Special Events
Date & Time
September 11, 2025 @ 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Community Volunteer Day - Browse
Help us store food for the winter for our animals, like our giraffes.
To sign up, please complete the volunteer registration form below.
Volunteers must be at least 13 years of age to participate. Volunteers under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. An email will be sent prior to the work day with instructions on parking and entering the Zoo.
Plan for working in warm weather and sun. Bring water, sunscreen, gloves, and clothing appropriate for working outdoors. Some extra pruners will be available, but please bring your own if you have them.
Just like some people preserve food from their gardens by canning or freezing, the Zoo preserves browse (fresh, leafy branches) for our browsing herbivores to enjoy through the winter.
Volunteers will help preserve browse through a process called ensiling, which is the same lacto-fermentation process that produces sauerkraut, kimchi, or pickles!
This process involves cutting browse into relatively short lengths that can be packed into 35-gallon drums. Come help us trim branches and learn more about the importance of browse in our Zoo animal diets.