Thanks from the Zoo – A Message from Thane
To Everybody at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden,
As we bid farewell to 2024 and look forward to the exciting year ahead, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for your unwavering hard work, support and dedication. This year has been a remarkable journey, filled with incredible achievements and milestones that would not have been possible without you. This year the zoo proved our importance to area families, with record attendance and again serving as the #1 attraction in both Cincinnati and Hamilton County.
Of course, the biggest highlight for the zoo in 2024 was the grand opening of Elephant Trek, our largest and most expansive animal habitat ever. This state-of-the-art exhibit not only provides a magnificent home for our beloved elephants but also serves as a testament to our commitment to creating enriching environments for all our animals. The overwhelming positive response from our visitors has been truly heartwarming, and we are thrilled to see the joy and wonder it brings to everyone who experiences it.
In addition to our local successes, we have also made a significant impact in wildlife conservation around the world. Our leadership in various conservation programs has been more impactful than ever, thanks to your generous contributions and active participation. From protecting endangered species to restoring natural habitats, to building community, our collective efforts are making a real difference in preserving the planet’s biodiversity for future generations. Thanks to the efforts of our remarkable staff the Cincinnati Zoo plays a leadership role in the conservation of a wide range of species, from African lions and lowland gorillas all the way to rhinos and endangered plants.
As we stand on the cusp of our 150th anniversary in 2025, we are filled with a sense of pride and anticipation. This milestone is not just a celebration of our past achievements but also a Beacon of Hope for the future. We are committed to continuing our mission of inspiring every visitor with wildlife every day and fostering a deeper connection between people and nature.
None of this would be possible without the incredible support of our community, volunteers, staff, and partners. Your passion, dedication, and creativity are the driving forces behind our success. Thank you for being an integral part of the Cincinnati Zoo family.
As we embark on this new chapter, all of us at the zoo look forward to sharing more unforgettable moments and groundbreaking achievements. Together, we will continue to make a positive impact on the world and create a brighter future for all living beings.
Your light adds to that Beacon of Hope,
Thane Maynard
Volunteer Updates and Opportunities
Logged Hour Recognitions
In 2024, our volunteers went above and beyond, logging a jaw-dropping 109,480 hours!
Even more impressive, 161 of you logged over 100 hours this year alone—talk about a powerhouse of passion and dedication!
Years of Service Recognitions
We are incredibly fortunate to have such an amazing group of dedicated and dependable volunteers! This year, we’re thrilled to honor 47 exceptional individuals who are celebrating milestone anniversaries at their 5-year intervals of service.
From those reaching their 5-year mark to an awe-inspiring 55 years, each milestone is a testament to your passion and commitment to making a difference.
To put it into perspective, 55 years of service is like planting a tree and watching it grow into a towering forest—your dedication has provided countless opportunities for wildlife to thrive and inspired generations of visitors to care about conservation.
Was your name listed above? We would love to recognize your service with a small token of our appreciation… Recognition Pins! If you would like to receive your pin, please fill out the request form below.
Click Here to Request Your Recognition Pin
*If you feel that there has been an error in the logged hours or years of service calculations, please complete the form and write a note in the additional comments field at the bottom of the form.
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Year-End Wrap Up:
We would love to hear from you about your Volunteer Experience in 2023. For the next month we will have a survey available for all active volunteers so that we can hear your voice. Click on the link below to complete the survey.
Click Here for the Volunteer Program Evaluation Survey
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Volunteer Program Refresher:
Has it been a few years since you completed New Volunteer Orientation? Feeling a little unsure about the perks, expectations, protocols, or procedures? Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered!
You can now revisit all the information from the New Volunteer Orientation right in our volunteer management system, Better Impact. Whether you want to refresh your memory on the entire orientation or just focus on specific areas, it’s all at your fingertips.
Follow the instructions below to check it out and get back up to speed!
How to Review Virtual Orientation
- Log in to your account and click My Profile in the top-right corner.
- From the dropdown menu, select Training.
- In the new window, find “New Volunteer Orientation” and click Take to begin.
Need help? Watch this video tutorial on accessing the Virtual Orientation.
Zoo Updates
A Year in Review
What an incredible year it’s been! Take a look at the highlight video below for a peek at some of the amazing moments and milestones that made 2024 unforgettable at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden!
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Cheers to 150 Years
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Festival of Lights is coming to an end (Last Day – January 5th)
There are only a few more days left to explore and enjoy the Festival of Lights. Here is a great site from “The News Record” put together by UC students. It gives you some great photos of spots all around the Zoo. Click on the link below to see a interactive map, click on the yellow dots to see more!
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Interviews from kiddos at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
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A Thank You from CREW
Plant & Animal Updates
Kal
The bat-eared fox like Kal is a small, African fox known for its enormous ears, which can grow to over 5 inches tall! Not only can they hear well, they can actually hear insects UNDERGROUND!
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Cheetah Facts
Cheetahs have oversized nasal passages to help them breathe during sprints but limit space for large teeth, making their teeth smaller than those of other big cats.
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Top 9
Here are the top 9 Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden photos of 2024 according to Twitter!
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Happy Birthday Henry – January 1st
Please wish Henry a Happy 34th Birthday!! One way you can celebrate is by recycling your old cell phones. This helps reduce the demand for coltan, a mineral used in cell phones that is mined in critically endangered orangutan habitat.
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Happy Birthday Isla – January 2nd
Happy 11th Birthday to Isla the tamandua! The tamandua uses its long snout to sniff out ant, termite & bee colonies. Long claws enable it to dig into nests, and a long sticky tongue licks up the insects. A single tamandua can eat up to 9,000 ants in a single day!
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Mexican Wolves
Once exterminated from the wild, Mexican wolves are being reintroduced into their former range in Arizona and New Mexico.
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The Nice List
Check out which Zoo animals were found on the Nice List last year
Conservation Corner
EcoUpdates with Emma:
Hello!! My name is Emma and I am an Americorps member here at the zoo. I am so excited to get to chat about some of my eco-friendly adventures.
I am a big fan of finding little ways to bring sustainability into my day-to-day life, and, as a new Cincinnatian, I feel like there are so many great opportunities to explore in the city that I would love to share.
One great perk of moving to Cincinnati is that I finally live in a place with active Buy Nothing groups. These groups, usually on Facebook, allow you to post any of those unwanted items or pieces of clothing you find during your New Year’s decluttering that your neighbors might be interested in. There are individual groups for all different areas in Cincinnati, so you can easily find the one that is specific to you! Often, people’s first instinct is to donate old items and clothing (and that is great!), but this time of year can be overwhelming for thrift stores, and some of their donated stock can end up in landfills. This is why it is so important to know about some of the other options we have when it comes to decluttering our homes!
It is also worth mentioning that the Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub has just reopened after their winter break, so if you still have any extra packaging from the holidays, it can be taken to their drop-off center!
Emma’s Eco-Updates will be featured every month—be sure to check back regularly for the latest insights and tips!
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From “Pests” to Vital Guests—Celebrate Local Wildlife!
2025 is the year of reframing perspectives! Each quarter, the Conservation Corner will focus on a misunderstood native species that’s often seen as a “pest.” Through fun facts, unique insights, and tips for coexistence, we hope to foster a deeper connection to these incredible animals and maybe even change a few minds.
To kick things off, we’re diving into the world of coyotes—a resilient and fascinating species found right here in Cincinnati. Over the next two months, we’ll share surprising facts about coyotes and explore how we can peacefully coexist with them.
Meet the Coyote
Coyotes often get a bad rap, but they’re an amazing part of Cincinnati’s urban ecosystem. Let’s take a closer look at these clever canines and uncover some fun and surprising facts!
What Makes a Coyote Unique?
- Adaptability Champions: Coyotes thrive in diverse habitats—from forests and grasslands to bustling cities like Cincinnati. Their secret? A diet that can include fruits, small mammals, and even insects.
- Communication Pros: Coyotes are incredibly vocal, using a variety of howls, yips, and barks to communicate. A single howl can sound like an entire pack!
- Family-Oriented: Coyotes are devoted parents. Both the males and females work together to raise their pups, teaching them survival skills before they venture out on their own.
Spotting a Coyote: How to Tell the Difference
Coyotes are often mistaken for wolves, dogs, or even foxes. Here’s how to tell them apart:
- Size: Coyotes are mid-sized canines, larger than foxes but smaller than wolves. They’re typically about 20-50 pounds.
- Coloration: They have a mix of gray, brown, and red fur with a bushy tail that’s often black-tipped.
- Movement: Coyotes have a unique, light-footed gait and tend to hold their tail low when walking or running.
- Tracks: Coyote tracks can resemble those of domestic dogs, but coyotes typically travel in straight lines, unlike the serpentine paths of dogs. Look for tracks in mud or snow!
Coyotes play an essential role in maintaining balance in our ecosystems. Stay tuned for the next post, where we’ll explore more fun facts and ways to live harmoniously with these misunderstood neighbors!
In Case You Missed it
Hydroponics Assistant Volunteers Wanted!
The Sustainability Team is looking for a couple more hydroponics volunteers to help us out on Thursdays or Mondays. The Cincinnati Zoo grows nutrient-rich produce for animals using vertical hydroponic farming containers. Volunteers assist with harvesting, transplanting, cleaning, and data collection while gaining hands-on experience in hydroponics and indoor growing.
Click Here to Read the Position Description & Click Here to Apply
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New for 2025: Natural History Lecture Series for Volunteers
We’re thrilled to share that one of our dedicated volunteers has generously offered to host a Natural History Lecture Series for our volunteer community!
This engaging series will explore fundamental natural history topics, including fascinating insights into zoo animals and wildlife native to the Cincinnati area. Each month, we’ll dive into a unique theme, such as:
- The distinctive characteristics of related species,
- Animal adaptations to various habitats,
- Animal behavior,
- And plant ecology.
Each two-hour session will feature an illustrated lecture, followed by a hands-on observation experience right here on zoo grounds (most months). No prior knowledge is needed—just your curiosity and enthusiasm!
All lectures in the series will be presented by Carol Trosset:
Carol Trosset grew up in Cincinnati and spent the early 1970s studying natural history as a member of the Zoo’s legendary Junior Zoologists’ Club (along with the late Doug Feist). Throughout her career in cultural anthropology and education research, she continued to pursue her interest in nature through field trips, travel, coursework, and volunteer work. As an educator, she has worked as a college professor and volunteered as a Minnesota Master Naturalist instructor. Carol has returned to Cincinnati in retirement and is the author of The Woods: The Natural History of an Acre in Southwestern Ohio (2023). She manages the Trosset Wildflower Sanctuary at Gorman Heritage Farm and volunteers for the Cincinnati Zoo and for Great Parks.
Schedule and Topics:
- Tuesday January 14, 2025 – Cat-like Carnivores
- The suborder Feliformia includes not just big and small cats but also hyenas, meerkats, and other species. We’ll explore the traits that unify and distinguish these groups, followed by visits to Night Hunters and Cat Canyon to observe about a dozen species on exhibit.
- Tuesday February 11, 2025 – Vernal Pools
- Vernal pools are temporary wetlands found in deciduous woodlands, including those in Cincinnati. These habitats support a range of invertebrates and provide breeding grounds for salamanders and other amphibians. We’ll also learn about the Zoo’s conservation efforts at Bowyer Farm.
- Thursday March 13, 2025 – Dog-like Carnivores
- The suborder Caniformia includes wolves, foxes, weasels, bears, and more. We’ll discuss their defining characteristics, then visit several zoo habitats to observe seven species on display.
- Thursday April 10, 2025 – Woodland Wildflowers
- Cincinnati’s woodlands are home to many species of wildflowers, which bloom in the early spring before the trees leaf out. We will examine the different types of spring wildflowers, their ecology, and their blooming sequence.
- Tuesday May 13, 2025 – Introduction to Birdwatching
- Early May brings many migratory birds to Cincinnati. We’ll cover key features for identifying bird species, followed by birdwatching on zoo grounds. Bring binoculars if you can; a limited number will be available to borrow.
- Friday June 13, 2025 – Primates
- Primates are categorized into prosimians, Old World monkeys, New World monkeys, and apes—all represented at the zoo. We’ll discuss their similarities and differences, then observe members of each group on exhibit.
Sign up for all lectures in Better Impact! Please RSVP by registering in the system. If you can’t attend, we’ll aim to record and share the lecture portion with all volunteers. We hope to see you there!