Zoological Society of Milwaukee Members’ Newsletter June 2010
Kids’ Nights Sponsored by WaterStone Bank
July 13, 15 OR p.m. Free admission with Zoological Society Zoo Pass card & ID. Reduced Milwaukee County parking fee: $10 from 5:15 to 8:30 p.m. Zoo Pass Plus members receive free parking. Your invitation will be mailed in June In Milwaukee, summer means festival season. This July, come to a mini-fest at the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s (ZSM’s) members-only, family-themed nights at the Zoo. Come to any one of the three nights. Like any good fest, this event will have music and food galore! Plus, the entire Milwaukee County Zoo and all animal buildings will be open after hours. Receive halfprice admission to the Zoo’s special summer exhibit Adventure Dinosaur!, sponsored by Lowe’s, starting at 3 p.m. each day of the event (ZSM members must present their Zoo Pass card and photo ID; see page 5 for story). Live entertainment includes a kid-friendly dance party led by DJ Tim Sledge on the Flamingo Patio Stage, sponsored by American Family Insurance. The eco-themed band The Chickadees will jam on the Ralph Evinrude Landing Stage, sponsored by GG Golden Guernsey Dairy®. Teens and “tweens” can flock to soaring skateboarding demonstrations by MKE Skate on the Zoo Terrace Stage, sponsored by the Wisconsin Education Association Council. Wild Willy the strolling juggler will amaze guests with juggling tricks throughout the park.
The ZSM’s centennial celebration continues at this event. Check out a museum-style historical photo display in the Zoo’s entrance atrium. In the Peck Welcome Center, kids can get “inked” with animal and centennial-themed temporary tattoos. You can also buy our popular centennial T-shirts and fun hippo toy grab bags at the everpopular Extravaganzoo Sale. While you stroll the Peck, students from Karate America will show off their moves at shows throughout the evenings. Photo at top: Kyle Herman of MKE Skate showed off skateboarding moves last year. Photo below: Alyssa Pinkowski, 8, of Milwaukee, did the limbo at last year’s event. Continued on page 7. Special Offer: Visit any WaterStone Bank, show your Zoo Pass card, and get one ticket good for a free ride on the Penzeys Spices Carousel during Kids’ Nights, July 13, 15, and 16. Tickets available at all bank branches starting June 10, 2010. Visit www.WSBonline.com for branch locations.
What’s to eat? Purchase tasty treats from booths of area restaurants, including Noodles & Company, Palermo’s® Pizza, Pedrano’s Mexican Restaurante and Saz’s Catering; all will be open until 8:45 p.m., as will the Zoo’s restaurants. Finish your meal with a sweet dessert from Gourmet Cheesecake and More, Niemann’s Candy Shop of Wauwatosa or the “Monkey Hut” near Macaque Island, where Zoo Priders will sell root beer floats to help support the ZSM’s Sponsor an Animal program.
In This Issue… What’s with poetry at the Zoo?...page 3 Free Zoo admission for moms & dads…page 4 Zoo Pride can change your life…page 9 Don’t snooze: Register for camping at the Zoo…page 11 Summer animals are back…page 14
On the Web! Dinosaur crafts & fun: zoosociety.org/kidsstuff Meet new Zoo animals: zoosociety.org/gnu Zoo’s birds on YouTube: zoosociety.org/birdmovie Blast from the past newsletters: zoosociety.org/publicationshistory
Saving the Earth may seem like a tall order, but there’s plenty to do in your own backyard. The Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM) has lots of ways to get involved, either on your own or with your family, a scout troop or a youth group. Here’s how: • Got soda cans or other recyclables? Join our new Cans for Cash for Critters (C3) program. Recycle trash for money, donate funds to the non-profit ZSM and party at a “Bash for Trash” ceremony, complete with prizes such as animal sponsorships. The program features a mini-social network where you can connect with fellow recyclers, zoosociety.org/C3. Don’t have Internet access? Call (414) 258-2333 for a packet. • If you’re 15 or older, you can join Zoo Pride, the ZSM’s volunteer auxiliary. The next two-day basic orientation is June 9 and 12 (a few hours each day). Zoo Priders do everything from giving animal talks to helping at special events at the Zoo (volunteers don’t work directly with animals, however). See story on page 9 and learn how Zoo Pride can change your life.
• The ZSM’s Sponsor an Animal Program helps support all animals at the Zoo. Featured sponsorships, which come with a cute plush-toy animal, include meerkats (see page 10), Happy the hippo (page 8) and Isabella the Swan; see zoosociety.org/SponsorAnimal/ or call (414) 258-2333. You can even sponsor an animal with a school class or a youth group and get an invitation to a behind-the-scenes event at the Zoo (see page 6). • For the little environmentalists, there’s the Kids Conservation Club, sponsored by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, which has a hands-on workshop, endangered animal collector cards and animal sponsorships. See zoosociety.org/kidsclub for details. Photo: Mary Baumer and her daughter Mya, 5, of Waukesha, create a caterpillar craft at a club workshop.
• Animal science is fun in our conservation education classes and camps (think topics like Zooper Heroes and Lion Around). Programs for ages 2 to 14 are held at the Zoo nearly year-round, and we have special offerings for scout On the Web: troops and families. See page 6. Looking for more “green” fun?
What’s Happening Memberanda
See zoosociety.org/kidsstuff for animal-science projects to do at home.
WILD THINGS Issue No. 88, June 2010 Correction: The February-March 2010 Wild Things was Issue No. 86. The April-May Wild Things was Issue No. 87.
Education
Wild Things is a membership newsletter published by the Zoological Society of Milwaukee six times a year: February-March; April-May; June; July-August; September-October; November-January. Editor: Julia Kolker Designer: Cary Piggot Contributing editor and writer: Paula Brookmire Contributing writer: Benjamin Wright Photographer: Richard Brodzeller
Helping Hands
(unless otherwise noted)
Write to any of us at the Zoological Society 10005 W. Blue Mound Rd. Milwaukee, WI 53226 Web site: www.zoosociety.org
For Zoo Pass benefits and other details, please see zoosociety.org/memberinfo.
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Insider Tips
Zoological Society of Milwaukee Wild Things June 2010
Log on for more info!
Zoological Society office hours: Through May 28, 2010: Weekdays, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Weekends, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. May 29-Sept. 6: Weekdays, 8:30 a.m. –5 p.m.; Weekends, 9 a.m. -5 p.m. Zoo hours: Through May 28: Daily, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. May 29-Sept. 6: Daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Please note the Zoo’s admission gates close 45 minutes before the posted Zoo closing hours. Animal buildings close 15 minutes prior to Zoo closing time. Paperless Attraction Coupons: Your new Zoo Pass card tracks Zoo-attraction coupons (or credits) electronically. You can check your account online to see how many Zoo-attraction coupons you have. Then just have your card scanned for admission to the North Shore Bank Safari Train, Penzeys Spices Carousel, MillerCoors Oceans of Fun Seal/Sea Lion Show, the PNC Zoomobile and the special summer exhibit, Adventure Dinosaur!, sponsored by Lowe’s. We no longer have paper coupons. School field trips: Zoo Pass free-admission benefits do not apply when a child visits the Zoo with an organized class field trip or when members attend an employer’s company picnic held at the Zoo. Due to the many busloads of school groups visiting the Zoo, gate staff is not able to board each bus to verify Zoo Pass memberships without causing potentially dangerous traffic backups onto Blue Mound Road. The discounted fees paid for educational outings and company picnics include additional Zoo-visit benefits. Who can use member cards? The person(s) named on the Zoo Pass is the owner of the card. Your Zoo Pass cannot be given to someone else to use. Please have your photo ID ready to present along with your Zoo Pass as you enter the Zoo. The ZSM and the Zoo retain the right to invalidate any Zoo Pass being used inappropriately.
Discovering poetry is like learning to ride a bike, says poet Pattiann Rogers. “All you have to do is find one poem that touches and stuns you, and you’re hooked for life.” This summer, Milwaukee County Zoo guests can find that one favorite among excerpts from more than 50 poems that will be whimsically displayed throughout the park. It’s all part of a new program called the Language of Conservation, presented in partnership by the Zoo and the Milwaukee Public Library.* They were among five zoos and four libraries across the U.S. that were chosen to join this project that promotes poetry and nature. That’s where Rogers (top) comes in. She’s a longtime published poet, essayist and college professor who was asked to serve as the Zoo’s honorary poet and select poetry to be displayed in the park. “My aim was for everyone who visits the Zoo to find at least one poem they could relate to and really like,” Rogers says. The poems range from Walt Whitman’s verses to pieces by Native American writers to international poetry translated from Spanish and Hebrew. Several poets are Wisconsin-based, and one poem is by Rogers herself. She chose poetry that doesn’t preach, she says, but instead addresses the beauty and majesty of nature. “My feeling is the best poetry is not written with an agenda,” adds Rogers. “I’m hoping this will help people become aware of Zoo animals not only as beautiful creatures, but as ambassadors for their species.” Photo by Rick Heinlein
By June 19, the poetry will be permanently displayed throughout the Zoo in places where you might least expect to find it. Poems will be placed on totem poles near the Wolf Woods exhibit, sandblasted on rocks and projected with lights. Look for displays next to animal areas such as the flamingo yard (where poetry is already installed; right) and near “green spaces” like Lake Evinrude, says Marcia Sinner, the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s (ZSM’s) creative director. The ZSM is contributing the graphics design. Adds Rogers: “Our goal is to present a different way of looking at the Zoo, the landscapes and the animals.” Another goal is to make poetry more accessible through nature. Growing up in Missouri, Rogers spent much of her childhood playing outside. “Just to smell the air outdoors, it lifts my spirits,” says Rogers, who now lives in Castle Rock, Colo. Later, when she became a writer, she discovered that many scientists have a deep reverence for the Earth. “I’m interested in stories science is telling about the physical world,” she says. “Scientific terms, names and processes are evocative and lyrical.” Rogers hopes these poems celebrating the Earth and its life will please zoogoers for many years to come. On the Web: A conversation with Pattiann Rogers, zoosociety.org/pattiann *The Language of Conservation was launched in 2009 by Poets House, a national literary center in New York City, with a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
You may like summer, but cold-weather animals aren’t so keen on it. That’s why the Zoo is building shade structures to keep the harbor seals and polar bear comfortable in their outdoor exhibits when the weather gets hot. It’s all part of the Zoological Society’s 2010 annual appeal project, which also includes new rockwork in the seal and polar bear exhibits, a Web cam in the polar bear den and interactive signs. Please consider contributing at zoosociety.org or call us at (414) 258-2333. Donors who give $75 or more will be recognized near the seal and polar bear habitats. Some donation levels include individual recognition plaques and animal sponsorships, and all donations are tax-deductible. Zoological Society of Milwaukee Wild Things June 2010
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Mother’s Day at the Zoo, May 9 Sponsored by Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort
May 9, 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Moms get free Zoo admission 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., no coupon necessary (parking not included). Zoo gates close 45 minutes before Zoo closes. Free Zoo admission for Zoological Society members with photo ID Milwaukee County parking fee: $11. For information, call (414) 771-3040 The Milwaukee County Zoo is all about moms on Mother’s Day. For one thing, all mothers get free admission (not including parking) on May 9 thanks to event sponsor Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort. Then there’s Project M.O.M. in Primates of the World (9 a.m.-3 p.m.). It stands for “missing orangutan mothers” because these great apes are highly endangered on their native South Pacific islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Visitors can make orangutan crafts, learn about palm oil plantations (which destroy orangutan habitats) and see the Zoo’s adorable orangutan toddler, Mahal, and his surrogate mom, M.J. Other Zoo animal moms and youngsters include a bonobo baby Looking for a fun and Mom Zomi, a camel baby and Mom Sanchi (see page 15 for Mom or Dad? gift for stories), young impalas Cassia and Korintje and moms Consider an animal sponsorship of Cinnamon and Nutmeg (see your April issue of Alive) and sevethe Zoo’s Isabella the swan, the meerkat ral kangaroo babies (see the April Wild Things). Photo: Bryan family (see page 10) or Happy the hippo Testin, of Hawthorn Woods, Ill., took a picture of his wife, (page 8). To sponsor Isabella in time for Julia, and their three children in front of a giraffe at last Mother’s Day, stop by our office at the year’s event. The Testin kids are Reid (in Mom’s arms), 3; Zoo. Or, order via www.zoosociety.org Brooke (left), 7; and Taylor, 5. or call (414) 258-2333.
Father’s Day at the Zoo, June 20 Sponsored by Chinet® and Pick ’n Save Dads get free Zoo admission 9 a.m.-5 p.m., no coupon necessary (parking not included). Zoo gates close 45 minutes before Zoo closes. Free Zoo admission for Zoological Society members with photo ID Milwaukee County parking fee: $11. For information, call (414) 771-3040 You know it’s Father’s Day at the Zoo when the park is filled with youngsters getting a little boost from Dad near the animal exhibits. And why not? All dads get free admission (not including parking) to the Milwaukee County Zoo on June 20, and kids love getting an up-close look at the animals. Another way to get near the critters is to pet domestic and Wisconsin animals such as chickens, turtles and bunnies in the Zoo’s Northwestern Mutual Family Farm. Attendants host Stackner Animal Encounter presentations several times a day starting Memorial Day weekend. Plus, kids can make “No. 1 Dad” buttons with Chinet® paper plates in this area as a cute gift. Another farm attraction is the free Birds of Prey show, sponsored by the Forest County Potawatomi Foundation, featuring flying raptors. If Dad is into very big animals, head to the Zoo’s special summer exhibit, Adventure Dinosaur!, sponsored by Lowe’s (fee is $2.50 per person). It features 29 life-size dinosaur replicas (see story at right). Photo: Lee Godgluck of Hartland lifted his son Lucas, 2, so the boy could get a good look at the giraffes. Special Offer: Get one free admission to the Penzeys Spices Carousel on Father’s Day, June 20, 2010, with a Pick ’n Save receipt showing the purchase of any Chinet® product. Show your receipt to the attendant at the carousel ticket booth. Limit one free admission per register receipt. 4
Zoological Society of Milwaukee Wild Things June 2010
Sunset Zoofaris Sponsored by Tri City National Bank
June 30, July 7, 14, 21, 28 & Aug. 4, 6-9 p.m. Free Zoo admission for Zoological Society members with ID Non-members: Adults, $6.50; ages 3-12, $5.50; or $18 per carload No parking fee. For details, call (414) 771-3040 What better place to unwind on a summer evening than at the Zoo? The park is open late on six Wednesday evenings this summer. A different live band will play each week, and the entire Zoo will be open for strolling. Say hello to your favorite warm-weather animals such as the elephants and hippos, and peek into the animal buildings, which will be open until 8:45 p.m. (the aviary closes at dusk). The special summer exhibit, Adventure Dinosaur!, sponsored by Lowe’s, also will be open (exhibit admission is $2.50 per person; see below for story). Purchase dinner from the Zoo’s Flamingo Café and Lakeview Place restaurants, or bring a picnic and dine alfresco. The Zoo closes at its regular weekday time of 5 p.m., and then re-opens at 6 p.m. for these events. The bands play between 6:15 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. If it rains, they’ll be in the U.S. Bank Gathering Place. Photo: Hailey Schock (left), 4, and Angelina Maly, 5, both of Milwaukee, dance to live music at one of last year’s events.
Check it out! Make your own dinosaur: zoosociety.org/kidsstuff
Adventure Dinosaur! Sponsored by Lowe’s
May 29 – Sept. 6 daily (opens 9:30 a.m.) $2.50 per person exhibit admission (Free admission for Zoological Society members June 4-6 with Zoo Pass card & photo ID, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.) Next to the Small Mammals Building What did dinosaurs eat? Some ate plants, others feasted on smaller dinos, but the Therizinosaurus probably ate insects! Paleontologists think this “scythe lizard” may have used its 8-foot-long-clawed arms to tear open insect nests. You can see a moving replica of this “insectivore” and 28 other dinosaurs at the Milwaukee County Zoo’s special summer exhibit. If bugs aren’t your thing, other dinos had different diet plans. You could say the carnivorous Megalosaurus would have preferred the Atkins diet, while the plant-eating Kentrasaurus would have been a vegetarian. Get a real-life peek inside a dino belly when you see the Deinonychus. Part of this model is left unfinished so you can see its wires and activate them by pressing buttons on a control pad. After viewing the exhibit, choose whether you’re a herbivore or carnivore and feast at one of the Zoo’s 11 concessions areas. Photo: A big-clawed Baronyx dinosaur eats a fish. Zoological Society of Milwaukee Wild Things June 2010
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Animal Safari Sponsored by Welch’s & Pick ’n Save
Aug. 28, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; behind-the-scenes tours run 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Call (414) 258-2333 to become an animal sponsor or see www.zoosociety.org/SponsorAnimal What does Happy the hippo like to eat? You could find out at this behind-the-scenes event if you sponsor Happy or another Zoo animal through the Zoological Society’s Sponsor an Animal program. Animal sponsors get to visit areas of the Milwaukee County Zoo that are usually off-limits to the public, such as the aviary kitchen and the camel barn. The tours run 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will be open to animal sponsors only. All zoogoers, however, can enjoy talks in front of animal exhibits and meet volunteers who make enrichment “toys” for the critters. Sponsor an animal by Aug. 28 or at the event, and you, too, will get an “insider pass.” Featured animal sponsorships include the Zoo’s meerkats (page 10), Happy the hippo (page 8) and Isabella the swan (see our Web site, above, or call 414-258-2333). Photo at right: Alyssa Winklbauer, 7, of Germantown, Bash for Trash! and her 4-year-old brother, Brady, smelled wild-animal Attend the Bash for Trash at the Zoo food at the event last year. Mom Carrie Winklbauer Aug. 28 during this event. It’s part of treats. animal about talk a to listened with the kids our new recycling challenge, Cans for Cash for Critters; see page 2 or zoosociety.org/c3.
What’s Happening Memberanda Education Summer Camps Still Open
You can still register for the Zoological Society’s summer day camps, held June 2 through Aug. 13 at the Milwaukee County Zoo. Some open camps are listed below; to check on availability, dates, times and prices, please see zoosociety.org/Education/SummerCamps.
Helping Hands
• Age 2 (with one adult): Count your way around a carousel classroom, make a crazy carousel animal and ride the Penzeys Spices Carousel in this June camp called – what else? – Carousel. • Age
3 (with one adult): In Hip Hippo Hurray, held in June, kids can design a huge hippo head, munch on a hippo-style snack and see the Zoo’s hippos.
• Ages
4 and 5: (with one adult): June may be hot, but you can chill in our Polar Pals classroom. We’ll play in the “snow,” make an icy painting and enjoy a frozen treat before meeting some of the coolest animals in the Zoo.
Insider Tips
6 and 7: What’s it like to be a zookeeper? Find out at Senior Zookeeper. Learn how keepers care for animals and tour the Zoo. In Zooper Heroes and Zoo’s Clues, kids can become superheroes and Zoo detectives (see story at right).
Superheroes & Detectives in Zoo Camp You know that Batman and Spiderman have amazing powers, but what about real-life bats and spiders? Discover animal “superpowers” in Zooper Heroes, a new camp for 6- and 7-year olds. “Animal adaptations have been an inspiration to creators of superheroes in comic books,” says ZSM educator Christopher Uitz. Campers will make their own superhero costume and tour the Zoo to meet animals with unusual abilities, such as the giant Pacific octopus in the Aquatic & Reptile Center. Octopuses can smell with their suckers, change colors to blend with their surroundings and shoot out jet-black ink to confuse predators. Afterward, kids use their own skills to complete a superhero-themed task. Another camp for this age group, Zoo’s Clues, held in June and July, gives kids the chance to solve a Zoo mystery. Campers will play “Zoo detective,”
• Ages
Volunteering at the Zoo • Ages
8 and 9: Calling all aspiring vets! Meet the Zoo’s vets, do a checkup on a farm animal and learn what it takes to become an animal doctor at What’s Up, Doc? Photo: A child uses a magnifying glass to see eye to eye with an alligator skull. Photo by Margo Pactanac
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Zoological Society of Milwaukee Wild Things June 2010
Kids’ Nights Sponsored by WaterStone Bank July 13, 15 OR 16, 5:15-9 p.m. The Penzeys Spices Carousel and the North Shore Bank Safari Train will run till dusk (weather permitting) at regular prices. To accommodate traffic flow at the Zoo, the PNC Zoomobile will not operate. You are invited on the night specified on your invitation that will arrive in June; however, if that date is inconvenient, you may attend on one of the other evenings. The event will be held rain or shine. All activities (except reduced dinosaur exhibit admission, which begins at 3 p.m.) start after 5:15 p.m., when parking is $10. Parking during the day is the regular price of $11. The Zoo’s admission gates will close for the day by 4:15 p.m. and re-open for this members-only event at 5:15 p.m.; however, members may stay in the Zoo during this time. The aviary will close at dusk.
uncover clues and decode messages. The program includes a Zoo tour where kids will learn how zookeepers create activities and “toys” to keep the animals active and busy (orangutans, for example, like food puzzles). Both camps had openings when we went to press. For dates, times, details and prices, please see zoosociety.org/Education/
Programs for Scouts Scouts and Scout leaders: You can earn a scout badge or recognition at the Zoo with our “Badge in a Day” programs for Girl and Boy Scouts. We are offering the “Animals Try-it” for Brownies, “Sharing Your World With Wildlife Achievement” for Bear Cubs and the “Naturalist Activity Badge” for Webelos. Program dates are open on some weekends, “kids’ days off” from school and early release dates. For more information, call Christopher Uitz, (414) 258-5058, ext. 428, or e-mail chrisu@zoosociety.org. Photo: Franklin Cub Scouts Matthew Jankowski, 9 (left), and Aaron Stengel, 8, pet a mounted barn owl at a program in February.
• UWM Course at the Zoo for Teachers
Study of the World’s Endangered Species, a Zoological Society course on June 19 and 20, explores the decline of some wildlife species and the efforts of zoos to conserve them. Teachers of grades 3 through high school can receive undergraduate or graduate credit from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee by taking this course. Call UWM Outreach, (414) 229-5255, for fees and to register.
Fall-Winter Class Signup Watch for the September-December 2010 Education Adventures at the Zoo brochure featuring classes for ages 2-13. It will be mailed with your July-August Wild Things. Registration is online and members are given priority when registration begins.
Tips for Teachers • Programs for Schools
The Zoological Society offers many school education programs either at the Zoo or at your school. A brochure with all offerings and details is available at zoosociety.org/ Education. Registration for the 2010-2011 school year began April 27.
Zoological Society of Milwaukee Wild Things June 2010
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It started in May 1951 with a photo of two Celebrate infant gorillas–Samson and Sambo–on the cover. That was the first issue of Milwaukee Zoo News. online! For nearly six decades since then, the Zoological Web: • Celebrate the Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM) has produced Society’s 100th birthday with regular publications giving members inside stories and vintage photos, information about the Milwaukee County Zoo. zoosociety.org/100years That 1951 newsletter declared that the two gorillas were “one of the most successful exhibits ever placed at the Zoo,” which was 59 years old then and called the Washington Park Zoo. Samson and ZSM publications were both “infants” in 1951, but they have been going strong ever since. Samson lived at the Zoo for 31 years and, 30 years after his death, he is remembered with an annual run called Samson Stomp. Milwaukee Zoo News covered the 11 years (1951-1962) during which the new Zoo on Blue Mound Rd. was being planned, built and opened. While the Milwaukee County Zoo officially opened in May 1961, building continued for several years. In fact, the first issue (February 1963) of Animal Talk, the newsletter that replaced Milwaukee Zoo News, discussed buildings under construction: the Australia Building, Administration building and restaurant, and Birdhouse. It also mentioned plans for an Aquarium-Reptile House and a Small Mammals House. Animal Talk was a chatty, fun-to-read little newsletter started and written by Walter Kroening. He became the first executive director of the Zoological Society in 1978 (an unpaid position) and oversaw capital improvements the Society made at the Zoo. Kroening’s humor, passion for animals and attention to detail show through in Animal Talk, which he wrote from 1963 through September 1980, when he had a stroke. He is the longest-term ZSM editor, at 17 ½ years. Paula Brookmire, ZSM publications coordinator since 1996, is the next longest-term editor, at nearly 14 ½ years. Alive magazine, created in 1981, replaced Animal Talk and has been published for nearly 30 years. Striking animal photos by Richard Brodzeller grace the cover. Feature stories highlight the Zoological Society’s three-part mission: conservation, education and support of the Zoo. In spring 1991, a newsletter (now called Platy Press) was started for the ZSM’s premier giving group, the Platypus Society. In December 1995, Wild Things newsletter was launched for the general membership. Brookmire F in d o Web: more heurte developed it into an expansive event newsletter published ! six times a year that also promoted volunteering at the Zoo • For an archive of past and animal sponsorships. Julia Kolker became Wild Things publications, which tell much of Zoo history, see editor in May 2006. In 2010 she oversaw the newsletter’s zoosociety.org/publicationshistory. upgrade from a two-color tabloid piece to the full-color magazine style you now hold in your hand!
Centennial Memories • The Zoological Society’s centennial celebration will last through 2010, but memories from our August safaris to Kenya will last a lifetime. Choose from three trips and price levels: a lower priced tent safari, a mid-priced safari and a luxury safari. See zoosociety.org/safaris or call Lisa. B., (414) 258-2333, for details. • Say Happy Birthday to the Zoological Society by sponsoring the Zoo’s Happy the hippo, our centennial “mascot.” The sponsorship package costs $100 and includes a plush-toy hippo, an invitation to a behind-the-scenes event at the Zoo (see page 6) and other goodies. Order at zoosociety.org or call (414) 258-2333. • What’s “in” this summer? Our centennial T-shirts! These cute, short-sleeved, bright blue shirts are $5 each; adult sizes 2X and 3X are $7. Buy them in our office at the Zoo, call (414) 258-2333 or see zoosociety.org. Shipping and handling are $7 extra per shirt. 8
Zoological Society of Milwaukee Wild Things June 2010
Volunteering at the Zoo
Some people make new friends and learn about animals in Zoo Pride, the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s (ZSM’s) volunteer auxiliary. Hope Hegmen decided to have a baby. Hegmen had never wanted children until 2006, when she joined Zoo Pride’s special events committee, which helps at Milwaukee County Zoo and ZSM events. As an only child, she had never spent much time around kids, she says, but working with children at the Zoo was a pleasure. “I did facepainting and gave temporary tattoos,” she says. “It was great to see families together at the Zoo having fun.” So in September 2008, Hegmen and her husband, Eric, had a baby boy they called Henry. “I can’t imagine life without him now,” says Hegmen (shown here with Henry, left). “Without Zoo Pride, I probably wouldn’t have realized how wonderful kids are!” Hegmen isn’t the only volunteer who can say Zoo Pride changed her life. Volunteering at the Zoo inspired Chad Long, a receptionist, to continue his education so he can someday work with gorillas in the wild. He has liked these great apes his whole life, he says. In 2004, he joined Zoo Pride’s primate committee, which gives talks in front of Zoo exhibits. When Long began researching college zoology programs, the Zoo Pride connection proved a big help. Jan Rafert, the Zoo’s primate curator, suggested classes to take. Zoo Pride manager Lynn Wilding shared financial aid tips. Long begins classes at the University of WisconsinWaukesha later this year, and hopes to earn a bachelor’s degree in an animal-related field.
Zoo Pride could change your life! The next basic two-session volunteer training is June 9 and 12, and allows you to join six of Zoo Pride’s 29 committees. A more extensive four-day training, held Sept. 15, 18, 22 and 25, lets you do more in Zoo Pride. Call (414) 258-5667 for details and to sign up.
Many Zoo Priders also make life-changing friendships through volunteering. “I’ve met people from all backgrounds here,” says Lois Siebrecht, who joined in 1995. She has traveled to Alaska, Madagascar and twice to Africa with fellow Zoo Pride members. For volunteers Jerry Hafemann and Sandy Mueller (left), Zoo Pride led to more than friendship–it was a love connection. The couple met in Zoo Pride and became engaged on Valentine’s Day 2003. They were married later that year, and volunteer together at the Zoo to this day.
Web: •
Log on to meet our volunteers!
Zoo Pride celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2010. Meet some of our 518 active volunteers and discover what keeps them at the Zoo: zoosociety.org/whywevolunteer Zoological Society of Milwaukee Wild Things June 2010
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The Milwaukee County Zoo’s four meerkats are some of the liveliest animals at the Zoo. When they aren’t romping in their Small Mammals Building exhibit, they take turns “watching” for predators as they would in the wild. In their native Africa, meerkats are all about family– they live in colonies of 10 to 20 and even take turns “babysitting.” Get in on the fun by sponsoring our playful meerkats through the Zoological Society’s Sponsor an Animal program, which helps support all the Zoo animals. The package costs $30 and includes a cute, plush-toy meerkat, a fact sheet, an invitation to a behind-the-scenes event at the Zoo (see page 6) and more. Complete and mail the form below, see zoosociety.org or call (414) 238-2333 to order. Shipping and handling is $5 per package. In accordance with WI statute section 440.455, a financial statement of the Zoological Society will be provided upon request. Your contribution may qualify for matching gifts; please check with your employer. The tax-deductible portion is $24. Plush-toy offer good while supplies last.
SPONSOR the Meerkats j I’d like to sponsor the meerkats
j I’d like to sponsor the meerkats as a gift.
Name (to Appear on Recognition Board and Certificate. No punctuation. Please print)
j Memorial Designation
___________ Date to appear on certificate
Gift Recipient*
Name
* The gift recipient will receive the Animal Safari invitation by mail as well as Alive magazine and Wild Things newsletter throughout the year.
Address City, State, ZIP Phone (Day)
Phone (Eve)
E-mail Address
Gift Card Message
Gift Giver
Name
Office Use Only C D R ID
Address City, State, ZIP Phone (Day)
Phone (Eve)
E-mail Address I would like
package(s) at $30 each.
Add $5 per package for shipping & handling: I would like
additional plush-toy meerkat(s) at $5 each.
I would like
additional decals for $1.00 each.
(Plush toys, photos & decals include 5.6% WI sales tax and are not tax-deductible.)
Send gift package to: j Recipient j Donor Package must arrive by:
Send renewal notice to: j Recipient j Donor Total amount $
Credit Card. . . . . Please charge my:
j Visa
j MasterCard
Acct. No. Exp. Date
Security Code
Signature
(Last 3 digits in signature area on back of credit card)
Print Name as it appears on credit card
Check . . . . . . . . . . Enclosed is my check, payable to the Zoological Society, for $___________ Please mail this order form and payment to: Meerkats, Zoological Society, 10005 W. Blue Mound Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53226 Online . . . . . . . . . . Go to www.zoosociety.org and click on the plush-toy meerkat picture to order or call (414) 258-2333. 10
Zoological Society of Milwaukee Wild Things June 2010
Party for the Planet Sponsored by American Transmission Company
May 15 & 16, 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Zoological Society members get free Zoo admission with photo ID Milwaukee County parking fee: $11. Zoo gates close 45 minutes before Zoo closes Call (414) 771-3040 for details From quirky rainwater contraptions to a giant monarch butterfly replica, the Milwaukee County Zoo will be awash with all things “green” at this two-day eco-fest. Get recycling tips, chat with Milwaukee-area conservationists and groove to the kid-friendly band The Chickadees, thanks to entertainment sponsor Coleman Repellents. Master gardeners from the University of Wisconsin Extension, who maintain the Zoo’s butterfly garden (above), will share tips on attracting butterflies to your backyard, while artisans from Greater Milwaukee Wildfowl Carvers will display their crafts. Kids can pretend to be Baltimore orioles and “migrate” to different stops at the Zoo as part of a migratory bird game. Want to help save the planet? See page 2 for hands-on projects.
Birdies & Eagles Golf Tournament Sponsored by MillerCoors July 26 at the Ozaukee Country Club in Mequon; $300 per person; registration begins at 10:30 a.m.; shot-gun start at noon. Register at www.zoosociety.org/Events/GolfOuting.php or call (414) 258-2333 by July 17 The Zoological Society’s 21st annual golf tournament will be another great day on the links. Think course events and hole-in-one opportunities, plus networking with metro-Milwaukee business leaders. The outing also includes a buffet lunch, gourmet dinner, a raffle and an auction. Proceeds help support the non-profit Zoological Society of Milwaukee; last year’s event raised more than $101,420. Photo: MillerCoors representatives get ready to tee off at the event last year. From left: Drew Martin, Ted Brueggeman, Chris Wittman and Kim Marotta.
Snooze at the Zoo Sponsored by Old Orchard Brands & Sentry Foods
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday, August 10, 11, 12, 13 or 14, starting at 5 p.m., Milwaukee County Zoo
Special offer: Get $10 off family registration or a $3 individual discount when you send in a Sentry Foods cashregister receipt showing the purchase of four 64-ounce Old Orchard juices or blends (see details online when you register).
Members: $125 for family of four; non-members, $150. Go online for individual rates & discount details. Online registration begins May 10 for members; May 11 for non-members, www.zoosociety.org/Snooze. For details, call Special Events at (414) 258-2333.
There’s still time to register for the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s (ZSM’s) popular campout at the Zoo. For the first time ever, you can choose from five nights to camp–Tuesday, Aug. 10, through Saturday, Aug. 14. Registration is held online on a first-come-first-served basis at www.zoosociety.org/snooze, and fills up fast. Member registration begins on Monday, May 10, at 8 a.m. Nonmembers start registration on Tuesday, May 11, at 8 a.m. Each night of this event has the same activities: s’mores around a group campfire, a buffet dinner and kid-friendly entertainment. After a continental breakfast the next morning, spend the rest of the day at the Zoo and enjoy discounted admission to the special summer exhibit on dinosaurs (see page 5). Photo: Drew Millette, 6 (left), of Dousman, Wis., and his brother Isaac, 3, played with lanterns at last year’s event. Zoological Society of Milwaukee Wild Things June 2010
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Helping Hands Want to give us a helping hand? Whether you’re excited about our events, education programs or conservation efforts, you can help! Details on the Web: zoosociety.org/Support/
Inside Look Who knew the Zoo had a library? Nearly, 4,360 visitors at the Milwaukee County Zoo’s March 13 and 14 Behind the Scenes Weekend, sponsored by Tri City National Bank, could tour the library and other areas usually off-limits to the public. The tours, led by Zoo Pride volunteers, took visitors to areas such as the aviary kitchen, the elk barn and Winter Quarters (where warm-weather animals spend the winter). The library, located on the Zoo’s Northwestern Mutual Family Farm, has a big collection of animal-science materials and historical archives, and is open to zoogoers by appointment; call (414) 258-2333. Photo: Grace Burgess, 9, of West Allis, and sister Quinn, 3, wait to see which prize they’ve won after spinning the Tri City National Bank prize wheel. Bank representative Sue Riener (in back) of Brookfield helped kids spin the wheel and handed out colorful pens at the event.
Insider Tips
Volunteering at the Zoo Yummy Bunny It was Easter treats galore at the Milwaukee County Zoo’s Breakfast and Lunch with the Bunny on March 27 and 28. Sponsored by Racine Danish Kringles, this event featured delicious kringle samples, plus breakfast or lunch for the 752 families who attended one of the meals. The Easter Bunny made an appearance, and entertainer Fred Turk performed hoppin’ songs on stage. Photo: Elise McDonald of Pewaukee, 1, takes a bite of kringle held by her father, Josh, at the event.
Critter Treats Everyone loves a special treat now and then, even orangutans and elephants. Tommy (right), the Milwaukee County Zoo’s adult male orangutan, held an Easter goodie at last year’s festivities, while Brittany the elephant chomped down on hers. Members of Zoo Pride, the Zoological Society’s volunteer auxiliary, created the egg-shaped containers, and zookeepers filled them with food. Animal keepers and volunteers make enrichment “toys” and treats for the animals year-round to keep them stimulated and active. For more on volunteers, see page 9. 12
Zoological Society of Milwaukee Wild Things June 2010
An “Egg”-stravaganza Bunny ears, an Easter parade and … giant bubbles? Must be Egg Day at the Zoo! Sponsored by Welch’s and Pick ’n Save, this April 3 event invited bubble artist Geoff Akins to make giant bubbles in the Zoo’s entrance atrium. Other activities included a prize hunt for kids 8 and under, bunny ear crafts, and face-painting. More than 4,000 zoogoers could also show off their Easter best at the afternoon parade led by costumed bunnies and Razzmatazz, a Dixieland band. Photo: The Jones siblings of West Allis show off bunny ears and handmade Easter baskets at the event. From left are Ava, 5, Dominic, 3, and Lily, 7.
Photo by Rick Heinlein
Tips for Future Scientists So you want to be a conservationist? Study languages and be flexible. That was Dr. Gay E. Reinartz’s advice for students when she spoke at a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee symposium on Feb. 26. As the Zoological Society’s conservation coordinator, Dr. Reinartz spent much of the past 13 years helping to save bonobos in Africa’s Democratic Republic of Congo. Early in her career, Dr. Reinartz was Photo provided by Dr. Gay E. Reinartz trained as a geneticist and worked as the Milwaukee County Zoo’s registrar (person who keeps track of the animal collection). She soon became fascinated with How are the Zoo’s bonobos–rare great apes found in the wild only in bonobos doing in Europe? the Congo. In 1997, she helped start the Zoological Society’s Bonobo & Congo Biodiversity Initiative (BCBI), a program On the Web: Zjef Pereboom, that helps bonobos and the people who share their habitat. a researcher from Belgium, shared his thoughts during a Learning French and Lingala, which are both spoken in the visit to Milwaukee in March, Congo, was a big part of her success in this region. Another tip zoosociety.org/zjef for budding researchers? Learn statistics. No one yet knows how many bonobos exist in the wild, but Dr. Reinartz is using statistical methods such as random sampling of bonobo nests to find the answer. For more on Dr. Reinartz and her work, including a field diary and photos, see zoosociety.org/BCBI. Photo: Research in action: Dr. Reinartz trained Congolese volunteers in research techniques during her spring 2009 field season. Here, she congratulates a trainee on completing the program.
Grants Received Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM) programs and projects have received the following grants: • The ZSM Conservation Education Department received $10,000 from U.S. Cellular and $2,000 from the R.D. & Linda Peters Foundation for the ZSM’s Programs for Disadvantaged Youth. The programs make it possible for children from Milwaukee neighborhood centers to attend ZSM summer camps. For its animal-science programs for school classes, the department also received $5,000 from the A.O. Smith Foundation and $5,000 from the Judith Grimes Family Fund of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. • The Judith Grimes Family Fund of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation also gave $10,000 to ZSM general operations, which support our mission to conserve wildlife, educate the public and support the Milwaukee County Zoo. • For its bonobo-conservation programs, the ZSM’s Bonobo and Congo Biodiversity Initiative received $1,000 from the Milwaukee County Zoo. Zoological Society of Milwaukee Wild Things June 2010
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You know it’s summer at the Milwaukee County Zoo when the goats are out and the raptors are soaring on the Northwestern Mutual Family Farm. Starting Memorial Day weekend, farm attendants will again hold Stackner Animal Encounter animal presentations several times daily (see the farm for times). Meet and pet Wisconsin and domestic animals such as bunnies, Cochin chickens, cats, turtles and snakes (see photo below.) This year’s newcomers are Wynter the groundhog, who famously predicted an early spring at the Zoo’s Groundhog Day ceremony in February, and Arwen the barn owl. Kids and adults will enjoy petting some of the Zoo’s 64 friendly goats in the ever-popular goat yard, which also opens Memorial Day weekend. Other farm favorites include guinea hogs Petunia and Peony, the super-cute chicks and even a mini-beehive that’s always abuzz with honey-producing activity.
Green-winged macaw
Another farm attraction is the free Birds of Prey Show, sponsored by the Forest County Potawatomi Foundation. The show runs daily Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day (see farm for times) and features birds such as eagles, hawks and macaws. Favorite warm-weather Zoo animals will venture outdoors as the weather warms up in May. See Pat the Cat, a jaguar from Belize, Central America, in his new outdoor area, in the back of the Florence Mila Borchert Big Cat Country (between the African Waterhole and the South American yard). Starting in June, Happy the hippo also can explore a new outdoor yard. He came last fall from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and spent the coldweather months in the Dohmen Family Foundation Hippo Home with female Zoo hippos Patti and Puddles. Not far from hippos are elephants Ruth and Brittany and the Zoo’s three giraffes: Bahatika, Malinde and Rahna. Starting May 15, purchase tickets to hand-feed these gentle giants in the MillerCoors Giraffe Experience (make a reservation in the Flamingo gift shop). You can also see the animals at the Zoo’s many special events this summer. Enjoy live music after hours at Wednesday Sunset Zoofaris, sponsored by Tri City National Bank (6 to 9 p.m. June 30 and July 7, 14, 21, 28 and Aug. 4), and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel a la Carte (Aug. 19-22; the Zoo’s hours are extended during this fest). See the back cover for a complete list of events. Remember, Zoological Society members get advance registration in our popular summer camps and family campout at the Zoo. The ZSM also has several of its own events this summer (see back cover for a full list), including: •
July 13, 15, or 16 – Kids’ Nights, sponsored by WaterStone Bank, is a family-friendly, members-only event at the Zoo in the evenings. See cover story.
• Aug.
10-14 – This year, choose from five nights to camp at Snooze at the Zoo, sponsored by Old Orchard Brands and Sentry Foods. Registration details on page 11.
Above: Destiny Frymark, 3, and Dad Joshua pet a fox snake at the Stackner Animal Encounter in the Zoo’s Northwestern Mutual Family Farm. Right: Peacock at the Zoo. 14
Zoological Society of Milwaukee Wild Things June 2010
• Aug.
28 –Animal sponsors can go behind the scenes at the Zoo at Animal Safari, sponsored by Welch’s and Pick ’n Save. Sponsor an animal to get an invitation (see page 6).
• Sept.
19 – Choose from three routes and bike through the Zoo at Ride on the Wild Side Family Bike Ride, a Zoological Society fundraiser sponsored by The Wisconsin Heart Hospital & Wheaton Franciscan HealthcareSt. Joseph. The media sponsors are FM 106.1, AM 920 The Wolf and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Insider Tips Oh, Baby Bonobo She’s small, she’s cute and she’s an ambassador for her species. She’s the Milwaukee County Zoo’s new baby bonobo, born Feb. 19 to Mom Zomi. (Keepers will know Dad’s identity after running DNA tests.) Zomi, also born here in 1999 (and shown at right as a baby with Mom Maringa), is taking great care of her first offspring, On the web! says bonobo keeper Barbara Bell. The baby, who hasn’t yet been named, brings the Zoo’s bonobo group to 16 – Meet more new Zoo animals: one of the largest groups in a zoo setting. Bonobos are impalas, red ruffed lemurs, endangered great apes, and are found only in Africa’s Laysan teals and others Democratic Republic of Congo in the wild. The zoosociety.org/gnu Zoological Society of Milwaukee has long worked to save bonobos in the Congo and to help the people who share their habitat. For more on our bonobo program, see page 13 or go to zoosociety.org/field09 for stories, photos and the field diaries of Dr. Gay E. Reinartz, the Society’s conservation coordinator.
Volunteering at the Zoo
Goodbye, Rachel When she was about 6 years old, Rachel the camel went into kidney failure due to an infection that spread from her fractured jaw. Experts at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in Madison didn’t see how this Bactrian camel could survive. Yet she did, thanks to dramatic efforts by Zoo staff in 2006. In what just might have made zoo-world history, Rachel was on I.V. fluids for 3 ½ months. Most ill Zoo animals, if they needed I.V. fluids, would have an I.V. for only a few days. Numerous members of the Zoo staff helped care for her, and their efforts gained her another four years of quality life. When Rachel died at age 10 on Jan. 21, 2010, it was not from any of her previous problems, says veterinarian Vickie Clyde. Rachel was suffering from complications of arthritis, which afflicts many camels. To learn more about Rachel’s incredible story, check the January 2007 edition of Alive magazine (www.zoosociety.org, select membership, publication archive, Alive. Rachel was the “cover girl” on that issue).
Clever Camel Just call her supermom. Sanchi, a camel at the Milwaukee County Zoo, gave birth to her sixth youngster on Feb. 26. It’s no small feat, considering camel pregnancies last 12 to 14 months! The male baby, called Furlow (yes, his name playfully alludes to required Milwaukee County furloughs for staff), is “really a smart little camel,” says zookeeper Craig Pavlik. For example, when Furlow (right, with Sanchi) was just a few weeks old, he stood on a scale to be weighed without any prompting from zookeepers. In early March, Furlow was 127 pounds, which is little compared to adult camels like Sanchi, 1,500 pounds, and Dad Moses, who weighs around 2,000. (The Zoo has another female camel called Georgia.) All camels at the Zoo are Bactrian, which are native to Central and East Asia and have two humps. Camels that have one hump are called dromedary. Camel youngsters are born with loose skin in place of humps, which are made of fat that’s converted to water and energy. In May, Furlow will sport mini-humps of his own. Zoological Society of Milwaukee Wild Things June 2010
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May 9
Details Inside
Mother’s Day at the Zoo, sponsored by Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort; moms get free Zoo admission (parking not included)*
Memberanda
May 10
Member online registration for Snooze at the Zoo begins; go to www.zoosociety.org
May 15 & 16 Party for the Planet at the Zoo, sponsored by American Transmission Company*
Education
May 29-Sept. 6 (daily; opens 9:30 a.m.) Summer exhibit: Adventure Dinosaur!, sponsored by Lowe’s; $2.50 exhibit entry fee
June 2-Aug. 13 Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM) Summer Camps at the Zoo
Helping Hands June 4-6
Free exhibit admission for ZSM members to Adventure Dinosaur!, sponsored by Lowe’s, 9:30 a.m.-4p.m.*
June 5 & 6 Scouting Weekend at the Zoo; call (414) 771-3040
June 9 & 12 Two-session Zoo Pride volunteer orientation; call (414) 258-5667
June 20 Father’s Day at the Zoo, sponsored by Chinet® & Pick ’n Save; dads get free Zoo admission (parking not included)*
Insider Tips
June 26 Zoo Ball 2010, sponsored by American Airlines; for details, call (414) 258-2333
June 30, July 7, 14, 21, 28 & Aug. 4
Please Deliver Promptly
DATED MATERIAL
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
10005 W. Blue Mound Rd. Milwaukee, WI 53226 (414) 258-2333
What’s Happening
July 13, 15 & 16 Kids’ Nights, sponsored by WaterStone Bank, for ZSM members only, 5:15-9 p.m.*
July 26 Birdies & Eagles Golf Tournament, sponsored by MillerCoors
Aug. 10, 11, 12, 13 or 14 Snooze at the Zoo, sponsored by Old Orchard Brands & Sentry Foods
Aug. 19-22 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel a la Carte at the Zoo*+
Aug. 28 Animal Safari, sponsored by Welch’s & Pick ’n Save*+
Sept. 3 Senior Celebration, sponsored by Wheaton Franciscan Senior Health*+
Sept. 11 & 12 Family Farm Weekend, sponsored by GG Golden Guernsey Dairy® & the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board*+
Sept. 19 Ride on the Wild Side bike ride, sponsored by The Wisconsin Heart Hospital & Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-St. Joseph+
Sept. 25 ZSM members’ field trip to Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium & Oceanarium+
Oct. 22 & 23 Boo at the Zoo, sponsored by westbury bank*+
Oct. 29 & 30 Halloween Trick-or-Treat Spooktacular, sponsored by westbury bank*+ * ZSM members get free Zoo admission with their Zoo Pass card and photo ID. The special dinosaur exhibit admission is extra, except for ZSM members June 4, 5 & 6, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (free), and during Kids’ Nights, July 13, 15 & 16 (50% off ), starting at 3 p.m. each day. Members must show their Zoo Pass and photo ID at the exhibit ticket booth for free or reduced admission. Those with Zoo Pass Plus also get free parking. +More information on these events will appear in future issues of Wild Things.
Sunset Zoofaris, sponsored by Tri Volunteering atCitythe Zoo National Bank, 6-9 p.m.*+