August 17, 2024 • 20 mins
A big change is on the way over the next few months for two long-time local zoos. John Linehan has led the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston and Stone Zoo in Stoneham - known together as Zoo New England - for decades. Now, he says it's time for him to step aside. John returns to the show to talk with Nichole about his work in conservation, why he thinks now is the time to leave, and the beloved animals he's been able to forge lasting connections with over the years.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England
Weekend where each and every week we come together we
talk about all the topics important to you and the
place where you live. So good to be back with
you again this week. I'm Nicole Davis. They, whoever they
might be, say, all good things must come to an end,
and that is definitely the case right now at Zoo
(00:27):
New England. See John Lenehan has been a very familiar
face at the properties in Boston and Stoneham for several decades,
and now he says it's time for him to take
his next step away from the zoo. He's made quite
the impact over the years, from spearheading conservation programs worldwide
to enhancing the zoo experience as you make your way
through the grounds. John is here with us to talk
(00:47):
about his decision. We'll talk about his years at the zoo,
the animals. John has been here before, so you know,
it's great to have you back for another chat. Thank
you for your time. Let's just kind of rip off
the band aid, get right to it. Why did you
decide to step aside? Now? What brought about this decision?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I have put so much of my life into these
zoos and moving the mission ahead, moving the institutions ahead.
We've built a great team, and frankly, in some cases,
my family is born the brunt of all that, you know,
time and dedication that I've put into it. I've now
(01:25):
got four grandkids and a fifth on the way. Oh
and I want to be able to spend a little
time with them while they're little. And yet I want
to continue to help the zoos move ahead and keep
getting better and better.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yeah, and you've done so much great work to not
just unify the zoos but also really advance the efforts
of conservation there. So let's talk about what you think
some of your biggest achievements are during your time there.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Well, you know, there have been a lot, But one
thing I'd like to make clear is they aren't just
my achievements. They are the achievements of so many people.
And you know, the growth of our zoo, the quality
of our facilities, and you know, in many ways, most
importantly the quality of the staff that are at the
(02:15):
zoo's now is just something that I'm immensely proud of.
We've built a lot of great new habitats and improved facilities,
but our programming has gone so many miles beyond where
it was, and we're doing so much great conservation work,
(02:36):
so much unique education work, and frankly, we're achieving a
lot of the things that I once only dreamed of.
And so it's not that it's by any means a
finished product, but we have come miles and I'm really
proud of so much, everything from the animal training programs.
(03:00):
You know, we do this conditioning to facilitate the healthcare
of the animals, it's just amazing, and so many things
to enhance their quality of life, and the you know, frankly,
the list of achievements that we as a team have
achieved are pretty immense. But you know, exhibits ranging from
(03:24):
the New children Zoo at Franklin Park, Gorilla Grove, even
the Lion exhibit, you know, taking another nonprofit that we
used to collaborate with and folding them into Zoo New England,
and building an incredibly effective field conservation program where we're
doing conservation globally and as well as a ton of
(03:47):
it regionally here in New England. All of these things
are you know, come together. It's not the institution it
was when I got here, and that's really the end
product of a lot of great teamwork.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Yeah, zoos are a cornerstone of communities, I think, and
you can look to the global impact as you just mentioned,
and obviously with the conservation work you do over there,
it is making a global impact. But talk with me
a little bit about how you've noticed through your time
at Zoo New England, how at Franklin Park, how at
the Stone Zoo you have been able to make a
(04:23):
stronger connection with your communities.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Sure, I think most importantly is the type and quality
of programming we're doing, and that you know, when I started,
we weren't doing much of anything at all, frankly, and
we've just celebrated the twenty fifth year of our Zoo
Teen program, which is it's truly a life changing program
(04:47):
that helps an awful lot of teens get a new
direction for their life and one that's very positive for
our sort of future as a species and as a planet.
But I think, you know, beyond that, we're doing everything
from summer school to Zoo camps that are just you know,
(05:08):
they're they're both fun and and extremely educational. We're we're
just launching into doing some new preschool programs and and
so I'm really excited about that, about getting the learning
and education and orientation that we want people to carry
(05:29):
with them throughout their lives, planted early early in life
and having that positive impact. But I think the events
we do Boston Lights has just begun and that'll be
running through November early November, and we get so many
thanks from the people in the community for that program,
(05:51):
and we integrate our conservation messaging throughout it, and so
it's it's the zoos have have become places where people
are having a great time but also taking away meaningful
learning and just you know, it's a motivator for people
(06:11):
to really treat the planet better and our and our
the animals that we share it with. And I think
one of the biggest things I've I've learned over the
years is that in order to have effective conservation, you
have to really be working with the people that live
(06:32):
where the animals are, and whether that be on on
an international basis or on a regional basis or a
local basis. We are bringing kids in we you know,
this year we've got over two thousand kids that are
head starting wild turtles to be returned into the wild.
It is you know, they they raise the turtles and
(06:53):
classrooms through the whole school year and then do a
field trip to release them. And they've learned so much
in that process, both you know, stem learning, but also
caring and empathy and making each of those kids are
then getting an opportunity to make a positive difference in
the world and helping to recover threatened species. So it's
(07:15):
all these things are such exciting pieces, and they're all
the result of putting together a great team that has
great creativity and commitment and skills, and so it's been
a unique opportunity for me to be able to do
(07:35):
something that I look forward to every single day over
all those years and come into work excited and looking
forward to the next achievement.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
You talked about kids a moment ago, and I was
thinking about that because they talk a lot about how
gen Z and gen Altha, these kids are really technology
based and not you know, there's a lot of talk about, oh,
they don't get out and play anymore, they don't want
to be outside anymore. I truly believe though, that no
matter how old a child is or what generation a
child comes from. And maybe you having been there for
(08:06):
a couple of decades now can confirm this for me.
You bring a kid to the zoo, they're going to
have a great time. They're going to get out of
the tablet, they're going to go out there, they're going
to enjoy the animals. They don't care about any of
the other stuff. They just want to be one on
one with the animals.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Yes, it's the difference between watching an animal on TV
and really seeing it up close and personal and live
and in some cases having the opportunity to actually have
a positive interaction with that animal. And you see it
all the time. You see how the kid's eyes laid up.
I was just oh yesterday, and the authentic smile and
(08:45):
laughing and not laughing at but just enjoyment that the
young people are getting. And that program to release them
into the wild is actually taking a lot of urban
young people who have never been literally never been in
the woods and opening up a whole new opportunity for them.
And they're talking about it in that way, and so
(09:07):
it's it's just amazing the impact the zoo is having
on young people. And we are in many ways an
alternative to technology. We obviously have to use technology in
the work we do, and in some cases it becomes
a tool, but it's not something. It's something that can't
(09:27):
possibly replace the real thing, the live interactive animal that
has a life just like yours. That helps to build
that empathy and understanding that that reorients young people to
having a different perspective on life on earth.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Well, you never know, you might be helping to spark
the next generation of zoo keepers and conservationists and kind
of in that vein. You know, you have watched generations
of zookeepers kind of grow up and come into the
business or the industry. I sh say, it's not really
a business. Tell me about how you've seen conservation itself
(10:05):
evolve through your time at Zoo New England. You guys
are really front and center when it comes to conservation.
I know that much. And what do you see happening
in the future in the next few months and years?
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Sure, I think that, you know, for us conservation You know,
when I first started, frankly, it was it was a luxury.
The only thing we were doing was were these carefully
orchestrated breeding programs internally, But conservation has become something that
we then started providing some funding to some field conservation
(10:36):
projects and now We are front and center in the
middle of conservation work in places as far away as
Mongolia and Panama and Madagascar, but we're also in Lowell,
and we're in southern New Hampshire, and we're in Boston,
(10:58):
and we're bringing young people into it literally physically into
it to do these releases, to be in the animal's habitat,
to appreciate how important it is and how that animal
fits into the ecology of that habitat, that environment, and
and how you know, we modeled our whole children's do
(11:18):
around that concept of having kids understand that in many ways,
an ecosystem is the equivalent of a neighborhood where you
have that the diverse work that people do that live
in your neighborhood to make it a healthy neighborhood. But
that's how nature works, that you know, an ecosystem requires
biodiversity to be healthy, and so we try to make
(11:43):
that bring that message to the young people through through
the familiarity of a neighborhood. And so we are we
are definitely the sort of alternative to technology that brings
things back to life, to real life, the importance of
really not going in and just doing conservation activity, but
(12:09):
of engaging the people who live around the areas where
the animals live, and whether that be in Madagascar where
we've got this great one health project going, or if
it's you know, in Conquered where where we have people
phoning in when they see some of these threatened turtles
in their yard or you know, and they're laying eggs.
(12:30):
So it's it's getting people involved is how you make
conservations sustainable over the long run. You know, it's not
just it's then not just a project our project. It's
it's you know, collectively our project. It's not just the
zoos project.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Well of course, I mean, because it's it's collectively our planet, right,
so we all have to get.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Involved, that's right, and that's exactly what we're striving for
and to create that that next generation of stewards to
take care of the planet and maybe better than we did.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
You and me both I agree on that. So then
let's talk about what comes next for you, because we've
talked about what's coming next for conservation. But you are
stepping away. Obviously, you're going to go hang out with
your family and your grandkids are going to be a grandpa,
which is awesome, But you said that you're going to
stay connected with the zoo and stay connected essentially with conservations.
(13:21):
So what do you think comes next for you?
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Well, you know, there might be some new adventures. I
will be leading a trip from the zoo to to
Uganda next summer, but to see the mountain gorillas and
chimpanzees and all that. But you know, to me, eco
(13:43):
tourism is one aspect, but being able to get out
in the field more often and working to get young
people more engaged with conservation is something I'm really passionate about.
I want to stay involved with the zoo and continue it.
It's advancement, you know, on a less than full time basis,
(14:04):
but also spend some time with my grandkids while they
are little and young, and so it's going to be
a bit freeing after all these years I've I've you know,
these to be my you know, dedication to what we're
trying to achieve. I've been tethered to the zoo for
(14:24):
over four decades now, and and it's it's time to
I think I'm excited that we can look at bringing
in new leadership that might have different ways of approaching
things and and just take us to the next level,
and you know, we've already gone through a pretty dramatic transformation,
but I don't think we're anywhere near our full potential yet.
(14:48):
So I'm still excited about the future and and what
can be achieved. And so it's you know, this is
this is a passion, and and I would like to
be able to continue helping out however I can.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
What do you want to see in your successor? You know,
I'm sure the process is getting underway to try to
pick who's going to be next to take the reins,
so to speak. But who would your perfect successor look like?
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Well, it's going to be somebody who comes in with
a strong set of skills but also has a really
deep commitment to the mission. You know, everybody that work
works here is is so dedicated to our mission from
top to bottom. And to lead a group like that,
you have to have that passion. You have to understand
(15:35):
that passion. But yet it is you said earlier, it's
not a business, but there is still a business component
to it. We need to make money so we can
accomplish our mission. And so whether it be business skills,
whether it be fundraising skills, whether it be whatever they
(15:57):
bring and then building continuing to build team around them
that that will take us to the next level. We
are we have become leaders in a number of things
already and we can do more.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
What's happening while that search is underway.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Well, we you know, as I mentioned earlier, we have
that Boston Lights program which is this one's the best
one ever. And we just open Butterfly Oasis at Stone Zoo.
We're going to have a bunch of Halloween events and
ales and tails and other events. We're always coming up
with ways to get new people engaged at the zoo.
(16:35):
We'll have the debut of our new orphaned cougars. They're
debuting at their new habitat at Stone Zoo and they
just got here from California. And we will have you know,
new babies and new programs where we're working on new
(16:56):
revenue generating opportunities that people will love. And so it's
it's it is a business, but it's a fun and
exciting business that has a real meaning behind it.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
So final question for you, you have worked with a
lot of animals. What are some of your favorite animals
that you have found a special connection with in your
time there.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Well, it's been a long time. So there's a bunch
that jump right to the forefront. But they you know,
the list is a little bit endless. But I remember
in my early days, I had I had a you
probably don't know what it is, but a razor billed
carrasso named Teddy that when I was when I was
(17:38):
a keeper and cleaning the flight cage. He would walk
along with me and we'd share my coffee in the morning.
He'd stick his head right in the cup and drink
them so cute. If you saw him, you would even
get more of an appreciation. It's it's it's a large
bird that is about high and walked alongside me. There
(18:03):
was Cookie the cockatoo, who was an old lady cockatoo
who would just talk up a storm with you all
day long. There was Frisco the Grevy's hebra, who you know,
we raised since he was born here and he and
I became the best of friends. Christopher the lion, Boe
(18:27):
the giraffe, who you know, we brought through a number
of health crises and really taught us the the how
having a great trust bond with the animals can help
us to really help them thrive. And of course a
little Joe the gorilla who continues to amaze me every day.
(18:48):
You know, he's just he's a real silver back now.
And our little Pablo looks up to him all the
time and follows him like a shadow at times. But
you know, there is just an endless list of these
animals that have not only amazed me but taught me
so much. You know. The so often we say, oh
(19:12):
a gorilla is isn't that? You know? How smart are they?
And what these animals have helped me learn is that
intelligence is not it should not always be characterized as
how humans characterize intelligence. Some of these animals have intelligences
that we almost can't even relate to. And so you
(19:33):
have a newfound respect and you know, the opportunity to
learn every day, you know, even for a guy who's
been here for more than forty years, it's it's really
exciting and it's really fun, and it's really something when
I go home at night and share it with my
wife or kids or you know, you know what happened today.
It's it's just I've had that rare opportunity and I'm
(19:56):
very thankful for it.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Well, let's then talk really quickly. Let's wrap this up
give people the information that they need to connect with
you all at the Zoo, your website, social media, so
on and so forth.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Sure, well, we're on all the social media's and very
active on it. But our website is zoom too England
dot org and it's a great place to see all
the new stuff that's happening and all the great programs
we have running on a regular basis.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
Okay, well, John, I appreciate your time, not just here
but also at the Zoo's. Thank you for all the
work you've done, and best of luck as you enter
this new stage of your life.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Nicole, Hey, have a safe and healthy weekend. Join me
again next week for another edition of the show. I'm
Nicole Davis from WBZ News Radio on iHeartRadio.
From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England
Weekend where each and every week we come together we
talk about all the topics important to you and the
place where you live. So good to be back with
you again this week. I'm Nicole Davis. They, whoever they
might be, say, all good things must come to an end,
and that is definitely the case right now at Zoo
(00:27):
New England. See John Lenehan has been a very familiar
face at the properties in Boston and Stoneham for several decades,
and now he says it's time for him to take
his next step away from the zoo. He's made quite
the impact over the years, from spearheading conservation programs worldwide
to enhancing the zoo experience as you make your way
through the grounds. John is here with us to talk
(00:47):
about his decision. We'll talk about his years at the zoo,
the animals. John has been here before, so you know,
it's great to have you back for another chat. Thank
you for your time. Let's just kind of rip off
the band aid, get right to it. Why did you
decide to step aside? Now? What brought about this decision?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I have put so much of my life into these
zoos and moving the mission ahead, moving the institutions ahead.
We've built a great team, and frankly, in some cases,
my family is born the brunt of all that, you know,
time and dedication that I've put into it. I've now
(01:25):
got four grandkids and a fifth on the way. Oh
and I want to be able to spend a little
time with them while they're little. And yet I want
to continue to help the zoos move ahead and keep
getting better and better.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yeah, and you've done so much great work to not
just unify the zoos but also really advance the efforts
of conservation there. So let's talk about what you think
some of your biggest achievements are during your time there.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Well, you know, there have been a lot, But one
thing I'd like to make clear is they aren't just
my achievements. They are the achievements of so many people.
And you know, the growth of our zoo, the quality
of our facilities, and you know, in many ways, most
importantly the quality of the staff that are at the
(02:15):
zoo's now is just something that I'm immensely proud of.
We've built a lot of great new habitats and improved facilities,
but our programming has gone so many miles beyond where
it was, and we're doing so much great conservation work,
(02:36):
so much unique education work, and frankly, we're achieving a
lot of the things that I once only dreamed of.
And so it's not that it's by any means a
finished product, but we have come miles and I'm really
proud of so much, everything from the animal training programs.
(03:00):
You know, we do this conditioning to facilitate the healthcare
of the animals, it's just amazing, and so many things
to enhance their quality of life, and the you know, frankly,
the list of achievements that we as a team have
achieved are pretty immense. But you know, exhibits ranging from
(03:24):
the New children Zoo at Franklin Park, Gorilla Grove, even
the Lion exhibit, you know, taking another nonprofit that we
used to collaborate with and folding them into Zoo New England,
and building an incredibly effective field conservation program where we're
doing conservation globally and as well as a ton of
(03:47):
it regionally here in New England. All of these things
are you know, come together. It's not the institution it
was when I got here, and that's really the end
product of a lot of great teamwork.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Yeah, zoos are a cornerstone of communities, I think, and
you can look to the global impact as you just mentioned,
and obviously with the conservation work you do over there,
it is making a global impact. But talk with me
a little bit about how you've noticed through your time
at Zoo New England, how at Franklin Park, how at
the Stone Zoo you have been able to make a
(04:23):
stronger connection with your communities.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Sure, I think most importantly is the type and quality
of programming we're doing, and that you know, when I started,
we weren't doing much of anything at all, frankly, and
we've just celebrated the twenty fifth year of our Zoo
Teen program, which is it's truly a life changing program
(04:47):
that helps an awful lot of teens get a new
direction for their life and one that's very positive for
our sort of future as a species and as a planet.
But I think, you know, beyond that, we're doing everything
from summer school to Zoo camps that are just you know,
(05:08):
they're they're both fun and and extremely educational. We're we're
just launching into doing some new preschool programs and and
so I'm really excited about that, about getting the learning
and education and orientation that we want people to carry
(05:29):
with them throughout their lives, planted early early in life
and having that positive impact. But I think the events
we do Boston Lights has just begun and that'll be
running through November early November, and we get so many
thanks from the people in the community for that program,
(05:51):
and we integrate our conservation messaging throughout it, and so
it's it's the zoos have have become places where people
are having a great time but also taking away meaningful
learning and just you know, it's a motivator for people
(06:11):
to really treat the planet better and our and our
the animals that we share it with. And I think
one of the biggest things I've I've learned over the
years is that in order to have effective conservation, you
have to really be working with the people that live
(06:32):
where the animals are, and whether that be on on
an international basis or on a regional basis or a
local basis. We are bringing kids in we you know,
this year we've got over two thousand kids that are
head starting wild turtles to be returned into the wild.
It is you know, they they raise the turtles and
(06:53):
classrooms through the whole school year and then do a
field trip to release them. And they've learned so much
in that process, both you know, stem learning, but also
caring and empathy and making each of those kids are
then getting an opportunity to make a positive difference in
the world and helping to recover threatened species. So it's
(07:15):
all these things are such exciting pieces, and they're all
the result of putting together a great team that has
great creativity and commitment and skills, and so it's been
a unique opportunity for me to be able to do
(07:35):
something that I look forward to every single day over
all those years and come into work excited and looking
forward to the next achievement.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
You talked about kids a moment ago, and I was
thinking about that because they talk a lot about how
gen Z and gen Altha, these kids are really technology
based and not you know, there's a lot of talk about, oh,
they don't get out and play anymore, they don't want
to be outside anymore. I truly believe though, that no
matter how old a child is or what generation a
child comes from. And maybe you having been there for
(08:06):
a couple of decades now can confirm this for me.
You bring a kid to the zoo, they're going to
have a great time. They're going to get out of
the tablet, they're going to go out there, they're going
to enjoy the animals. They don't care about any of
the other stuff. They just want to be one on
one with the animals.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Yes, it's the difference between watching an animal on TV
and really seeing it up close and personal and live
and in some cases having the opportunity to actually have
a positive interaction with that animal. And you see it
all the time. You see how the kid's eyes laid up.
I was just oh yesterday, and the authentic smile and
(08:45):
laughing and not laughing at but just enjoyment that the
young people are getting. And that program to release them
into the wild is actually taking a lot of urban
young people who have never been literally never been in
the woods and opening up a whole new opportunity for them.
And they're talking about it in that way, and so
(09:07):
it's it's just amazing the impact the zoo is having
on young people. And we are in many ways an
alternative to technology. We obviously have to use technology in
the work we do, and in some cases it becomes
a tool, but it's not something. It's something that can't
(09:27):
possibly replace the real thing, the live interactive animal that
has a life just like yours. That helps to build
that empathy and understanding that that reorients young people to
having a different perspective on life on earth.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Well, you never know, you might be helping to spark
the next generation of zoo keepers and conservationists and kind
of in that vein. You know, you have watched generations
of zookeepers kind of grow up and come into the
business or the industry. I sh say, it's not really
a business. Tell me about how you've seen conservation itself
(10:05):
evolve through your time at Zoo New England. You guys
are really front and center when it comes to conservation.
I know that much. And what do you see happening
in the future in the next few months and years?
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Sure, I think that, you know, for us conservation You know,
when I first started, frankly, it was it was a luxury.
The only thing we were doing was were these carefully
orchestrated breeding programs internally, But conservation has become something that
we then started providing some funding to some field conservation
(10:36):
projects and now We are front and center in the
middle of conservation work in places as far away as
Mongolia and Panama and Madagascar, but we're also in Lowell,
and we're in southern New Hampshire, and we're in Boston,
(10:58):
and we're bringing young people into it literally physically into
it to do these releases, to be in the animal's habitat,
to appreciate how important it is and how that animal
fits into the ecology of that habitat, that environment, and
and how you know, we modeled our whole children's do
(11:18):
around that concept of having kids understand that in many ways,
an ecosystem is the equivalent of a neighborhood where you
have that the diverse work that people do that live
in your neighborhood to make it a healthy neighborhood. But
that's how nature works, that you know, an ecosystem requires
biodiversity to be healthy, and so we try to make
(11:43):
that bring that message to the young people through through
the familiarity of a neighborhood. And so we are we
are definitely the sort of alternative to technology that brings
things back to life, to real life, the importance of
really not going in and just doing conservation activity, but
(12:09):
of engaging the people who live around the areas where
the animals live, and whether that be in Madagascar where
we've got this great one health project going, or if
it's you know, in Conquered where where we have people
phoning in when they see some of these threatened turtles
in their yard or you know, and they're laying eggs.
(12:30):
So it's it's getting people involved is how you make
conservations sustainable over the long run. You know, it's not
just it's then not just a project our project. It's
it's you know, collectively our project. It's not just the
zoos project.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Well of course, I mean, because it's it's collectively our planet, right,
so we all have to get.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Involved, that's right, and that's exactly what we're striving for
and to create that that next generation of stewards to
take care of the planet and maybe better than we did.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
You and me both I agree on that. So then
let's talk about what comes next for you, because we've
talked about what's coming next for conservation. But you are
stepping away. Obviously, you're going to go hang out with
your family and your grandkids are going to be a grandpa,
which is awesome, But you said that you're going to
stay connected with the zoo and stay connected essentially with conservations.
(13:21):
So what do you think comes next for you?
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Well, you know, there might be some new adventures. I
will be leading a trip from the zoo to to
Uganda next summer, but to see the mountain gorillas and
chimpanzees and all that. But you know, to me, eco
(13:43):
tourism is one aspect, but being able to get out
in the field more often and working to get young
people more engaged with conservation is something I'm really passionate about.
I want to stay involved with the zoo and continue it.
It's advancement, you know, on a less than full time basis,
(14:04):
but also spend some time with my grandkids while they
are little and young, and so it's going to be
a bit freeing after all these years I've I've you know,
these to be my you know, dedication to what we're
trying to achieve. I've been tethered to the zoo for
(14:24):
over four decades now, and and it's it's time to
I think I'm excited that we can look at bringing
in new leadership that might have different ways of approaching
things and and just take us to the next level,
and you know, we've already gone through a pretty dramatic transformation,
but I don't think we're anywhere near our full potential yet.
(14:48):
So I'm still excited about the future and and what
can be achieved. And so it's you know, this is
this is a passion, and and I would like to
be able to continue helping out however I can.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
What do you want to see in your successor? You know,
I'm sure the process is getting underway to try to
pick who's going to be next to take the reins,
so to speak. But who would your perfect successor look like?
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Well, it's going to be somebody who comes in with
a strong set of skills but also has a really
deep commitment to the mission. You know, everybody that work
works here is is so dedicated to our mission from
top to bottom. And to lead a group like that,
you have to have that passion. You have to understand
(15:35):
that passion. But yet it is you said earlier, it's
not a business, but there is still a business component
to it. We need to make money so we can
accomplish our mission. And so whether it be business skills,
whether it be fundraising skills, whether it be whatever they
(15:57):
bring and then building continuing to build team around them
that that will take us to the next level. We
are we have become leaders in a number of things
already and we can do more.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
What's happening while that search is underway.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Well, we you know, as I mentioned earlier, we have
that Boston Lights program which is this one's the best
one ever. And we just open Butterfly Oasis at Stone Zoo.
We're going to have a bunch of Halloween events and
ales and tails and other events. We're always coming up
with ways to get new people engaged at the zoo.
(16:35):
We'll have the debut of our new orphaned cougars. They're
debuting at their new habitat at Stone Zoo and they
just got here from California. And we will have you know,
new babies and new programs where we're working on new
(16:56):
revenue generating opportunities that people will love. And so it's
it's it is a business, but it's a fun and
exciting business that has a real meaning behind it.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
So final question for you, you have worked with a
lot of animals. What are some of your favorite animals
that you have found a special connection with in your
time there.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Well, it's been a long time. So there's a bunch
that jump right to the forefront. But they you know,
the list is a little bit endless. But I remember
in my early days, I had I had a you
probably don't know what it is, but a razor billed
carrasso named Teddy that when I was when I was
(17:38):
a keeper and cleaning the flight cage. He would walk
along with me and we'd share my coffee in the morning.
He'd stick his head right in the cup and drink
them so cute. If you saw him, you would even
get more of an appreciation. It's it's it's a large
bird that is about high and walked alongside me. There
(18:03):
was Cookie the cockatoo, who was an old lady cockatoo
who would just talk up a storm with you all
day long. There was Frisco the Grevy's hebra, who you know,
we raised since he was born here and he and
I became the best of friends. Christopher the lion, Boe
(18:27):
the giraffe, who you know, we brought through a number
of health crises and really taught us the the how
having a great trust bond with the animals can help
us to really help them thrive. And of course a
little Joe the gorilla who continues to amaze me every day.
(18:48):
You know, he's just he's a real silver back now.
And our little Pablo looks up to him all the
time and follows him like a shadow at times. But
you know, there is just an endless list of these
animals that have not only amazed me but taught me
so much. You know. The so often we say, oh
(19:12):
a gorilla is isn't that? You know? How smart are they?
And what these animals have helped me learn is that
intelligence is not it should not always be characterized as
how humans characterize intelligence. Some of these animals have intelligences
that we almost can't even relate to. And so you
(19:33):
have a newfound respect and you know, the opportunity to
learn every day, you know, even for a guy who's
been here for more than forty years, it's it's really
exciting and it's really fun, and it's really something when
I go home at night and share it with my
wife or kids or you know, you know what happened today.
It's it's just I've had that rare opportunity and I'm
(19:56):
very thankful for it.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Well, let's then talk really quickly. Let's wrap this up
give people the information that they need to connect with
you all at the Zoo, your website, social media, so
on and so forth.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Sure, well, we're on all the social media's and very
active on it. But our website is zoom too England
dot org and it's a great place to see all
the new stuff that's happening and all the great programs
we have running on a regular basis.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
Okay, well, John, I appreciate your time, not just here
but also at the Zoo's. Thank you for all the
work you've done, and best of luck as you enter
this new stage of your life.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Nicole, Hey, have a safe and healthy weekend. Join me
again next week for another edition of the show. I'm
Nicole Davis from WBZ News Radio on iHeartRadio.
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