This year marks David Rodrigue’s 25th anniversary working at the Ecomuseum Zoo in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
Rodrigue, the ecomuseum’s executive director, joined Global’s Laura Casella on Monday to talk about the zoo’s evolution through a quarter century.
The zoo opened in 1988 as a focal point of research, education and conservation activities for the Saint-Lawrence Valley Natural History Society.
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Its mission is to preserve Quebec wildlife and Rodrigue says it’s important to reconnect humans with nature, one of the main factors in his decision to work there.
“It was a passion call for me, I literally fell in love with the place the first time I saw the place,” Rodrigue said about joining the team after finishing university as a 20-year-old. “It was the mission, it was what I could see in the future for the Ecomuseum Zoo.”
And the changes have been drastic during Rodrigue’s 25-year tenure, from the handling of animals to updates in the zoo’s facilities.
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He’s worked in various roles over the years, such as animal keeping, developing educational programs and conservation efforts for Quebec’s endangered species and wildlife.
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He eventually became the executive director and thanks the community for their interest in contributing to the Ecomuseum Zoo’s success.
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“We raised over $6 million privately in the last four or five years, which we reinvested into the well being of our animals,”Rodrigue said. “It’s a very positive message from our community.”
The Ecomuseum Zoo is located on Ste-Marie Road near the des Pins exit from Highway 40 in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
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