News Release

May 25, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sondra Katzen
Public Relations
708.688.8351
sondra.katzen@czs.org

Note: Photos of Hamill Family Play Zoo may be downloaded at www.CZS.org/PressRoom.

Children to Benefit from New Programs and Training at Brookfield Zoo’s Hamill Family Play Zoo
Exhibit that Redefined how Children Interact with and Learn About
Animals and Nature Celebrates 10th Birthday

Brookfield, Ill. – One of the country’s first major zoo experiences designed to foster a child’s curiosity and sense of caring for nature is celebrating its 10th birthday in June. Hamill Family Play Zoo, a revolutionary learning center at the Chicago Zoological Society’s (CZS) Brookfield Zoo, has helped redefine how early childhood play can give children the tools they need to build a strong connection with animals and nature.

In honor of the occasion, once inside the zoo, admission to Hamill Family Play Zoo will be free on Saturday, June 11, and Sunday, June 12, as it will host a party to commemorate this milestone. The weekend celebration will include crafts and activities, animal Zoo Chats, and special performances from nationally renowned children’s performers, including Justin Roberts and The Kratt Brothers.

To continue sharing the importance of nature play and the knowledge and joy that it brings to children, Hamill Family Play Zoo welcomes the addition of a Sound and Sensory Play Garden. The garden will allow youngsters to engage in hands-on and minds-on learning as they discover with their touch, sight, smell, and hearing. Children can explore the Play Path adventure trail and interact with touchable, child-friendly plants and outdoor musical instruments.

Since Hamill Family Play Zoo opened in June 2001, millions of children and their families have experienced the fun of learning by touching animals, planting and tending a garden, examining animal X-rays, mud finger painting, face painting, discovering insects, and building habitats as they imagine what it is like to be an animal.

The creation of Hamill Family Play Zoo also began CZS’s leadership in an emerging field of study called “conservation psychology.” This field explores what motivates people to care about and take action to protect nature, with a focus on how to encourage conservation of the natural world.

The Chicago Zoological Society is combining existing training outreach programs in Hamill Family Play Zoo into its new NatureStart program. NatureStart will establish an early childhood nature education training center at Hamill Family Play Zoo. Programs will engage, educate, and empower parents, grandparents, families, and educators of children from birth to age 8. Activities will include daily walk-in programs, scheduled classes, workshops, and professional development training opportunities.

“At no other time in human history have so many children been separated from direct experiences with the natural world. We know through studies that early-childhood play opportunities help bridge the gap between children and nature,” said Stuart Strahl, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Chicago Zoological Society. “Hamill Family Play Zoo provides important opportunities that allow children to foster a stronger sense of caring for nature and animals while they play. Our goal is to inspire them to take an active role in conservation throughout their lives.”

NatureStart’s curriculum is designed for informal educators in regional, national, and international museums, zoos, aquariums, and nature centers—along with landscape developers and municipalities—to help them develop the skills to replicate nature play experiences for children and families. The comprehensive education and training initiative will develop intergenerational connections between children and nature in order to help build caring relationships with the natural world and lifelong conservation involvement.

The programs will expand the opportunities that children have to directly experience nature through play, exploration, and inquiry, as well as increase the number of adults who are providing these critical formative experiences to children. Thus far, 40 staff members from zoos and other organizations have signed on to begin NatureStart training, through which educators can earn a certificate.

“Over the past 10 years, our Hamill Family Play Zoo team has developed an extraordinary level of expertise in facilitating nature play for children and families. We are pleased to be able to share this educational approach with our colleagues in zoos, aquariums, and nature centers through our NatureStart initiative. In the end, this provides an even greater opportunity for more children to develop a lifelong interest in our natural world,” said David Becker, senior manager of learning experiences for the Society.
Hamill Family Play Zoo resides on two acres and features three areas of fun and learning: Zoo within a Zoo, Zoo at Home, and the Play Gardens.

Admission to Brookfield Zoo is $13.50 for adults and $9.50 for children three to 11 and seniors 65 and over. Children 2 and under are free. Parking is $9. Hamill Family Play Zoo is free on June 11 and 12. On other days, admission is $3.50 for adults and $2.50 for children 3 to 11 and seniors 65 and over.

The Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, inspires conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature. Open every day of the year, Brookfield Zoo is located off First Avenue between the Stevenson (I-55) and Eisenhower (I-290) expressways and is also accessible via the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), Metra commuter line, CTA, and PACE bus service. For more information, go to www.CZS.org.
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