I wanted to share the fun times here in this forum about joy, laughter and it's connection to wellness that my husband Bob and I have as docents at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA), and the training we received. When we retired three years. ago, we searched for an activity that we could do together. I found an article in the newspaper asking for docents at the zoo. I had NO idea what we were getting into and the work involved. I suggested this to Bob, and he said "Let's do it!"
We were interviewed by two docents to see if we qualified and could be committed to a lot of work. The classes started the following week in January at the zoo. We were given a three inch notebook full of information on hundreds of animals. That should have been my clue that we were in for tons of work.
We went every Saturday from 9am to 3pm, approximately 100 hours of class time. Our class consisted of 20 students, all coming from different types of professions. We listened to hundreds of lectures and took a weekly open book test. Then at the end of all the classes we had a final and an active certification done by a docent teacher. Then we were certified to hold the wallabys. I really enjoy this photo of Bob and me:
When you become a docent you are required to put approximately 30 hr. a year, depending on the type of docent you wish to be. Bob gives tours to schools who come to visit this unique and highly regarded zoo, which requires more hours. I don't because of my knee problems.
We have also done "wallaby sitting" with the little joeys in our laps (inside a pouch) for the public to touch....30 hours this summer as we have in the past. We hold them for three hours at a sitting. They start out at two pounds in the spring and are 18 pounds in September when the sitting ends (way too big for me!). The white joey, is an albino. We had to put suntan lotion on her nose and ears. 
You can participate as a docent in all sorts of activities at the zoo. We just love the joeys because the interaction between the people and the joeys is special. The public is allowed to "touch" the joeys (not pet them because they are not pets but wild animals).
Being an occupational therapist has allowed me to use my training in dealing with the public. We have a lot of people that are disabled and need special instructions. Once we had a boy with autistism who was just totally out of control when he came into the large, enclosed area where the joeys are ... arms flying around, etc.
I was so concerned for the safety of the joey. The boy approached the joey and with special instructions calmed down once he touched the little joey! The boy broke out in a burst of joy with laughter. I have never forgotten that day..........NATURE is calming...........a stress buster as I wrote about in another piece that is here in the forums (see Therapy, Occupational/Functional Therapy forum in the section of forums related to all the different professional disciplines in integrative medicine.)
This is why I love the zoo and wanted to share our joy from it with you here today. The interaction with the public and animals is AWESOME. I can't begin to tell you the happiness on the people's faces with touching our little babies, along with all of the other wonderful experiences at the zoo.
:) Petie....the OTR
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Those who read Petie's pieces at Lumigrate.com (found regularly in the forum related to therapies/functional and occupational -- link: http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/integrative-medicine-parts-m... ) learn she grew up in California with "Bobby" Redford and has had an interesting life from beginning to today. She graduated from USC in technical illustrating and drafting and was the first female draftsman for The Wall Street Journal in South Brunswick, New Jersey. She returned to USC to become an occupational therapist and enjoyed the 'heyday' of therapy in prestigious programs in California, and was an entrepreneur for many years. She had a daughter then adopted a son, Thomas, who she writes about regularly; they have been each others' greatest teachers, as it turns out he had developmental disabilities. Remarrying in middle age, she and her husband Bob moved to Colorado and now enjoy 'active retirement'. Petie appreciates the opportunities to continue teaching through sharing at Lumigrate and hopes those who read find as much enjoyment in reading as she does in writing.
