Interview 26791 – Caption Index: 223
And before I left, I don’t know if they’ve done it, I asked you should go out and survey those adults now and see how beneficial was Zoo School in your educational career?… Read More
And before I left, I don’t know if they’ve done it, I asked you should go out and survey those adults now and see how beneficial was Zoo School in your educational career?… Read More
Can you talk about some of your most frustrating or challenging times as director?… Read More
So, you know, we’re just like Hillsborough County, except you come to the zoo. And prior to COVID, we used to have what’s called wraparound care. So you could drop your child off at seven o’clock in the morning and pick ’em up by 6:00 PM. We just wanted you… Read More
You know, they take their kid to work with ’em and pick ’em up when they go home. And we work with the employees on, I mean, some days the employee has to work late or whatever it may be. That’s a rare occasion but we’ll work with those employees… Read More
And they came in with those degrees. They achieved those before they were hired. I never considered us a degree snob. We would never turn anybody away who had great animal skills just because they didn’t have a degree. We didn’t have the wherewithal to give ’em funding to get… Read More
It’s part of Hillsborough County school system, kindergarten and first grade, had it for years. Have a list of families waiting to get their kids signed up. Now, I’ve been told I haven’t been able to verify this, that once a family has sent a child through our school, if… Read More
And I thought, wow, I’m pretty proud of that. You know, I’ll take my staff and put ’em up against the San Diego staff anytime or any other zoo. So I’m an advocate of that, but I don’t want it to detract from a person who wants to explore wildlife… Read More
Personally?… Read More
Education, how important was it to you?… Read More
No, that’s just not us. And to be perfectly honest with you, very expensive and a maintenance nightmare. So, you know, it’s like you gotta balance that out, you know, with your revenues. Like you’re spending a lot of money keeping these rides going, and they break down, and so… Read More
Yeah. And professionally. I’m a strong advocate of education. Again, I took a different path in my educational career, but in the animal care business it’s essential that our staff be well-educated. When I took a survey of the keepers in Tampa, which was probably five or six years after… Read More
What?… Read More
But, you know, there’s always the temptation, hey, what about a new ride here?… Read More
Right. Philosophy was to, a large part of our weekly attendance in the off-season are parents and grandparents with their kids and strollers, stroller moms, and grandpa, and grandma with strollers. To give those kids an opportunity to get wet, and cool down, and enjoy a ride. We’re not gonna… Read More
You know, let the kids have a little bit of, you know, burn up the energy fun but not be in a ride park. And that balance has been interesting but it’s never been a struggle. We’ve always stayed true to our core business. And again, don’t want to be… Read More
What was the philosophy of wanting to do that at the zoo?… Read More
You mentioned manatees. Read More
Right. Read More
Why, in your opinion, did Tampa put limited amusement-type rides at the zoo when your next-door neighbor was Busch Gardens that had, in a sense, unlimited amusement rides?… Read More
And I’ve walked up and talked to those people who’ve done those, and they just, they love it to death. They’ve been, some of them three, four times, you know, they enjoy it that much. So those amenities, I think are, without question, satisfying the urge that the public has… Read More