For more ideas on morale boosters, members can check their April 2007 of Symbiosis. Here is a bonus article from a fellow AZAD member. She shows that volunteering is a great way to meet friends with common interests.

Volunteering Means New Friends

By Carrie McIntyre, Docent, Detroit Zoo

Last summer, sparked on by my fellow-docents, I embarked on a lifelong dream trip: a safari in Africa! It was an amazing experience, made even better by the company of like-minded people; those with the same respect and passion for animals as I have. We were motivated by the same thing: taking what we have learned as docents and applying it to the observation of animals in their native land.

While on our first game drive at Amboseli National Park, we happened upon an incredible sight. We were watching a herd of elephants ambling towards the road. Our guide, David Ngure, had amazing instincts to know where the animals were going so we could position ourselves to watch but not interfere with their movement. There were about 8-10 elephants in this particular group. There was another safari van ahead of us and half of the elephant group crossed right in front of that van. We held back, watching the remaining members of the herd continue their trek.

As we watched, we caught sight of a very tiny baby, probably only about 3-4 weeks old. She was with her mother and two aunties/sisters. As they got closer to the road, they kind of encircled the calf and guided her to the edge. When they reached the edge and were going to have to go down an incline to step into the road, the mother turned completely around, so she was moving backwards (I was waiting for the beep, beep, beep of a truck backing up!) Once she was positioned, she wrapped her trunk around the rear end of the baby and started to guide it down the incline, very slowly and carefully. The other two aunties were right next to and behind the calf watching every step, helping it down into the road.

Once in the road, the mother turned directly toward us and just stared, ears flared out, as if to say "Listen up. We're crossing here. You stay right where you are and everything will be just fine." They kept crossing and the little one trudged up the embankment on the other side of the road. When they were finally all together again, there was a loud rumbling, then they started to tear up the grass and eat. It was a meal well earned.

It seemed, while watching this event, that perhaps this was the first road-crossing for the little calf and the teamwork it took to assure it would make it safely across was a testament to the close social bonds of these amazing animals!

I don't know that I would have ever made this incredible journey without the encouragement and friendship of my fellow Detroit Zoo volunteers. It has made my interactions with the public that much more fun and hopefully, informative. Thank you Tom, Carol and Judy!!