Programs

We offer a wide variety of programs. Book yours today!

Animal Ambassador Meet-n-Greet Experiences

Did you know the Charles Paddock Zoo offers up-close animal encounters with our education animal ambassadors? Our animals help us share important information about wild places and help make a connection to conservation efforts happening across the globe. Here at our zoo, each Meet-n-Greet is 25-30 minutes long. Price range is $75, depending on the size of your group. Admission into the zoo is separate. Please email us at zooeducation@atascadero.org for more information and to schedule your Meet-n-Greet with us today!

Scout Programs

Gather your troops for a WILD adventure at the Charles Paddock Zoo! The zoo’s scout programs present a unique opportunity to experience wildlife and discover the natural world in ways only we can offer. Scouts will tour the zoo with an educator, meet animals up close and complete scouting requirements along the way. Call today to set up your individual troop needs and schedule your adventure!

1 hour program for 15 scouts $225.00 (Additional scouts $15.00 each)
2 hour program for 15 scouts $400.00 (Additional scouts $15.00 each)

Wild Walk Around Tours

Book your very own Charles Paddock Zoo guided tour! This Wild-Walk Around will take you on a one-hour journey of the zoo. Feel free to spend as little or as much time at the exhibits of your choice with your zoo educator. This is YOUR tour of the zoo and all if has to offer, we know you will have a WILD time. End your journey with the Creature Feature for an additional cost. This priceless encounter is sure to open your heart to the zoo’s wild creatures. During your private meeting with one of our animal ambassadors, we hope that you will take home the message of respect and passion for the animals at the Charles Paddock Zoo and all over the world! Open to 10 person groups for $275.00 ($15.00 each additional person). This price does include admission. Optional additional Creature Feature is a 15-minute meet and great with an Animal Ambassador for an added $50.00 fee.

Wildlife on Wheels School Programs

The Charles Paddock Zoo offers school programs for all age & grades!
Choose from one of the following topics or a topic of your choice to better fit the curriculum in your classroom. All of our programs follow the CA State Standards for Science. These W.O.W. presentations are an individualized experience for each of your students; meet your animals and zoo educator up close for a personal and wild ED-venture! Our Educators can come to your classroom or your students can come out to the zoo!

Programs geared towards preschool and kindergarten

Dressed for Success

Discover the difference between fur, feathers, shells and scales.
Utilizing bio-facts and our live animal ambassadors, you will get to see how an animal’s covering is unique and learn how they use them.

Create your own

Let us know if you are focusing on something special and we will tailor a presentation to meet your specific educational needs.

Programs geared towards grades 1-3

Animal Kingdom

Learn what makes an animal a mammal, how to represent a reptile, what it takes to be a bird- the difference between birds, reptiles, mammals and amphibians are shared in an exciting way!

Habitat Happenings

Explore some of the unique habitats that animals survive and thrive in while learning about the adaptations that help them along the way.

Animal Munchies

Bite into the world of animal diets. Learn the difference between herbivores, carnivores, insectivores and omnivores with live animal ambassadors and various bio-facts. Skulls and teeth can provide students with a tactile experience demonstrating what animals are adapted to eat.

Create your own

Let us know if you are focusing on something special and we will tailor a presentation to meet your specific educational needs.

Programs geared towards middle and high school grades

Skulls, Bones and Teeth

Find out how unique each animals skeleton can be. Through live animal ambassadors, skull and teeth bio-facts, you will get and up close and personal lesson about how the shape and size of bones, teeth and skulls affect the way in which each animal lives its life.

Strange Behaviors

Have you ever wondered why meerkats stand up on their hind legs? How about why vultures circle high overhead? Ever wonder why owls only come out at night? Or why a snake sticks out its tongue? Through first hand observations, explore the world of animal behavior and find out why animals do the strange things they do!

Dynamic Defenses

It’s a dangerous world out there, but animals are up to the challenge! Explore some of the most amazing adaptations animals use to stay safe from predators and extreme weather. Through live animal ambassadors and bio-facts, find out how animals protect themselves in the wild.

Animal Adaptations

Animal’s characteristics are never arbitrary! They each have a function and help them to survive in wild. Hunt or hide, graze or gather, discover the ways various animals live day to day by utilizing their unique adaptations.

Create your own

Let us know if you are focusing on something special and we will pailor a presentation to meet your specific educational needs.

Programs geared towards high school grades

Careers in Science

Discover what it means to be a scientist, a zoologist and a zookeeper. Learn about what careers are available in the animal field. Start brainstorming now about what it is that you like about animals and how you can make a life for yourself doing exactly what you love! A Charles Paddock Zoo Educator can bring out some live animal ambassadors to show some real life examples of careers in the zoo world.

Create your own

Let us know if you are focusing on something special and we will tailor a presentation to meet your specific educational needs.