Volunteer Updates and Opportunities
Annual Compliance Trainings are Due!
If you are volunteering in an animal area, it is time for our yearly compliance trainings. Be on the lookout in your inbox for an e-mail about the compliance trainings. All trainings will be in the Better Impact system. These will need to be completed by the end of February to be compliant.
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Support AmeriCorps Members in Making a Difference!
This March, our AmeriCorps members are learning to crochet as part of an in-service project supporting Each Stitch Counts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating hygiene insecurity. Their mission provides food pantries with essentials like dish and laundry detergent. Each container of dish detergent is paired with a handmade dishcloth crafted by volunteers, bringing a personal touch to those in need.
To help with this initiative, we are seeking donations of yarn and crochet hooks (US Size H-8, 5mm) to create the dishcloths. If you have supplies to share, please drop them off at the Education Registration Desk or contact Brittany directly to arrange a donation.
Donations will be accepted until Friday, February 14th. Thank you for helping us make a meaningful impact!
Zoo Updates
Cincinnati Zoo among best zoos in the world, per new Travel + Leisure report
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has been recognized as one of the best zoos around the globe by a leading travel publication!
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Thank you for contributing to the Lion Share Toy Drive
We are beyond thrilled to share the incredible success of the Lion Share Toy Drive! Thanks to the generosity and support from our amazing community, this year’s drive was a huge success, bringing joy and support to children and families in need during the holiday season. Here’s a breakdown of what we achieved together:
The kindness of the zoo family is something we can’t overlook. Through your unwavering support, WE:
- Donated 100 toys to the drive
- Raised $1,620 in cash contributions!
These donations allowed us to:
- Purchase over 330 toys and books for children at Rockdale Elementary School and South Avondale Elementary School
- Provide a box full of hygiene products to help families in need
- Offer each school an additional $181.34 to cover any additional needs they may have, ensuring that they can continue to provide for their students throughout the year.
A HUGE thank you to the SSA Gift Shop, whose generous donation of 500 plush toys added even more joy to our drive. With the addition of the donated plush most students from both South Avondale and Rockdale were able to go home with two toys!
Thank you to everyone who made this drive a success! Your generosity is truly making a difference.
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Ohio Magazine Article
Click Here to Read the Article
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Celebrating Fiona’s Birthday
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Know a Nature Loving Teenager? – ZooTeen Applications are Open
Calling all nature-loving teens! Dive into a summer of adventure, learning & leadership with ZooTeens. Develop skills, connect with others & make a real impact on conservation & your community. Applications are open until January 31. Volunteer from May 26 to August 15, 2025. https://cincinnatizoo.org/support/volunteer/#zooteens
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ZooTales Podcast
Cincinnati Zoo Tales welcomes its youngest guest ever! Meet Lincoln, a four-year-old animal enthusiast with big zookeeper dreams. This playful episode is perfect for kids https://cincinnatizoo.podbean.com/e/zookeeper-lincoln-%e2%80%93-the-4-year-old-animal-expert/
Plant & Animal Updates
Animals in the Snow
Animals who love winter: red pandas! Red pandas are built for the snow with a thick, furry tail that wraps around their body and hair on the bottom of their feet to keep them from slipping on branches. Their entire body is covered in hair except for their eyes and nose!
Red pandas are made for this weather! They often use their long bushy tail to cover their nose while they sleep to keep it warm.
The snow leopard’s five-inch thick coat offers protection from the cold! It also acts as camouflage! Sadly, their beautiful coat also hinders their survival, as poaching for the fur is one of its major threats.
Cougars have large paws help them walk on the snow and not sink deep into it like a deer. DYK: cougars walk with their claws retracted so you will see only the round toe prints without the triangular claw marks.
In the winter, mountain lions visually track their prey by following their hoof-prints in the snow. Did you know: mountain lions walk with their claws retracted so you will see only the round toe prints without the triangular claw marks.
Waterproof fur keeps otters insulated in the winter! River otters have a fast metabolic rate ~50% faster than similar-sized land mammals! Otters lose heat quickly in water, so they must constantly burn energy to replace lost heat.
The river otters’ special two-layered fur coat allows them to keep warm. Outer hairs provide water repellency, and soft, dense underfur insulates them for warmth. A river otter has 450,000 hairs per square inch which sounds like a lot but a sea otter has the densest fur of any animal with 1 million hairs per square inch!
Mexican wolves are very tough creatures! They have a double layer of fur to help them stay warm in the winter! Their underfur grows thick in the winter and the outer layer of fur helps repel water & snow. Their feet have pads with small bumps that help prevent them from slipping.
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Cincinnati Manatee Graduate Update
Great news!!! We just heard from our partners in Florida that Alby, Manhattan, & SwimShady have been spotted in Blue Spring State Park where they were released in 2023. The orphans spent a year at the Zoo rehabbing until they were released back to FL https://manateemap.org
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Cheetah Cub Update
1st Field Trip! The cheetah cubs are now old enough to start visiting other indoor places at the zoo. They were a bit nervous at the start being in a new space, but warmed up to the room and had a little bit of fun! They played, explored & saw their 1st skunk!
Click Here for another adorable Cheetah Cub Video where they are practicing their coordination by going up and down stairs.
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Scamper the rescued fox looking picture perfect!
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January 15th – Happy Birthday Maizy
Happy 1st Birthday to Maizy, the lesser kudu! Known for its graceful build and vivid stripes, the lesser kudu is admired for its beauty and agility.
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January 14th – Happy Birthday Pende
Happy 27th Birthday to Pende!
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Tucker showing off
Tucker shows off his impressive mouth to Fritz! Hippos are known for their massive mouths, which can open to 150 degrees and deliver a bite force of 1,800 PSI—stronger than that of lions or polar bears. Their tusks grow continuously and are used for fighting rather than eating.
Conservation Corner
2025: The Year of Reframing Perspectives
Welcome to the Conservation Corner! Each quarter, we spotlight a misunderstood native species often seen as a “pest.” Through fun facts, unique insights, and practical tips, we aim to foster a deeper connection to these remarkable animals and maybe even shift some perspectives.
In the last update, we focused on raising awareness about coyotes—the resilient and fascinating creatures found right here in Cincinnati. This time, we’re taking it a step further by exploring how we can peacefully coexist with these amazing animals. Let’s continue to grow our appreciation for the wildlife around us!
Tips on How to Avoid Conflicts with Coyotes
It is important to stress that our relationship with coyotes is directly affected by our behavior — coyotes react to us, and we can foster mutual respect or a lack of respect through cues we send to them.
Coyotes can pose risks, but most incidents are preventable with simple behavior changes. Follow these six steps to reduce conflicts:
- Do not feed coyotes. Avoid intentional and unintentional feeding, such as leaving pet food or trash outside.
- Keep pets secured. Always leash pets during walks and avoid leaving them unattended outdoors.
- Do not run from a coyote. If encountered, shout, wave, or throw something, but don’t run away.
- Use repellents or fencing. Tools like tall fencing or light-activated devices can deter coyotes.
- Avoid unnecessary conflict. Respect coyotes behaving naturally and don’t provoke them.
- Report aggressive coyotes. Alert authorities about coyotes showing fearless or threatening behavior.
I recently learned that snow can reveal a clearer picture of the wildlife we coexist with—and that’s exactly what happened to me during our big snowfall.
I live in a suburban area where I typically only see the beautiful birds, sneaky squirrels raiding the bird feeders, and the occasional rabbit. But after the snow, my girls and I ventured outside and were amazed to find tracks from deer, foxes, and even coyotes!
My daughters were thrilled, and they eagerly stationed themselves by the back windows, hoping to spot something. To their delight, a deer wandered by. While deer are not uncommon in our area, it was a new and magical experience for them to see one in our yard. Now, I officially have two backyard wildlife trackers in my house!
Have you had any fun wildlife visitors in your community this year? Did you snap a photo? I would love to see it, please share your photos by sending me an e-mail. I would love to feature them in our next update!
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Conservation Partner Webinars Start This Month
We’re excited to announce a series of webinar presentations and Q&A sessions with our global conservation partners, designed to connect the CZBG community to their incredible work. These webinars will feature:
- Presentations about their projects, wildlife, communities, and conservation goals.
- Live Q&A sessions where you can engage directly with our partners.
Tune in from anywhere! These are Zoom webinars, and recordings will be shared here after each session. This is your chance to learn and share the inspiring conservation stories the Zoo supports—so you can advocate for these efforts with our visitors or in your own community.
First Webinar of 2025:
On behalf of the Conservation Impact Team & the Jungle Trails team, I would like to invite you all to an exciting opportunity for connection with our conservation partners!
Join Marc Arcrenaz from HUTAN on January 23, 2025, from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM. Let’s connect, learn, and support the global conservation community together!
Webinar Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86409582018?pwd=25scMaLEP3fMBcYxmaUbVoXEDLmzkY.1
Who else will we be hearing from this season? Mark your calendars
- WASIMA 1/28 10:00am
- SAFE Tree Kangaroo/Tree Kangaro Conservation Program 2/5 1:00pm
- TSI (either 2/12 or 2/14) at 11:00 am still need
- TSA 2/20 at 10:00 am
- Elakha Alliance 3/4 at 12:00 pm
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January 5th was National Bird Day
Happy National Bird Day! National Bird Day reminds us of the beauty and importance of birds and encourages actions to ensure their survival for future generations.
Create bird-friendly spaces, such as planting native plants or installing bird feeders.
Looking to take action for birds? – The Great Backyard Bird Count happens from February 14th-17th
In Case You Missed it
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.
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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
Carol facilitated her first Lecture this week and it was a smashing success with many kudos sent her way by attendees! If you would like to attend a future session, please sign up for the event in Better Impact! Arrival information is sent out 2-3 days before the event with all the logistic information.
Schedule and Topics:
- Tuesday January 14, 2025 – Cat-like Carnivores
- If you missed the lecture, or would like to review the material, check out the link below
- Trosset 202501 Cat-Like Carnivores.pdf
- 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!