A Trip To High Falls

My family took a short (and not very well-planned trip) to High Falls State Park here in Georgia today. It was more to get our minds off of something than checking something off a bucket list. The park itself though was beautiful.

We didn’t bring swimsuits and barely remembered to bring sun screen so we weren’t well equipped to actually go in the water. My brother and I waded in anyway, but I didn’t make it very far. The rocks were pretty slippery and I don’t have the best balance so I kept to the shallow water and mostly flailed a lot.

There were exceptionally brave children and adults that were using the Falls like slides. Maybe if I had been in a swimsuit and had an ounce of confidence in my ability to not drown I would have done it. Still it was nice to just sit back and watch everything.

There was a woman there who was just holding a bird for the entire hour or so that we were there. My parents spoke to her for a short time and apparently the bird just wouldn’t leave her hand. It looked young but didn’t seem injured. She’d dip it down to the water and it’d drink and then just go back to sitting on her hand.

 

 

Bird Show Preview + A Visit

My third week at the Zoo brought along a staff open house to the new bird show! I’m excited that I get to take part in these sort of behind-the-scene things that I didn’t take advantage of while on my Disney College Program. It’s pretty obvious how much everyone cares about their role here at the Zoo and that they love what they’re doing, and this much was definitely obvious during the bird show preview.

Rwenzori the Milky Eagle Owl

After the bird show preview we then went over to watch the preview for another show that they’re introducing to the Zoo. This one was aimed at children and as such it was pretty different than the more adult-focused bird show. It was still very cute and we were actually joined by several families who stopped by to see the show.

After both of the show previews, we got to go back stage to look at where the meals for the birds are prepared as well as some of the enclosures. I really like some of the photos I got from this.

Baobob the Hooded Vulture

On Thursday, a friend from my time at the Disney College Program was visiting the Zoo so I got to meet up with her for a short time while I was out shooting. It was nice to catch up and to tell her a little about the animals we were near (Idgie the Red Panda and the Tanuki brothers – Thor and Loki!).

We always need new panda photos for social media because we post a lot about our furry friends so I went over to see what I could get. The pandas were in their inside enclosures, which usually means a more condensed crowd and a glass glare when trying to get shots. I couldn’t believe my luck, though, when there was immediately a gap right in front of where Lun Lun was sleeping! Right now, these are my favorite photos I’ve taken during my three weeks at the Zoo.

Lun Lun the Giant Panda

Friday was a slower day since most of our work for the week had already been done in preparation for Memorial Day Weekend. I got to work on some projects with advertisements and social media, but didn’t get to go out of the office to shoot anything that day. I actually got to go home a little early for the holiday weekend!

Pandas, Pandas, Pandas – First 2 Weeks

With my first two weeks at my marketing internship with Zoo Atlanta done, I thought I’d look back and reflect on what I’ve learned so far. Apparently I came at the right time of the year because attendance is up and there always seems to be things for us in the marketing department to be doing.

Idgie the Red Panda napping in the trees.

During my first day I probably went to three or four meetings and was starting to think maybe my internship would just be bouncing around meetings, but I’ve learned that’s not so. I got to go to a staff meeting which apparently only happens twice a year (maybe four times a year? I’m not sure). They announced awards for members who had been with the Zoo for 5, 10, even 25 years. I listened to a lot of speakers presenting these awards and it was amazing to hear from people so passionate about what they’re doing caring for these animals.

It helps that we also got snacks at the end.

Lun Lun the Giant Panda chowing down.

While a lot of my first two weeks was getting used to the routine and my “daily tasks” I also got to go out and shoot a few photos for social media. It’s always fun to be able to roam the Zoo for a little bit and just see what’s going on. I also went to a learning seminar of sorts for staff members, where I learned about how the Zoo uses their finances and how grants work. While I don’t love finance, it was still cool to learn everything and I’m glad I went.

Rinca the Komodo Dragon in his outdoor exhibit.

All in all, my first two weeks have been fantastic and I’m looking forward to many more until the end of my internship.