houston zoo summer camp zoofari

HOUSTON ZOO CAMP ZOOFARI 2011 Summer

Camp Zoofari Rules

• Listen and follow instructions

• Participate in camp activities

• Respect others and property

• Have fun!

Register for this action-packed, hands-on, week-long day camp in which kids ages 4-12 will learn about the natural world, wildlife conservation, and the animals that call the Houston Zoo home!

Included in Your Camp Purchase

• African Forest exhibit tour

• Animal interaction

• Carousel ride

• Camp Zoofari t-shirt

How to Register for Camp Go to www.houstonzoo.org/camp and click on the green “Register now” button. On the left-hand menu, log in to your Zoo Insider account. If you do not have an account, you may create one during or prior to registration. Once you are logged in, click on Advanced Search on the left-hand menu. On the drop-down menu under product type, select summer camps and hit submit. Select the camps you wish to purchase, add them to your cart, and check-out. Registration dates are determined by Zoo member-ship level, listed below. You may upgrade your member-ship by visiting our membership page.

Asante Society: February 9 Conservator and Sustaining: February 14 Supporting: February 16 Grandparent, Family Plus, Family, and Individuals: Febru-ary 23 Non-members: March 2 CANCELLATIONS Due to the high demand for camp spaces, all sales are considered final. Program topic and date changes are not available for Camp Zoofari. Patrons who provide a written notice of cancellation to Group Reservations on or before May 1st will receive a 50% refund. No refunds will be issued after this date, including participants who miss all or partial programs due to illness. The Houston Zoo reserves the right to cancel any program due to mini-mum enrollment, inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances, in which case a full refund will be issued. Cancellations are official upon receipt of con-firmation from the Houston Zoo.

Beat the Monday Morning Check-In Line! Join us on Monday, May 23 from 6-8 pm for our camp open house! Pick-up your t-shirts, drop off immunization records, get answers to questions, and meet Zoo staff. Important information regarding check-in, parking, and other logistics will be reviewed.

Check Your E-mail! Once you register, a confirmation form will automatically be sent to you via email after you have completed your purchases. This is your receipt; please keep this form for your records. Since the Houston Zoo is a conservation organization, we do not send any camp information via mail. Any reminders or notices will be sent to your Zoo Insider email address.

In addition, there is informa-tion on your confirmation form including camp times, the cancellation policy, and a link to this brochure. For

answers to questions, please see the FAQs page inside this bro-chure, visit us during Camp Open House, or contact our Education Department. Even if you have participated in Camp Zoo-fari previously, we strongly encourage you to read this brochure thoroughly as some information has changed.

“This was my son’s second year; both summers he has attended 4 weeks and he can’t wait to go back next year!”

Get Answers to FAQs CAN I GET ON A WAITING LIST? If the camp of your choice is sold out, you may email Group Reservations to be placed on a waiting list. Please include the camp topic and week in your email. There is no guarantee a space will become available. Once the waiting list is full, no more registrations will be accepted. Waiting lists are limited to 5 people. If a space becomes available, all individuals on the wait list will be emailed simultaneously. The space will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Responses must be received within 48 hours via email only.

CAN I STAY WITH MY CHILD? Camp Zoofari is a program designed for children who can remain in a group setting without parental involve-ment.

MAY I ENROLL MY CHILD IN A CAMP FOR AN OLDER AGE GROUP? No, age requirements are not negotiable and are strictly enforced. Campers must fall within the speci-fied age category on the first day of the camp session they are attending.

HOW ARE CAMPERS SUPERVISED? Campers are supervised at all times and are escorted on restroom breaks. Teacher to student ratios are 1:9 or 1:10.

MY CHILD NEEDS TO TAKE MEDICATION. HOW SHOULD I ARRANGE FOR THIS? The Houston Zoo is NOT responsible for administering medication to children. Please consult a pediatrician so medication can be administered outside of camp. To ensure a positive experience for all campers, it is IMPERATIVE that you notify us of special needs or medical conditions your child may have. We will accommodate these needs to the best of our ability.

DO YOU PROVIDE SNACKS? Yes. Snack items are Goldfish®, Chex Mix®, graham crackers, animal crackers, and ice pops. We serve water during snack time. If your child has food aller-gies, please include this information on the registration form. Alternative snacks will not be provided; how-ever, you may provide a small snack for your own child if you prefer.

WHAT ABOUT LUNCH? Camp Zoofari is a “high energy” activity, so campers should eat a hearty breakfast before arrival. ALL campers must bring a lunch. Campers may NOT pur-chase Zoo lunches. Due to safety concerns, glass con-tainers are prohibited. A microwave will NOT be available for use.

WILL MY CHILD GET TO TOUCH ZOO ANIMALS OR GO BE-

HIND THE SCENES? We have a variety of mammals, birds, and reptiles that are safe for handling. Campers will get to touch many of these throughout the week! For the safety of the campers and our animals, most behind-the-scenes activity is restricted to the oldest age group.

“...the Zoo is a universal place for happiness for all kids no matter what their ability.”

AGES 4-5 AFRICAN FOREST Go on an African safari just like Gorilla Tommy. Explore all the wonders of the Afri-can Forest while enjoying fun educational games and activities. COLORFUL CRITTERS Take a whirl around the color wheel from blue to brown, square to round, as we uncover the colorful and shapely world of wildlife. Explore colors and shapes as never before! COLOSSAL CREATURES From formidable fish and enor-mous reptiles to big birds and massive mammals, the Zoo is home to some of the world’s most colossal creatures. Have a humongous amount of fun learn-ing what it takes to be a gargantuan in the animal kingdom! SENSE SAFARI Explore ways to use the five senses as only the animal kingdom can! Learn how animals use their sense of sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste to survive in this sense-ational camp.

AGES 6-7 BRINGING UP BABY All animal parents have a special way to raise their babies, and sometimes even the neighbors want to be involved! Join us as we look at the different kinds of families in the animal world. ISLAND HOPPERS Take an exotic getaway this sum-mer—without ever leaving the Zoo! We’ll travel the islands of Madagascar, Indonesia, Galapagos, and more, discovering the animals that call each island home. EXPLORE AFRICA Discover the mysteries of the Kooloo-kamba. Hang out with our chimpanzees, rumble past our crash of rhinos, and come eye to eye with our tower of giraffes. Take this amazing journey that brings the wonders of Africa to you. MOVE IT! While humans skip, jump and dance, ani-mals bob, glide, hang, hop, jump, leap, race, slither and wade! We’ll explore who moves in which ways and we’ll move like they do, too! Do you like to move it?

AGES 8-9 AFRICAN ADVENTURE Join us for a summer safari to this incredibly diverse continent. Pack your gear, grab your passport, and explore Africa in search of rain-forest, desert, and savannah animals no your week-long expedition. FEEDING FRENZY Are you a picky eater? Animals can be too! From carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores to piscivores and sanguivores, we’ll dive into the amazing variety of animal foods and sample the many ways food links animals together. ECO-EXPLORERS No passport is required for this trip around the world as we investigate animals in their native lands. Journey across the world’s largest conti-nent, trek across the savannah, explore the depths of the rainforest and embark on a backyard wildlife adventure as we visit Earth’s continents. XTREME ANIMALS Discover the champions of the ani-mal world as you meet some of nature’s most extreme species in this camp that explores the gargantuan, the speediest, the bounciest and the unusual.

WHAT ARE THE SIGN-IN AND OUT PROCEDURES? Sign-in and out will take place at Gate 5 for 4-5 year olds and Gate 6 for 6-12 year olds. In order to provide a secure environment, you MUST sign your child in and out of camp. Photo IDs are required for sign-out and will be checked daily. Gates 5 and 6 are located to the left of the main gate. You may park in the main parking lot or the old golf course parking lot across the street. Unau-thorized vehicles parking in the handicapped spaces or loading zones in front of Gates 5 and 6 may be ticketed. The Houston Zoo is NOT responsible for paying fines received. Gates 5 and 6 will be unlocked at 8:45 a.m. and locked again at 9:15 a.m. If you are late dropping off your child or will be picking your child up early, you will need to enter through

the main Zoo entrance. Gates 5 and 6 will be open at 3:45 p.m. for sign-out. Please be prompt when picking up your child; he or she will not be allowed to remain in the Zoo with-out an adult. Campers not picked up by 4:15 p.m. will be charged a fee of $1 per minute.

All half day camps will enter and exit through Gate 5. It will be unlocked from 11:45 a.m.—12:15 p.m. for morning camp to sign-out and from 12:45—1:15 p.m. for afternoon camp to sign-in. During inclement weather (steady rain or any incidents of lightning), all campers will be picked up and dropped-off at Gate 5.

HOW MUCH AND HOW BIG ARE THE T-SHIRTS? Each camp purchase includes one t-shirt. Extra t-shirts are $10 each. Sizes are: Youth S (6-8), M (10-12), L (14-16), and Adult S, M, L. If you are unsure of what size to order, please order larger as extras or exchanges are un-available.

“I was very impressed (as a first-timer) with the professionalism and organization of the camp.”

Topic (Age Group) Jun 6-10

Jun 13-17

Jun 20-24

Jun 27- Jul 1

Jul 5-8

Jul 11-15

Jul 18-22

Jul 25-29

Aug 1-5

Aug 8-12

African Forest Day (4-5) � � � � �

African Forest AM/PM (4-5) � � �

Colorful Critters Day (4-5) � � � � �

Colorful Critters AM/PM (4-5) � �

Colossal Creatures Day (4-5) � � � � �

Colossal Creatures AM/PM (4-5) � �

Sense Safari Day (4-5) � � � � �

Sense Safari AM/PM (4-5) � � �

Bringing Up Baby (6-7) � � � � � � �

Island Hoppers (6-7) � � � � � � � �

Explore Africa (6-7) � � � � � � � �

Move It! (6-7) � � � � � � �

African Adventure (8-9) � � � � �

Feeding Frenzy (8-9) � � � � �

Eco-Explorers (8-9) � � � � �

Xtreme Animals (8-9) � � � � �

Wildlife Photography (10-12) � � �

Zoo Design (10-12) � � �

Keeper Camp (10-12) � � � �

AGES 10-12 KEEPER CAMP Enroll for zookeeper boot camp and learn what it’s like to feed, clean, train, and take care of our animals. This is one time it will be okay to get dirty and messy! (A negative TB test result is required for participation.) WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY if you’ve ever dreamed of having one of your photos grace the cover of a famous wildlife magazine or if you just want to learn how to take photos like the pros this camp is for you. From click to printing, we’ll cover it all. You’ll be using the latest technology, including iPads and digital cameras. A Thursday night overnight is included. ZOO DESIGN Build your own zoo complete with animals! Create a large-scale zoo animal, design its exhibit, and present your project to Zoo staff. A Thursday night overnight is included.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Camper Checklist

REQUIRED Camp Zoofari t-shirt (provided on 1st day) Closed-toe shoes Driver’s license (for guardians) Immunization records (TB test for Keeper Camp participants only) Lunch OPTIONAL Bug spray (apply before arriving) Camera (disposable or kid-friendly digital) Hat Sunglasses Sunscreen (apply before arriving) Umbrella (ponchos provided) Water bottle (water provided)

Don’t Forget! Doctor or dentist appointments should be

scheduled outside of camp hours to avoid

disrupting camp. Late arrivals or children departing early dis-

rupts camp and causes staff to be pulled

away from programming. Please make every

effort to respect the camp schedule. Please do not bring snacks for your child’s

class (such as birthday cupcakes). Due to

dietary restrictions we are unable to allow

these snacks to be shared with a group.

When registering online, please review your purchases carefully before payment. The Houston Zoo is not responsible for errors in registration.

All Zoo staff are com-mitted to the safety, care, and well-being of your child and to your child learning in a fun, encouraging environment. Campers are expected to behave appro-priately. Rules are posted in the class-rooms and are reviewed on Monday morning. In the event a child is disrup-tive, time-out may be used. If disruptive behavior continues or is severe, the par-ent will be called to help find a solution. If improvement is not realized, we will call you and ask you to pick up your child. At our discretion, your child may be allowed to return to camp the follow-ing day.

Get Your Green On! Join the Houston Zoo in going green by being conservation-minded during camp. Save money and packaging on chips, Lunchables, and other items by buying large bags or packages and put smaller servings in reusable containers. Bring a reusable water bottle for your sports drink or water instead of purchasing indi-vidually packaged drinks. We recom-mend non-dairy drinks for lunch and snacks because dairy products and heat don’t mix and can make for upset tum-mies. And if you’re coming to camp with friends or relatives, start a carpool! Be

sure to write down the names of all per-sons authorized to pick-up your child on their roster sheet so members of your car-pool can pick up your camper.

Camp Hours & Prices Full day camps are available for ages 4-12 and

run from 9 a.m.—4 p.m. Half day camps are available for ages 4-5 only and run from 9 a.m.—12 p.m. and 1—4 p.m. We do not offer before and after care.

All 5-day weeks: $130 half-day camps, $230 full-day camps ages 4-9, $335 Wildlife Pho-tography, and $435 Zoo Design and Keeper Camp, all for ages 10-12. The week of July 5-8 (4 days): $105 half-day camps, $185 full-day camps ages 4-9, and $270 Wildlife Photography ages 10-12.

Contact Info MAIN ZOO NUMBER: 713-533-6500 EDUCATION OFFICE: 713-533-6739 (phone); 713-533-6783 (fax) education@houstonzoo.org EMERGENCY CELL: 713-201-9701

CAMP ZOOFARI STAFF Meet your 2011 sum-mer camp staff! Our Director of Education—Chance, Camp Director—Victoria, and Camp Principals—Amy, DeAndra, Elizabeth, LaKila, Leigh, and Martha, have a combined total of 26 years of summer camp experience. We look forward to making your family’s Camp Zoofari experience a success!

CAMP SUPPORT STAFF The rest of the Education Department contributes to the success of Camp Zoofari daily. Anita, Bennett, Kelly, Sharon and Viviana do everything from helping par-ents check-in, supervising lunch, and entertain-ing campers. Erin, Patrick, and Paul coordi-nate our intern, teen, and adult volunteer pro-grams, without which we couldn’t run camp!

CAMP TEACHERS Our seasonal staff of dedi-cated teachers work hard each summer on having fun! They are Zoo staff educators, certified teachers, or upper-level college stu-dents. All must pass a criminal background check and our full-time staff are CPR and First Aid certified. Camp assistants are teen volun-teers in our Zoo Crew program.

“The staff is super with the kids and at the end of each day, my son always came home so excited about every-thing he learned. As a result of my son’s experience at Camp Zoofari, we invested in a Zoo membership.”