Students Inspired by 2026 AZA Conference Trip
As the only high school in America with an AZA-accredited zoo, Millbrook School offers its students countless unique opportunities to take on real-life responsibility and participate in critical conservation efforts. One of those opportunities involves a trip to the AZA Conference, an annual gathering of zoo-industry professionals.
Since 2017, the Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo staff have invited some of our head student zoo curators to accompany them to the conference, which has taken them all over the country and even to Canada. The AZA chose Portland, Oregon, as the site of the conference this year, so curators Kayla Baumann-Norris ’27, Evelyn Shen ’27, and Lucy Kim ’27 joined Zoo Director Dr. Alan Tousignant, Deputy Director Jessica Bennett, Director of Animal Care Kyleen Depew, and Millbrook School CFO Jeff Smith for the trip to the West Coast.
Held over six days for a group of around 2,800 attendees, the conference included various keynote addresses, as well as smaller targeted sessions covering topics like animal care and welfare, policy and advocacy, fundraising and business, and conservation and sustainability. Millbrook’s attendees split up to attend sessions that appealed to their interests.
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Held over six days for a group of around 2,800 attendees, the conference included various keynote addresses, as well as smaller targeted sessions covering topics like animal care and welfare, policy and advocacy, fundraising and business, and conservation and sustainability. Millbrook’s attendees split up to attend sessions that appealed to their interests.
Lucy Kim highlighted a session called “Frontiers in One Health: Aging, Microbiomes, and Marine Conservation” in which participants brainstormed ideas for enriching the lives of koi fish. “It was fascinating to see how even small, creative ideas could make a difference in animal welfare,” she noted. Meanwhile, Evelyn Shen attended a similar enrichment meeting about rhinos that gave her ideas for upgrading feeding time back at the Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo.
Ms. Bennett, Mr. Smith, and Dr. Tousignant also gave presentations and participated in panel discussions, strengthening their industry connections and spreading the word about the critical work Millbrook does. “The conference is critical for us to maintain our network connections and all the people that are important to us in terms of our greater footprint out in the world,” Dr. Tousignant explained. “Millbrook School wants to be stewards of the natural world, and the best way we can do that is to take it beyond the campus and provide opportunities for our students.”
One of the main highlights of the conference was zoo day, when the conference attendees visited the Oregon Zoo. Our curators especially enjoyed going behind the scenes and talking with keepers about their common experiences in caring for animals.
Overall, the experience was inspiring for the Millbrook crew. Lucy noted that her time with other dedicated zoo workers gave her an even deeper appreciation for the opportunity to care for animals as a high schooler.
“Since Evelyn, Kayla, and I were the only high school students there, the experience made me realize how unique and valuable the opportunities we have at Millbrook and the Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo really are,” she said. “Surrounded by zoo directors, veterinarians, and researchers, I realized that none of them were there just for a job or a career. At a time when species can disappear in the blink of an eye, and when so many habitats have been lost to human development, they are the people working to protect animals. That made me realize my work at the zoo isn’t just a community service requirement or something for my college application. I’ve never taken my work lightly, but now I understand much more clearly why it matters. I’m not an expert yet, but the conference strengthened my dream of working in animal welfare and conservation. I attended this year as a student, and I hope to come back someday as a professional.”
Read about some of our past AZA Conference trips:
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