This week is my third week as the Marketing Intern at The Buffalo Zoo. My title is the “Marketing” intern but I am working with their PR Coordinator and Events Coordinator as well. Everyone in the office is SO nice and it is generally a cool place to work. The office is right above the lions so sometimes we hear them roaring while we are working! I am currently helping Katie, the Events Coordinator, plan the zoo’s big fundraiser called Polar Bites which is held at the Convention Center. The event is huge for the zoo and there is a lot to be planned beforehand. I am also helping the PR coordinator Rachel do her daily tasks in managing all the PR for the zoo, such as keeping track of every article that mentions the zoo.

My second day there, a reporter from WGRZ came to interview the rhino and elephant keepers about poaching and the selling of ivory. I went with Rachel to take him to speak with the keepers and meet the rhinos and elephants! The baby rhino, Monica, is adorable and I was so excited to meet her! Then I got to watch the elephant keepers be interviewed and even got to feed one of the elephants! Being that close to the animals was so cool! Rachel said that her favorite days at the office are ones like this where she is on the grounds and able to visit the animals.

I am looking forward to my semester at the zoo, and I am learning so much about public relations and how a big organization in Buffalo like the zoo markets itself and plans major events.  I am hoping to meet the new baby giraffe Sampson sometime soon too!

Me feeding one of the elephants!