September’s Featured Members: The Woolard Family
We love our Members. Their incredible support allows us to make a difference to animals both locally and all over the world. This month, we’re spotlighting a Zoo Member that deserves recognition. We’re thrilled to introduce you to September’s Featured Members: The Woolard Family.
We asked the Woolard family to tell us a little about what being Zoo Members meant to them. Here’s what they had to say.
Curiosity is the Fuel for discovery, inquiry and learning! What better way to learn, explore, question and foster a love for animals and our world than at our Houston Zoo! Each year my daughters are gifted with a Houston Zoo Membership by their Gran. My mom brought me to the zoo when I was younger, and she wanted to make sure her grandkids had the same opportunity to enjoy and explore nature by being surrounded by animals from all over the world.
We have been zoo members for over 4 years and could not imagine not having our zoo membership. During the summer we spend at least one day a week, if not more at the zoo. Our membership allows us time to slow down and explore every animal and learning opportunity the zoo has! We love going early in the morning to watch the elephants get their bath and attend as many meet the keeper talks as possible. Members only mornings give us a more intimate setting and allows us to feel like it is “our” zoo.
The girls each have favorite animals that we must see each time. Lillian loves the Tortoise’s and aquarium, Lola loves the lions, tigers and cougar, while Lyzabeth enjoys the fish, otters and Gorilla’s. We all love the otters and elephants! One of our favorite parts of the zoo is the splash pad and carousel. They are typically the last thing or the “icing on the cake” of our trip! The girls know that will be the last place we go no matter where we start.
We enter the zoo and each time we chose a different path. Each path is familiar yet different. No matter how many times we go to the zoo each time is unique and different. Our zoo is every changing, yet they manage to hold on to things from the past that make our zoo so special. One of these is the Lion water fountain. I remember using that water fountain when I was young and seeing it brings back memories from my childhood. My girls think it is the neatest thing in the world and it is a staple for our trips.
I recently learned (last September) That Shasta the UH mascot and I share the same birthday month, I could be wrong, but I think we also share the same birthday (September 28).
Two events we look forward to each year are Zoo Boo and Zoobilee. My kids love Halloween and the zoo goes above and beyond to make it special, fun and exciting. We dress up and spend the entire day at the zoo. We dance, trick or treat and enjoy all the fun activities such as mazes, pumpkin patch and bounce houses. Zoo Boo is a great activity for kids of all ages and there is no shortage of things to do during this event.
Zoobilee has become a must do in our household and this year we took the day off from school to spend at the zoo. My best friends and their children went with us. We had a total of 11 people in our group (3 adults and 8 kids)! Thanks to my membership we didn’t have to buy any extra tickets. We spent 8 hours at the zoo that day and not one kid cried! Why you ask? The zoo made sure that everywhere you went you felt like a VIP! The kids were overwhelmed with the amount of “extras” offered to them including ice cream, spray tattoos, leather stamp bracelets and games. So many animals were out, and we had the opportunity to pet them. We had a blast playing the Texans football throw, sack races and Dynamo games. Zoobilee is an amazing event we do not miss!
Something new we did this year was Zoolights. We had not had the opportunity to go and I am so glad we made time to go this year. The lights were so beautiful, and it made for a different atmosphere walking through the zoo after dark.
Our zoo membership not only allows us to create memories for our family but also to bring our extended family with us when they come to visit. My nephew spends the summer with us and we can take him for no charge because of our package. That also means when his mom, dad and my niece come we can all go together.
The Houston Zoo is family friendly and educational. We go to the zoo so often, yet I have never left without learning something new. I am a teacher and the zoo helps me foster a love of learning in my girls. My oldest daughter has decided to be a marine biologist specializing in sea turtles and wants to one day be an oceanic advisor to the president. The Houston Zoo brings the ocean close and she can learn about animals right here in her own back yard. It keeps the love of learning alive and growing.
I could talk about all the wonderful things the Houston Zoo has to offer but honestly, one trip and you will know. A membership to the Houston Zoo is the perfect gift. My girls know when their membership runs out and they start bugging my mom about a month ahead just to make sure she doesn’t forget.
The Houston Zoo is a staple of Houston. Our summers would be so boring without the zoo not to mention our Halloween and Christmas.
From all of us here at the Houston Zoo, we want to say thank you to the Woolards and all of our Zoo Members. As a Houston Zoo Member, your support truly makes an impact on the growth of our Zoo and conservation efforts. THANKS!
