Folsom honors zoo staff and volunteers as council proclaims National Zookeeper Week and Parks month

The Folsom City Council on July 14 formally recognized local parks and the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary, proclaiming July 2026 as "Parks Make Life Better" month and July 19–25 as National Zookeeper Week.

Jocelyn Smeltzer, the zoo manager, accepted the zookeeper proclamation and thanked staff and volunteers for daily animal care and outreach. "We've brought some staff here today," she said, and introduced zoo supervisor Nicole Lemke and volunteer docents who participate in outreach programs.

Volunteer speakers told the council the sanctuary is a community resource for education and conservation. Sherry Richter said docent‑led tours, camps and outreach help children connect to nature and support emotional growth. Shauna Garrett, a docent, provided fiscal‑year figures: "Docents logged approximately 11,000 hours while community volunteers performed nearly 3,500 hours of service," she said, adding that volunteer time and ticketed programs generated more than $170,000 in program revenue and nearly $300,000 in avoided payroll cost — figures she said amount to a combined community contribution approaching half a million dollars.

Supporters urged continued city backing for the sanctuary. Michael Bowling, another docent, called the zoo "one of our city's greatest treasures" and described the sanctuary's role in school outreach, camps and tourism.

The council also used the meeting to thank parks staff and volunteers for recent projects, including Castle Park's reopening. Vice mayor and council members recognized the role of volunteers in restoring and running parks programs and encouraged continued community involvement.

The proclamations are ceremonial; no budget action was adopted at the meeting. Council members and staff said they will continue work on program support and on interim objective design standards for park and recreation facilities where relevant.