My LEADS day activity was Wildlife Leadership: Lessons from the Animal Kingdom. I had the best time learning about the animals, observing their behaviors, and making new friends!

Once we arrived at the zoo, we had about an hour and a half to walk around and explore! I met some new friends, and we walked around together to see the animals. We saw so many cool animals, like kangaroos, wallabies, and orangutans. We also did a Gorilla VR experience, which was awesome! It was a virtual reality experience where you were in the wild with gorillas and got to witness their natural behavior and conflicts. After this, it was time to go back to the meeting room we began in for demonstrations from the zookeepers and other animal professionals.

There were three different speakers who taught us all about the Denver Zoo and its animals. Two of the speakers educated us on sustainability and the methods the Denver Zoo uses to be sustainable. They taught us about composting as well as ways to preserve water, electricity, and gas emissions. It was very interesting to learn about ways the zoo works to create a sustainable environment! Finally, a zookeeper introduced us to Slash, a red-tailed falcon. She spoke about the bird’s part and current experience at the zoo. I had such an amazing time at the Denver Zoo and learned so much about the animals!!

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