VIEWPOINT... from the AAZK President

I Am Sasquatch, Behold My Carbon Footprint

Epiphanies are best experienced in youth, allowing time for inspiration to evolve into a force of habit. There were countless childhood revelations that steered me towards conservation, but my personal conservation ethic was nurtured in the groves of Academe. I majored in Fish and Wildlife Management at a small college nestled in the Appalachian foothills of Wayne National Forest. Our classroom was the forest, lakes, and rivers of southern Ohio. To this child of the city, college life was reminiscent of Walden. Being veritable and true to Thoreau, my academic career was equal parts Animal House as it was Animal Planet, a balance of Van Wilder and Wild America, but a conservation ethic was carved nonetheless.

Attributable to my conversion was the strange amalgam of classmates who filled the ranks of the school’s Natural Resources Department. A curious combination of country plow boys, hippies, and camo-clad members of the hook and bullet crowd all aspiring to become fisheries technicians, wildlife managers, game wardens, and park rangers. Classroom essentials for some included waterproof hunting boots, a six-inch Buck knife, and empty Mountain Dew can for tobacco spittle, while others opted for the equally important tie-dye t-shirt, hemp backpack with Deadhead patch, and the always appropriate Dylan quote, preferably from Subterranean Homesick Blues. At all times, some sort of clothing from the local feed and seed store was required. In the midst of this cast of characters were Larry, and his girlfriend Earthchild.

Larry and Earthchild lived in a tent within the oak-hickory forest that blanketed the hills behind the college. (Yes, every word of this story is true). Totally off the grid, except for their college registration, they exemplified sustainability from within their woodland basecamp. They would descend from the timbers each morning to attend class, clad in clothing fashioned from deer hides, long suede boots, and feather and beaded tassel accessories. Occasionally I would see Larry at the rec center where he used the shower facilities, presumably on a weekly basis. But the focus of my attention was Earthchild. I have always had a fondness for hippie chicks. From across the classroom, patchouli and pheromones beckoned me to daydreams of hippie bliss, where bluebirds perched on our tent, incense wafted in the air, and Brother Bob crooned on the radio while we lived in perfect harmony with nature.

Fast forward to 2008. It is Year of the Polar Bear, Year of the Frog, and the Year I Get to Feel Like a Heel. The year started out well enough. Suddenly everyone was channeling their inner Earthchild and going green. Politicians, celebrities, and even Wal-Mart had joined the movement. Personally I had just begun my AAZK presidency, and exciting conservation projects were happening at all levels of the Association. Several Chapters were participating in Year of the Polar Bear as part of a pilot project with Polar Bears International. Bowling for Rhinos surpassed Three Million Dollars in funds raised. Chapters donated One Million Dollars to conservation causes in the previous year. Chapters and individual members across the country were rolling up their sleeves and conducting their own conservation projects. A national AAZK Conservation Committee was formed.

Then along came Al Gore. I took his challenge and calculated my carbon footprint. Let’s just say I landed somewhere between Oil Tanker Ship Captain and Spotted Owl-cursing Lumberjack. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad, but Inconvenient Al sure had me feeling that way as he shattered my green illusion.

Apparently that 30-minute commute to work isn’t a good thing. Al wasn’t too fond of the gas mileage from my 15-year old pick-up truck either. My affinity for travel wasn’t helping, but maybe I’d get some bonus points for being a zookeeper. As it turns out, working in a zoo isn’t that great either. Sure we do lots of conservation work, improve the future for endangered wildlife, and educate millions of zoo visitors. But zoos consume vast amounts of resources in the process of feeding our animals, filling our pools with fresh water, and heating and cooling our buildings for the comfort of zoo animals and zoo visitors. (Notice I did not mention the comfort of zookeepers, who still toil in their work areas like second-class citizens!). I can’t even look at the koalas anymore, those sleepy-eyed, carbon munching tree dwellers that recline in their air conditioned holding area and have their fresh eucalyptus shipped in by plane every few days. Thanks again, Al.

Things don’t get any better at home either. My 60-year-old farmhouse was insulated in the vintage style of Swiss cheese. The old windows in my house are so drafty, even our Labrador retriever wears a wool hat to bed on winter evenings. A HVAC tech recently revealed to me that my old furnace is almost as efficient as burning a candle in front of a box fan. Those record setting propane and natural gas predictions for this winter have me asking “Who really needs luxuries like food anyway?”

There are solutions. My rich neighbor Dave recently converted his home to geothermal energy for $20,000. One celebrity converted his house to solar power for $27,000. That hybrid vehicle I have been eyeballing comes at the low cost of $25,000. Several thousand here and several thousand there, I can fix all those problems in my house. The problem is, I’m a zookeeper, and finding extra spending cash is about as easy as spotting a purple unicorn in my backyard.

There is good news. Going green, as I’m sure you already know, doesn’t need to cost a lot of money. To assist in the process, we have a brand new Conservation Committee to help. Charged with multiple tasks, the committee will provide members with ideas for going green (on a keeper’s budget), will serve as a green watchdog for the Association by monitoring conferences and work practices for sustainability, and assist members and Chapters in organizing and evaluating their own conservation projects.

My personal goal for this year was to adopt 10 new ideas for going green at home. I wish I could consult Larry and Earthchild, but nobody knows for sure what happened to them. They never returned to the college after Christmas Break. Some say they left school so Larry could become a roadie for the Allman Brothers, while Earthchild started her own hemp clothing line. A popular rumor had Larry and Earthchild starting their own organic vineyard in the valley, while others say they perished in the ice storm of ’88. Legend has it that Larry’s wild yowl and Earthchild’s mournful cry can be heard during a full moon at Wildcat Hollow. I prefer to think they’re doing just fine, and raising a toast of pesticide-free pinot in salute to the conservation efforts made by this Association and yours truly. But there is still work to be done. As Earthchild might paraphrase, “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, but a Conservation Committee can sure help point you in a green direction”. As zookeepers, we are obligated not only to educate zoo visitors about environmental issues, but “walk the walk” ourselves. Whether you are a struggling Sasquatch like myself, or tread the Earth lightly in Hobbit-sized Birkenstocks®, here’s hoping that our Conservation Committee can nurture your path.

Shane Good, AAZK President

(Editor’s note: The Viewpoint Column offers readers an opportunity to their express opinions on topics related to the profession of animal keeping, AAZK or AKF. It is not a forum for expressing disagreements with employers about labor-related issues. Opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect those of AAZK, Inc. or Animal Keepers’ Forum. Publication of opinions in this column does not constitute endorsement by AAZK, Inc. or Animal Keepers’ Forum. Materials submitted are published at the discretion of the editor.)