Thanks for all of your hard work, Donna!

Donna Weissman can hardly be spotted without a smile on her face. She now has an extra reason to beam as she was recognized as our 2018 Volunteer of the Year at the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on Thursday, February 7.

Donna has been volunteering at the Zoo since June 2017, and dedicated almost 900 hours to the Zoo in 2018 alone!

You may have seen her all around the Zoo as she holds several different volunteer shifts, including helping in the Lands of Change aviary, assisting on the Expedition Africa platform, being an animal handler and leading other volunteers as a Day Captain. Donna is also eager to fill in other positions as needed.

But wait; there’s more! Donna is also a member of the Animal Enrichment Committee, where she and other volunteers craft items that engage our animals through taste, smell, sound or touch. Donna is known by other volunteers to be especially creative and really take the needs and safety of the animals into consideration.

It’s not just the animals that get Donna’s attention; for Zookeeper Appreciation Day, Donna crafted each keeper their own “spirit catchers.” Her care for every living being at the Zoo, enthusiasm, creativity and willingness to go above and beyond are why Donna was named our 2018 Volunteer of the Year. We sincerely thank her for her dedicated service!