RESOLUTION CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF THE LINCOLN PARK ZOO'S VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
WHEREAS, Lincoln Park Zoo's Volunteer Program, made up of a team of talented volunteers of all ages and professions, is celebrating 50 years of tireless work supporting zoo operations and helping to provide an incredible experience to all visitors of the Lincoln Park Zoo; and
WHEREAS, The City Council has been informed of this milestone by the honorable Michele Smith, Alderman ofthe 43rd Ward; and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1868, the Lincoln Park Zoo is one ofthe oldest zoos and one ofthe last remaining free zoos in the country; volunteers were first called to action by the Zoo when the Children's Zoo opened to the public in 1959 as the first year-round children's zoo in the country; and
WHEREAS, The Children's Zoo included a nursery that housed newborn and young animals separated from their mothers and required very special, and occasionally around-the-clock, care; a group of volunteers, many of them mothers themselves, answered the call to assist in raising these young animals; and
WHEREAS, In 1970, a formal Volunteer Program was established and 22 volunteers had completed a six-week orientation course to guide daily tours; today, that Volunteer Program boasts 400 year-round volunteers, and an additional 950 people who sign-up to help with special events, collectively working over 43,000 hours annually; and
WHEREAS, The Zoo's diverse team of volunteers come from 137 zip codes, speak 45 languages, range in age from teens to seniors, and come from all walks of life, including teachers, students, doctors, decorators, and a host of other professions; and
WHEREAS, The volunteers work with zookeepers to monitor animal welfare; with horticulturalists who, in 2016, planted 18,000 plants and 13,000 bulbs to beautify the Zoo's grounds; and with educators and guest services personnel to provide unforgettable experiences to the Zoo's 3.6 million annual visitors; and
WHEREAS, Volunteers who educate and work with the public interacted with over 347,000 guests in 2016, and ZooMonitor volunteers complete and average of 25 observations per day and approximately 17,000 observations of 93 animals since the Volunteer Program's inception; and
WHEREAS, The individuals who dedicate their time to the Lincoln Park Zoo's Volunteer Program are a dedicated and tireless group who help keep the Zoo free, fun, and fantastic, and will continue to do so for the generations to come; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here this sixteenth day of December, 2020, do hereby thank the participants of the Lincoln Park Zoo's Volunteer Program and congratulate the Volunteer Program for 50 years of success; and
MICHELE SMITH Alderman, 43rd Ward
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Lincoln Park Zoo.