Volunteer Updates & Opportunities
Happy Holidays From the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden!
WOW! What a year 2025 has been. Our 150th Year of existence was one of reflection, joy, new beginnings, and inspirational possibilities. We can’t help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude for all those who have made the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden what it is today. We are truly a unified family with the same mission: inspire everyone with wildlife, every day. So, to say we appreciate you, is a complete understatement. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU for everything, and for simply being you.
Wishing you and your loved ones ALL THINGS GOOD this holiday season. We will be back with more updates in 2026!
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**URGENT** Please help us protect the ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT BY MONDAY, 12/22!
The Endangered Species Act, enacted in 1973, currently serves as the most effective wildlife legislation ever enacted to preserve biodiversity. Species such as the California condor, gray wolf, American alligator, and bald eagle are all here today as a result of this legislation.
TAKE ACTION NOW! (Please click the story above to post your comment.)
The story includes a sample message to use or you may certainly create your own. Even a short comment makes a difference. Thank you for everyone’s support!
PUBLIC COMMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY THIS MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2025!
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Bird Watching with Cincinnati Parks: December 21st or 28th
Cincinnati Parks is looking for volunteers for the Christmas Bird Count this year! If you are interested in birdwatching and community science, this is a great opportunity to connect with nature this winter! MORE DETAILS HERE. Sign-up for a day or half-day of birding for the National Audubon Bird Count. Available Dates/Times include:
If you plan on participating with CincyParks, please fill out the following questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FBTRR7J
Can’t volunteer at Cincinnati Parks, but still want to contribute…NO PROBLEM! You can participate in your own communities, on your own time! The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a historic program by the National Audubon Society. For over a century, it has depended on volunteer contributions. This early-winter bird census engages volunteers across the Americas to count birds within a single day. Your participation continues this cherished tradition!
Independent Opportunities are also available: CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
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**UPDATE** Carol Trosset’s Natural Lecture Series 2026 Dates
Carol’s monthly Natural History Lecture Series for volunteers will continue in 2026! Below you will find a list of the scheduled lectures from January to July.
If you would like to attend, please sign up in Better Impact. *E-mails are sent to everyone who signs up with instructions on where to park and where to meet the day before the lecture.
- Tues., JANUARY 13, 2026 – Animals in Winter – How do animals survive the winter? We will examine different survival strategies.
- Tues., FEBRUARY 10, 2026 – The Zoo’s Local Conservation Programs – Guest Speaker: Mollie O’Neil
- Fri., MARCH 13, 2026 – Cat-like Carnivores
- APRIL 2026 (Two Dates TBD) – Wildflower Walks at Gorman Heritage Farm
- Tues. & Fri., May 5 & 8, 2026 – Bird Walks at Spring Grove
- Fri., June 12, 2026 – Ancient and Modern Elephants
- Fri., July 10, 2026 – Primates
Did you miss one of the 2025 Lectures? Links to all the previous slide presentations can now be found on the Better Impact Page under the Files section.
Zoo Updates
…AND IN FIRST PLACE, FOR BEST ZOO LIGHTS OF 2025…..THE PNC FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS AT CZBG!!
WOW! OUR VOTERS SHOWED UP!! This is the EIGHTH year in a row CZBG has won this notoriety.
Zoos are nominated by an expert panel and voted on by readers, as the best for their holiday lights!
Thank you to everyone who contributed!
CLICK HERE to view the TOP TEN!
“Eight years in a row is a big deal!,” said Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard. “People really love our holiday events, especially PNC Festival of Lights. We continue to make improvements each year, including adding more lights in more areas of the Zoo. This year we hung more than five million LED lights!”
Visitors can also meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, marvel at the Wild Lights show on Swan Lake, watch a blacklight puppet show, munch on s’mores, or ride through a light tunnel on the North Polar Express train.
December 23 is the last night to visit Santa.
Hope to see all there! Buying tickets online is a convenient way to beat the lines.
CLICK ABOVE to hear a reminder from Tanzi the African Pygmy falcon.
PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo shines bright through January 4! ✨
Plant & Animal Updates
New Sea Otter Cam 🦦
Virtual Members and Zoo Members can now watch sea otters Chloe and Kevin in their outdoor habitat live daily from from 8:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time!
A Virtual Membership package includes access to a members-only site that includes the live hippo feed, live giraffe feed, live lion feed, a live Elephant Trek feed and now a live sea otter feed plus exclusive videos, discounts in the Zoo’s online store, and insider news.
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ZOO TALES – New Beginnings: Meet Sea Otters Chloe and Kevin
In this episode, Keeper Tara from CZBG and Keeper Erin from the Aquarium of the Pacific team up to introduce us to two special new sea otters, Chloe and Kevin. They share the otters’ backstories, personalities, favorite toys and foods, and what goes into helping them grow strong and confident.
Chloe is a retired 13-year-old female who served as a surrogate mom for orphaned sea otter pups later released back into the wild, while Kevin is a 1½-year-old male who stranded as a pup and was deemed non-releasable by the USFWS.
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Bowyer Farm News:
In a meeting this week, we heard some truly incredible stories from Bowyer Farm! If you made it to one of the native plant sales this year, did you know that the plants you purchased were part of more than 12,000 plants sold this season? Even more impressive—an additional 12,000 plants were donated to local projects and organizations across the region. Those are some pretty amazing numbers, and an even bigger impact for our community and local ecosystems!
Another fascinating story comes from the quality of the plants purchased from Bowyer Farm. Anyone who has ever bought from Bowyer knows you’re getting top-tier plants—but did you know you might also be taking home a piece of living history?
If you purchased a White Oak from Bowyer this year, you brought home a descendant of a truly remarkable tree: a White Oak that has stood tall, proud, and healthy in Spring Grove Cemetery for nearly 400 years. This tree first took root around 1630, long before Cincinnati even existed.
Over the centuries, it has weathered dramatic climate shifts, powerful storms, and enormous changes to the land and people around it. It was already growing when major events were shaping the region’s early history, and it has endured through it all—strong, resilient, and thriving.
That resilience lives on in its descendants. When you plant a White Oak from Bowyer, you’re planting a tree with proven strength, deep roots in our region’s story, and genetics shaped by centuries of survival. Paired with the strong start provided by the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, it’s safe to say this tree is set up to grow for generations to come.
Not just a tree—an heirloom.
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Cincinnati Zoo’s Cheetah Cubs Are Adorably Terrified of Crawling Toy
Zola, Lulu, and Kiara aren’t sure what to think of the new toy! Zola, Lulu & Kiara take a field trip to the behind the scenes indoor keeper area at the Cat Ambassador Program. On most days you can find keepers in this room planning and prepping animal diets, having team meetings and more!
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HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY, SCHOTTZIE!
Happy 50th Birthday, Schottzie! She celebrated with extra treats, enrichment, her care team and her bff Jati! Click the picture below to see the video.
DID YOU KNOW? Funds raised from Cincinnati Zoo’s behind-the-scenes elephant tours support the International Elephant Foundation to help this endangered species. The Zoo also supports elephant conservation by supporting Bring The Elephant Home.
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Four Month Old Otter, “Scuttle” gets up close and personal!
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ORI is on the NICE LIST, Of Course!
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Gladys is Such A Wonderful MOM!
Gladys has started putting Mboka Jo down for short spurts. Please click above to see the video.
Conservation Corner
Standing Tall Together: Cincinnati Zoo and Wild Nature Institute’s Conservation Impact
Since 2014, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has proudly partnered with the Wild Nature Institute (WNI) to protect giraffes and other wildlife in East Africa. Together, we’ve combined science, education, and community outreach to make a lasting impact for both people and animals. Click above to read more!
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Bahamians, Birds & Botany: Strengthening Youth Conservation Leadership
The partnership between Bahamians, Birds, and Botany (BBB) and CZBG began in 2022 through the first cohort of the Hoffman Coexistence Impact Fellowship Program, when Bahamian conservation educator and project manager T’Noya Thompson joined as a fellow. Through her fellowship, she worked to build the foundation of BBB, laying the groundwork for an innovative youth program rooted in community science.
Over the past year, BBB has continued to strengthen its conservation leadership network. With both online and in-person meet-ups, the program has focused on maintaining relationships, supporting alumni, and laying the groundwork for exciting new growth. This year has brought strong success stories from participants: students becoming scuba certified, pursuing environmental degrees, and volunteering in water-quality labs.
One highlight of the fall season was a leadership workshop open to Grand Bahama teens, which also welcomed two participants who traveled from Nassau. The workshop was led by Dr. T’Noya Thompson, alongside BBB alumnus Javan Hunt.
In partnership with the Bahamas National Trust, the session explored leadership concepts and immersed teens in hands-on activities. Funding from the Cincinnati Zoo helped bring participants together and provided lunch for everyone involved.
BBB empowers Bahamian youth to document and share the stories of their own natural environments, shifting environmental understanding from outside perspectives to local voices. By addressing data gaps on Bahamian bird species and developing the next generation of conservation leaders, BBB blends citizen science, expert-led training, and youth development to create a meaningful pathway for young people to influence the future of conservation in The Bahamas.
Planning for BBB Cohort 4 begins in January, with a continued focus on the “sweet spot” cohort size of 8–10 students. Depth, not just breadth, remains a guiding principle. The program hopes to further integrate alumni by pairing cohorts together and building leadership from within. Long-term dreams include expanding programming to additional family islands.
The program continues to reinforce the idea that students are encouraged to gain experience wherever opportunities arise, but are equally empowered to bring that knowledge home to support conservation efforts in the Bahamas.
To learn more: PLEASE CLICK HERE
Sustainability Stories
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CONSERVATION TEAM MEMBER & PROJECT DRAGONFLY GRADUATE!
If you’ve swung by the Education Building at some point, you may have seen a colleague of ours, Bridget Reilly. Bridget, while in her role of Conservation Impact Coordinator here at CZBG, also took on the challenge of Miami University’s (Oxford, OH) Project Dragonfly Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP). AIP is a one-of-a-kind, online master’s degree program developed through a partnership between MU & CZBG.
Created for working professionals, the AIP immerses students in collaborative inquiry and action as they champion change for the environment and their local community. Through web-based coursework from Miami and face-to-face experiential learning and field study at the Zoo, students connect with classmates, Miami University faculty, Zoo experts, and community leaders locally, nationally, and globally.
We are so proud of Bridget and encourage you to check out her story! Her Master Plan was an exploration of how we can facilitate connectivity to and within urban green spaces for people and wildlife. By creating social, ecological, and emotional connections to the natural world, we can reduce barriers and fragmentation to help us build a healthier, more unified planet. LEARN MORE HERE
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Climate Toolkit Webinar 17: Community Solar with Cincinnati Zoo
CZBG has made incredible achievements in climate-conscious operations thanks to its embrace of renewable energy, water reclamation, organic composting, waste recycling, sustainable construction, and responsible sourcing. Yet the Zoo’s green initiatives also extend well beyond the confines of their campus.
Based on 15 years of experience in solar installations and achieving ambitious net zero goals, the Zoo is deeply committed to sharing the success and benefits of renewable energy with their neighbors and has developed the Community Solar Resiliency Program (CSRP) to increase the energy, climate, and financial resiliency of community organizations in under-resourced neighborhoods throughout the Greater Cincinnati area.
Check out the video above to learn about the Zoo’s unique and innovative community solar partnership which has helped public elementary schools, churches and housing projects achieve energy and climate resilience.
Did You Know?
ZOO Cameos!
You can get a personalized video from one your favorite Zoo Representative: Thane, Fiona, and the Cheetahs are all available. Great for holiday gifts!
The Cameo Platform:
- What is it? A website/app where you pay celebrities to record short, personalized video messages.
- How does it work? You find a “star”, provide details (who it’s for, what to say), and they have up to 7 days to send the video.
Cameo lets fans pay stars (ANIMALS, actors, athletes, musicians) for custom messages for occasions like holiday gifts, birthdays, or pep talks.
You might recognize some of these faces:
In Case You Missed It
Remembering a beloved friend and light in the world: Barb Zentgraf
BARBARA ANN ZENTGRAF
“She was an avid animal lover. She volunteered with the Cincinnati Zoo for over 40 years as a Volunteer Educator taking visitors on tours throughout the Zoo and educating them on the animal traits and habitats. She often volunteered as an animal observer to watch over pregnant animals in the middle of the night to alert staff if one of them started to give birth so they could guide the mother through a successful birth. The Zoo awarded her 20, 30, 40 year awards in gratitude for her volunteer work – as well as the Center for Conservation & Research of Endangered Wildlife recognized her for her many volunteer hours.
Barb went through life with a loving, wonderful attitude; she will be greatly missed by her family as well as her many friends.”
(October 26, 1934 — November 28, 2025)
Please click here for the complete and beautiful obituary.
Condolences at hodappfuneralhome.com
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TRAVEL WITH THE ZOO IN 2026!
The Cincinnati Zoo is offering three exceptional travel experiences in 2026, each connecting travelers with wildlife, conservation, and unforgettable landscapes!
Come travel with the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden! We have been taking folks around the globe since 1964. Our trips are adventurous, educational, and fun. All our tours are escorted by zoo naturalists who are knowledgeable, friendly, and well-traveled. Our trips create real-life connections with like-minded travelers. Come join us today on our next exciting adventure!
Questions? Please contact Christina Anderson at 513-487-3318 or [email protected]
- *SOLD OUT* MEXICO: Monarch Migration (Feb. 10 – 16, 2026)
- Led by Brian Jorg, Horticulture Manager
- *ONLY FIVE SPOTS REMAINING* CUBA: Bird Watching (Feb. 22 – Mar. 1, 2026)
- Led by David Orban, Director, Animal Science and Strategy
- Experience Cuba’s vibrant ecosystems, wildlife, and the Zoo’s conservation partnerships
- *BRAND NEW DESTINATION* BRAZIL: (Sept. 5 – 18, 2026)
- Led by Mollie O’Neil, Director of Community Partnerships in Conservation
- Explore Brazil’s extraordinary biodiversity, lush habitats, and remarkable wildlife encounters. You will get to see firsthand our Conservation Impact partners
- *ONLY FOUR SPOTS REMAINING* PATAGONIA: (Feb. 18 – 28, 2027)
- Led by Mark Fisher, COO CZBG
- Expedition through the dramatic landscapes and wildlife of Patagonia.
- This fan-favorite trip fills quickly—only four spots remain.
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UPCOMING ZOO EVENTS:
| Date: | Event: | Time: |
| November 20th, 2025 – January 4th, 2026 | PNC Festival of Lights | 4:00pm+ |
| Wednesday, December 31, 2025 Early countdown at 8pm | HAPPY ZOO YEAR | 4:00-10:00pm |
| February 4 – March 4, 2026 | Landscaping for the Homeowner | 7:00-9:00pm |
DAD-JOKE ZONE, Frosty Edition:
