The CYT’s Are Back!

Hear it from our Conservation Youth Team: Week 1

Guide Track

This is Kaylee and Jackson and we are the peer coaches for Conservation Youth Team guides. We both participated in the Conservation Youth Team program last year and had a wonderful experience. Now we’re Year 2 CYTs. We helped out with the Year 1 two-week training and even had a training of our own!

Looking for something fun to do this summer? Why not come down to the Virginia Zoo and meet your Conservation Youth Team guides, whom you can find all over the Zoo! We do exceptionally well in interpreting and explaining the animals, welcoming guests and interacting with people of all ages.

Kaleb and Nicole
More than 50 teens went through a full two-week training, learning and perfecting our animal knowledge and interpretation skills. Many of us were able to overcome our shyness of public speaking or fear of socializing with people our age. In turn, we’ve made lots of friends and acquired better public speaking skills. All of CYTs were nervous about starting last Sunday but we slowly came out of our shells and did great things– like getting down on child’s levels and making direct eye contact. We were able to remember information about different biofacts and relay it to the guests without any mistakes. The CYT guides are looking forward to growing as environmental stewards as well as growing as people. We’re excited for the rest of the summer and can’t wait to enhance your zoo experience!
by Jackson Ditty and Kaylee Fernandez
CYT peer coaches (Guide Track)
Victoria and Jordan
Camp TRACK

As returning camp Conservation Youth Team counselors, Selma and Daniel, we have developed leadership skills, accountability, confidence, and passion as environmental stewards. In our first year of the CYT program we learned to interoperate bio-facts and assist with presentations. As second year CYTs, our mission is to help develop the new generation become what we are today: responsible, reliable, and enthusiastic conservation stewards.

Parents are you busy for the summer? Need a place for your kids to have fun and interact with other children their age while receiving an educational experience? Then the Summer Safari Camp is the place to be.

From kindergarten to eighth grade, each child will always find new experiences to enjoy with help from our friendly camp instructors and the Conservation Youth Team teens. Over a two-week period, our camp CYTs have gone through training to handle different types of children and treat them all equally.

Jackson & Kaylee

For seven hours campers will develop a bond with our instructors and CYTs. Our normal days are filled with animal encounters, behind the scene tours, educational games, interactive activities, and trail hikes. Through this experience our campers will cultivate a love for animals and conservation for a whole week. As returning CYT members we strive to provide fun, interactive, and beneficial activities for campers and new CYTs.

By Selma Oregon and Daniel Prohaska
CYT Peer Coaches (CAMP TRACK)
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