2024: Cameron Park Zoo, Waco, TX
Beneath the Texas sun, I journeyed to a place where the wild spirit of Africa whispers through every enclosure—the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco. Nestled along the Brazos River, this beautifully designed zoo brings animals from around the world into carefully crafted habitats, inviting visitors to walk among the wonders of nature. Its winding paths, lush greenery, and immersive exhibits make it feel less like a collection of cages and more like a living safari.
I visited for part of the day with our TRIO Student Support Services program, choosing to spend my time not just as an observer, but as a fellow traveler alongside our students. While I captured a few moments on camera, my focus was on connection—and so this spread is built as much on memory as it is on photographs.
The pages are wrapped in safari-themed background paper, a nod to the landscapes of southern Africa where I grew up. On the left-hand page, you may be surprised to find penguins. Yet in South Africa, the African penguin thrives along the coasts, and here in Waco, the climate mirrors their native habitat enough for them to flourish in the zoo’s Penguin Shores exhibit. A small sticker from the zoo gift shop also claims its place here, a token from the day.
The right-hand page belongs to the gentle giant of the savanna—the giraffe. One of my colleagues can be seen feeding it, a moment of quiet connection between species. Behind the images, giraffe-patterned cardstock stretches like the dappled skin of the animal itself. And at the forefront, a paper-cut giraffe—crafted with my Cricut Maker—stands tall, completing the scene.
To see more of how this page came together, the video below shares the steps, each one shaped with the same care as the memories they preserve.
MASCrapping 