New zoo education center close to opening

The new William J. Maeck Education Center at the Idaho Falls Zoo is almost ready. The building holds three classrooms and is a vast improvement over what the zoo previously used for education classes.

“Before, we did not have the space,” said Sunny Katseanes, education curator for the zoo. “We had about a 144 square-foot room. So imagine teaching 25 kids in your bedroom. It was very cramped, no running water, no bathrooms. Now, we actually have space to do it.”

The zoo hosts camps and classes for children. With the new center, it will be introducing adult and family classes. It even added an additional staff member to make more classes available.

“It’s highly possible you may be able to bring your 5-year-old in one class and the 10-year-old classes or 13-year-old classes will be going on at the same time,” Katseanes said. “That’s not something we’ve ever been able to accommodate before. And also, we’re going to be able to accommodate more community programs. So we’ll have guest speakers come in. We’ll have more community outreach activities in the center. So really, it is expanding our educational mission here at the Idaho Falls Zoo.”

This education center is the beginning of what could be a bright, and expansive, future for the zoo.

“It closes down the former Roger Street and it allows for us to grow over into the former county fairgrounds that are to the south of the zoo,” Katseanes said.

There will be a grand opening for the education center Friday, Feb. 22. The center will formally open Monday, Feb. 25.