SANFORD, Fla. — On a stage at a zoo with a smile under a mask, you can see Patty Geuder holding a snake and teaching children under the age of 10.
What You Need To Know
- Patty Geuder, a docent at Central Florida zoo, is this week's Everyday Hero
- A docent is a volunteer teacher, and Geuder loves teaching people about animals
- The former veterinary assistant has volunteered at least one day a week for 19 years
- Now that the zoo has reopened, she is back with the animals, and educating others
“Are any of you really afraid of snakes?” Geuder asks the children at summer camp.
All the students in unison say an extended no.
If you ever visited the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford, there’s a good chance you stopped and talked to Geuder and her friends.
“His name is Reptar, and he is about 5 years old,” Geuder says while holding a skink.
Geuder, a zoo docent, or volunteer teacher, wears the title proudly.
“I love animals, and I love teaching people about animals,” Geuder explains. “Especially love children, and teaching children about animals is just so much fun.”
Working with animals brings Geuder much joy.
Even when she’s not teaching others, she can be seen playing with the birds, or just holding some reptiles.
A former veterinary assistant, Geuder for 19 years has dedicated one to two days a week to help others learn about the different animals at the zoo.
Safety protocols because of the COVID-19 pandemic have prevented Geuder from seeing her non-human friends, but with the zoo back up and running, she gets to work once again with some of her most feathery friends.
“I haven’t seen Brogen (a macaw) and talked to Brogen for an entire year,” Geuder says, holding the macaw. “When we came back, it was like he remembered, he remembered everybody, and he is my favorite of all the birds.”
Geuder is going back out on the paths of the zoo to introduce visitors to the animals and taking center stage for the time being, but she doesn’t stop educating.
“If there’s more smell on this side than this side, then he knows where to go,” Geuder says, as she holds a snake and educates children about the reptile’s split shaped tongue.
As much as she enjoys teaching children, she also enjoys just being able to work with animals she considers friends and family.
If you would like to become a docent like Geuder or volunteer at the zoo, you can learn more on its website.
