“Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam…” When I was just 8 months old, my parents moved our family to Topeka. My parents always encouraged me to take part in the great outdoors of Kansas, starting with my first fishing pole at just a year old. Because of their influence, you can count on finding me “where the deer and the antelope play.”
Growing up on the outskirts of Topeka meant that I had the best of both worlds: easy access to all the amenities of a city and the wide-open space of farm life. Between our neighbors, who ran cattle and bison, and my own forays in helping my father raise sheep, goats, and chickens, there were always chances to take care of animals and explore the outdoors.
Any frog, toad, or katydid I came across was liable to be captured for a few days of observation in one of the many critter containers I fashioned. I could catch praying mantises, lizards, and snakes, with a mom gracious enough to let me keep ‘em in the house on occasion. This came with becoming ‘head spider catcher’ in the house with the responsibility of freeing spiders so they could live outside.
This interest in wildlife became more pronounced when I learned to read. As the story is told, my mother’s own eighth grade science teacher and dear family friend, Mrs. Robine, gifted me a subscription to Ranger Rick magazine and soon, I had many of the Zoo Books purchased from the Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center as well as NatGeo Kids, too. If Scholastic had a new book on dinosaurs, fossils, or outdoor adventures, you could bet I read it at least twice. The Eyewitness series of books and documentary style kids’ videos enthralled me.
I credit much of my enjoyment of learning about animals to the zany antics of the titular lemur from the PBS show, “Zoboomafoo,” with Chris and Martin Kratt. No matter how early I need to wake up to get to the zoo on time, I think I have one of the coolest jobs on earth, by helping to create the same environments that inspired me as a child. We have had events where I have dressed up, such as with the dinosaurs.
Growing up, trips to the zoo were always memorable, special, and just a bit personal too since my dad helped investigate wildlife crime as a Special Agent for United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Whether it was helping local game wardens check duck and geese hunters or going undercover to pull a sting on criminals selling leopards and turtles, or monitoring the illegal pet trade of lizards; knowing my dad’s background in conservation gave me the clear knowledge that the animals on exhibit at Topeka Zoo had cool stories to tell and that it was a privilege to see them.
After college, I worked for Dr. Llizo of Topeka Zoo as a veterinary assistant. This was a dream come true for my past self. On the first day of work at Topeka Zoo, December of 2022 had an active wind chill of negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit. During my placement there I saw all manner of things from regular health checkups, X-rays, and even a colonoscopy for the male orangutan, Mawas.
Working in the animal care world for that summer season, I was part of the team working with Adventure Trail animals, namely the goats and the lorikeets. While writing this love letter and looking through childhood photo albums from zoo trips, I happened to recognize a current animal at the zoo that I see about every day, Gertie the Llama, who is about 30 years old. It really is mind blowing to be able to work in the place I always dreamed of working in. It is extraordinary to be able to work and see the living testament of love and care my co-workers give the animals we see every day. When a permanent position in the horticulture department opened, I jumped at the chance to continue working at my dream institution and I have been working in that department ever since.
The switch from animal care to horticulture gave me a more flexible work schedule and more time to engage with guests. My boss, Rick, and I get to field your questions when we are out on grounds, and I find such interactions rewarding. There are so many things to make sure groups do not miss, in the rainforest alone; from beautiful plants like orchids, hibiscus and birds of paradise flower, and the colorful birds like the scarlet ibis or rosette spoonbill, not to mention that sneaky sloth, Jackie.
Since my position in horticulture encompasses all the 35 acres that the zoo has, I am ready to retell a myriad of animal facts on all the lions, tigers, and bears that call the Topeka Zoo their home. This also includes brief anecdotes on the history of the zoo as well as the Gage Family that started it all back at the turn of the 20th century.
The history of the park grounds and the zoo stretch back all the way to the 1880s. My favorite photo that I have encountered is from the early 1910s with the Gage Family House and massive sundial that once stood between where the rainforest and hippopotamus enclosure now stand. My next favorite is from the 1930s when a bandstand was constructed on top of an old coal mineshaft entrance on what we would now call Pond 1. Both photos and more, can be found in A Park in the Country: Gage Park’s Century Bulletin Number 76 December 1999, produced by the Shawnee County Historical Society and at the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library.
I am 26 years old. Perhaps because of my love of books, the career aptitude tests I’ve completed point me towards teaching. I am not opposed to it, yet the idea of being cooped up in an indoor classroom leaves a sour taste in my mouth. So, I cherish opportunities to foster curiosity for the kids and their families that come to me with the questions they have about our wonderful zoo. From giving guided tours of Kay McFarland’s Japanese Garden to helping school groups with scavenger hunt clues, there are so many fun ways to learn and explore.
I have even been off grounds to help with animal chats, which is some of the most fun when little kids get to see just how awesome our planet is and all the neat creatures that live on it with us. (Pictured is Steve the blue-tongued skink)
This also includes the time that the zoo makes for engaging with local like-minded conservation groups, like Friends of the Kaw. For several years now, I have volunteered during their annual river clean up days. Being able to follow through on my ideals of conservation in Topeka shows that making the world a better place can come from something as “‘mundane’” as picking up litter with friends. The amount of junk that you can collect with a dozen people in an afternoon is enormous; the last time I went there were over 20 garbage bags full, not counting the three tires and a plastic barrel!
With a newer program that the zoo launched, I am excited to encourage the next generations to get involved with local conservation projects through the Native Pollinator Garden Program. Over two dozen schools have signed up or expanded their original gardens of native flowers that bloom all summer and into the fall to help butterfly species, especially the Monarch butterfly, have safe places to lay eggs. These gardens can also help as rest stations for the migration stages of the Monarch as they fly south to overwinter in the forests north of Mexico City. In fact, estimates sent from teams observing the butterflies in Mexico this year of 2026 have seen a 64sixty-four percent increase in acreage used from 2024-2025, showing that they are bouncing back from low population numbers.
Partnering with Monarch Watch has given us great opportunities to show off the incredible amount of insect biodiversity that we have here in Topeka. With a rotating stock of milkweeds, asters, sunflowers, coneflowers and more, the gardens that the kids help cultivate give them a chance to observe the habits and life cycles of dozens of different animals, from bees, butterflies, moths, and even birds. We have seen schools that just wanted to start small and grow from there, that then inspired others to jump in full bore! We’ve seen requests for designs of gardens with over 500 square feet of space! Between talks coming up on Earth Day at the zoo on how to start your own pollinator garden and the upcoming 2026 Native Plant Sale at the zoo in May, there are many ways for families and friends to get involved for families and friends to do so too!
From digging up and appreciating local history, volunteering and making the community a better place, or establishing a flower garden to share with all the pollinator pals, there are so many ways that I have found to express just how much I truly love Topeka. I hope you might join me in enjoying these outdoor activities too!
