Como’s teen Nature Walk volunteers make conservation look cool
Once again, the Nature Walk station focused on climate adaptations proved the most popular, setting a new record for interactions with more than 325 visitors in just a few hours.
When it comes to teaching young visitors about the value of conservation, Como’s teen Nature Walk volunteers don’t even try to look cool. For years, this selective teen volunteer program has attracted adolescents who are passionate about plants and animals, and who don’t try to hide it.
“It’s a program that’s always attracted nature nerds, and teenagers who are really engaged by the environment, and happy to share what they’ve learned,” says Maddie Becker, Nature Walk Assistant. “In the larger culture, we sometimes tell older kids that enthusiasm is weird, but in this program, it’s what makes these teenagers so effective. Seeing older kids be excited about nature teaches younger visitors that it’s okay to be excited, too.”
Nature Walk just concluded its 2025 summer season, recruiting 45 conservation-minded teens between the ages of 13 and 17, and teaching them how to share and interpret what they’ve learned about Como’s plants and animals at interactive stations around campus. This year, Nature Walk volunteers helped to bring Como a little closer to about 150,000 visitors who spent time learning at one of several stations arrayed around Como Park Zoo & Conservatory Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. While younger kids are the target audience for the conservation role-modeling program, Becker reports that older visitors are also big fans of their infectious enthusiasm, engaging materials, and touchable bio-facts, updated with recent grants from Como Friends.
As part of the program, Nature Walk volunteers receive training about how to engage visitors of different ages, tips for handling the challenges that can come up on Como’s busy campus, and coaching about career paths ahead in conservation. But Becker says they don’t need much additional prodding to start connecting with Como visitors during the busy summer months.
“We’re giving them the space to demonstrate competency, which is so important for teenagers who can often feel overlooked, or like no one is listening to them,” Becker says. “This year, we’ve really tried to open things up more to their ideas and their suggestions, which are always so valuable. They’re so capable, and so good at connecting.”
Know a kid who’d be a great nerd for nature? Check out Como’s call for Nature Walk applications, which comes out again February 2026.