Giraffe
the living desert adapts with
virtual education programs By Christian Burrell, Curator of Education and Elise Shtayyeh, Education Program Coordinator
“In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.” - Baba Dioum The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens works to fulfill our mission of conservation of the world’s desert animals and ecosystems in a variety of ways. We believe that we are most effective when we all work together. As stated in the quote by Baba Dioum, a lot of this begins with education. Without active learning about the impact human activity has on the natural world, our mission cannot be fully realized. As education has largely gone virtual these days, so have The Living Desert’s educational efforts. Today, students are learning on various digital platforms and our education team is working hard to meet students
foxpaws |
SPRING 2021
where they are by developing new and innovative ways to provide a variety of educational experiences and content for K-12 students. The Living Desert is proud to have launched its first virtual education program. Geared towards kindergarten students and working directly with partners Wild Nature Institute in Tanzania and the Palm Springs Unified School District, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens has created a virtual field trip based on the book, Juma the Giraffe. Written by Dr. Monica Bond, this is a touching story about a young giraffe who learns to appreciate his own uniqueness, while imparting lessons about the
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