City Council recognizes dedicated staff at Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary as volunteers highlight the facility’s lasting impact on the community
The Folsom City Council issued a formal proclamation at its recent meeting, recognizing the arrival of National Zookeeper Week and honoring the staff who care for more than 40 different species of rescued animals at the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary while drawing an outpouring of support from volunteers and residents who described the facility as one of the city’s most cherished community assets.
The proclamation, presented by Councilmember Barbara Leary, on behalf of Mayor Justin Raithel, recognized July 19 through July 25 as National Zookeeper Week in the City of Folsom. It detailed the rigorous and often unseen work performed by zookeepers throughout the year, noting they meet and exceed requirements established by both the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the United States Department of Agriculture.
“Zookeepers possess unique and exceptional skills, enabling them to create behavioral enrichment items for the animals and use positive reinforcement training so that the animals may participate in their own vet care,” the proclamation stated. It also recognized that zookeepers “work tirelessly to provide outstanding veterinary care, staying late and coming in early when animals are ill and require additional treatment,” while “continuously demonstrating their unwavering dedication, including working weekends, holidays during all types of weather, as the animals still need to be fed and cared for.”
The proclamation further highlighted the educational role zookeepers play throughout the community, noting they “educate and inspire youth about conservation and native wildlife and guide them into careers in the animal welfare field.”
Jocelyn Smeltzer, the zoo manager who has served the City of Folsom since 2000, accepted the proclamation alongside several members of her staff. Zoo Supervisor Nichole Lemcke attended with Roots, a ferret newly added to the zoo’s outreach program, while zookeeper Rocky held Radagast, a rosy boa familiar to many visitors. Volunteer docents also brought miniature donkeys Holly and Rosie, two of the sanctuary’s ambassador animals, who waited outside the council chambers.
“I have to say the staff we have now are some of the hardest working staff I’ve ever met,” Smeltzer told the council. “We couldn’t do what we do without all that support you’ve heard about from the wonderful volunteers you see here and also our amazing Friends of the Zoo members.”
Peggy Plett, president of the Friends of the Folsom Zoo Sanctuary, told the council the nonprofit organization exists to further the zoo’s mission while reducing reliance on city funding. The group raises money to provide staff and animal training, improve habitats, purchase specialized equipment and support enrichment activities for the sanctuary’s animals.
“It takes a team of people to care for them,” Plett said. “And it’s not just a job for these zookeepers. It’s a passion. Their deep commitment to providing excellent care is apparent. They are truly worthy of this resolution commending them.”
Plett added that the zoo sanctuary is “embedded in generations of Folsom residents and families from throughout the greater area” and said the Friends organization looks forward to many more years of partnering with zoo staff.
The recognition prompted more than a half-dozen speakers during public comment, where docents, volunteers and longtime visitors shared personal stories about the zoo’s impact on the community. Several emphasized the sanctuary’s unique identity as a home for rescued animals that cannot survive in the wild, with each animal’s story serving as an opportunity to teach compassion, conservation and respect for wildlife.
One docent described watching children who arrive quiet and withdrawn gradually open up during tours as they learn about the animals and their histories. The docent also noted that volunteers hosted approximately 6,500 guests across 127 guided tours during the past fiscal year, generating more than $68,000 in revenue, representing a 53 percent increase over the previous year.
Other speakers highlighted the extraordinary value of the zoo’s volunteer workforce. Docents contributed approximately 11,000 volunteer hours, while community volunteers added nearly 3,500 more hours during the most recent fiscal year — the equivalent of nearly 15 part-time employees. That volunteer service represented nearly $300,000 in cost savings, while docent-led tours, summer camps and gift shop operations generated more than $170,000 in revenue. Combined, supporters said volunteers contributed nearly half a million dollars in value to the sanctuary.
A retired professor of biological sciences and longtime Folsom resident described how students from the Los Rios Community College District regularly visited the zoo as an accessible and affordable field trip destination, particularly following the pandemic, calling it an important educational resource. Another retired resident, who estimated he has visited the zoo nearly 500 times since retiring, compared the sanctuary favorably to zoos in Boston, Philadelphia and England, praising both the personalities of the animals and the dedication of the staff.
Several speakers encouraged the council to view the zoo not simply as a budget expense, but as an investment in education, tourism and the character of the Folsom community.
Smeltzer also explained that the zoo’s outreach animals only participate in public programs when they are comfortable doing so.
“If animals enjoy going out to story time and to other events, then we’ll take them,” she said. “And if they don’t, then they’ll get to stay behind.”
The proclamation honoring Folsom’s zookeepers came during the same council meeting in which July was also recognized as Parks Make Life Better Month. Council members and Parks and Recreation Commission members noted the two recognitions reflected the city’s continued commitment to preserving public spaces and honoring the employees and volunteers who make them meaningful for the community.
The recognition also comes as the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary celebrate its 60th anniversary, marking six decades of caring for rescued wildlife while serving as one of the city’s most recognizable educational and family destinations.
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