Twenty-two children have been selected to serve as ambassadors for The Living Desert, following the first-ever "Zoo Cool" contest.
The 22 winners selected range in age from 4 to 12 and include two sets of twins, zoo officials said.
The winners are part of The Living Desert’s “Zoo Cool Crew” and will be featured on billboards, TV commercials, web, posters and brochures.
They will also serve as ambassadors of the park, sharing all they learn at The Living Desert with their schoolmates, friends and family.
Their families will receive a year's free admission to the zoo, officials said.
The students entered the contest by submitting photos of themselves and short essays describing what The Living Desert means to them.
“To be Zoo Cool means to love The Living Desert; to love nature, conservation, and of course, love all of our animals,” Living Desert spokesperson Nyla Patzner said.
“These kids are going to be the faces of The Living Desert for the next year and ambassadors of the park for a lifetime.
"This is an exciting opportunity not only for The Living Desert, but for all of the kids selected. We’re thrilled to have such a wonderful and passionate group.”
The “Crew”, which recently gathered for its first photo session, will soon be seen on advertisements and billboards which are slated to go up later this month.
The winners are:
NAME AGE SCHOOL
Collin Amick
5
Ian Amick
5
George Washington Charter
Wallis Bregman
9
Marywood Palm Valley
Juliana Burke
10
Marywood Palm Valley
Eden Burkett
9
Jacob Castaneda
9
Ashley Hobbes
8
Kenny Hopper
5
Sierra Anne Jessup
10
Alana Jones
9
Catherine Jones
8
Clay Jones
8
St. Theresa School
Layton Jones
9
St. Theresa School
Abenet Lammers
9
Olivia Middleton-Hendrix
4
Cielo Vista Elementary
Gerardo Paiva Fajardo
4
Jake Puchi
8
St. Theresa School
Vincent Sofonio
5
Kaleb Stark
6
Natasha Terrell
6
Lanie Theel
9
James Earl Carter Elementary
Mia Theel
7
James Earl Carter Elementary
