A Memorial Fund has been set up by Nick Laursen's parents and the Saskatoon Zoo Society to honour his memory and to support something that Nick held dear - teaching people about the wildlife at the Zoo. 

Nick Laursen's infectious smile and work ethic was obvious from the beginning. Nick was passionate about his volunteer duties and was hoping that someday it would lead him to a zookeeper position at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo.

The two birds that Nick worked with were Sage, the Burrowing Owl and Talon, the Red-tailed Hawk. Nick was especially attached to Talon. He did everything he could to get her to fly to his arm for food.  As she was a bird in training, this required a very committed volunteer with a lot of patience. Most days it was just going into her enclosure and talking to her to get her used to interactions with people. Eventually, Talon realized that Nick was no threat to her and was flying to his arm even without food. The enthusiasm that Nick had when Talon was finally comfortable with him was something to see. No one smiled bigger in those moments! But the bonds didn’t end there.     

Nick was a dedicated interpreter with Sage the Burrowing Owl. He spent numerous weeks socializing with Sage as she was one of the favourite animal ambassadors for the Saskatoon Zoo Society. Nick was ever so gracious when talking to the public about the animals with which he had spent so much time.

We will miss seeing Nick out at the Zoo every year. His enthusiasm and passion for animals was hard to beat. Not only did he work for us, but also volunteered and worked for the Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. Most of what Nick did focused on animals and nature. We offer our sincere condolences to Nick’s family and friends. Nick, we miss you.

The Memorial Fund will allow the Saskatoon Zoo Society to deliver environmental education programs to classrooms and other groups that are unable to afford the cost of the programs. As a long-time volunteer and Train Interpreter, Nick valued talking to the public about the animals with which he had spent so much time.