Submitted Photo Lizzy with Ashley in winter holding.

I was reminded recently what a tremendous impact the zoo has on its community and the lives that have been affected over the history of the zoo. After news about the death of Lizzy, our female siamang gibbon, the zoo received an email from a past employee that had cared for Lizzy when she first arrived. Along with his condolences, he shared photos and memories of working with her. He worked for the zoo in high school as well as his college years and during the 2011 flood was one of the many volunteers that stepped up to help prepare spaces for the animals being evacuated. This young man, a part-time employee for several years, is today a successful civil engineer at a large company on the East Coast, but still took the time to reach out with his condolences and share his memories of Lizzy after her passing.

He is only one of many people that have grown up in and around Minot who has passed through these zoo gates as a member of the zoo team. I’ve been told that his sister and even a cousin worked here as well. For many, the zoo is one of, if not, their first jobs working in either guest services, animal care, or even in the office. Today, there are community leaders across the Magic City that spent some part of their work life helping to make the zoo what it has become today.

There have been individuals that have started early as a Zoo Teen volunteer before going on to taking a paid position with Guest Services, and once they began college, spent their summers working as a seasonal zookeeper, and eventually joining the zoo as a full-time zookeeper following graduation. MSU students come through taking on those seasonal positions once their spring semester comes to an end.

The zoo is always looking for seasonal help and with each new individual that takes on a role. We can only guess what the next chapters of their lives will be awaiting them. We take seriously the impact that we can play, especially with young employees just starting out, and try to make their experience fun, but also help them to understand what employers will be asking of them as they pursue other jobs in the future. The more professionalism that we can instill in them, the better they represent the zoo to our guests and the better prepared they will be as they move on with their lives.

With the zoo now surpassing its 100-year anniversary, one could only imagine the number of people that it has reached either as a patron or an employee, it is just amazing to think about. As the zoo approaches another season, it is ready to welcome back past seasonal employees that are returning for their second, third or even more years for another season. And for those looking for an opportunity to join the staff, positions are still available and information for applying can be found at the zoo’s website, under the “Visit” tab. Who knows, perhaps one of those seasonal staffers making their mark on the zoo this year will be a part of that next generation of community leaders that will shape the community of Minot in the years ahead.