First Friday Volunteer Update _ 12/2/2022

Posted on By Amber Suttmiller

First Friday Volunteer Update – December Edition

 Don’t Forget – Vote for Us!

We have been #1 in the Best Zoo Lights category for the last 4 years. Let’s make it 5!!

Click Here to Vote!

 Zoo Updates:

​​Horticulture in the News:

Check out two recent articles that highlight the fantastic work that our horticulture team is doing!
Rockdale Garden in Horticulture Magazine by Scott Beuerlein
Careers in Horticulture in American Gardener magazine

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The Electric Train is Here!

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Toys for Tots

CZBG will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign.
When you donate to Marine Toys for Tots you are helping to bring the joy of Christmas and send a message of hope to America’s less fortunate children.  97% of your donation goes to our mission of providing toys, books and other gifts to less fortunate children. The 3% spent on support principally covers fundraising expenses – not one donated dollar goes to pay for salaries or any other manpower costs.
Collection box is at Purchasing, it is just inside the office door (not in the main mail delivery area which receives daily deliveries). If office door happens to be locked, just set outside their door and purchasing staff will put it in the donation box for you.
Please put your new, unwrapped toy in donation box, donations will be accepted until Sunday, December 11th.

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Podcast

Relive keepers Wendy & Tami’s recent trip to Africa and hear how the Zoo is directly helping our partners in Africa with coexistence & conservation efforts. 
Click Here to Listen

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 Cincinnati Gives

The Cincinnati Zoo is excited to be part of the 2022 Cincinnati Gives Challenge! This is a friendly fund-raising competition where local charities compete to raise the most money, with the top teams winning cash prizes. The Challenge runs from November 28th to December 8th. This year, we would love your support in raising funds for our Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) and their signature projects: Exceptional Plants, Rhinos, Imperiled Cats, and Polar Bears. Together we have a mission to Save Species with Science®
https://www.cincinnatigives.org/organization/Cincinnati-Zoo

Just For Fun:

 12/2 _ National Mutt Day

 Daisy took a DNA test and found out she’s 100% a mutt!

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National Christmas Lights Day _ 12/1

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Pallina

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World Tamandua Day _ 11/29

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Isabel

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Tessa

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Sadie

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Isla

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Tanzi

Just in case you wondered what Tanzi looks like on a normal day:

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Thankful for Pumpkin Pie 😉

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Malayan Tiger

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Sly

Sly the arctic fox showing off her gorgeous winter white coat. The arctic fox has many adaptations that allow it to survive frigid Arctic temperatures as low as –58°F. In winter they have beautiful white (sometimes blue-gray) coats that work as an effective camouflage in the snow.

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Fiona is a Soccer Fan

Let’s go USA Soccer Men’s National Team! Here’s Fiona with a jersey the #USMNT gifted her! FIFA World Cup

Plant & Animal Updates:

Banding together to help Bell

http://blog.cincinnatizoo.org/2022/11/23/banding-together-to-help-armadillo-bell/

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Manatee Update

The 3 new manatee ladies are doing really well! They took no time to really settle in, and they are eating like champs. We just increased their daily greens to 210 lbs. (shared between the 3 of them). You can tell them apart by looking at their tails. Soleil has a smooth, completely round paddle, Calliope has a small notch at the end of her paddle, and Piccolina has a deep notch at the end of hers.

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Fritz Update

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Rozi

They also have to learn how to run fast, they aren’t immediately super speedy. Older cheetahs are often faster than youngsters as the young ones are still figuring out how to maximize their running speed as they grow.

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Mbeli

Our new silverback, Mbeli, is now being housed with the Chew Crew full-time. They continue to do well, learning how to act as a cohesive group. With gorillas, animal care professionals know a troop is doing well based on key social behaviors. Spending time in proximity to each other, sharing food, and lots of relaxed lounging are positive signs we see frequently with Mbeli’s new gorilla family!

Birthdays

Theo _ 11/23

New Faces:

The Zoo welcomes Dr. Mahi Puri!
Please help us welcome Dr. Mahi Puri to the Conservation Impact department at CZBG! Mahi is our new Coexistence Scientist who will lead our data collection and collaboration with global partners to document progress toward achieving our vision of facilitating vibrant landscapes for wildlife and people. She has diverse experience in the conservation field and a unique combination of complementary expertise, so we are thrilled to have her join our team.
Mahi is originally from India and is now based in Florida, so she will be a remote staff member for most of the time (Zooming with global partners around the world makes this feasible), with occasional visits to Cincinnati for in-person meetings and activities. She loves hiking in nature and exploring and has many great stories and photos to share.
More about Mahi:
Dr. Mahi Puri is an interdisciplinary scientist and has been working on conservation issues since 2007 in various capacities. She recently worked as Senior Research Scientist at the Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources, University of Georgia. She also worked on a collaborative project with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to understand tolerance towards urban wildlife among Metro Atlanta residents. She graduated with a Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida. Mahi’s Ph.D. research was at the intersection of multiple themes including carnivore biology, landscape ecology, human-wildlife interactions, stakeholder participation, and systematic conservation planning.

Conservation Corner:

Cheetah Conservation Article by Keeper Andie

http://blog.cincinnatizoo.org/2022/12/02/cheetah-conservation-from-the-cincinnati-zoo-to-namibia/

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CREW collaborating to save Black- Footed Cats

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Budget Friendly & Sustainable Gift Ideas:

One of our Americorps members, Eli, put together a list of sustainable gift ideas for the Holiday Season!  If you are stressing about the perfect gift, this may be just what you are looking for!

Opportunities:

The Giving Tree

Click Here for the Direct Amazon Link

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Volunteer Roles Accepting Applications

Did you know that we are accepting Applications for several Volunteer Roles here at the Zoo?  Check out the areas that are currently accepting applications and share the links with your Friends and Family!
CREW Cat Colony Assistants _ Weekends
 

Contact Information:

Brittany Garera-Stapleton
Volunteer Relations Coordinator
(513)559-7768
[email protected]