Saskatoon Zoo Creates New Accessible Pier for All
As you walk the trails in the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo you can see animals big and small. From bobcats and caribou to meerkats and butterflies, to the microorganisms that live in the pond. Each visitor to the zoo will learn about our natural world in an interactive and engaging way.
To make this as accessible as possible for all, the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo has created a new accessible pier and lookout point at the Prairie Marsh exhibit.
“I’ve been working here for four and a half years, and it’s one of the things that's been on my mind for a long time,” Jeff Mitchell, Zoo Manager said. “The pier needed some work, and we offer a wonderful program out here for kids called Pond Dipping, so upgrading it was something I wanted to do and incorporating accessibility would allow for even more opportunity.”
Pond Dipping is an opportunity for kids to learn about the microorganisms and plant life in the pond. You can pull up life including dragonfly larvae, water beetles, leeches and plants.
“It opens up a conversation about how important our ecosystem, water quality and water conservation are,” Mitchell said. “It opens our eyes to another world that we don’t see.”
Creating this accessible pier will allow for more youth to learn about these important topics.
Creation of the Pier
Mitchell decided to go to the Saskatoon Zoo Foundation and see if anything could be done about the aging pier.
With the support of the foundation, a generous donation was made by Greg and Olivia Yuel. Greg Yuel is a former RHF Board Director, and he and the Yuel Family Foundation have been long-time supporters of RHF and accessibility. The Yuel family knows the importance of accessibility to creating a world where everyone can go everywhere.
With their support, the Saskatoon Zoo Foundation coordinated the creation of the new pier.
“We are very grateful for the support of the Yuel’s and the Foundation to helping this vision come to life,” Mitchell said.
With funding secured, the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo worked with an engineering firm that had experience with accessibility. Because of the nature of Pond Dipping program and its uniqueness, Mitchell worked with the firm to be creative to analyze how the pier would be used and how best to make it accessible for users.
Opening The Exhibit to All
In July, the pier opened for business, and so far, the feedback has been great.
“It’s been working well,” Mitchell said. “We’ve had multiple guests using mobility devices and they can partake in the Pond Dipping themselves. It’s also great for the younger kids. It is closer to the water and allows for more people to learn about the habitat.”
While it has only been a month, the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo is proud of the work and is excited to see more and more people use the pier and gain feedback.
“Coming from my background in what I do, accessibility means that everyone who comes to the zoo can learn, be inspired, and take home our conservation messages,” Mitchell said. “When I'm looking at any of the exhibits at the zoo, I want everyone who visits the zoo to have the opportunity to be learn and be inspired by the animals.”
