LEARN AND DISCOVER WITH US

Creating the next generation of conservation stewards

LEARNING & INNOVATION

Woodland Park Zoo’s Learning & Innovation department advances the zoo’s mission by inspiring and cultivating an informed community of conservation stewards. As the center for excellence in conservation learning and innovation in Washington state, our learning programs are guided by a robust science and outcomes-based framework for inspiring conservation.

From early learners to seniors, on and off grounds, our developmental approach to lifelong learning is to foster empathy for nature, build conservation knowledge and skills, and increase people’s personal ownership for action that benefits wildlife and habitats.

FOR KIDS & TEENS

Camps

A group of children and adults, most wearing matching yellow shirts, play and walk on a wooden boardwalk surrounded by trees and rocky cliffs on a bright day. One child in front is jumping enthusiastically.

“For years, Woodland Park Zoo has offered families an opportunity to keep learning going year-round with our summer camps. Zoo camps joyfully connect children to the Zoo, their community, and their environment with hands-on experiences you won’t find anywhere else.

Learn more about camps

Early Childhood

Two children sitting on a rock, watching a peacock display its colorful, fanned tail feathers. The children are seen from behind, wearing bright clothing, and the scene is outdoors.

When we embrace nature in our first few years, our hearts and minds are changed forever. Help your little one love the world we live in through our growing offerings for young children and their caregivers!

See our current early childhood programs

Teen Programs

A group of boys gather around a smiling man who is teaching them about soil and plants, with their hands in a clear bin of dirt, outdoors under the shade of trees.

Teens have a special place at Woodland Park Zoo! Past programs for teens have included career days, teen advocacy groups, and social groups.

See our current teen programs

FOR GROUPS

Field Trips

A group of children wearing teal shirts watch as a woman holds out food to a brown hawk perched on a wooden fence. The scene takes place outdoors with plants and greenery in the background.

Whether you teach daycare, elementary, or university, make a field trip to Woodland Park Zoo. Our self-guided field trips are the perfect complement to any curriculum.

Learn more about field trips

Learn more about field trip financial assistance

FOR PROFESSIONALS

Master’s Program

A group of people with backpacks and hats hike along a grassy trail surrounded by sagebrush, rocky hills, and cliffs under a partly sunny sky.

Go to college at a literal Animal House! AIP is a master’s degree program designed to help students engage in the fields of inquiry-based education, community-based conservation, public engagement in science, animal welfare and empathy, sustainability, and more.

Learn more about AIP

Community Collaborations

A boy with red hair and glasses closely examines white eggs, while a smiling woman in a green uniform with gloves holds them in a bright indoor setting.

Community Collaborations are place-based programs created through partnerships with community-based organizations and in support of community-led initiatives.

Learn more about Community Collaborations

Educator Resources

A person wearing a green “Woodland Park Zoo STAFF” shirt gently holds a small turtle outdoors near a pond, with greenery and blue sky in the background.

Enhance your field trip or classroom curriculum with resources created and curated by the Woodland Park Zoo. On Discovery Den, you can find everything from educational coloring pages, to video interviews with our keepers, to games you can play in-browser and host on your own class’s page.

See our Educator Resources

Go straight to Discovery Den

IN THE COMMUNITY

Adult Programs

A group of women gather around a table, working together on a craft project with a papier-mâché balloon over a green bowl. Torn white paper and glue are spread around as they smile and concentrate on the activity.

Learning at the Zoo isn’t just for kids! Check out our programs exclusively for visitors 21 and older, from boozy get-togethers to spicy trivia. Click here to see our current adult programs

See our current adult programs

Senior Zoo Walkers

Two older women wearing jackets and name badges walk along a garden path, smiling and talking. Lush green foliage surrounds them, creating a peaceful outdoor setting.

Designed for seniors age 55 or better, this self-guided walking program gets you out and about moving and grooving on zoo grounds!

Learn more about Senior Zoo Walkers

Community Access Program

A woman holding a young girl looks upward in a greenhouse, both appearing curious. The girl has face paint and wears a pink outfit. Plants and another child are visible in the background.

Woodland Park Zoo’s Community Access Program (CAP) provides free daytime admission tickets to nonprofits, foundations and government entities serving under-resourced communities. We distribute tickets to hundreds of CAP partners each year to use for individual and/or group visits to help make the zoo a more accessible space and inspire everyone to make conservation a priority in their lives.

Learn more about CAP

Community Science

A person in a pink jacket and cap examines water in a marsh with a small device, while holding a laminated field guide showing insects or aquatic life.

Community scientists volunteer with Woodland Park Zoo to make conservation a priority in their lives here at home. The zoo trains and supports community members like you to gather data on a variety of local wildlife which informs habitat management, restoration, research, and coexistence.

See our community science programs