Volunteer Updates & Opportunities
Reminder – Log Your Hours:
We want to remind you of the importance of logging your volunteer hours. Your contributions are truly valued, and we want to ensure you’re recognized for all the hard work you’ve put in.
Please remember that to be considered an active volunteer and to be eligible for the picnic, you need to log at least 50 hours of service each year. If you haven’t already, take a moment to update your hours no later than August 30th. We will send out information on how to RSVP for the picnic the first week in September!
We appreciate everything you do to support our mission, and we look forward to seeing you at the picnic! Thank you for your ongoing commitment and enthusiasm!
If you have forgotten how to log your hours, I have included a quick video tutorial below:
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Zoofari Volunteering
This year’s theme, Celebrating Elephants of India, drew inspiration from Elephant Trek, the spectacular five-acre landscape of habitat and gardens. Elephant Trek will support a multi-generational Asian elephant herd and put our Zoo on the leading edge of elephant care, research, and management. This annual fundraiser would not be possible without the support of volunteers, and WE NEED YOU to help make it a huge success!
If you are interested in volunteering at Zoofari, there are 2 different shift options, you can find them listed below. *I will do my best to accommodate your selection, but I cannot guarantee that you will receive you first choice because spots are limited.
- First Shift - (6-9pm or 5:30-8:30) - Once your shift is complete, you are welcome to enjoy the event.
- Second Shift - (8:30/9pm – 11/midnight) - After Check-In you are welcome to explore the event and will not need to report to your station until the start of your shift. *This is a great option for anyone who would like to taste test all the delicious food because many of the food booths close after 9 and only the late night bites will be open.
Each volunteer may volunteer with ONE spouse, partner, friend, etc. and will need to attend the Volunteer orientation at 5:00pm on the day of the event.
If you are interested in Volunteering for Zoofari, click on the link below to fill out the form. Please make sure to read the volunteer expectations and let me know if you have any questions.
Click Here to Complete the Form
We’re so excited about Zoofari and deeply appreciate the Zoo Team stepping up to make this the best Zoofari yet! We hope to see you there!
Learn More about this event through the link below:
Looking for an Outfit? Get your Zoofari outfit at the Indian American Chamber of Commerce Annual Bazaar!
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In Case You Missed It:
Volunteer Opportunity to Help out Sloth Partners! (Sign Up by Tuesday, 8/27)
Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is working with The Sloth Institute to help humans and animals coexist in Costa Rica through the Sloth Speedways Camera Project.
Sloth speedways are ropes hung from tree to tree to help sloths and other animals move through the tree canopy that had been broken by humans through construction and human maintenance of trees in the area.
This project is to help figure out what ropeways are being used, how often, and by what animals. At the end of the study, the researcher will have a collection of data that will help organizations understand how to build the best ropeways for arboreal species in Costa Rica.
What will you be doing? The selected applicants will be looking at videos taken from security cameras within the trees that have sloth speedways. The applicant will then fill out a data collection form online detailing what animals have been seen and if they used the speedway in the video. This project will be indoors and use the applicants cellphone or a computer to input data, with another device plays the videos.
Click Here to Fill Out the Application
*We will be sending out follow up on the week of 8/26
Zoo Updates
Our Horticulture Team is “Bloomin’ Awesome”
Multiple sites in Bond Hill got TLC last week when hundreds of volunteers got their hands dirty to participate in the 15th annual Reds Community Makeover. Cincinnati Zoo got a special shout out from Reds COO Phil Castellini (see video below) for all of the extra work that our horticulture team put into this project and especially the Learning Garden portion of it. More details about the transformation are here: Reds host community makeover in Cincinnati’s Bond Hill neighborhood (mlb.com)
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Pilot Maintenance Intern Program Huge Success
Learn about the first ever construction/maintenance internship program at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. This 6-week pilot was all about providing youth with awareness of and access to a career in the trades.
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New Fiona Book
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ZooTales
Celebrate Fritz’s 2nd birthday with a special episode dedicated to him! Join his keepers as they share stories about his growth, fav foods & playful personality. Discover fun facts and behind-the-scenes insights that will make you love Fritz even more! https://cincinnatizoo.podbean.com/e/happy-2nd-birthday-fritz/…
Plant & Animal Updates
Elephant Trek Update
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Red Panda Fun
Red pandas spend up to 13 hours a day foraging for bamboo, eating only the youngest, most tender leaves. Made for a life in the trees, the red panda travels through the canopy with ease. Not only is the panda a great climber, it is also an amazing jumper, clearing distances up to five feet. Hair on the bottom of its feet keeps the panda from slipping on branches.
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Beautiful Blooms
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Sihek Chicks from Cincinnati Zoo Are Heading to Palmyra Atoll
The Sihek Recovery Project just shared the candidates that are likely to be part of the sihek (Guam kingfisher) reintroduction later this month. Four of the nine chicks are from Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden!! Here’s a link to their post about the personalities of each chick – https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-kan5XOxgq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Learn more about the translocation initiative in this blog posted by Aimee Owen in May. At that time, we had 10 eggs and no idea how many would turn into viable candidates for release.
Tutuhan, Sindalu, Fuetsa, and Ma’lak are chicks from CZBG.
Tutuhan was sent as an egg and hatched at Sedgwick Co. Sindalu was sent as an egg to National Aviary and hatched there, and then travelled with their keeper to Sedgwick Co. Fuetsa and Ma’lak both hatched here at CZBG and travelled with Kim Klosterman and Aimee Owen to the unit at Sedgwick.
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New Roommate in Jungle Trails
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Zebra Training at the Zoo
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Safeguarding Giants
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Root Canals – Zoo Style
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Giraffe Fun
Giraffe have a foot-and-a-half long tongue that can nimbly strip leaves & fruits from a branch. Thick saliva protects their tongue from the thorns of its favorite food source, the acacia tree. They spend much of the day feeding and can eat up to 75 pounds a day!
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Fritz Turned 2 on August 3rd!
Tessa Turned 18 on August 8th
Kip turned 2 on August 11th
Animal Excellence Highlights
Quarterly, each of the 14 animal care teams identifies 2-3 welfare priorities that they plan to work on over the 3-month period. These can be big or small, but they must be measurable, and they must be reasonably achievable without significant help from outside department. At the end of the 3 months, we review this list of priorities, celebrate the ones we achieved and discuss those that weren’t achieved yet.
Below are some of our teams’ successes in Animal Excellence from April-June 2024.
Africa
Africa team set a goal to move the blue duiker pair into a space where they could provide outdoor access for the season. The duikers LOVE their new space, especially their outdoor yard which was furnished with sod, lots of potted and browsable plants and a browse teepee to hide inside.
Bird House
Team Bird’s goal was to set up a pair of crested guineafowl for breeding, with the bigger goal of growing our guinea flock, making them a more cohesive group. They provided a space with lots of bugs, plants, and privacy. The pair showed really great courtship and nesting behaviors, but ultimately didn’t lay until they were moved back to Africa. Home is where the heart is!
Mast Farm
Mast Farm set a goal to voluntarily ultrasound cheetah Etosha to confirm pregnancy early on. After two attempts and modifications made, vet staff was able to successfully ultrasound Etosha.
Cat Ambassador Program
The new bat-eared fox kit (Kal) has been reared collaboratively by the cat show and animal ambassador keepers. He recently moved to his permanent home at the cat show area. Keepers are prioritizing his training, getting him into new spaces inside and outside and making sure he is seeing new people and animals as often as possible. This level of training will help his confidence as an animal ambassador and will allow multiple trainers to work with him each day. The team is looking forward to all he will do in the future.
Children’s Zoo
One of the most recent goals to add Domino the skunk into Barnyard Bonanza. Eunice has been working with her to get him ready for shows including crating, confidence on stage, using the ramp, the moonwalk, circling and most importantly staying on stage. It is great to see her in the routine and it also gets her out for more exercise, training and learning something new each day.
Conservation Corner
Fall Bowyer Native Plant Sales
The upcoming native plant sales are set! Support our native wildlife by providing native plants at your home!
Plant Sale dates
- Sept 7 9am-2pm
- Sept 21 9am-2pm
- Oct 5 9am-2pm
- Wednesday Oct 16 3:00-6:30
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Kentucky Clover Project
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Community Solar Resiliency Program- Updates
As you know, the Cincinnati Zoo has been at the forefront of on-site renewable energy generation for over a decade. BUT did you know that Cincinnati is facing climate effects that amplify the occurrence and length of extreme heat and precipitation? These changes have been shown to disproportionately affect low-income communities like Avondale due to lack of green spaces and expansive hardscapes which has a direct correlation to the health of residents.
Keep reading to learn about new projects and partnerships in our pipeline- as we work to solarize Cincinnati and share the benefits of renewable energy with our neighbors.
Under the vision of Mark Fisher, we have developed the Community Solar Resiliency Program (CSRP) to continue annual solar installations on community centers, schools, and churches in underserved areas of Cincinnati. After installing the new 2.8 MW Euclid parking lot canopy array, we are taking the “leftover” solar panels (~100 kW) and deploying them to trusted community organizations.
Our goals are to reduce emissions, lower utility costs, and save energy for receiving organizations; to help redirect funds into their mission-critical work, build organizational capacity, and further serve our communities.
Key partners:
- SonLight Power
- Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability (OES)
- Melink
- B & J Electric
Community Solar Projects:
- New Prospect Baptist Church, Roselawn (2019, 30 kW)
- Rockdale Elementary, Avondale (2021, 12.5 kW)
- Lincoln Heights Elementary, Lincoln Heights (2022, 12 kW)
- John P. Parker Elementary, Madisonville (2023, 13 kW)
- Lydia’s House, Norwood (June 2024, 10 kW)
- Horses on the Hill, Price Hill (Sept. 2024, 16 kW)\
Building off prior installs with the Red’s Community Fund and SonLight Power, the Zoo has worked with key partners to maximize impact and source funding for solar and energy efficiency projects.
Partner Spotlight: SonLight Power
SonLight Power designs and builds solar energy solutions for community venues – schools, medical clinics, orphanages, community centers, churches, water-pumping stations – in remote locations around the world.
https://www.sonlightpower.org/about
New Project Showcase: Lydia’s House
We recently donated the 18 solar panels needed for a 10-kW array at Lydias House. Members of our Maintenance team delivered the panels and helped SonLight Power install the array in June of this year.
Lydia’s House in Norwood is a safe space with the goal of providing safe, stable, and supportive housing for women and children in crisis. The organization provides both short term and permanent housing solutions.
Upcoming Project Showcase: Horses on the Hill (HOTH)
HOTH is in East Price Hill, and serves economically disadvantaged youth and their families, abused women, and individuals in recovery through nature-based and equine-assisted therapy and urban farming services. The Zoo has previously worked to support HOTH through hay and native plant donations.
Seeds of Change Grant + Donated Services + Donated Panels
With guidance from the Zoo, SonLight Power applied for the Seeds of Change grant opportunity (and received the award!) via Cincinnati’s OES, providing the final piece of funding needed.
The Zoo is donating 28 solar panels and B & J Electric has donated their permitting and engineering services. We are so grateful for our partners and for the collective effort to maximize impact and source funding for these projects.
http://www.onebloc.org/horses-on-the-hill
Recent Funding Opportunities:
The Zoo’s Sustainability team recently worked on a joint grant proposal to the Department of Energy (DOE) for $3M, in partnership with the City of Cincinnati’s OES and other non-profit partners. If awarded, (TBD) the Zoo will act as a sub-awardee of the city and facilitate several solar + energy efficiency projects for community-based organizations and houses of worship in Justice 40 neighborhoods across Cincinnati.
We have also partnered with our friends at Melink Solar LLC and Melink Solar Development on a second opportunity, to fund additional community projects. Stay tuned for news on these potential awards and future project plans!
How You Can Get Involved
Did you know that you can access tax credits for clean energy systems and energy efficiency, at home? This includes 30% rebates on residential solar, geothermal, battery storage, insulation, windows, appliances, electric vehicles, and more.
Incentives through the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provide countless benefits for electrifying homes and appliances. This DOE link provides energy saving tips to help cut your energy bill, reduce energy loss, and increase efficiency (whether you are a renter or a homeowner)
Department of Energy- Energy Savings Hub
Our Solar Storybook:
Breaking Boundaries: The Story of Solar at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Solar Panel Recycling
Not only is the Cincinnati Zoo invested in solar we are invested in the full life cycle of solar panels, from start to finish. We are currently working with Melink and Cleanlites Recycling to pilot recycling broken panels, preparing for the eventual replacement and recycling of the Vine St. solar panels + other aging arrays around the park.
Volunteer Corner
Zoo-Olympics
If you are anything like me, you were sad to see the closing ceremonies of the Olympics! To keep the olympic spirit alive as we enjoy the Paralympics, Judy has created another Zoo themed Olympic Quiz. Enjoy! The answers will be revealed in the net update.
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Loss of Ken Brown:
I regret to inform everyone of the sad news of Ken’s passing. Ken was a current volunteer with the hospital assisting with data entry. Ken has been a volunteer for over 10 years and served in many department. Ken will truly be missed by the entire organization.
https://www.tpwhite.com/obituaries/kenneth-c-brown
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Loss of Joan Zumbiel
Joan was a volunteer at the Cincinnati Zoo for over 33 years and was described as being full of spunk! She will be missed by our community and we are so grateful for the positive change she brought into the world with her passion for animals.
https://www.strawserfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Joan-M-Zumbiel?obId=32533100