Photos by Malissa Smithey

Sitting on the arm of Kelly Otto, a CMU student intern for Grand Valley Zoological Quest and the Children’s Nature Center in Fruita, is a chameleon who knows it’s time for lunch. Every few minutes, a mealworm appears just within reach of the chameleon. In a split second, the chameleon’s tongue shoots out and snatches the mealworm off her arm.

“He’s my favorite,” Otto says, putting another mealworm on her arm. “Watch closely.” The chameleon’s tongue shoots out again. “Did you see it that time?”

(Kelly Otto makes friends with a veiled chameleon.)

Otto, a biology major, is one of four CMU student interns volunteering at GV Zoo Quest, an animal-centric educational center in Fruita. She spends her time working with animals and learning how facilities like Zoo Quest and the nature center work.

“Before I came here, I didn’t really know a lot about reptiles. That’s pretty much all we have,” Otto said. “It’s nice to show them in a positive light. I never held a tarantula before I came here, and I’ve done that. It’s not too bad. Same thing with snakes and lizards. I wasn’t into reptiles. When you get right up in their faces, it’s kind of exciting.”

Janet Gardner started the Grand Valley Zoological Quest, the organization that runs the Children’s Nature Center.

“For children to see exotic animals, they have to travel 250 miles to Salt Lake or Denver,” Gardner said. “Right now, everything is so focused on engineering, mathematics and physical science that biology has sort of gone by the wayside, even though it’s equally as important. A lot of kids don’t get to see tadpoles or a lot of animals in the wild. Connecting children with nature is our goal.”

(An African clawed frog floats in its tank at Grand Valley Zoo Quest in Fruita.)

Many students and children get close but are too nervous to touch some of the animals. A small circle forms around Anthony Nicolosi, one of the non-CMU volunteers, who is holding the Red Rump Tarantula.

“He’s fine, don’t worry,” Nicolosi said. The spider begins to crawl up his arm to many of the students’ horror. A few step back, and one even lets out a gasp.

“The focus is that they are learning how to handle each animal appropriately. We have two zookeepers, who graduated with degrees in zoological management, who help the interns. They have to be checked off that they understand how to handle each animal. Animal care comes first, then education of the public,” Gardner said.

jkirk@mavs.coloradomesa.edu