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Internships

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:11:52 GMT

Current Intern Position Descriptions All internships are unpaid unless otherwise noted. Please check the careers page for paid seasonal jobs and internship opportunities. Summer 2010 Opportunities Description Animal Care Internship pdf Marketing Internship pdf Nature Swap Interpretation Intern pdf Environmental Intern pdf Education Intern pdf Human Resources/Volunteer Programs Intern pdf Houston Toad Program Intern pdf Horticulture Intern pdf Membership Intern pdf Purchasing pdf Facilities Management pdf Special Events pdf For more information on internships, send an e-mail to Erin Quassa or call 713-533-6558. More About the Houston Zoo Operated by the not-for-profit Houston Zoo, Inc., the Houston Zoo is dedicated to conserving endangered species, to providing engaging educational opportunities, and to creating stimulating exhibits that broaden the experiences of our guests and encourage their curiosity. To...

Houston Zoo Internships

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:11:35 GMT

Houston Zoo Internship Program The Houston Zoo provides unpaid internship opportunities for students who wish to obtain hands-on experience in a functional area of the Zoo. Internships are available in most animal sections, as well as, horticulture, education, marketing, data management, engineering, conservation and other areas as needed. Internships are offered for spring, summer and fall semesters; but not all areas will have positions available during all semesters. Internship Requirements All applicants must be at least 18 years old as of the internship start date. Pay a one time $45 fee to offset the cost of your Intern uniform shirt, processing your application, a nametag, continuing education materials, and social events All applicants must be a current or recent student in a field related to the desired placement. The minimum time commitment is 200 hours during the semester. Specific hours may be scheduled to meet the needs of both the intern and the department. Interns...

Scholarship Camp Zoofari 2010

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:37:34 GMT

The Houston Zoo is offering an exciting summer camp experience for a select number of Houston’s children. The week of July 6-9, 2010 (Tuesday - Friday) from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 pm. we are hosting Scholarship Camp Zoofari. Scholarship Camp Zoofari is an action-packed, hands-on, week-long day camp for students ages 4-12. Students learn about the natural world, wildlife conservation and the animals that call the Houston Zoo home. Students will split their time between classroom and in-Zoo activities, and will be able to touch a variety of mammals, birds, and reptiles that are safe for handling. Some older students may experience a behind-the-scenes activity. This camp is FREE of charge to the students and includes complimentary lunch and snacks each day of camp as well as two t-shirts for the week. Students should have exemplary classroom behavior, a keen interest in learning and science (specifically animals), and passing grades. Students must be currently attending a...

Zoo Ball

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:33:55 GMT

Learn more about The African Forest.

Click here for Underwriting and Naming Opportunities.

Learn more about the Zoo Friends of Houston, Inc.

Teachers & Schools

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:30:29 GMT

School Field Trips Please complete the on-line Field Trip Reservation Request and submit it at least three weeks prior to your visit date. ** Please e-mail your request so we can keep track of it. Faxing might not go thru and we would like to make sure that it will get to us so we may book your visit. Thank you. Zoo admission is free for organized school groups located within the corporate limits of the City of Houston. Eligible dates are Monday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. for students up to age nineteen. Day cares, pre-schools, head starts, home schools, and colleges are not eligible for the free school program. For more information, call 713-533-6550 or email group.reservations@houstonzoo.org The Houston Zoo books up to 2,500 students per day. Field Trip requests are being booked daily and dates will be added as they fill. Tickets are sold out for the following dates: March: 3rd March 13 thru March 21st April: 1st April: 8th April: 15th April: 22nd...

Overnights & Evenings

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:51:59 GMT

Enjoy the dark side of the Zoo, an entirely different adventure than a visit during the day! If you haven't seen the Zoo at night, you're missing out! Join us for a Night Prowl or Wild wink and see what all the excitement is about. New for 2010! The Houston Zoo's popular overnight program is now available in the summer! Grab your sleeping bag and snooze in the air conditioned Brown Education Building! Scroll down to see more information. A Night Prowl is from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and includes lots of hands-on activities and animal viewing. Check below for the type of Night Prowl most applicable to you or your group: Scout Night Prowls School & Community Night Prowls A Wild Winks is an extended opportunity to explore the Zoo that includes additional interactive activities, touchable animals, dinner, continental breakfast, and admission to the Zoo on the second day of the program. Check below for the type of overnight most applicable to you or your group. Wild Winks are from 6:00...

ExxonMobil Scout Wild Winks

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:50:47 GMT

Join us for an exciting look at the zoo after hours. Through guided tours in the evening and early morning, you will explore the diverse adaptations that help the zoo's amazing creatures survive in the wild. Get the inside scoop on our animals from zoo employees and get up close and personal with a zoo resident. (All participants must be at least 7 years old. All children must be accompanied by an adult at a minimum of a 1:5 ratio of adults to children.) The ExxonMobil Scout Wild Wink overnight programs are generously supported by ExxonMobil. What's Included: interactive, educational activities guided walks with experienced Zoo staff live, touchable animals dinner and continental breakfast slumber inside the Zoo. Weather permitting, participants will sleep in tents. free admission into the Zoo when program ends Note: While overnights include touchable animals, hands-on activities, and animal viewing guided by Zoo staff, there are no behind-the-scenes tours. ...

The African Forest Thank-You Gifts

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:57:46 GMT

Help Bring Africa to Houston!

This December, the Houston Zoo is slated to open its largest and most ambitious exhibit to date, The African Forest. Nearly 7 acres of the Zoo will be transformed to create an interactive world, filled with the sights, sounds – and, most importantly, animals of Africa.

We need your help to make this dream a reality! The next time you visit the Zoo, make a $2 or $5 donation to the African Forest along with your ticket purchase. As our thanks to you, receive a limited edition African Forest bracelet or pin! (Available only on Zoo Grounds and while supplies last.)

$2 Donation = Bracelet

$5 Donation = Pin

Wear this gift with pride, knowing that you had a part in building this historic expansion, which will create a brand new exhibit for our giraffe herd and bring chimps and rhinos back to Houston.

Learn more about The African Forest

Home Page - Zoo Daily News

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:33:35 GMT

Click here to get up-to-date weather
info at the Houston Zoo!
Read these important construction updates before your next visit.
Spring Break Traffic information.
Travel to Africa -- No Passport Needed. The African Forest is opening December 2010. Read more...

Toad Trackers

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:12:36 GMT

You may have already noticed that the Houston Zoo is fanatical about frogs and toads, but we are taking our admiration for amphibians to a toad-ally new level! Calling future wildlife biologists! In the Spring of 2010 we are piloting a new conservation education program called Toad Trackers. In this very special and one-of-a-kind, interactive program, a group of lucky students will actually monitor wild toad populations on grounds at the Houston Zoo! Class Description: Toad Tracker students will be introduced to the equipment a field biologist would use in their research and some of the methods used in the scientific study of animal populations. In an evening class, students will actively search for a common toad species on Zoo grounds, the Gulf Coast Toad (Bufo nebulifer) for processing and data collection. The students will collect environmental, geographic and toad data. On select nights (warm and wet) on zoo grounds, supervised participants will perform a toad round-up,...

Construction Updates

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:57:02 GMT

Pardon Our Dust

The Houston Zoo is Growing and Improving for Our Guests

From the Wildlife Carousel to the Natural Encounters Building and the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat, the Houston Zoo has undergone a remarkable transformation in the last 8 years.

The process is continuing today with improvements large – the 6.5 acre African Forest project which is under construction now and will open in December – and small, such as the sidewalk improvements now underway near the Cypress Circle concessions building, improvements at the McGovern Children’s Zoo, at the Kipp Aquarium and the newly refurbished jaguar exhibit, and the construction of the new shoebill stork exhibit.

At the Houston Zoo we typically schedule projects such as sidewalk and exhibit improvements during January and February prior to Spring Break. While some projects require the temporary closing of sidewalks and exhibits we endeavor to keep the inconvenience for our guests as brief as possible.

Visit this Web page often for project updates. Please note, projected completion dates are subject to weather conditions.

McGovern Children’s Zoo: Projected completion of work near the playground and otters – March 12

Shoebill Stork Exhibit: Projected completion – March 29. For two weeks, starting on March 1 pathways around the exhibit area will be closed intermittently. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Natural Encounters: The indoor and outdoor rainforest exhibits and the Bat exhibit at the Natural
Encounters building will be closed from March 21 to March 29 for a cleaning and painting project. This project will not affect the other exhibits in the Natural Encounters building.

Visit Bags

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:50:12 GMT

The Houston Zoo is now offering the option for their school groups to pre-order Visit Bags. Why pre-order a Visit Bag? MORE TIME WITH THE ANIMALS Avoid long lines in the gift shop, pick up pre-ordered bags at a special exit kiosk. BRING HOME A SPECIAL SOUVENIR Classes placing pre-orders receive a complimentary zoo souvenir for their teacher. What you get when you pre-order a Visit Bag: $1 BAG: One Houston Zoo logo pencil $3 BAG: A deck of Houston Zoo logo playing cards $5 BAG: A Houston Zoo drip flipper $5 BAG: Goodie bag of assorted stickers, erasers, figurines, & small toys $10 BAG: A small plush animal plus a goodie bag of assorted stickers, erasers, figurines, & small toys Orders may be placed via the FIELD TRIP REQUEST FORM online. Please direct questions to hozgiftshop@kmssa.com.

Field Trip Topics

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:49:26 GMT

Make your field trip to the Zoo a memorable and educational experience for your students by participating in one of our classes! The Houston Zoo Education Department offers various types of classes on many different topics. These classes also vary in length depending on how much time your group has to spend with us. PRICING Price per student is the same for each type of program that we offer. More information on each program type is available below. Pricing for Adventure Classes, Critter Encounters, and Eco-Tracks programs are as follows: $6.50 per student for Pre-K through 5th grades $9.50 per student for 6th through 9th grades *During the month of January, all programs are 50% off. Reservations for spring Adventure Classes and Eco-Tracks must be made prior to March 1, 2010. Please note that these prices include admission to the Zoo for each student. All our educational activities are aligned with the TEKS and are ideal supplements to your classroom curricula. Please...

Breakfast with the Animals - Tigers

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:16:43 GMT

Breakfast Is Going Wild! SOLD OUT A very special experience exclusively for Zoo members only. April 10, 2010 It will be a wild morning when you start your day with the Tigers. Pounce on over and you will have the opportunity to watch the feeding habits and enrichment activities of our Tigers and enjoy breakfast too. Registration will begin the morning of March 12, 2010. These events fill up fast, so don’t miss out on an extra special event where you will become more familiar with our carnivores and the enrichment that is utilized to enhance their lives. This unique experience is designed to provide you with interesting educational messages while stimulating healthy natural-like behaviors in our animal ambassadors. Cost: $60 per person. There are no discounts for children. The registration fee is not refundable. Juice and Buffet Breakfast will be served promptly at 7:30. Space is limited to the first 50 people. Registration and prepayment are required. ...

Summer Camp Zoofari

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:52:30 GMT

Ages 4-12 June 1 - August 13, 2010 9 am - 4 pm, 9 am - 12 pm, or 1 - 4 pm $125-425 per week Camp Zoofari is an action-packed, hands-on, week-long day camp for kids ages 4-12. Kids learn about the natural world, wildlife conservation and the animals that call the Houston Zoo home. These educational, fun-filled camps fill quickly, so be sure to register soon! Summer Camp Zoofari 2010 Brochure Some information has changed from Summer 2009, including our cancellation and t-shirt policy. Please read the camp brochure thoroughly even if you have participated in Camp Zoofari previously. Sold Out Camp Dates ALL AM 4-5 year old camps are SOLD OUT. All Sorts of Animals – 6/14 PM Animal Olympics – 6/1 PM, 6/28 Day, 7/19 Day, 8/2 Day Bringing Up Baby - 8/2 Colossal Creatures - 6/7 Day, 7/12 Day Keeper Camp - 6/7, 7/12 Zoo Design – 6/14 Camp Open House Join us on Monday, May 24 from 6-8 pm in the Brown Education Center for our camp open house! Pick-up...

Today at the Zoo - Meet the Keeper Talks

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:17:57 GMT

We hope you enjoy meeting our animals and our staff! Meet the Keeper Talks generously sponsored by Friday, March 12 10:00 Meet the Keeper Talk at Natural Encounters 10:00 Elephant Bath 10:00 Snake Feeding in the Reptile House 10:30 Bat Feeding at the Children’s Zoo 10:30 Story Safari at the Butterfly Stage in the Children’s Zoo 10:30 Meet the Keeper Talk at Jaguars 11:00 Story Safari at the Butterfly Stage in the Children’s Zoo 11:00 Meet the Sea Lion Keeper Talk 11:00 Meet the Keeper Talk at Red-Tailed Monkeys in Wortham World of Primates 11:15 Cinereous Vulture Feeding 11:45 Meet the Keeper Talk at Southern Cassowary 12:00 Zooper Challenge at the Butterfly Stage in the Children’s Zoo 12:00 Meet the Keeper Talk at Natural Encounters 12:00 Meet the Keeper Talk at Sifakas in Wortham World of Primates 12:30 Zooper Challenge at the Butterfly Stage in the Children’s Zoo 1:00 Meet the Keeper Talk at Natural Encounters 1:20 Saddle-Billed Stork Feeding at...

Home Page - Houston Zoo Television

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:08:01 GMT

Dinosaurs at the Houston Zoo

Dinosaurs are coming to the Houston Zoo this summer. (See more Houston Zoo videos on our Media Page or our YouTube Channel.)

See more on our media page...

DINOSAURS!

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:34:28 GMT

Dinosaurs are coming to the Houston Zoo! Saturday, May 29, 2010 – Monday, September 6, 2010 Millions and millions of years ago, giant, fearsome dinosaurs ruled the earth. Dinosaurs competed for land, food, and dominance while battling to survive in a world unimaginable to humans – until now. This summer, prehistoric dinosaurs are returning from extinction and invading the Houston Zoo. Come journey to the land of dinosaurs that move, roar, snarl, and even spit water before they go extinct again and leave the Zoo in September. From the mighty T-Rex and plated Stegosaurus to the massive Brachiosaurus and horned Triceratops, these dinosaurs will evoke wonder, mystery, and fun for every person who dares to stand face-to-face with these prehistoric beasts. Dinosaurs are invading this summer – you don’t want to miss this. $2 Fee Per Person To Enter The Land Of The Dinosaurs Learn More About All 10 Of Our Dinosaur Exhibits: Baryonyx...

Hours and Pricing

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:23:59 GMT

Houston Zoo Hours The Zoo does not offer rainchecks or refunds Central Standard Time November 1 - March 13 9a.m. - 6p.m. Last admission at 5p.m. Daylight Savings Time March 14 - November 7 9a.m. - 7p.m. Last admission at 6p.m. Free Days Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, Columbus Day, The Friday after Thanksgiving, and New Year's Day The Zoo is closed only on Christmas day! Our Medical Center Gate, located directly across from Ben Taub Hospital, is open on weekends, holidays, free days and during spring break. Houston Zoo Pricing General Admission* Children 0-1 FREE Children 2-11 $7.00 Adults 12-64 $11.00 Senior 65+ $6.00 Wild Life Carousel Tokens for Members $1.50 Members Join Now! FREE More on Hours & Pricing/Free Days *Admission prices increased on December 15th, 2009. Click for details on the admission prices. Military Discounts Admission to the Houston Zoo is free for active duty military personnel and their families (limit 5 persons -...

About The African Forest

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:22:11 GMT

HOUSTON ZOO BREAKS GROUND ON INNOVATIVE NEW EXHIBIT First Phase of The African Forest to Open in December 2010 For a larger view, please click on the image above. As the boom of African drums echo across a wooded landscape, the Houston Zoo begins transforming a 6.5 acre site in the heart of the nation’s fourth largest city into an extraordinary adventure – The African Forest. Houston Zoo officials and honored VIP guests turned shovels on September 10 in dark Texas Gulf Coast earth, officially launching Phase One construction of The African Forest, the most ambitious undertaking in the Zoo’s 88 year history. “Less than one-tenth of one percent of the entire U. S. population will ever experience the thrill of seeing Africa,” said Houston Zoo Director Rick Barongi. “The African Forest at the Houston Zoo is designed to bring that exciting experience to Houston and 1.7 million Zoo guests each year,” added Barongi. Support...