Trailblazers Youth Advisory Council
Make a difference in the natural world and unlock your wild potential
The Phoenix Zoo’s Youth Advisory Council, the Trailblazers, are a group of twenty dedicated high school students who are behind the creation of our youth engagement and conservation efforts. They play a pivotal role in promoting youth participation, amplifying young voices and shaping decisions that impact young people in our community. By valuing and including the perspectives of youth, the Phoenix Zoo can create more inclusive, accessible and effective programs and opportunities for teens and young adults, with the ultimate goal of inspiring the next generation of conservation stewards and advocates.
About the Trailblazers Youth Advisory Council
Trailblazers meet monthly at the Phoenix Zoo and participate in a variety of activities such as:
- Exploration of current and potential learning and engagement programs to provide input on how to create innovative, relevant and youth-focused programs that align with the Phoenix Zoo’s educational and conservation goals.
- Developing communication strategies for reaching and engaging youth from all backgrounds.
- Being an advocate for the natural world by sharing educational and conservation opportunities and motivating other youth to become involved.
- Helping plan and execute Phoenix Zoo youth engagement programs, such as the Teen Career Conference.
- Increasing conservation literacy and awareness by participating in monthly conservation micro-lessons and activities.
- Leadership and team-building activities to strengthen core professional skills.
Service Projects
Trailblazers don’t just talk about how to get youth connected with the natural world and involved in conservation; they lead by example!
Trailblazers are working on four service-learning projects for the 2024-2025 program year. Through hands on work, group discussions and collaboration with the Phoenix Zoo and other organizations, Trailblazers will tackle real-world conservation challenges, deepen their understanding of environmental issues and learn to effectively work in a team to achieve a common goal.
Powerful Pollinators: Bringing New Life to the Phoenix Zoo’s Butterfly Garden.
Tucked in a secluded area of the Children’s Trail is an enchanting butterfly garden. Trailblazers are working to give this space a “glow up,” providing additional love, attention and maintenance to the area and to spread the word about this hidden gem. Trailblazers are busy researching butterfly and pollinator gardens, taking the dimensions of the area and working with the Phoenix Zoo’s Horticulture and Operations teams to create a plan for what that space needs to breathe new life into it. This includes determining which plants would be best suited for the space, with consideration of what is needed to bring the space up to standards for registered monarch waystations, and how to make the space more accessible to guests.
Unleash the Enrichment: Empowering Animal Well-Being
Behavioral enrichment is the intentional enhancement of the lives of animals in a managed setting by providing them with mental and physical stimulation to increase natural and healthy behavior. Behavioral enrichment can take the form of habitat or sensory changes, cognitive challenges or simply new food or scent; in other words, adding a little creativity, fun and stimulation to our animals’ lives! Trailblazers are working hard to research the natural behaviors of our beloved buffed-cheeked gibbons, China and Enik, and are working with our keepers to understand what they could use before designing a behavioral enrichment plan to elicit a particular behavior.
Eco-Art: Transforming Trash into Art
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure…or sculpture! In this project, Trailblazers will contribute to environmental conservation by collecting litter from Papago Park and other areas around the Zoo and transform the gathered trash into a creative sculpture which will be displayed on Zoo grounds. This project aims to harness the power of artistic expressions to raise awareness about the harmful effects of littering on wildlife and the importance of maintaining clean natural habitats.
Wildlife Watch: Identifying Wildlife on Zoo Grounds with Camera Traps
Trailblazers in this project will deploy camera traps along the Phoenix Zoo’s Desert Lives trail to capture images of wildlife that inhabit Zoo grounds. The team will review and identify the animals captured in the photos over a series of months to gain an understanding of what other animals call the Phoenix Zoo home. Finally, the team will compile their findings in a fun and educational way to help educate guests about Arizona wildlife.