The Herd is a young professionals networking group that meets at the Denver Zoo for behind-the-scenes educational events. (Courtesy Denver Zoo)
Daniel Nichols has always been a fan of zoos.
But lately, he felt they’re getting a bad rap, especially with younger generations, as many are quick to assume zoos are inhumane.
“Every animal has a story and you need to look into it and ask why is that animal there? I don’t think people ask these questions before passing judgment,” said Nichols, project manager at Nichols Partnership.
Meanwhile, Chris Boling, an attorney at Holland & Hart, was involved in a young professionals group at Houston’s zoo, and was looking for something similar after moving to Denver.
They both reached out to the Denver zoo separately, seeking a social and educational program for young professionals.
“The Houston Zoo offered exactly what I was looking for – the chance to meet people in the community but also learn about the zoo,” Boling said. “It just worked out that Daniel had reached out to the zoo and asked about the same thing.”
So, the duo connected and launched The Herd last year – a young professionals networking group that meets at the Denver Zoo for behind-the-scenes educational events.
The Herd hosts four zoo events a year. (Courtesy Denver Zoo)
The group, which now has 75 members, hosts four zoo events a year, as well as various recruiting events around Denver. Yearly membership, which includes access to all events and a zoo membership, costs $150 per individual and $250 for a couple.
Sydney Weiss, Denver Zoo’s donor experience manager, said the Herd gave the zoo an opportunity to expand its audience. She noted some young people see zoos as just “community entertainment” and others might want to come but feel it’s dominated by families.
“There’s so much you can gain from this experience not just professionally, but it’s a way to become an ambassador for Denver Zoo and understand our programs,” Weiss said.
Program events have included touring the zoo’s animal hospital, getting sneak peeks of new enclosures and learning how the animals are taken care of.
“The hope is we inspire the younger generation to get more involved with the zoo and conservation efforts … and they go on to promote the story of what zoos do,” Nichols said.
And while Nichols said the main goal is to educate and meet new people, it also ends up supporting the zoo. He said a portion of money made from last year’s events funded the new flamingo exhibit.
“The whole point isn’t to fundraise, it’s to educate,” Nichols said. “But in the end money goes back to the zoo.”
The cherry on top, Nichols said, is it’s not like a traditional networking event hosted at a brewery, having the same conversation with multiple people. With The Herd, he said networking comes naturally, members learn something new and have something exciting to talk about.
The Herd is a young professionals networking group that meets at the Denver Zoo for behind-the-scenes educational events. (Courtesy Denver Zoo)
Daniel Nichols has always been a fan of zoos.
But lately, he felt they’re getting a bad rap, especially with younger generations, as many are quick to assume zoos are inhumane.
“Every animal has a story and you need to look into it and ask why is that animal there? I don’t think people ask these questions before passing judgment,” said Nichols, project manager at Nichols Partnership.
Meanwhile, Chris Boling, an attorney at Holland & Hart, was involved in a young professionals group at Houston’s zoo, and was looking for something similar after moving to Denver.
They both reached out to the Denver zoo separately, seeking a social and educational program for young professionals.
“The Houston Zoo offered exactly what I was looking for – the chance to meet people in the community but also learn about the zoo,” Boling said. “It just worked out that Daniel had reached out to the zoo and asked about the same thing.”
So, the duo connected and launched The Herd last year – a young professionals networking group that meets at the Denver Zoo for behind-the-scenes educational events.
The Herd hosts four zoo events a year. (Courtesy Denver Zoo)
The group, which now has 75 members, hosts four zoo events a year, as well as various recruiting events around Denver. Yearly membership, which includes access to all events and a zoo membership, costs $150 per individual and $250 for a couple.
Sydney Weiss, Denver Zoo’s donor experience manager, said the Herd gave the zoo an opportunity to expand its audience. She noted some young people see zoos as just “community entertainment” and others might want to come but feel it’s dominated by families.
“There’s so much you can gain from this experience not just professionally, but it’s a way to become an ambassador for Denver Zoo and understand our programs,” Weiss said.
Program events have included touring the zoo’s animal hospital, getting sneak peeks of new enclosures and learning how the animals are taken care of.
“The hope is we inspire the younger generation to get more involved with the zoo and conservation efforts … and they go on to promote the story of what zoos do,” Nichols said.
And while Nichols said the main goal is to educate and meet new people, it also ends up supporting the zoo. He said a portion of money made from last year’s events funded the new flamingo exhibit.
“The whole point isn’t to fundraise, it’s to educate,” Nichols said. “But in the end money goes back to the zoo.”
The cherry on top, Nichols said, is it’s not like a traditional networking event hosted at a brewery, having the same conversation with multiple people. With The Herd, he said networking comes naturally, members learn something new and have something exciting to talk about.
