EcoLynx Visit Bloomington
Conservation Biology Students visit Ecology Action Center and Miller Park Zoo Curator

[November 28, 2017] 

LINCOLN

Members of the Lincoln College EcoLynx Club traveled to Bloomington Nov. 16 to meet and workshop possible green program advancements with the Ecology Action Center, as well as tour the Miller Park Zoo and meet with its Curator, Anthony Nelson.

Andrew Green, Bloomington; Michael Brown from EAC, Kelli Allison, Lincoln; Jon Riddle, Lincoln; Alyssa Summers, Lincoln; Maddy Christenson, South Lyon, Mich.; Rebecca Escamilla, Pingree Grove; Samantha Meyer, Diamond; and Dalton Presswood, Lincoln.

EcoLynx Club members met with Michael Brown, The Executive Director of the Ecology Action Center, to discuss the current recycling program on campus (created by means of a grant from the Phi Theta Kappa honor society), and gain insight on what next steps might be to further expand it that are feasible for the Lincoln campus. Dr. Julia Ossler, the club’s faculty advisor, added that by networking with the Ecology Action Center, the students also gained a valuable resource in the community to help grow the recycling effort on campus.

The Ecology Action Center is a not-for-profit environmental agency with a mission to inspire and assist residents of McLean County in creating, strengthening and preserving a healthy environment. The EAC acts as a central resource for environmental education, information, outreach, and technical assistance in McLean County.

EcoLynx Club at Miller Park Zoo

Later, students also went behind the scenes at the Miller Park Zoo with the zoo curator, Anthony Nelson. This visit gave a unique experience to Lincoln College conservation biology majors, giving them in-depth look at career options in zookeeping.

Nelson gave the Club members a fascinating tour, teaching about each of the animals within the zoo. Club members were allowed to observe a training session with harbor seals, seeing how zoo keepers use their training to engage their charges, getting them used to being handled for medical exams, and how they are able to take close-up looks of the animals without having to sedate them first.

Club members observed sessions with the zoo's resident tiger, snow leopards, and river otters. They were able to gain insight into day-to-day zoo operations, including medical aspects, and touring the medical facilities to gain an understanding how keepers take care of such a wide range of animals.

[Mark Gordon
Public Relations and Media Manager
Lincoln College]