Docent’s Role Second Nature to Ex-Actress

Elizabeth Nelson says she loves all of her guys, but freely admits a soft spot for Caesar, who’s sitting placidly on a big rock, munching a late-morning snack while catching some rays.

“Isn’t he glorious?” Nelson asks rhetorically. It’s understood that no one would disagree with her.

The reaction of the crowd gathered at the Los Angeles Zoo’s gorilla exhibit leaves no doubt that the 21-year-old silver-back and his fellow primates are among the favorites of visitors.

“They are wondrous creatures,” said Jennifer Chatfield, the gorillas’ longtime animal keeper. “They’re beautiful, expressive, dignified and noble, and are very attentive mothers.”

The chance to hang out with gorillas was only one reason why Nelson, 64, joined the zoo’s volunteer program 15 years ago. The former actress also jumped at the opportunity to educate the public, particularly children, about endangered species and how to ensure their survival.

“I want to impart my enthusiasm about our program to our visitors and let them know how wonderful these animals are,” Nelson said. “The children who come here are more aware than most people of the importance of saving the animals. I’m encouraged by that.”

If the children’s awareness of endangered species has been heightened, it is due in no small part to the efforts of Nelson, who, as a docent, has informed countless visitors about the zoo’s 1,200 mammals, amphibians, birds and reptiles.

The Reseda resident, who writes for and edits the quarterly docent newsletter, All Creatures, also teaches classes to volunteers-in-training about reptile and amphibian behavior, her area of specialty.

“Elizabeth has made a great contribution to this program,” said Barbara Bowen, former docent chairwoman. “She’s given us a communication vehicle for all the docents and is just a great person.”

Nelson, best known for her recurring role as a crew member in the original “Star Trek” series, gave up her acting career in 1983, the year she became a zoo docent.

Shortly after her successful completion of the courses, she assisted in the zoo’s five-year primate study. She spent hours at a time observing the social behavior of the gorillas, with whom she established close bonds.

For seven years, Nelson has taught Los Angeles Unified School District magnet students, who attend classes at the zoo. Like Nelson, all 550 zoo volunteers have attended 22 weeks of training courses, half in the classroom and half in the field.

All students must pass a rigorous final written examination before receiving their docent uniforms. The program also requires a two-year volunteer commitment, which includes 100 hours a year of leading school tours.

To observe animals in their natural habitats, Nelson, a Texas native, and her husband, Eric, made two trips to eastern Africa in the last decade. The experiences, she said, reinforced her commitment to animal conservation efforts closer to home.

Back at the gorillas’ holding cage at the zoo, Nelson gazes lovingly at Evelyn, a 22-year-old female, who blows kisses to her.

“The zoos and wild animal parks are the [Noah’s] Arks of today,” said Nelson, who was recently honored by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn. for her volunteer efforts. “If we don’t keep it up, these animals will be lost.”

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