The Milwaukee County Zoo began as a city zoo in 1892 at Washington Park. "The Zoological Society began in 1910 as a means to help the city acquire animals that weren't in the budget," says James Mills, Director of Conservation Education for the Zoological Society. "The first animals could have been as simple as a squirrel."
A lot has changed in the last 100 years, but the Zoological Society's support of the Milwaukee County Zoo is still going strong. Their mission is threefold: Support, conserve and educate.
Mills says that during the school year, they have programs that serve teachers needs' to meet life sciences and education state standards. During the summer, they hold Summer Camps, using the whole zoo as their classroom.
They have camps 7 days a week, with classes from children as young as 2 years of age and their adults. They have Family Camps and day camps for kids 6 & up to attend without their adults.
Listen to the audio above to learn more about the Zoological Society and get a sneak peek into a 3-year old class as they learn about Hippos. Find out more about The Zoological Society of Milwaukee's Zoo classes online at zoosociety.org.