More than a month ago, my family went to the Como Zoo with fresh resolve. You might remember my post about Transforming a Frequent Family Outing.

My kindergartner took our decision to sponsor an animal very seriously. At first, she wanted to adopt a lion or a gorilla, because she didn’t think their space was quite big enough (and she’s right!). She was also divided by her love of the Madagascar zebra, and therefore his quieter Como twin, so a decision seemed unreachable.

Finally she told me she didn’t want to think about it anymore.

I let the matter drop.

Until last week, when news of a new zoo baby brought her fresh inspiration.  The adorable little guy, a four-month-old giraffe who is actually quite a bit taller than I am, captivated our whole family, along with thousands of our closest Minnesota neighbors. We very soon found introduced ourselves as new sponsors.

Now that we are officially sponsors, I’m curious to see how our zoo experience will change. Will Miss Kindergarten be more interested in learning about giraffes in the wild? More interested in protecting wilderness areas?  Will she feel more connected to and curious about Como and its animal family? That is the goal, but I’ll keep you posted.

Tags: Healing the Earth

About Sarah

Sarah Aadland is striving to make family volunteering a meaningful habit for her family of five. Join the conversation as she ponders what they may (or may not have) learned and looks for helpful information about raising compassionate kids.Though she plans to one day put her Masters in Public Policy back to work for social justice, she sees family volunteering as a way to build a stronger community, a better world, and a more connected family. In addition to her children, Sarah tends a large garden, a small flock of chickens, and a habit of mindfulness amid the necessary rituals of parenting.

View all posts by Sarah