This past summer, I participated in a volunteer program at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium called Zoo Teens. My parents both work at the zoo, so I have known about the program for a while and couldn't wait to be a part of it.

I was assigned to work Mondays throughout the summer. Some of the jobs Zoo Teens do include cleaning small animal cages, helping in the kangaroo, deer and goat yards in Kids Kingdom, assisting with Zoo Camp classes and, my personal favorite, touch tables.

Tables were set up in the Discovery Pavilion. We were able to choose an animal, take it to the table and allow visitors to touch it and ask questions about it. Guinea pigs, ferrets, boa constrictors, chinchillas, tenrecs and leopard geckos (my favorite) were some of the animals we could handle.

Zoo Teens worked in different areas in the morning and afternoon. Sometimes, I would work at the touch table in the morning and then help out with Zoo Camp in the afternoon. I assisted the camp counselors with crafts and snacks and accompanied the classes on tours of the zoo. When I worked in the animal yards, I helped the yard attendants and answered visitors' questions.

Another part of the program I enjoyed was the behind-the-scenes tours with the animal keepers. Some days, we met with keepers and toured their work areas with them, observing how they care for their animals. A lot of the areas were familiar to me because I have been coming to the zoo with my parents since I was little, but I still learned a lot.

Zoo Teens is an eight-week program, and the time flew by. I was sorry to have it end. Being a Zoo Teen is a really fun way to get your community service hours for your school or church, and it is a great opportunity to make a lot of new friends. My group this year was made up of really nice people; I liked them all, and I hope to be with some of them again next summer.

First Published: September 29, 2008, 4:00 a.m.