February 7, 2025 • 29 mins
Can a small zoo in Michigan redefine the zoo experience and make a global impact? In this episode of Total Michigan, host Cliff DuVernois sits down with Jeremiah Tietz, the passionate director of Wilderness Trails Zoo. They delve into the zoo's interactive initiatives, conservation efforts, and Jeremiah's unique journey that led him back to Michigan. Discover how this sanctuary near Frankenmuth is creating immersive experiences for its visitors while contributing to worldwide conservation efforts.
- Initiatives to Add More Public Interaction: Jeremiah emphasizes the zoo's focus on creating hands-on, memorable experiences for visitors, including a new rainforest building.
- Global Conservation Efforts: Wilderness Trails Zoo engages in global species survival plans and has participated in success stories of reintroducing endangered species into the wild.
- Jeremiah's Journey and Vision: From growing up with a passion for wildlife sparked at the Phoenix Zoo to becoming a Michigan-based director, Jeremiah aims to create a family-friendly destination that educates and inspires future generations.
Links:
Wilderness Trails Zoo Website: https://wildernesstrailszoo.org/
Address:
11721 Gera Rd, Birch Run, MI 48415
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Find us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/totalmichigan
Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@totalmichigan
Show Notes:
00:00 Introduction and New Initiatives
01:14 Meet Jeremiah Tietz
01:57 Wilderness Trail Zoo's Mission
03:22 Zoo's Size and Scope
03:59 Jeremiah's Background and Passion
06:22 Veterinary Medicine and Zoo Career
12:26 Conservation Efforts and Global Impact
15:02 Challenges and Human Impact
16:54 Returning to Wilderness Trail Zoo
18:47 Future Plans and New Additions
22:03 Reptile Rescue and Community Involvement
24:21 Collaborative Efforts and Animal Care
26:48 Visitor Experience and Goals
28:17 How to Get Involved
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jeremiah Tietz (00:00):
We also have, made a lot of initiatives to add new things to
have more interactions with the public.
So that's, that's a big thing to me.
I want people to be able to be involvedand interact with things and that hands
on, experience is going to create more ofa memory and make a lasting impression.
And so we want to add as many things aswe can here that people can interact.
Cliff Duvernois (00:21):
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Total Michigan, where
we interview ordinary Michigandersdoing some pretty extraordinary things.
I am your host, Cliff Duvenois.
What if your next visit to thezoo wasn't just about watching
animals from behind a fence?
What if you could step into their world?
Imagine walking through a lush rainforest,hearing the calls of exotic birds
(00:45):
overhead, feeling the rush of excitementas you come face to face with rare animals
that you've only ever seen in booksthat you can now reach out and touch.
Now imagine experiencingall of this in Michigan.
At Wilderness Trail Zoo, that kindof magic is becoming a reality.
Located just outside of Frankenmuth,this sanctuary is a gateway to
(01:09):
education, conservation, andcreating lifelong memories.
Today I'm sitting down with JeremiahTietz, the zoo's passionate director to
uncover the incredible work happeningbehind the scenes from cutting edge
conservation efforts to the creationof an immersive rainforest exhibit.
(01:29):
Jeremiah and his team are redefiningwhat it means to experience a zoo.
How does a small zoo in Michigan play arole in global How do you balance animal
welfare, education, and an experiencethat truly inspires the next generation?
What unexpected surprisesare waiting for you?
(01:52):
Jeremiah is here today to guide us onour quest to answer these questions.
But before we begin, let me ask you,Jeremiah, what is Wilderness Trails Zoo?
Jeremiah Tietz (02:01):
Wilderness Trail Zoo is obviously a zoo part of our name.
We are dedicated to conservation ofanimals and, educating the public and
having the public get, involved bepart of, uh, the conservation efforts
that we make here, to me, it reallyis, life and making memories, that's
something that has been a focus of minehere since taking over the zoo is just
(02:23):
really focusing on the opportunitiesthat families and individuals will
have to make memories here and whilethey're here to also make it educational
so that they can learn about it.
It's about the efforts that not only thiszoo makes with conservation and endangered
species, but that zoos worldwide aremaking, and the positive changes that
we've made, for a lot of criticalspecies, that the uh, the little things
(02:45):
that they can do to be involved to help.
You don't have to go overseas and fly tothe jungle to be involved in conservation.
You can just take part in, localactivities and, get involved
in organizations like this.
And so that, that's a real big part isjust, uh, making memories and passing
it down from one generation to the next.
very happy to have been able to takeover this position as a director here.
(03:06):
The Zoo?
has been here for 32 years.
And so we see families all the time thatcome in that, the, Kids were here 30 years
ago, and now they're bringing their kids.
And it's just,
it's, it's, it's really an amazing thingjust to, to see people's happiness on
their face when they're able to comeand, and see the growth here at the
zoo and see how they can be involved.
Cliff Duvernois (03:22):
So I drive by, and I look and I just see, you know, your
front entrance and a parking lot.
But this place is big.
How big is it?
Jeremiah Tietz (03:30):
So we're about 68 acres.
and, uh, yeah, from the front parking lot,you wouldn't really, uh, gather how much
is here, how much wildlife we have, forpeople to be able to interact and see.
so it's definitely a littlemisleading from the front,
but, yeah, when you get in, it?
opens wide up and, uh, we do have,Really large trail system through there.
Um, a little over a mile of trailsthat you can walk through and see,
(03:52):
several hundred species of animals.
Cliff Duvernois (03:55):
Several hundred.
So we're going to, we're goingto unpack that a little bit
before we jump into that though.
Why don't you tell us, where are you from?
Where did you grow up?
Jeremiah Tietz (04:01):
So I'm actually originally from Michigan, uh, Lapeer,
Michigan is where I was, born.
I grew up in Arizona though.
And, so I grew up wandering out in thedeserts and, uh, um, out there sparked
my passion for wildlife at a young age,just developed a really strong passion for
tropical wildlife and for the rainforest.
from that has developed on,
Cliff Duvernois (04:20):
So when I when I think about Arizona, the last
thing I think about is tropical.
Jeremiah Tietz (04:23):
Yeah.
Yep.
It's definitely not a tropical region.
Actually the Phoenix zoo is what sparkedmy passion and, uh, and, and, uh, going to
the Phoenix zoo as a child, is what reallygot me interested in, um, In different
wildlife and in the zoo industry and theconservation efforts made, going into, uh,
exhibit with, rainbow lorikeets, which aretropical species of bird from Indonesia.
(04:46):
A really young age, that wasjust, sparked that passion where
that's what I wanted to do.
I haven't looked back since.
So, um, but, ended up moving back toMichigan towards my senior year of high
school and I went to Michigan StateUniversity and I've been in Saginaw
County for, oh, about 20 some years now.
This zoo here, I've, known the previousowners, the directors, for about 20 years.
(05:07):
And, uh, when they wanted to retire,um, it was a perfect opportunity for
me to step in and, uh, keep pushingforward on some new things here.
Cliff Duvernois (05:14):
To go back a little bit here, cause you were talking about
how it really developed your passion.
Is there something in particular aboutanimals that captured your imagination?
Jeremiah Tietz (05:24):
Oh man, there's just, there's so many different question marks
out there when it comes to wildlife.
just the world that we live in,there's so little that we already,
you know, that we don't know.
there's a lot that we do know, butthere's a lot that we don't, and that
was really what sparked my passionwas all these different species that,
you know, like you said, you don'tthink Arizona is a tropical area.
So when I went and saw these tropicalanimals growing up in a desert region,
(05:46):
it sparked a lot of those questionsin my mind, like, all right, how
are these animals, thriving and.
in different environments and incaptivity and what's the purpose.
And so diving into that and learningthe purpose of what it is that zoos
worldwide do and the conservationefforts to protect these species.
And, just those question markshas always been what's driven me.
Why does this species needthis or why do they need that?
(06:08):
And what can we do better to serve thatspecies and protect them in their natural
environment, but also protect the speciesfrom everything we can do in captivity.
Cliff Duvernois (06:18):
Certainly.
Yes.
So now you were talking abouthow you got your degree.
What'd you get your degree in?
Jeremiah Tietz (06:23):
I went to school for veterinary medicine.
Cliff Duvernois (06:25):
So you went to school, got veterinary medicine was
specifically because you had theeye on getting involved with zoo.
Did you ever at one pointin time say, I want to be,
Jeremiah Tietz (06:34):
It was that natural, like, Oh, I want to be,
involved with animals as a career.
And so you navigate towards, well,I'm going to be a veterinarian.
And then I realized, well, I don'treally want to deal with people sick.
Pets all the time.
And my passion was always morewith the wildlife side of things.
So, through, uh, you know, a lotof, different development there.
Um, you know, I ended up workingwith zoos for the last 25 years.
(06:55):
I'm working with the behind the scenes,the captive breeding programs And the
educational side of, of what zoos offer.
And, that's really where my
passion has stayed.
The veterinary medicine sideobviously is a very useful resource
to have up, up in the brain.
But, cause part of keeping live, healthyanimals is still making sure that, you
know, when they do get sick, everyonegets sick and everything can get sick
(07:15):
and making sure that we have the bestunderstanding of how to take care of that.
So, So it's a, it's a useful, youknow, useful skill skill set to
have, but definitely wasn't where Iwanted to put my whole entire career.
Cliff Duvernois (07:26):
Definitely.
When you graduated from college and.
At some point in time, you movedback to Michigan, during this time
and you're building your career, youwere telling me before that over the
years, you've worked with a thousand.
Zoos over a
How do you do that?
Are you, Mr.
Zoom?
I mean, are you , you know,how, how, how does that work?
Jeremiah Tietz (07:46):
It's been a lot of miles.
yeah, I've spent a lot of, a lotof years on the road, going from
one zoo to the next and, youknow, seeing where we can help.
At the same time, uh, running my, myother zoological facility, um, which,
you know, we've just focused on thatthe captive breeding side of things,
the conservation side of thingsfor some of the endangered species.
there's a network, among, zoos,organized network of maintaining,
(08:07):
genetics, so that the animals thatwe do raise in captivity have pure
genetics and that we're not inbreedingand crossbreeding and stuff like that.
So being able to help maintain thosewith the different species that
I've, I've worked with, and then dietprotocols for, for proper diets for zoo
animals, um, that's something that, has.
made leaps and bounds overthe last couple of decades.
(08:28):
you know, you look back, 30, 40years ago, the diets that, uh, zoos
had for animals were guesswork.
So there's, there's become a lot morescience to it where we've, made sure
that the diets that we feed are theappropriate ones for the species.
And, so that's where I focused a lotthe last, 20 So years is on that side
of, of the zoo industry and then alsohelping to develop the educational
(08:48):
side of it where, um, Without newgenerations being involved, all the
work we do now is just going to go away.
That's a huge thing is that, you know, Ireally want to see the younger generations
have this passion also, and that theycan learn more than what we've learned.
And they can take, what we've learned inour generation and keep going with it.
And so that we can preservethese animals and, the wildlife,
(09:09):
for many generations to come.
Cliff Duvernois (09:11):
So if you're doing work for over a thousand zoos.
You've done a good job ofpositioning yourself as an expert.
Jeremiah Tietz (09:19):
Some would say so.
So
Cliff Duvernois (09:20):
Now, how do you, how do you go about, I mean, cause this,
this whole world is like absolutelynow become very fascinating for me.
How is it that you can, marketyourself or get the word out?
Or is it word of mouth from zoo to zoo?
Like, Hey, you got to work with Jeremiah.
He's all that in a bag of chips.
Jeremiah Tietz (09:34):
A lot of it is word of mouth.
like I said, there is a prettytight network among a lot of zoos.
you know, where we docommunicate with each other.
You know, we, we are each other'sbest resources, there isn't a lot
of books and writing out there.
You can't just go flip through a book andbe like, Hey, if I want to know this about
this animal, you know, you really do haveto find the people with the experience
and, with the research that can help.
(09:55):
So we do try to help each other out a lot.
But yeah, a lot of it's word of mouth.
a lot of it, like I said, a lotof miles on the road and visiting
different facilities and getting toknow directors all over the place.
So, yeah, it's, it's, it's been, very,uh, exciting, life on, on the road
working with other zoos, but, extremelyexcited to, uh, plant some more roots
to be home here in our local community.
I've, like I said, I've lived in SaginawCounty for years and, so this is, um,
(10:19):
Me taking my experience and learningfrom the other zoos around the country
to put here into something that we canshare with, not just our local community,
but with all the visitors that we haveto this area, this area is wonderful.
We have a good destination forfamilies to come and visit.
Um, Yeah, I love theFrankenmuth area, Bertrand area.
It's, it's very focused on families.
And so I think it's a perfect spot tofocus, you know, my personal attention
(10:41):
and, my passions to try to do more here.
Cliff Duvernois (10:43):
So let's go back.
I want to explore something that you,that you mentioned there before about
concert conservation and how, like, thezoos are keeping in constant contact.
Cause I think for them, and look forsome guidance on this issue, but I
think for them it would be somethingwhere you know You want to make
sure that your animals are healthy.
You want to make sure that they'retaken care of, you know You don't
(11:04):
want lethargic animals or animals thatlook sick, you know when people are
bringing their families here They wantto see that the animals are engaged
that they are healthy that they'reactive that They're doing whatever.
So I think with this network hereand what you're talking about is
how can we make the quality oflife the best that we possibly can
Jeremiah Tietz (11:23):
Yeah, absolutely.
That's a huge part of, uh, you know,what we do here, what I've done,
you know, over the last 20 years.
You know, it's just, try tomake better environments for the
animals that are in captivity.
Um, and yeah, a happy, healthy animalis what people want to see, you know?
And that's obviously, youknow, what all zoos want to.
We want our animals to be happy.
We want them to be healthy and,for the work that we do with.
(11:45):
uh, endangered species or, um, threatenedspecies, the different breeding
programs that we do to make sure thosespecies survive, those animals aren't
going to breed in captivity if they'renot healthy, if they're not happy.
Providing an environment that givesthem everything that they need for their
physical needs, for dietary needs, mentalneeds, all That's extremely important
when it comes to successfully being ableto work with those conservation efforts.
(12:07):
So that's it's a big, um, sideof the animal, health side of it
and, and the business side of it.
It's, it's good business.
You have to have healthy animals,you know, um, but You know aside
from that, like you said, I mean,that's visitors want to see that too.
I mean, nobody wants to see, youknow, a situation that's, you
know, not the best for the animal.
So, strive very hard to make sure that,that we give them everything we can.
Cliff Duvernois (12:26):
Now, when we talk about, when you're talking about
animals, cause I know a part of thisis, you know, it wouldn't be complete
without some kind of conversationaround like endangered animals.
So what role do you see?
for the work that you're doing, right.
Specifically here at thewilderness trail zoo.
What is it that, that you see yourrole is in, in to helping to preserve?
(12:48):
These endangered animals.
Jeremiah Tietz (12:49):
Yeah.
So there's a, we have multiplespecies here that are endangered.
and there's a lot more species thatI've worked with, that are endangered
that aren't here at the zoo that wewill be introducing as a permanent
residents here to the zoo as well.
Um, all of those animals.
are.
Part of planned, captivebreeding programs.
they're called, SSP is one name forthem, which is a species survival plan.
(13:10):
Um, and those are all plans for keepingthose genetics pure, like I talked about.
And, but then also making sure that,the best viable animals are together
so that those offspring can thenalso be paired up with, future mates.
There are so many programs out therewith these captive, breeding programs
for endangered animals, where theanimals have been able to be re released
eventually back to the wild to helpto boost up the, the wild populations.
(13:32):
recently the Spix Macaw is one that, wasin, it was completely extinct in the wild.
And, uh, there was nomore left in the wild.
obviously critically endangeredin captivity, uh, captive breeding
programs and zoos, made it possiblewhere there were enough numbers
where they were able to reintroducethese Spix macaws to the wild.
And,
So now there are parts of South America,you can go to the rainforest where
(13:53):
there are wild flying Spix macaws again,because of the work that's been done
in captivity to save these species.
Cliff Duvernois (13:58):
So that's something I hear very little about.
Because I hear that's likebasically animals just go to a zoo.
And there they sit.
But this is the first time I'veactually heard that in reverse.
you've been able to grow theseendangered animals in the zoo
and then reintroduce them.
Jeremiah Tietz (14:11):
there was recently, uh, tigers that were reintroduced to
the wild that came, uh, through, uh,captive breeding programs as well.
Tigers are criticallyendangered as well in the wild.
so that was a huge deal thatjust recently happened this year.
there's several antelopespecies in Africa.
again, one of those was extinct in thewild and declared extinct in the wild
that was reintroduced to the wild.
so there has been some, some really bigmilestones when it comes to endangered
(14:33):
species And saving the species, there'sobviously a never ending, huge amount of
work to do when it goes into to continuingthat, which is, again, that's, that's
what we're here for, you know, besides.
The obvious, having a good time withyour family or your friends here
at the zoo and making the memories.
But, when you're here, what you do ispromoting our conservation efforts.
(14:53):
Um, we are a nonprofit organization.
So everything that we do here goesright back into our purpose, which is
for conservation and for education.
Yeah.
Cliff Duvernois (15:02):
And so now I get to ask the question, and I know it's not a very
happy topic, but the question basicallyis, when you talk about the extinction,
is it literally because and we'rehunting these things into extinction,
or we've just basically taken over theirenvironment and they're not thriving.
Jeremiah Tietz (15:17):
Yeah.
There's a lot of different circumstancesthat, that go into that and.
Unfortunately, a lot of it is humans, so,you know, I mean, I'd say the majority
of it is, just, negligence over the,centuries of not understanding the impact
of our activities in the wild and, huntingor, uh, clearing land for development
and stuff like that, taking awaynatural habitats, things that, In past
(15:40):
generations weren't really understood.
Nowadays there is a lot more regulation,um, countries worldwide have more
regulation on that where they arelimiting and preserving certain areas
of ground so that animals can have theirnatural habitats and limiting hunting.
And, the uh, efforts in othercountries for poaching and stuff
like that, cracking down on poachers,um, you know, have been huge.
(16:02):
So there's been a huge impact with theinitiatives put out, you know, with
conservationists and zoos, um, to push fornew legislation in different countries.
And, and that's made a huge impact, butthere's still a lot more that we need to
do.
And so.
Cliff Duvernois (16:14):
For our audience, we're going to take a quick break.
And thank our sponsors once again.
You're listening to Total Michigan.
My name is Cliff DuVernois.
Sitting with me today is Jeremiah Tietz.
Director of the Wilderness Trail Zoolocated just outside of Frankenmuth,
Michigan, and we will be rightback after we thank our sponsors.
Are you enjoying this episode?
Well, I can tell youthere's a lot more to come.
(16:34):
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Hello everyone, welcome back toTotal Michigan where we interview
(16:56):
ordinary Michiganders doing somepretty extraordinary things.
I'm your host Cliff DuVernois.
Today we're talking with JeremiahTietz, director of the Wilderness
Trail Zoo located just outsideof Frankenmuth, Michigan.
And Jeremiah, before the break, wewere talking about the zoo and working
to reintroduce endangered animals andAnd bringing that all into the wild,
(17:16):
but what I'd like to do is I'd liketo bring the story a little bit more
focused on the Wilderness Trail and Zoo.
Okay.
So how is it that youwound up coming here?
Jeremiah Tietz (17:26):
Oh, so I wound up coming here just, through my working
with other zoos over the years, uh,knowing the previous owners and,
uh, again, living locally to here.
So that was, uh, a big key part inme wanting to be a part of the zoo.
I've seen the work over theyears that the zoo has done here.
The, the family oriented atmospherethat they've kept, which was
a huge, huge thing for me.
(17:47):
my, my businesses I've ownedover the years, that's one
thing I focused on is family.
And, so I want this tobe a family destination.
It's the people that work here are family.
And, so that was a big part of it.
just being able to reach out to ourlocal community and, and do more here.
Cliff Duvernois (18:00):
Because I know, I know a part of this is, is that because you
were working before and you were talkingabout mileage, but you, when you talk
about family, you're really talking aboutlike you yourself decided it's time to
set down some roots and get deep into the
Jeremiah Tietz (18:11):
Five sons and, yep, my, my, my oldest being 23.
And, you know, so I had twoboys that are grown and gone.
I got three, they're stillhome and, I don't want to be
gone their entire childhood.
So this is a, you know, thisis definitely something where
they can be a part of this.
Also, they've, they've been a part ofmy businesses and, and, uh, working
with animals already, but this issomething where, uh, they can have
their friends come and their classescome to school and stuff like that.
(18:34):
And so it's important to us.
Cliff Duvernois (18:36):
So from the previous, owners right now,
you've taken it over, you're thedirector, they have since retired.
Correct.
Okay.
So when you came on thislast July, July of 2024.
What were some of the things that youcame in that you saw and said, you know
what, let's start changing how we do this.
Jeremiah Tietz (18:53):
Yeah.
as with any.
Um, facility, whatever it is, youknow, over time, things, need to be
repaired or updated and stuff like that.
So there are some animal enclosuresthat we have big plans on, um, just
updating, size of enclosures foranimals to make them a little more
comfortable, make it more natural looking.
So we've started on a lot of that.
We also have, made a lot ofinitiatives to add new things to have
(19:15):
more interactions with the public.
So that's, that's a big thing to me.
I want people to be able to be involvedand interact with things and that hands
on, experience is going to create more ofa memory and make a lasting impression.
And so we want to add as many things aswe can here that people can interact.
Um, we have a new rain forest buildingthat, gave you a little sneak peek of,
Cliff Duvernois (19:36):
that's cool.
So
Jeremiah Tietz (19:37):
going to be a exciting thing for the public to be able to see.
Cliff Duvernois (19:40):
now when we talk about the rainforest building, you
are talking about actually recreating.
Jeremiah Tietz (19:44):
the rain.
forest here with animals and everything.
Yeah.
Yep.
That's, uh, That's what we're doingis, uh, we are making basically a mini
ecosystem of the rainforest for peopleto be able to visit and it might be,
20 degrees outside, but we can stepin where it's 80 degrees and, uh, see
sloths and toucans and, uh, freshwaterstingrays and, uh, some of the,
endangered monkeys from the rainforest.
(20:05):
so it's something where people can getup close, actually get a visual, um, and.
have that memory of that.
from there, hopefully spark a passionand how they can get involved too.
So,
yeah.
Yeah.
Um, so yeah, that,that's a big part of it.
Um, we've got, some new areas in thezoo we've been building, uh, Oh, event
areas for people to be able to havebirthday parties here and to have,
gatherings for businesses or schoolgroups or whatever, just so that
(20:27):
people can not just come to themselves.
They can bring a group of people andenjoy, you know, a day at the zoo.
a lot of different ways that we'retrying to add more to the facilities,
making it more accessible forhandicap accessibility, and, not
just wheelchair accessibility,but for people of all needs.
I want this to be a safe and friendlyplace for everyone, and so the more
people, no matter, um, what your walk inlife is, I want them to be welcome here
(20:52):
and to be able to enjoy what we have And
to be part of things.
Cliff Duvernois (20:56):
and before you made a comment about how there's
100 different species.
Jeremiah Tietz (21:01):
There's, I don't remember the exact count, but there's a lot Yeah.
During the summertime, uh,
Cliff Duvernois (21:04):
when it's
Jeremiah Tietz (21:05):
warmer out, we have, around 800 to 900 animals total here.
Um, So
this time of year, some of theanimals go back inside for the
wintertime because it is cold out.
Yeah.
Yeah.
we do have a lot of animals, that.
That do like the cold,that are still here.
That is one thing that we'vechanged this year where the
public can come and see some
of our animals that arewinter, uh, uh, loving species.
(21:25):
And they can come through thezoo in the winter time when
before it used to be closed.
So now, uh, if you want to take a strollin the snow and, you know, see some of
our, our animals out there, you can,yeah, in the summertime we do have, all
the warm weather animals come back out.
Um, which we were talking duringthe break about the reptiles.
Um, you know, so that would be, uh,our reptile area on the summertime.
(21:45):
Um, we've got a really cool reptilearea set up like an old West village.
That's kind of a crowdfavorite around here.
And, A little history on that.
Um, we've got a couple here that'sbeen with the zoo for 20 years.
they've been a key part of helping buildthings around here and be part of it,
but they also run a reptile rescue.
so what is, when you talk about a reptilerescue, you talk to us, what is that?
(22:06):
So, you know, a lot of times people will,will go and buy a, Pet snake or a tortoise
or a lizard or whatever to pet store andthey think, Oh, this is a great idea.
And they don't realize that theseanimals live for a long time and
some of them can get really big.
And, uh, you know, uh, example, uh,sulcata tortoises, they're cute when
they're little, you know, they'relittle and they're the size of a
golf ball, but, you know, you givethem, 10, 15 years And, uh, you know,
(22:27):
you got these tortoises that can grow up.
A couple hundred pounds.
Yeah.
And sometimes people don't realizethis, the commitment of the time and
the size and what the animals need.
And unfortunately that leads to where ananimal's in need of a new place to go.
right?
So
we offer that not just for thereptiles, but for other animals as well.
Um, you know, we, we try to help outany time that comes up where there's
(22:47):
an animal that needs place to go.
We'll do what we can to makesure we give it a place to go.
Um, but the reptile rescue, um, at Chrisand Karen here, um, They ran for years,
the area in the zoo, like I said, thisis a really fun spot for people to go
through and see some of the reptiles.
And then, all the donations and stufffor the reptile area go directly to them.
It goes directly towards taking careof those reptiles in the rescue.
(23:09):
we have some reptile, awarenessfun weekends during the summertime.
We'll do reptile weekends where
people come out and get pictures with,the big snakes or with alligators
and feed the tortoises and stuff.
And, um, so just to bringmore awareness and education
that, these reptiles are not.
Scary, creepy, crawly animals.
They're animals that needattention and they need care
too.
Cliff Duvernois (23:26):
care
too.
And yeah, cause when you talkabout, Karen was mentioning, for
instance, that the one, the oneturtle that they have 300 pounds.
And she's like, that thing willrip the toilet out of here.
And I, that right there wasjust a very powerful image of
the damage, but also the size.
It's huge.
I mean, we were used to thinkingabout these little teeny tiny
Jeremiah Tietz (23:45):
drums,
Cliff Duvernois (23:45):
but to imagine that one can get
Jeremiah Tietz (23:47):
big.
Yeah, they get that big, And if theywant to go through the wall in your
house, they'll go right through it.
so obviously not an animal thatmakes an ideal pet unless you're
going to build yourself a.
Concrete bunker.
But, we offer those animals a place to, beable to live out their life and be taken
care of, you know, with the best feedthey can get best vet care they can get.
And, you know, we makesure they're taken care of.
And, sometimes we get animals thatcome out of, you know, unfortunately,
(24:10):
abuse situations will come in withinjuries or with nutritional deficits
where they weren't taking care of.
right.
And So we can, you know, we can putthat time and resources into making
sure that they're back healthy again,and that they can live out their life.
Cliff Duvernois (24:21):
So what about we, because you mentioned something here
about a reptile rescue, how importantis it for you to be working with
other rescues or other zoos or other,like you were talking about the SSP.
Yeah.
Yes.
All of these different, organizationsout there with your zoo.
Cause it's, it's, I'm loving this.
I'm loving this idea about a collaborativeapproach to not only provide a good
(24:44):
experience for everybody coming in.
But also, too, is making sure thatyou're really taking care of the
animals and how you're all working
Jeremiah Tietz (24:50):
Well, that's what it's all about.
I mean, it has to be about that.
If you're not all about takingcare of the animals first and
the rest of it doesn't matter.
And so with that being said, there isa big group of us that work together.
and it is very important.
there might be something that I specializein that another facility doesn't and they
can come to me if they have a problem.
And, we'll offerassistance and vice versa.
(25:10):
if someone, calls us.
And they say, Hey, we have a injuredraccoon or something like that.
That's not my area of expertise.
I don't deal with a lot ofnative species, You know?
So there are other rescues that wecan be like, Hey, okay, this is the
person that we need to call, or ifyou bring it to us, we'll make sure
it gets to that proper facility.
so working together with otherfacilities is, is a huge part of.
(25:31):
Keeping, you know, all of theseanimals, all those different
wildlife safe and healthy.
So
Cliff Duvernois (25:35):
You were talking to him before about creating like
facilities for people to comehere and bring a group of people.
This made me laugh out loudwhen you talked about having
these black footed penguins
being the ring bearer at a wedding.
That cracks
Jeremiah Tietz (25:49):
me up.
Is that really a thing?
It's, It's,
something that, uh, yeah, so wehave a couple of black footed
penguins that were, um, they weredonated to us from another facility.
And so we're in the process right now of.
finishing up our fundraisingto get the building done.
And, um, we've got thebuilding materials out
there and, but yeah, these penguinsare already trained where they
love following people around.
They love attention.
Um, and they're verypeople oriented, penguins.
(26:11):
So I don't think it'd be very, uh, faroff to say that they could, they could
walk down an aisle with, uh, Yeah, andthe penguin, uh, building will be right
adjacent to our outdoor event area.
So it is, uh, it is something that,I have to look forward to the,
future of the summer and then, uh,and get some videos of that for you.
Cliff Duvernois (26:28):
No, this is great.
I absolutely love that.
And so, from your perspectivehere, because you're,
you're the director, right?
you're implementing all these changes.
You got new construction going on,working with all these facilities.
people just call you up and be like,Hey, I got a black footed penguin.
Do you want it?
Nobody calls me and asks meto take a penguin, by the way.
but you're, you've gotall these ideas, motions.
Tell me something.
What is your goal whenpeople come here to visit?
(26:53):
They bring their family, theybring their kids, whatever it is.
But what is your goal when they come here?
Jeremiah Tietz (26:57):
My main goal is that they walk away with a positive memory
and, having a positive experiencehere at the zoo is my number one goal.
And that can come in a lot ofdifferent shapes and forms, What I
may consider a positive experiencemight be different to you.
I might walk out there and be like, Oh,I love talking to that bird out there.
And, and the next person mightbe like, wow, I loved watching
(27:17):
the wolves run around, you know?
And so everyone has something thatmight touch them more than others.
and it might be somethingeven non animal related.
It might be that people, we have peoplethat come that love to just walk the
trail in summertime because we havenice shaded trails and so it's just
a matter of getting out in nature.
My main goal is that when peopleleave here that they had a positive
(27:38):
experience and that they walk away happy.
Um, if they walk away happy,it's something that they
can share with other people.
And if Other people realizethe work that we're doing here?
then they want to get involved orthey want to come and see also.
so that's our biggest thing is,is having people be involved.
we have a lot of people come outand volunteer and, you know, to help
with things in the summertime And
the spring and, justgetting that involvement.
(27:59):
Where the more involvement we have, themore we can do to, at the same time,
teach the public of what it is, theimportance of what we're doing here.
So, yeah, yeah, so my, my personalgoal is on the education side.
I want people to learn, I want themto walk away learning, but for them to
learn, they need to enjoy what they're
Cliff Duvernois (28:15):
seeing.
Sure.
Yeah.
And Jeremiah, if somebody is listeningto this, this episode and they want to
come by, they want to check you out.
They want to find you online, seeall the cool pictures you guys got,
because your social media reallyis blowing up now, which is great.
So talk to us, where can they find you?
Jeremiah Tietz (28:33):
wildernesstrailszoo.
org is our website.
that's got all the informationfor, uh, ticket pricing, membership
pricing, sponsorship pricing, um,our ways to get involved if you?
want to volunteer, allthat kind of information.
we have a new website that we'll belaunching here in a couple of weeks.
That's completely updated.
So excited about that.
that way there's more ways toget involved through our website.
You can see a lot more of whatwe're doing, updated calendar of
(28:54):
events, um, as we're adding moreand more events, to the season.
also on Facebook, Wilderness TrailZoo and, Instagram, uh, we've Tik
Tok and Snapchat and you name it.
Uh, you can find us anywhere, but yeah,Wilderness Trails Zoo, just look it
up and, uh, follow us, like us, shareus and all that kind of good stuff.
Cliff Duvernois (29:11):
Jeremiah, thank you so much for taking
time to chat with us today.
I really appreciate it.
And for our audience, you can alwaysroll on over to TotalMichigan.
com and click on Jeremiah's interview.
to get the links that he mentioned above.
We'll see you next time when wetalk to another Michigander doing
some pretty extraordinary things.
We'll see you then.
We also have, made a lot of initiatives to add new things to
have more interactions with the public.
So that's, that's a big thing to me.
I want people to be able to be involvedand interact with things and that hands
on, experience is going to create more ofa memory and make a lasting impression.
And so we want to add as many things aswe can here that people can interact.
Cliff Duvernois (00:21):
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Total Michigan, where
we interview ordinary Michigandersdoing some pretty extraordinary things.
I am your host, Cliff Duvenois.
What if your next visit to thezoo wasn't just about watching
animals from behind a fence?
What if you could step into their world?
Imagine walking through a lush rainforest,hearing the calls of exotic birds
(00:45):
overhead, feeling the rush of excitementas you come face to face with rare animals
that you've only ever seen in booksthat you can now reach out and touch.
Now imagine experiencingall of this in Michigan.
At Wilderness Trail Zoo, that kindof magic is becoming a reality.
Located just outside of Frankenmuth,this sanctuary is a gateway to
(01:09):
education, conservation, andcreating lifelong memories.
Today I'm sitting down with JeremiahTietz, the zoo's passionate director to
uncover the incredible work happeningbehind the scenes from cutting edge
conservation efforts to the creationof an immersive rainforest exhibit.
(01:29):
Jeremiah and his team are redefiningwhat it means to experience a zoo.
How does a small zoo in Michigan play arole in global How do you balance animal
welfare, education, and an experiencethat truly inspires the next generation?
What unexpected surprisesare waiting for you?
(01:52):
Jeremiah is here today to guide us onour quest to answer these questions.
But before we begin, let me ask you,Jeremiah, what is Wilderness Trails Zoo?
Jeremiah Tietz (02:01):
Wilderness Trail Zoo is obviously a zoo part of our name.
We are dedicated to conservation ofanimals and, educating the public and
having the public get, involved bepart of, uh, the conservation efforts
that we make here, to me, it reallyis, life and making memories, that's
something that has been a focus of minehere since taking over the zoo is just
(02:23):
really focusing on the opportunitiesthat families and individuals will
have to make memories here and whilethey're here to also make it educational
so that they can learn about it.
It's about the efforts that not only thiszoo makes with conservation and endangered
species, but that zoos worldwide aremaking, and the positive changes that
we've made, for a lot of criticalspecies, that the uh, the little things
(02:45):
that they can do to be involved to help.
You don't have to go overseas and fly tothe jungle to be involved in conservation.
You can just take part in, localactivities and, get involved
in organizations like this.
And so that, that's a real big part isjust, uh, making memories and passing
it down from one generation to the next.
very happy to have been able to takeover this position as a director here.
(03:06):
The Zoo?
has been here for 32 years.
And so we see families all the time thatcome in that, the, Kids were here 30 years
ago, and now they're bringing their kids.
And it's just,
it's, it's, it's really an amazing thingjust to, to see people's happiness on
their face when they're able to comeand, and see the growth here at the
zoo and see how they can be involved.
Cliff Duvernois (03:22):
So I drive by, and I look and I just see, you know, your
front entrance and a parking lot.
But this place is big.
How big is it?
Jeremiah Tietz (03:30):
So we're about 68 acres.
and, uh, yeah, from the front parking lot,you wouldn't really, uh, gather how much
is here, how much wildlife we have, forpeople to be able to interact and see.
so it's definitely a littlemisleading from the front,
but, yeah, when you get in, it?
opens wide up and, uh, we do have,Really large trail system through there.
Um, a little over a mile of trailsthat you can walk through and see,
(03:52):
several hundred species of animals.
Cliff Duvernois (03:55):
Several hundred.
So we're going to, we're goingto unpack that a little bit
before we jump into that though.
Why don't you tell us, where are you from?
Where did you grow up?
Jeremiah Tietz (04:01):
So I'm actually originally from Michigan, uh, Lapeer,
Michigan is where I was, born.
I grew up in Arizona though.
And, so I grew up wandering out in thedeserts and, uh, um, out there sparked
my passion for wildlife at a young age,just developed a really strong passion for
tropical wildlife and for the rainforest.
from that has developed on,
Cliff Duvernois (04:20):
So when I when I think about Arizona, the last
thing I think about is tropical.
Jeremiah Tietz (04:23):
Yeah.
Yep.
It's definitely not a tropical region.
Actually the Phoenix zoo is what sparkedmy passion and, uh, and, and, uh, going to
the Phoenix zoo as a child, is what reallygot me interested in, um, In different
wildlife and in the zoo industry and theconservation efforts made, going into, uh,
exhibit with, rainbow lorikeets, which aretropical species of bird from Indonesia.
(04:46):
A really young age, that wasjust, sparked that passion where
that's what I wanted to do.
I haven't looked back since.
So, um, but, ended up moving back toMichigan towards my senior year of high
school and I went to Michigan StateUniversity and I've been in Saginaw
County for, oh, about 20 some years now.
This zoo here, I've, known the previousowners, the directors, for about 20 years.
(05:07):
And, uh, when they wanted to retire,um, it was a perfect opportunity for
me to step in and, uh, keep pushingforward on some new things here.
Cliff Duvernois (05:14):
To go back a little bit here, cause you were talking about
how it really developed your passion.
Is there something in particular aboutanimals that captured your imagination?
Jeremiah Tietz (05:24):
Oh man, there's just, there's so many different question marks
out there when it comes to wildlife.
just the world that we live in,there's so little that we already,
you know, that we don't know.
there's a lot that we do know, butthere's a lot that we don't, and that
was really what sparked my passionwas all these different species that,
you know, like you said, you don'tthink Arizona is a tropical area.
So when I went and saw these tropicalanimals growing up in a desert region,
(05:46):
it sparked a lot of those questionsin my mind, like, all right, how
are these animals, thriving and.
in different environments and incaptivity and what's the purpose.
And so diving into that and learningthe purpose of what it is that zoos
worldwide do and the conservationefforts to protect these species.
And, just those question markshas always been what's driven me.
Why does this species needthis or why do they need that?
(06:08):
And what can we do better to serve thatspecies and protect them in their natural
environment, but also protect the speciesfrom everything we can do in captivity.
Cliff Duvernois (06:18):
Certainly.
Yes.
So now you were talking abouthow you got your degree.
What'd you get your degree in?
Jeremiah Tietz (06:23):
I went to school for veterinary medicine.
Cliff Duvernois (06:25):
So you went to school, got veterinary medicine was
specifically because you had theeye on getting involved with zoo.
Did you ever at one pointin time say, I want to be,
Jeremiah Tietz (06:34):
It was that natural, like, Oh, I want to be,
involved with animals as a career.
And so you navigate towards, well,I'm going to be a veterinarian.
And then I realized, well, I don'treally want to deal with people sick.
Pets all the time.
And my passion was always morewith the wildlife side of things.
So, through, uh, you know, a lotof, different development there.
Um, you know, I ended up workingwith zoos for the last 25 years.
(06:55):
I'm working with the behind the scenes,the captive breeding programs And the
educational side of, of what zoos offer.
And, that's really where my
passion has stayed.
The veterinary medicine sideobviously is a very useful resource
to have up, up in the brain.
But, cause part of keeping live, healthyanimals is still making sure that, you
know, when they do get sick, everyonegets sick and everything can get sick
(07:15):
and making sure that we have the bestunderstanding of how to take care of that.
So, So it's a, it's a useful, youknow, useful skill skill set to
have, but definitely wasn't where Iwanted to put my whole entire career.
Cliff Duvernois (07:26):
Definitely.
When you graduated from college and.
At some point in time, you movedback to Michigan, during this time
and you're building your career, youwere telling me before that over the
years, you've worked with a thousand.
Zoos over a
How do you do that?
Are you, Mr.
Zoom?
I mean, are you , you know,how, how, how does that work?
Jeremiah Tietz (07:46):
It's been a lot of miles.
yeah, I've spent a lot of, a lotof years on the road, going from
one zoo to the next and, youknow, seeing where we can help.
At the same time, uh, running my, myother zoological facility, um, which,
you know, we've just focused on thatthe captive breeding side of things,
the conservation side of thingsfor some of the endangered species.
there's a network, among, zoos,organized network of maintaining,
(08:07):
genetics, so that the animals thatwe do raise in captivity have pure
genetics and that we're not inbreedingand crossbreeding and stuff like that.
So being able to help maintain thosewith the different species that
I've, I've worked with, and then dietprotocols for, for proper diets for zoo
animals, um, that's something that, has.
made leaps and bounds overthe last couple of decades.
(08:28):
you know, you look back, 30, 40years ago, the diets that, uh, zoos
had for animals were guesswork.
So there's, there's become a lot morescience to it where we've, made sure
that the diets that we feed are theappropriate ones for the species.
And, so that's where I focused a lotthe last, 20 So years is on that side
of, of the zoo industry and then alsohelping to develop the educational
(08:48):
side of it where, um, Without newgenerations being involved, all the
work we do now is just going to go away.
That's a huge thing is that, you know, Ireally want to see the younger generations
have this passion also, and that theycan learn more than what we've learned.
And they can take, what we've learned inour generation and keep going with it.
And so that we can preservethese animals and, the wildlife,
(09:09):
for many generations to come.
Cliff Duvernois (09:11):
So if you're doing work for over a thousand zoos.
You've done a good job ofpositioning yourself as an expert.
Jeremiah Tietz (09:19):
Some would say so.
So
Cliff Duvernois (09:20):
Now, how do you, how do you go about, I mean, cause this,
this whole world is like absolutelynow become very fascinating for me.
How is it that you can, marketyourself or get the word out?
Or is it word of mouth from zoo to zoo?
Like, Hey, you got to work with Jeremiah.
He's all that in a bag of chips.
Jeremiah Tietz (09:34):
A lot of it is word of mouth.
like I said, there is a prettytight network among a lot of zoos.
you know, where we docommunicate with each other.
You know, we, we are each other'sbest resources, there isn't a lot
of books and writing out there.
You can't just go flip through a book andbe like, Hey, if I want to know this about
this animal, you know, you really do haveto find the people with the experience
and, with the research that can help.
(09:55):
So we do try to help each other out a lot.
But yeah, a lot of it's word of mouth.
a lot of it, like I said, a lotof miles on the road and visiting
different facilities and getting toknow directors all over the place.
So, yeah, it's, it's, it's been, very,uh, exciting, life on, on the road
working with other zoos, but, extremelyexcited to, uh, plant some more roots
to be home here in our local community.
I've, like I said, I've lived in SaginawCounty for years and, so this is, um,
(10:19):
Me taking my experience and learningfrom the other zoos around the country
to put here into something that we canshare with, not just our local community,
but with all the visitors that we haveto this area, this area is wonderful.
We have a good destination forfamilies to come and visit.
Um, Yeah, I love theFrankenmuth area, Bertrand area.
It's, it's very focused on families.
And so I think it's a perfect spot tofocus, you know, my personal attention
(10:41):
and, my passions to try to do more here.
Cliff Duvernois (10:43):
So let's go back.
I want to explore something that you,that you mentioned there before about
concert conservation and how, like, thezoos are keeping in constant contact.
Cause I think for them, and look forsome guidance on this issue, but I
think for them it would be somethingwhere you know You want to make
sure that your animals are healthy.
You want to make sure that they'retaken care of, you know You don't
(11:04):
want lethargic animals or animals thatlook sick, you know when people are
bringing their families here They wantto see that the animals are engaged
that they are healthy that they'reactive that They're doing whatever.
So I think with this network hereand what you're talking about is
how can we make the quality oflife the best that we possibly can
Jeremiah Tietz (11:23):
Yeah, absolutely.
That's a huge part of, uh, you know,what we do here, what I've done,
you know, over the last 20 years.
You know, it's just, try tomake better environments for the
animals that are in captivity.
Um, and yeah, a happy, healthy animalis what people want to see, you know?
And that's obviously, youknow, what all zoos want to.
We want our animals to be happy.
We want them to be healthy and,for the work that we do with.
(11:45):
uh, endangered species or, um, threatenedspecies, the different breeding
programs that we do to make sure thosespecies survive, those animals aren't
going to breed in captivity if they'renot healthy, if they're not happy.
Providing an environment that givesthem everything that they need for their
physical needs, for dietary needs, mentalneeds, all That's extremely important
when it comes to successfully being ableto work with those conservation efforts.
(12:07):
So that's it's a big, um, sideof the animal, health side of it
and, and the business side of it.
It's, it's good business.
You have to have healthy animals,you know, um, but You know aside
from that, like you said, I mean,that's visitors want to see that too.
I mean, nobody wants to see, youknow, a situation that's, you
know, not the best for the animal.
So, strive very hard to make sure that,that we give them everything we can.
Cliff Duvernois (12:26):
Now, when we talk about, when you're talking about
animals, cause I know a part of thisis, you know, it wouldn't be complete
without some kind of conversationaround like endangered animals.
So what role do you see?
for the work that you're doing, right.
Specifically here at thewilderness trail zoo.
What is it that, that you see yourrole is in, in to helping to preserve?
(12:48):
These endangered animals.
Jeremiah Tietz (12:49):
Yeah.
So there's a, we have multiplespecies here that are endangered.
and there's a lot more species thatI've worked with, that are endangered
that aren't here at the zoo that wewill be introducing as a permanent
residents here to the zoo as well.
Um, all of those animals.
are.
Part of planned, captivebreeding programs.
they're called, SSP is one name forthem, which is a species survival plan.
(13:10):
Um, and those are all plans for keepingthose genetics pure, like I talked about.
And, but then also making sure that,the best viable animals are together
so that those offspring can thenalso be paired up with, future mates.
There are so many programs out therewith these captive, breeding programs
for endangered animals, where theanimals have been able to be re released
eventually back to the wild to helpto boost up the, the wild populations.
(13:32):
recently the Spix Macaw is one that, wasin, it was completely extinct in the wild.
And, uh, there was nomore left in the wild.
obviously critically endangeredin captivity, uh, captive breeding
programs and zoos, made it possiblewhere there were enough numbers
where they were able to reintroducethese Spix macaws to the wild.
And,
So now there are parts of South America,you can go to the rainforest where
(13:53):
there are wild flying Spix macaws again,because of the work that's been done
in captivity to save these species.
Cliff Duvernois (13:58):
So that's something I hear very little about.
Because I hear that's likebasically animals just go to a zoo.
And there they sit.
But this is the first time I'veactually heard that in reverse.
you've been able to grow theseendangered animals in the zoo
and then reintroduce them.
Jeremiah Tietz (14:11):
there was recently, uh, tigers that were reintroduced to
the wild that came, uh, through, uh,captive breeding programs as well.
Tigers are criticallyendangered as well in the wild.
so that was a huge deal thatjust recently happened this year.
there's several antelopespecies in Africa.
again, one of those was extinct in thewild and declared extinct in the wild
that was reintroduced to the wild.
so there has been some, some really bigmilestones when it comes to endangered
(14:33):
species And saving the species, there'sobviously a never ending, huge amount of
work to do when it goes into to continuingthat, which is, again, that's, that's
what we're here for, you know, besides.
The obvious, having a good time withyour family or your friends here
at the zoo and making the memories.
But, when you're here, what you do ispromoting our conservation efforts.
(14:53):
Um, we are a nonprofit organization.
So everything that we do here goesright back into our purpose, which is
for conservation and for education.
Yeah.
Cliff Duvernois (15:02):
And so now I get to ask the question, and I know it's not a very
happy topic, but the question basicallyis, when you talk about the extinction,
is it literally because and we'rehunting these things into extinction,
or we've just basically taken over theirenvironment and they're not thriving.
Jeremiah Tietz (15:17):
Yeah.
There's a lot of different circumstancesthat, that go into that and.
Unfortunately, a lot of it is humans, so,you know, I mean, I'd say the majority
of it is, just, negligence over the,centuries of not understanding the impact
of our activities in the wild and, huntingor, uh, clearing land for development
and stuff like that, taking awaynatural habitats, things that, In past
(15:40):
generations weren't really understood.
Nowadays there is a lot more regulation,um, countries worldwide have more
regulation on that where they arelimiting and preserving certain areas
of ground so that animals can have theirnatural habitats and limiting hunting.
And, the uh, efforts in othercountries for poaching and stuff
like that, cracking down on poachers,um, you know, have been huge.
(16:02):
So there's been a huge impact with theinitiatives put out, you know, with
conservationists and zoos, um, to push fornew legislation in different countries.
And, and that's made a huge impact, butthere's still a lot more that we need to
do.
And so.
Cliff Duvernois (16:14):
For our audience, we're going to take a quick break.
And thank our sponsors once again.
You're listening to Total Michigan.
My name is Cliff DuVernois.
Sitting with me today is Jeremiah Tietz.
Director of the Wilderness Trail Zoolocated just outside of Frankenmuth,
Michigan, and we will be rightback after we thank our sponsors.
Are you enjoying this episode?
Well, I can tell youthere's a lot more to come.
(16:34):
Jump over to TotalMichigan.
com, enter your email address,and get on our mailing list.
You'll get a list of the topfive episodes for the show.
Along with that, you'll getall kinds of behind the scenes
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com, enter your email address today.
Hello everyone, welcome back toTotal Michigan where we interview
(16:56):
ordinary Michiganders doing somepretty extraordinary things.
I'm your host Cliff DuVernois.
Today we're talking with JeremiahTietz, director of the Wilderness
Trail Zoo located just outsideof Frankenmuth, Michigan.
And Jeremiah, before the break, wewere talking about the zoo and working
to reintroduce endangered animals andAnd bringing that all into the wild,
(17:16):
but what I'd like to do is I'd liketo bring the story a little bit more
focused on the Wilderness Trail and Zoo.
Okay.
So how is it that youwound up coming here?
Jeremiah Tietz (17:26):
Oh, so I wound up coming here just, through my working
with other zoos over the years, uh,knowing the previous owners and,
uh, again, living locally to here.
So that was, uh, a big key part inme wanting to be a part of the zoo.
I've seen the work over theyears that the zoo has done here.
The, the family oriented atmospherethat they've kept, which was
a huge, huge thing for me.
(17:47):
my, my businesses I've ownedover the years, that's one
thing I focused on is family.
And, so I want this tobe a family destination.
It's the people that work here are family.
And, so that was a big part of it.
just being able to reach out to ourlocal community and, and do more here.
Cliff Duvernois (18:00):
Because I know, I know a part of this is, is that because you
were working before and you were talkingabout mileage, but you, when you talk
about family, you're really talking aboutlike you yourself decided it's time to
set down some roots and get deep into the
Jeremiah Tietz (18:11):
Five sons and, yep, my, my, my oldest being 23.
And, you know, so I had twoboys that are grown and gone.
I got three, they're stillhome and, I don't want to be
gone their entire childhood.
So this is a, you know, thisis definitely something where
they can be a part of this.
Also, they've, they've been a part ofmy businesses and, and, uh, working
with animals already, but this issomething where, uh, they can have
their friends come and their classescome to school and stuff like that.
(18:34):
And so it's important to us.
Cliff Duvernois (18:36):
So from the previous, owners right now,
you've taken it over, you're thedirector, they have since retired.
Correct.
Okay.
So when you came on thislast July, July of 2024.
What were some of the things that youcame in that you saw and said, you know
what, let's start changing how we do this.
Jeremiah Tietz (18:53):
Yeah.
as with any.
Um, facility, whatever it is, youknow, over time, things, need to be
repaired or updated and stuff like that.
So there are some animal enclosuresthat we have big plans on, um, just
updating, size of enclosures foranimals to make them a little more
comfortable, make it more natural looking.
So we've started on a lot of that.
We also have, made a lot ofinitiatives to add new things to have
(19:15):
more interactions with the public.
So that's, that's a big thing to me.
I want people to be able to be involvedand interact with things and that hands
on, experience is going to create more ofa memory and make a lasting impression.
And so we want to add as many things aswe can here that people can interact.
Um, we have a new rain forest buildingthat, gave you a little sneak peek of,
Cliff Duvernois (19:36):
that's cool.
So
Jeremiah Tietz (19:37):
going to be a exciting thing for the public to be able to see.
Cliff Duvernois (19:40):
now when we talk about the rainforest building, you
are talking about actually recreating.
Jeremiah Tietz (19:44):
the rain.
forest here with animals and everything.
Yeah.
Yep.
That's, uh, That's what we're doingis, uh, we are making basically a mini
ecosystem of the rainforest for peopleto be able to visit and it might be,
20 degrees outside, but we can stepin where it's 80 degrees and, uh, see
sloths and toucans and, uh, freshwaterstingrays and, uh, some of the,
endangered monkeys from the rainforest.
(20:05):
so it's something where people can getup close, actually get a visual, um, and.
have that memory of that.
from there, hopefully spark a passionand how they can get involved too.
So,
yeah.
Yeah.
Um, so yeah, that,that's a big part of it.
Um, we've got, some new areas in thezoo we've been building, uh, Oh, event
areas for people to be able to havebirthday parties here and to have,
gatherings for businesses or schoolgroups or whatever, just so that
(20:27):
people can not just come to themselves.
They can bring a group of people andenjoy, you know, a day at the zoo.
a lot of different ways that we'retrying to add more to the facilities,
making it more accessible forhandicap accessibility, and, not
just wheelchair accessibility,but for people of all needs.
I want this to be a safe and friendlyplace for everyone, and so the more
people, no matter, um, what your walk inlife is, I want them to be welcome here
(20:52):
and to be able to enjoy what we have And
to be part of things.
Cliff Duvernois (20:56):
and before you made a comment about how there's
100 different species.
Jeremiah Tietz (21:01):
There's, I don't remember the exact count, but there's a lot Yeah.
During the summertime, uh,
Cliff Duvernois (21:04):
when it's
Jeremiah Tietz (21:05):
warmer out, we have, around 800 to 900 animals total here.
Um, So
this time of year, some of theanimals go back inside for the
wintertime because it is cold out.
Yeah.
Yeah.
we do have a lot of animals, that.
That do like the cold,that are still here.
That is one thing that we'vechanged this year where the
public can come and see some
of our animals that arewinter, uh, uh, loving species.
(21:25):
And they can come through thezoo in the winter time when
before it used to be closed.
So now, uh, if you want to take a strollin the snow and, you know, see some of
our, our animals out there, you can,yeah, in the summertime we do have, all
the warm weather animals come back out.
Um, which we were talking duringthe break about the reptiles.
Um, you know, so that would be, uh,our reptile area on the summertime.
(21:45):
Um, we've got a really cool reptilearea set up like an old West village.
That's kind of a crowdfavorite around here.
And, A little history on that.
Um, we've got a couple here that'sbeen with the zoo for 20 years.
they've been a key part of helping buildthings around here and be part of it,
but they also run a reptile rescue.
so what is, when you talk about a reptilerescue, you talk to us, what is that?
(22:06):
So, you know, a lot of times people will,will go and buy a, Pet snake or a tortoise
or a lizard or whatever to pet store andthey think, Oh, this is a great idea.
And they don't realize that theseanimals live for a long time and
some of them can get really big.
And, uh, you know, uh, example, uh,sulcata tortoises, they're cute when
they're little, you know, they'relittle and they're the size of a
golf ball, but, you know, you givethem, 10, 15 years And, uh, you know,
(22:27):
you got these tortoises that can grow up.
A couple hundred pounds.
Yeah.
And sometimes people don't realizethis, the commitment of the time and
the size and what the animals need.
And unfortunately that leads to where ananimal's in need of a new place to go.
right?
So
we offer that not just for thereptiles, but for other animals as well.
Um, you know, we, we try to help outany time that comes up where there's
(22:47):
an animal that needs place to go.
We'll do what we can to makesure we give it a place to go.
Um, but the reptile rescue, um, at Chrisand Karen here, um, They ran for years,
the area in the zoo, like I said, thisis a really fun spot for people to go
through and see some of the reptiles.
And then, all the donations and stufffor the reptile area go directly to them.
It goes directly towards taking careof those reptiles in the rescue.
(23:09):
we have some reptile, awarenessfun weekends during the summertime.
We'll do reptile weekends where
people come out and get pictures with,the big snakes or with alligators
and feed the tortoises and stuff.
And, um, so just to bringmore awareness and education
that, these reptiles are not.
Scary, creepy, crawly animals.
They're animals that needattention and they need care
too.
Cliff Duvernois (23:26):
care
too.
And yeah, cause when you talkabout, Karen was mentioning, for
instance, that the one, the oneturtle that they have 300 pounds.
And she's like, that thing willrip the toilet out of here.
And I, that right there wasjust a very powerful image of
the damage, but also the size.
It's huge.
I mean, we were used to thinkingabout these little teeny tiny
Jeremiah Tietz (23:45):
drums,
Cliff Duvernois (23:45):
but to imagine that one can get
Jeremiah Tietz (23:47):
big.
Yeah, they get that big, And if theywant to go through the wall in your
house, they'll go right through it.
so obviously not an animal thatmakes an ideal pet unless you're
going to build yourself a.
Concrete bunker.
But, we offer those animals a place to, beable to live out their life and be taken
care of, you know, with the best feedthey can get best vet care they can get.
And, you know, we makesure they're taken care of.
And, sometimes we get animals thatcome out of, you know, unfortunately,
(24:10):
abuse situations will come in withinjuries or with nutritional deficits
where they weren't taking care of.
right.
And So we can, you know, we can putthat time and resources into making
sure that they're back healthy again,and that they can live out their life.
Cliff Duvernois (24:21):
So what about we, because you mentioned something here
about a reptile rescue, how importantis it for you to be working with
other rescues or other zoos or other,like you were talking about the SSP.
Yeah.
Yes.
All of these different, organizationsout there with your zoo.
Cause it's, it's, I'm loving this.
I'm loving this idea about a collaborativeapproach to not only provide a good
(24:44):
experience for everybody coming in.
But also, too, is making sure thatyou're really taking care of the
animals and how you're all working
Jeremiah Tietz (24:50):
Well, that's what it's all about.
I mean, it has to be about that.
If you're not all about takingcare of the animals first and
the rest of it doesn't matter.
And so with that being said, there isa big group of us that work together.
and it is very important.
there might be something that I specializein that another facility doesn't and they
can come to me if they have a problem.
And, we'll offerassistance and vice versa.
(25:10):
if someone, calls us.
And they say, Hey, we have a injuredraccoon or something like that.
That's not my area of expertise.
I don't deal with a lot ofnative species, You know?
So there are other rescues that wecan be like, Hey, okay, this is the
person that we need to call, or ifyou bring it to us, we'll make sure
it gets to that proper facility.
so working together with otherfacilities is, is a huge part of.
(25:31):
Keeping, you know, all of theseanimals, all those different
wildlife safe and healthy.
So
Cliff Duvernois (25:35):
You were talking to him before about creating like
facilities for people to comehere and bring a group of people.
This made me laugh out loudwhen you talked about having
these black footed penguins
being the ring bearer at a wedding.
That cracks
Jeremiah Tietz (25:49):
me up.
Is that really a thing?
It's, It's,
something that, uh, yeah, so wehave a couple of black footed
penguins that were, um, they weredonated to us from another facility.
And so we're in the process right now of.
finishing up our fundraisingto get the building done.
And, um, we've got thebuilding materials out
there and, but yeah, these penguinsare already trained where they
love following people around.
They love attention.
Um, and they're verypeople oriented, penguins.
(26:11):
So I don't think it'd be very, uh, faroff to say that they could, they could
walk down an aisle with, uh, Yeah, andthe penguin, uh, building will be right
adjacent to our outdoor event area.
So it is, uh, it is something that,I have to look forward to the,
future of the summer and then, uh,and get some videos of that for you.
Cliff Duvernois (26:28):
No, this is great.
I absolutely love that.
And so, from your perspectivehere, because you're,
you're the director, right?
you're implementing all these changes.
You got new construction going on,working with all these facilities.
people just call you up and be like,Hey, I got a black footed penguin.
Do you want it?
Nobody calls me and asks meto take a penguin, by the way.
but you're, you've gotall these ideas, motions.
Tell me something.
What is your goal whenpeople come here to visit?
(26:53):
They bring their family, theybring their kids, whatever it is.
But what is your goal when they come here?
Jeremiah Tietz (26:57):
My main goal is that they walk away with a positive memory
and, having a positive experiencehere at the zoo is my number one goal.
And that can come in a lot ofdifferent shapes and forms, What I
may consider a positive experiencemight be different to you.
I might walk out there and be like, Oh,I love talking to that bird out there.
And, and the next person mightbe like, wow, I loved watching
(27:17):
the wolves run around, you know?
And so everyone has something thatmight touch them more than others.
and it might be somethingeven non animal related.
It might be that people, we have peoplethat come that love to just walk the
trail in summertime because we havenice shaded trails and so it's just
a matter of getting out in nature.
My main goal is that when peopleleave here that they had a positive
(27:38):
experience and that they walk away happy.
Um, if they walk away happy,it's something that they
can share with other people.
And if Other people realizethe work that we're doing here?
then they want to get involved orthey want to come and see also.
so that's our biggest thing is,is having people be involved.
we have a lot of people come outand volunteer and, you know, to help
with things in the summertime And
the spring and, justgetting that involvement.
(27:59):
Where the more involvement we have, themore we can do to, at the same time,
teach the public of what it is, theimportance of what we're doing here.
So, yeah, yeah, so my, my personalgoal is on the education side.
I want people to learn, I want themto walk away learning, but for them to
learn, they need to enjoy what they're
Cliff Duvernois (28:15):
seeing.
Sure.
Yeah.
And Jeremiah, if somebody is listeningto this, this episode and they want to
come by, they want to check you out.
They want to find you online, seeall the cool pictures you guys got,
because your social media reallyis blowing up now, which is great.
So talk to us, where can they find you?
Jeremiah Tietz (28:33):
wildernesstrailszoo.
org is our website.
that's got all the informationfor, uh, ticket pricing, membership
pricing, sponsorship pricing, um,our ways to get involved if you?
want to volunteer, allthat kind of information.
we have a new website that we'll belaunching here in a couple of weeks.
That's completely updated.
So excited about that.
that way there's more ways toget involved through our website.
You can see a lot more of whatwe're doing, updated calendar of
(28:54):
events, um, as we're adding moreand more events, to the season.
also on Facebook, Wilderness TrailZoo and, Instagram, uh, we've Tik
Tok and Snapchat and you name it.
Uh, you can find us anywhere, but yeah,Wilderness Trails Zoo, just look it
up and, uh, follow us, like us, shareus and all that kind of good stuff.
Cliff Duvernois (29:11):
Jeremiah, thank you so much for taking
time to chat with us today.
I really appreciate it.
And for our audience, you can alwaysroll on over to TotalMichigan.
com and click on Jeremiah's interview.
to get the links that he mentioned above.
We'll see you next time when wetalk to another Michigander doing
some pretty extraordinary things.
We'll see you then.
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