Idaho Falls Zoo opens new education center
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IDAHO FALLS — The Idaho Falls Zoo is excited to move forward with its education initiative and they’re doing so beginning with a newly constructed education center.
“This has been a really exciting day for the Idaho Falls Zoo,” Idaho Falls Zoo Education Curator Sunny Katseanes said. “It’s the beginning of the future of the zoo.”
A presentation and open house was held at the William J. Maeck Education Center Friday afternoon. The new zoo building is 4,400 square feet, equipped with three classrooms, office space, bathrooms, and a kitchenette.
“One of the best things is that we actually have running water and bathrooms, which we’ve never had in the education department here at the Idaho Falls Zoo,” Katseanes says.
Katseanes says it’s everything zoo administrators imagined in the building and more. She says prior to the building educators were teaching in a 12×12 space for 15 years — before that they were teaching outside on picnic tables.
She says the goal of the education center is to be the main hub for conservation education in eastern Idaho.
“It’s just going to allow us to blow the top off of conservation education here in southeastern Idaho,” Katseanas says.
The center will be offering classes like they’ve done in the past, as well as summer camps and other events for kids, but they are hoping to offer them simultaneously instead of separately. With the new dividers inside their presentation room, it can transform into three classrooms.
“We are so thrilled, you have to come and experience it and sign up for one of our classes because it is absolutely an incredible facility,” Katseanas says.
She says the Idaho Falls Zoo has brought in a new educator for one of the three classrooms. They’re also looking at having family programs and a family nature club.
“It’s big enough for a presentation space so that we can have public speakers in here, The possibilities for this building are absolutely endless,” Katseanas says.
One thing they’ll be focusing on is connecting people to nature.
“Not only just connecting them to nature but connecting them to the nature that is in their back yard,” she said. “We primarily have exotic animals, but what we want to do is bring you in, show you these exotic animals and show you how they tie in with what you have here in southeastern Idaho.”
Ground for the education center broke in July 2018 and the building itself took about three months to construct. The cost of the building was a little over $1 million.
Contributions came from William J. and Shirley A. Maeck Foundation, the Tautphaus Park Zoological Society, from former Tautphaus Park Zoo docents and other organizations in town. Katseanas says if any member of the public has attended Boo at the Zoo or other events, they’ve contributed to the building as well.
Over 100 people attended the presentation Friday at which Mayor Rebecca Casper and other city officials spoke. Guests from the Maeck Foundation and the local zoological society also spoke.
“This such a new dawn for the zoo and it’s really going to show people how important the zoo is as a lead player in conservation education here in our community,” Katseanes says. “If you have ideas of programs that you want to see at the zoo drop us a line, let us know what you want.”
