The National Geographic Explorer Sitting Near You at Tin City by Tim L. Tetzlaf

We were having dinner at Tin City when a young lady walked up to our table. Quietly, she asked my friend, “Are you Luke Dollar?” Her parents were a step behind, phone in hand to take the picture she asked for with this scientist. As Luke smiled for the photo, he asked, “Are you in fourth grade?” She shook her head. “Fifth.”

That moment doesn’t really make sense unless you understand what came before it.

Back in 2013, a colleague with Collier County Public Schools asked me a simple question: “You know Luke Dollar. Do you think he would come here?” At the time, Luke was the scientist featured on the cover of a National Geographic science textbook used by local fourth graders. Students were already learning the scientific method by following his fieldwork in Madagascar.

I had known Luke for years and Naples Zoo was already a long term supporter of his work in Madagascar. Over time, that support grew into fully funding six members of his conservation team there. When asked to speak directly with students, Luke immediately said yes. As a professor and now a department chair, education is core to who he is. In Madagascar, that commitment has included building schools, two of which we funded.

Luke spoke with a class of students visiting Naples Zoo. With the help of the school district’s technology team, every fourth grader in the county could also see him, and a dozen were selected to appear on camera and ask their questions directly. After the morning broadcast, Luke and our group of zoo and school educators headed out to visit schools. The young woman we met at Tin City was one of those students he had spoken to as a fourth grader—and she recognized him more than a year later across a room at a restaurant.

Over the years, I’ve watched students ask questions you’d never imagine a nine-year-old could fathom—about behavior, genetics, and conservation—alongside simpler ones, like what language people speak in Madagascar (Malagasy and French, by the way). Luke has now visited every elementary school in the county, and we’re over halfway through to doing that twice. I’ve seen hallways decorated for a hundred feet in all things Madagascar and listened to a poem written by a student about Luke that brought both of us to tears.

Building on Luke’s impact, this program is now known as ZooCon and has expanded to reach about 20,000 students each year, from kindergarten through fifth grade. Students now virtually meet and speak with Florida scientists who study panthers, alligators, and black bears, as well as international conservation leaders working with African lions and giraffes—experts logging on from as far away as Nairobi. It has become a single, connected conversation that grows with students as they move through elementary school.

My favorite ZooCon story reminds me of the Coca Cola commercial with Mean Joe Greene from 1979. One year, Luke was flying home with a connection through Atlanta. A fourth grader on the flight with his family recognized him and introduced himself. During the trip, Luke answered questions, pulled up photos on his laptop, and shared stories from the field. As they parted ways, Luke reached up, took off his National Geographic baseball cap, and tossed it over to the boy.

I think about how a fifth grader recognized a scientist at Tin City more than a year later. Or the power of a moment when a boy steps off an airport escalator proudly wearing a very meaningful hat. And I’m reminded why I remain optimistic about conservation. Because when conservationists stop being distant figures and become familiar people, kids don’t just passively observe. They can see themselves shaping a better future.

To see the full schedule, visit NaplesZoo.org/speakers

Tim L. Tetzlaff, Director of Conservation,
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

Contact me at tim@napleszoo.org To learn more or support these efforts, visit NaplesZoo.org/conserve

Together, we can create a brighter, more resilient future for people and wildlife.

Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit caring for rare species and welcoming families in a century-old historic garden. Since 2015, the zoo has invested more than $4.5 million in saving plants and animals in the wild and fully supports 35 field conservation staff working in seven countries.

To learn more about how you can invest in a better future for people and wildlife, email tim@napleszoo.org