, request some meal worms.   Also, she said that whenever you take a Chinchilla out, make sure to request a 'Dust Bath' to take with you.  After handling the Chinchilla, and having the kids all touch her, she likes to be put in a box of pumice stone dust to take a 'Dust Bath'.  Because Chinchilla's live in high, snowy environment, they don't take water baths, but the dust bath keeps their fur dry and fluffy for good insulation.  The kids really liked watching the Chinchilla roll around and throw that dust all over her.
The kids were well behaved and seemed to enjoy all the information on animals and the animals we brought with us.  It was something I hadn't planned on today, but was fun. 
Becoming a Docent the 1st of December I was required to get in 18 hours by the End of April this year.  This was a pro-rated amount of hours from the 48 hours required each year by Docents.  When I put my hours in today for the Docent Meeting and the Outreach,   I had 70 hours already, in only 3 months.  I'm scheduled to go on an Outreach on March 20th, and have to go in for training on the Tegu, a large lizard, on the 25th.  So, I decided not to sign up for anything else while I was there.  Approaching the end of the Docent year, others may need to get some time in, so I'll leave things open for this weekend.  When I go in on the 20th I may sign up for something else if there are some openings.