Virtual Zoo to You

Bring the Zoo to You!

We have reimagined some of our most popular Zoo to You programs as interactive virtual experiences.

“The presentation was easy to schedule, was well done, and well-received. It was great to learn about the different animals and to get a glimpse of the zoo behind the scenes.” – Virtual Zoo to You Participant

VIRTUAL ZOO TO YOU

Virtual Zoo to You are 30-minute live, interactive presentations featuring up-close encounters with three of the Zoo’s Animal Ambassadors. Virtual Zoo to You programs may include snakes, turtles, small lizards, insects, amphibians, and small mammals. During this private experience, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions LIVE about the animals, the care they receive, conservation efforts, and more. We welcome families, individuals, as well as groups such as schools, clubs, colleges, scouts, senior centers, libraries, or even as a special treat for the folks in the office!

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VIRTUAL ZOO TO YOU TOPICS

Move! (age 2-5)

Hop, slither, fly, let’s move like animals! Meet three of the Zoo’s Animal Ambassadors to discover how they move, too.

Chomp! (age 2-5)

Ring the dinner bell to find out what animals like to eat! Meet three of the Zoo’s Animal Ambassadors and discover their favorite flavors.

Roar! (age 2-5)

Can you roar like a lion, or hiss like a…cockroach? Let’s make animal sounds!

Misunderstood (age 6-12)

Have you ever felt misunderstood? Meet three Animal Ambassadors who are often misunderstood, too!

Caring for Animals (age 6-12)

Get an inside look at the ways zookeepers train and care for the animals! Experience a close-up training session with three Animal Ambassadors.

Chomp! (Age 6-12)

Ring the dinner bell to find out what animals like to eat! Meet three of the Zoo’s Animal Ambassadors and discover their favorite flavors.

Misunderstood (Teens & Adults)

Have you ever felt misunderstood? Meet three Animal Ambassadors who are often misunderstood just like us!

Caring for Animals (Teens & Adults)

Get an inside look at the ways zookeepers train and care for the animals! Experience a close-up training session with three Animal Ambassadors.

SAVING SPECIES (Teens & Adults)

Discover how the Maryland Zoo is protecting endangered species both here at the Zoo and around the world.

Request a Virtual Zoo to You

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IMPORTANT GUIDELINES & INFORMATION

Tickets & Scheduling:

• Registration and payment are required at least 2 weeks in advance of the program date. Registrants must be 18 years or older to purchase a Virtual Zoo to You.
• Registrants are required to provide the number of children and/or adults attending the Virtual Zoo to You and to choose a program topic during registration. Descriptions of each topic are listed above. No matter the topic, all Virtual Zoo to You programs feature meeting three of the Zoo’s live Animal Ambassadors.
• We recommend keeping the number of participants per session low to provide a more interactive and personal experience, but we are able to see up to 100 viewers per private session.

Virtual Platform: The Zoo hosts Virtual Zoo to You using Zoom Meetings, but we are able to accommodate Google Meet for organizations that do not permit Zoom. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the Zoom platform and test your account prior to your scheduled session. Zoom Meetings information and assistance can be found here.

• Participants can join the Virtual Zoo to You from a single room/device, from multiple rooms/devices, or they may log in individually on separate devices.
• Ideally, all participants will have access to a camera and microphone (or the ability to use the chat feature) to ask their questions and interact with the Virtual Zoo to You hosts, but we know that may not be possible for everyone. No matter your circumstances, we will be flexible and do our best to ensure the experience is engaging for everyone.
• The Zoo will send a Zoom Meetings link to the registrant at least 72 hours prior to the program. The registrant is responsible for sharing the meeting link with their participants.

Security: The Maryland Zoo is dedicated to ensuring that all virtual experiences remain safe for participants. Virtual Zoo to You are private sessions. We never mix groups into a single session. Viewers will be given permission to activate their cameras and microphone and use the chat feature to make the experience interactive. The Zoo employs a number of measures to ensure the security of the virtual meeting space. Please see the Maryland Zoo Privacy Policy for additional information.

• Communication: Zoo staff will communicate with registrants only through official Maryland Zoo channels. Most communication will take place through email from either tickets@marylandzoo.org or education@marylandzoo.org.
• Participant verification: At the beginning of the Virtual Zoo to You, participants enter a waiting room. The hosting Zoo Educator will admit the registrant first (please make sure you add your name so we can find you easily). The registrant, or another delegated adult, is responsible for communicating to the hosting Zoo Educator if any of the participants do not belong.
• Meeting settings: All participants will enter the meeting muted. Participants will be given the opportunity to unmute and ask questions at specified times during the Virtual Zoo to You. Participants will not be able to chat privately with each other, record the session, share their screens, or share images in the chat. Virtual backgrounds will be disabled.
• Managing inappropriate behavior: The hosting Zoo Educator can and will mute and turn off the video of participants, or remove participants from the Zoom Meeting, if they are saying or sharing inappropriate things.

Recording: Video/audio recording of Virtual Zoo to You is not permitted. Participants are welcome to take pictures or screenshots.

Rescheduling: Reservations may be changed up to 72 hours before the scheduled Virtual Zoo to You and are subject to an administrative change fee. Changes are not permitted within 72 hours of the scheduled Virtual Zoo to You. Contact us at tickets@marylandzoo.org or call 443-992-4585.

Refunds: Virtual Zoo to You tickets cannot be returned or refunded.

Cancellation: Virtual Zoo to You are weather, staff, and animal dependent. The Zoo reserves the right to cancel a Virtual Zoo to You or end a Virtual Zoo to You for any reason, including participant behavior.

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QUESTIONS?

Call 443-992-4585 between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm or email fieldtrips@marylandzoo.org.

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The Maryland Zoo’s Outreach programs are generously supported by:

• The Maryland State Department of Education
• The City of Baltimore
• The Citizens of Baltimore County
• Aegon Transamerica Foundation
• Delaplaine Foundation, Inc.
• The Frank and Miriam Loveman Foundation
• Howard County Government and the Howard County Arts Council
• The Ida & Joseph Shapiro Foundation
• Joseph and Harvey Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds
• Manger Family Foundation
• The Phase Foundation
• PNC Foundation
• Thomas Wilson Foundation