[July 30, 2014]      

The Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington provided the final program of the Lincoln Public Library’s summer reading program “Paws to Read” Thursday morning. Danielle Devine, a retired biology teacher and current educator at the zoo, entertained a full house of young readers with three animals from the zoo’s “Zoo to You” program.

In addition to visiting libraries during the summer, Miller Park Zoo has summer camps at the zoo to teach their Junior Zoo Keepers program. Kids from 5th to 12th grade are taught about the animals that the zoo has on display as well as animal care. They then are qualified to volunteer at the zoo and help care for animals and display animals to zoo visitors. The Junior Zoo Keepers program is unique to the area and has been a program at the zoo for 40 years.

Pictures by Curt Fox

Another full house at the Lincoln Public Library Thursday morning.

Melissa Oxborow, in her green Paws to Read shirt, introduces Miller Park Zoo educator Danielle Devine.

 

What’s in there? An elephant? No…….

 It’s a chinchilla, a native of South America.

 

A ring necked dove, a native of Africa.

An armadillo.