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The following is the statement given to the society from the Oklahoma City Zoo. Following these guidelines will ensure good relations with the zoo, so let's do our best to do so.
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Overview
The Oklahoma City Zoo is willing to support the Oklahoma City Herpetological Society and it's educational programming. This support is in the form of providing meeting space, at no charge, to the Herpetological Society in the zoo's Education facility, permitted that space is available and not being rented by other parties. This document was drafted to set up guidelines that the Herpetological Society will need to follow in order to take advantage of a free meeting room at the zoo. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in the loss of facility use at the zoo.
Staffing
The Oklahoma City Zoo requires that all after hour functions on zoo property have a zoo employee present for the duration of the activity. The Herpetological Society will be required to find a volunteer from the zoo to attend the meeting, such as a keeper from the Herpetarium. Keepers from the Herpetarium can be reached at 425-0237. If a volunteer from the zoo staff is not available, a catering employee can be hired to be present during the meeting, and the cost for their hourly time must be covered by the Herpetological Society. To schedule a catering employee, please call 425-0289. A volunteer or catering employee to attend the meeting will be determined by the Herpetological Society no later than 7 days before the meeting at which they are being requested to attend. At no time can after hours meetings take place at the zoo without a zoo employee present and any meeting that does not have one present will not be allowed to occur.
Scheduling
Each monthly meeting must be scheduled at least one week, but no more than three weeks, in advance of the upcoming meeting. A representative can call 425-0218, the Education Center at the zoo, and schedule the meeting room. The name and a contact phone number for the representative of the Herpetological Society scheduling the meeting will be requested so that the zoo has a point of contact for that month's meeting should something come up that requires a change. Please also leave the name of the volunteer or that a catering employee has been arranged when scheduling the meeting room. Free meeting space will only be provided if there is space available. Priority is given to paid rentals for meeting space and is thus not guaranteed to be available to the Herpetological Society. If media equipment is needed, it must be requested at the same time the meeting is scheduled. There is no guarantee that media equipment will or can be provided.
Content
In order for the Oklahoma City Zoo to provide free meeting space we do require that there is an educational component to what the Herpetological Society is doing. This includes presentations by professionals, group discussions, etc. We realize that there is a strong social component to this type of society as well and encourage that along with the educational component.
Meeting Room
If items (chairs, tables, room set up) are needed the zoo staffer in attendance will be responsible for getting them and returning them to their original location. If the room is already set up, it must be left in the configuration & set up that it was in before the herp meeting. Many times, rooms are pre-set by education or catering staff for events that are occurring early the next day.
Live Animals
The Oklahoma City Zoo recognizes that live animals at the Herpetological Society meetings help draw attendees and provides an enriching experience for all, particularly children, in attendance. To that end, the zoo is willing to allow live animals to be brought to meetings on zoo grounds within the following guidelines:
-No venomous snakes or lizards are allowed.
-No large constrictors allowed over 10 feet in length unless prior approval from the zoo is received. This will be discussed on a case by case basis. A request to have a large constrictor must be placed to the Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians at 425-0232 no later than 7 days before the meeting is scheduled to take place.
-All animals must arrive in containers and should never be removed from their containers outside of the meeting room that is provided.
-The only place animals may be taken out and handled is within the meeting room.
-The Oklahoma City Zoo is not responsible for any injuries to humans or animals brought to meetings.
Selling Animals
At no time is it permitted to sell, barter, or exchange animals on the property of the Oklahoma City Zoo, including the parking lot. There are no exceptions.
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