A Walk on the Wild Side
Did you know that a polar bear's fur is clear? Or that when giraffes walk, they move both legs on the same side at the same time? You would if you knew Michael Zach.
As a senior consultant with Lante Corp., Zach, 28, knows how to respond appropriately to all types of client crises. But as a volunteer at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo, Zach has found there's no telling when the fur may start to fly — not to mention other things.
"One day, this seven- or eight-year-old kid came up to me and said, 'Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me where the bathroom is? The elephant threw doody at me.' He pointed to his face and it was covered," says Zach, who couldn't conceal his laughter as he gave directions to the boy — who remained very
composed. "He was so polite. He said, 'Thank you very much, sir' and calmly walked away."
About three years ago, Zach decided that since he was spending so much time in the 35-acre zoo, he might as well volunteer there. His official role at the zoo is as a docent, which is Latin for teacher.
He began at the zoo as a special focus volunteer in the Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House, where he gave talks on Allen's swamp monkeys, dwarf crocodiles, wallabies, and naked mole rats. But he longed for the outside of the tiny building —
to be with big cats like lions and tigers, hoof-stock such as zebras and gazelles, and large
mammals like bears and wolves.
So, he entered the very intensive 44-week docent training
program and learned about the different classifications of animals, how the zoo operates, and exhibit design.
Zach says that he's addicted to his "anti-technology" activity. "I was sick over the weekend and I didn't know what to do with my day. It's an integral part of my routine," he adds. "I love talking to the visitors and watching the zoo grow and change."
He particularly likes to hang out with the giraffes and the polar bears. "They are beautiful animals, and the public really identifies with them," he says. "And, I have good stories to tell about them."
Did you know that giraffes can run up to 40 miles per hour? How about that polar bear cubs are born at about two pounds and can grow to 1,200 pounds within 12 months?
Enjoying a Home Team Advantage
It's no coincidence that Andre Blanadet has played almost as many sports as the number of different contries in which he's lived.
"My parents' philosophy was that you have to learn everything. As a young kid, I was put into swimming, tennis, horseback riding, windsurfing …," says Blanadet, 38, a manager in A.T. Kearney's San Francisco office. "I absolutely did all sports."
Blanadet was born in Paris to a French father, a researcher for the French government, and to a Persian mother. When he was two years old, the Blanadets moved to Cambodia. It was the first of a string of countries that he called home. Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, Germany, and France came next. He would pick up the popular sport of the culture he moved into. In France, it was tennis; in Germany, it was swimming. When he was five, his parents introduced him to water skiing. He moved to the United States three years ago.
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