First Friday Update – 1/7/22

Posted on By Amber Suttmiller

First Friday Update – January Edition

After a wild ride in 2021, I’m thrilled to be able to recognize some of our dedicated and wonderful Adult Volunteers!  Since we were not able to get together and celebrate in person in the Fall, we couldn’t acknowledge the Logged Hour and Year’s of Service accomplishments of our Volunteers who served the Zoo this year.  I am so honored for the chance to Celebrate all of you in the first Newsletter of the Year – and hopefully in 2022 we will be back to celebrating in person.

2021 Volunteer Logged Hours

  In a difficult year, under the dark cloud of a pandemic, 321 Volunteers logged over 41,000 hours at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden!   Your dedication to this organization is Mind-Blowing!
From all the staff and all the visitors…Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!  In the table below you will find the volunteers who logged over 100 hours in the past year.

100-199 Logged Hours
Gail B.
Wayne B.
Rita B.
Lauren B.
Jeannie B.
Susi C.
Linda C.
Barbara D.
Pamela D.
Ali G.
Mary G.
Sheryl G.
Michael G.
Sue G.
Doug H.
Stephanie H.
Nancy H.
Irene H.
Barbara J.
Anne L.
Pam L.
Lee L.
Debbie M.
Melina M.
Tom M.
Linda M.
Pat M.
Nancy M.
Carol M.
Linda M.
Barbara N.
Randy P.
Roberta P.
Michael P.
Nan P.
Meg R.
Jan R.
Sue R.
Jerry R.
Jan R.
Erin R.
Roselyn S.
Karen S.
Carol S.
Shari S.
Samuel S.
Gayle S.
Janet S.
Judy S.
Christine S.
Sue S.
Peggy S.
Maria T.
Karen T.
Lynn T.
Karen W.
Lorraine W.

200-299 Logged Hours
JoAnne A.
Lynn B.
Terri B.
Gay B.
Linda C.
Jan D.
Jackie D.
Yvonne D.
Debbie D.
Mark D.
Linda F.
Ginny F.
Sylvia H.
Linda H.
Deb H.
Ren H.
Jenna L.
Donna M.
Ann M.
Patrick M.
Eldon M.
Scott M.
Judith N.
Michelle P.
Gayle R.
David S.
Diane V.
Martha W.

300-399 Logged Hours
Myra B.
Janet B.
Mike C.
Ann D.
Lisa H.
Karen J.
Joe M.
Janet M.
Kathy N.
Dara P.
Sydney W.
Mary Lou Z.

400-499 Logged Hours
Mike B.
Jilly K.
Kimberly V.M.

500+ Logged Hours
Janet D.
Barbara D.
Nancy H.
Debbie H.
Dave L.
Jen M.
Analaisa R.
Bev S.
Tracey S.
Emma S.
Philip S.
Linda S.

 

2021 Years of Volunteer Service

The same 321 Volunteers who logged over 41,000 hours in 2021 have a combined 2,827 years of service!  Isn’t that AMAZING!  A special shoutout to an extraordinary Volunteer who has been an active Volunteer at the Zoo for 53 years and logged 243 hours in 2021!
We are so lucky to have each and every one of you on our team, Thank you!  In the table below you will find a list of the volunteers who hit 5 year milestones in 2021.

5 Years
Susan B.
Mike B.
Kathy C.
Jim D.
Mark F.
Karen G.
Ali G.
Holly G.
Martha H.
Jennifer H.
Erica H.
Deborah H.
Lisa H.
Jami I.
Lauie L.
Esther L.
Pam L.
Sharon M.
Amy M.
Ann M.
Janet M.
Darlene P.
Randy P.
Carol S.
Shari S.
Sarah T.
Lynn T.
Jacob W.
Nancy Y.

10 Years
Linda M.
Carol M.
Barbara W.

15 Years
Pamela D.
Carol K.
Nancy M.
Michael P.

20 Years
Gail B.
Donald H.
 Bill S.

25 Years
Rita B.
Jackie D.
Eileen N.
Pam S.
Carol W.
Sharon W.

30 Years
Debbie M.
Linda M.
Betty W.

35 Years
Claire D.

Honorable Mentions

(These individuals have reached 5 Year Milestones in the past 2 years and may have not been recognized due to the Pandemic)
Nancy A. (31)
Mary A. (6)
Sallieann A. (6)
Amanda B. (7)
John B. (11)
Mary B. (6)
Dale B. (6)
Karen B. (12)
Mike C. (12)
Susi C. (7)
Susan D. (11)
Janet D. (41)
Pam D. (16)
Meg D. (17)
Brandon E. (7)
Jane F. (31)
Kathy F. (7)
Jessica F. (7)
Don F. (6)
Rick F. (7)
Ginny F. (7)
Sandra G. (6)
Mary G. (11)
Donna G. (7)
Druh G. (11)
Jamie G. (11)
Kathy G. (11)
Sheryl G. (17)
Michael G. (7)
Nancy H. (7)
Robin H. (6)
Heather H. (7)
Valerie H. (7)
Janet H. (6)
Irene H. (6)
Ginny H. (7)
Marcia H. (7)
Lynn I. (16)
Robert I. (7)
Karen J. (6)
Sarah J. (7)
Elisabeth K. (7)
Jim K. (7)
Dave L. (6)
Erica L. (7)
Donna M. (22)
Dick M. (12)
Sue M. (6)
Ernie M. (7)
Joe M. (7)
Tom M. (7)
Donna M. (7)
Mark N. (7)
Jennifer N-D (6)
Sharon O. (6)
Gayle R. (52)
Bill R. (7)
Meg R. (6)
Jan R. (6)
Sue R. (7)
Michele S. (6)
Tracey S. (11)
Laura S. (6)
Rick S. (6)
Leonard S. (7)
Alan S. (7)
Judy S. (43)
Sharon S. (41)
Peggy S. (42)
Julie S. (7)
Jan S. (7)
Stephanie T. (7)
Karen T. (6)
Pat T. (7)
Dan V. (21)
Diane V. (31)
Annette V. (7)
Kimberly V.M. (7)
Alison W. (7)
Mark Z. (7)

We have pins available to recognize your 2021 Logged Hours and Years of Service.  If you would like a pin, please click on the link below to request one no later than January 14th. 

*If you are in the honorable mention category and did not receive your Years of Service pin in the past 2 years -or- 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.

Click Here for the Pin Request Form

Zoo Update:

2021 Recap

So much has happened around the Zoo this year!  Instead of scratching your head for hours to remember, the zoo created a fun video recap for you to enjoy!
Click Here to Watch the Video

Snow

We saw our first snow of the year yesterday, 1/6, and this sweet photo was captured of Redd.

ZooTales Podcast

There is a new podcast up, don’t miss an opportunity to hear from David Orban, our Director of Animal Science & Strategy.   Learn more about how David and his team study animals at the Zoo!  Listen in to learn more about their habitats, behavior, health, likes/dislikes, choices and welfare.  Make sure to listen all the way to the end to learn David’s tricks to reduce personal waste!
Click Here to Listen

The Zoo’s Goal is to be Zero Waste by 2025

Did you see the article released today, 1/7, about the Zoo’s impressive effort to be net zero waste?  If not, take a time to learn about all the plans in place to help us succeed.
Click Here to Read the Article

Penguin Days are Back

The best parade in America is back!!!   Big shout out to the Bird Team and Facilities for working out a way for the penguins to have a destination so the kings can march twice a day instead of once! Learn more by clicking the link below.
Click Here to Read the Article

Did You Know- King penguins can dive to depths of more than 1,180 feet (about as deep as the Eiffel Tower is tall!). The ocean gets darker the deeper they go. To account for this they have excellent night vision, but most of their hunting is done during the day.

Fiona’s Birthday is Coming Up

Did you know that the Zoo is collecting Birthday messages for Fiona from all over the world?  If you have any international friends or family, please remind them to send in their Birthday Greetings videos. They can Email a short Birthday greeting to Fiona and include where they are from in the message. Messages should be sent to [email protected]  
Don’t Forget, the Zoo is also selling tickets to Fiona’s Virtual Birthday party!  If you still want a ticket, click on the link below to get yours
Click Here to Join the Party

Endangered Species Act

December 28th, 2021 was the 48th anniversary of the signing of the Endangered Species Act. The Cincinnati Zoo is home to 90 endangered species and participates in more than 30 field conservation projects around the world.

National Bird Day

National Bird Day is January 5th! The Cincinnati Zoo is home to a vast array of feathered friends. We are one of the few zoos that have an animal house completely dedicated to birds.

Tell Your Friends about our Bird Experience Outreach

Our bird team can bring their feathered friends to you! These traveling encounters are great for all ages & events like scouts, schools & retirement homes! You’ll learn a lot, gain a greater respect for wildlife & see natural behaviors, including flying!
Click Here for More Information

Plant & Animal Information:

Giraffes

When you’re a little late feeding the midday snacks the herd made sure to let their keeper know about it! (They had plenty of hay but wanted the good snacks!)

Winter Enrichment

Cheetah sisters, Cathryn and Willow got some fun winter enrichment. Enrichment is an important part of the daily care we provide to our animals. It’s anything keepers add to the animals’ environments to stimulate their senses & elicit natural behaviors.

Cedar the screech owl found a friend!  

 

 

Ajani Jo Update

That’s one BIG baby! Ajani Joe is only 15-month-old but is well over 1,000 lbs and growing everyday. He will likely top out around 3,000 lbs! Although it is illegal, humans continue to hunt rhinos, primarily for their horn, which can be sold for a high price on the black market.

Lucille

Lucille’s favorite food ever is hard-boiled eggs! She eats them whole!  She is a binturong, aka a bearcat! Binturongs are omnivores— they eat both plants and meat. 
Lucille cheered on her favorite team during their playoff experience!  It was a hard fought battle and even though she didn’t get the outcome she was looking for, she is still proud to be a Bearcat Fan!

Bonobo Training Session

Watch a bonobo training session! Keepers ask to see their teeth, tongue, arms and legs, belly and toes to make sure they are healthy & to build a bond with them. See playful Bo and Zanga & Vim interact with their care team and learn more about this amazing species!
Click Here to Watch the Video

John Loves his Enrichment

Check out this fun Video of John and his barrel in action.
Click Here to see the Video

Uromastyx Lizard

Check out this adorable photo of Barb.  We all should be lucky enough to look as relaxed as her!

Meet Arlo the savannah monitor.

Unlike most animals, savannah monitors have evolved a way to eat poisonous millipedes. The lizard rubs its chin on the millipede for up to fifteen minutes before eating it. It is believed that doing this makes the millipede excrete the distasteful fluid. The lizard will then eat it when the supply of this fluid is exhausted.

Sand Cat

Think Warm thoughts as you look at  the Queen of the (sand cat) castle! 

New Addition

This little blue penguin chick that hatched 12/13/21!

Zoo Birthdays:

Henry

Henry’s 31st Birthday was on January 1st!! 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 orangutan habitat. We have recycling receptacles at the Zoo

 A True BIRTH-day!

The first babies of 2022, 3 Giant Spiny Leaf Insects, hatched in the early hours of 2022😊 Cincinnati Zoo’s World of the Insect was the first place in the US where this species could been seen, starting in the early 1980s. As adults the flightless females will be among the largest and heaviest insects in the world (the males are smaller and can fly). They are native to Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo. And while they have not been recognized as threatened or endangered, they are reliant upon the region’s increasingly imperiled forests for their survival.

 Isla

Happy 8th Birthday to Isla the southern tamandua.  We celebrated Isla’s birthday on January 2nd!  Also called the lesser anteater, the tamandua uses its long snout to sniff out ant, termite and 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!

Check out the message below, from Thane honoring E.O. Wilson on 12/27/21:

“Dear Zoo team,

It was with great sadness that I woke up this morning to learn that E. O. Wilson, the great Harvard behavioral ecologist, passed away yesterday.

Many of you are familiar with Ed Wilson, who was considered by many to be the greatest biologist since Darwin, coined the term biodiversity, and  spent the last half of his storied career championing the protection of nature.  I can’t think of another scientist half as articulate in their writing, and certainly none who won two Pulitzer prizes. 

I first learned of Ed Wilson as a young grad student in the 70s when he published his now famous book Sociobiology, which completely rocked my understanding of natural selection.  Later, in the spring of 1987 it was Ed Wilson who suggested I start a daily radio show on nature and wildlife to help bring that message to the general public. 

And in 1994 the Cincinnati Zoo presented him our Wildlife Conservation Award and he gave a remarkable standing room only lecture in Cincinnati that year. At the end of his talk someone in the back of the auditorium got his attention and asked, “Dr. Wilson, you’ve talked about saving biological diversity around the world, but what can we do here in Cincinnati?“ And without missing a beat, and right off the top of his head, Wilson responded, “we must do three things to protect biodiversity. Educate, educate, educate; argue, argue, argue; and explain, explain, explain.“

The questioner looked a bit confused and asked, “why did you repeat yourself?“ To which Wilson simply smiled from the stage and responded, “because no matter how good a job we do on Wednesday evening we have to wake up and do it again on Thursday morning.“

Later that evening at about 11:30 P.m., I was driving Dr. Wilson back to the Vernon Manor hotel when then zoo director Ed Maruska, who was riding in the back of my Toyota Tercel said, “now Thane tomorrow make sure you show Ed the Sumatran rhinos.“ To which Wilson responded loudly, “Stop the car! You have Sumatran rhinos?“  I responded “yes,” and he said, “take me there immediately. I will not be able to rest until I see them.“ Upon entering the barn Wilson strolled slowly looking very carefully at all the ficus and fig leaf piles saying, “this is exactly the kind of place you find new insect species.“

But as we got to the rhinos E. O. Wilson reached through the barrier and gently put his hand on Emi’s forehead and said, “this is a creature of mythical proportions.“ Ed Wilson knew the value of reaching the general public with a message about conserving nature. He knew that’s what we do at zoos, and that individual animals like Emi and Fiona and others help tell the story and invite people to get involved.

Ed Wilson knew from 80 years of field study that the protection of nature is the only way for humans to ascend, and that if we can learn to cooperate and shift from being destroyers of nature to her stewards, it will be humankind’s greatest achievement.

That’s our job here at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden – to be stewards of wildlife, of wild areas, of gardens, and to tell that story much like Ed Wilson has for so long.”

Opportunities:

Perfect North Slopes:

Perfect North is offering a discount code for all Zoo employees & volunteers!

Account Services
Dear Perfect North Affiliate Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden,

Congratulations! Perfect North Affiliate Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is now signed up for fun! Just log into your own Perfect North site to buy tickets. This online benefit program allows you to “print and go” so you have your ticket in hand when you get to Perfect North with no waiting in line to purchase tickets.

To access your exclusive tickets, click the link below, then log into the site with the username and password provided.

Click Here for the Special Ticket Link

Username: CINTIZOO

  Password: ZOO2122

 Recycle Lights at the Zoo

 
The Zoo is collecting unwanted/broken holiday lights to recycle. You can drop your lights in a bin at the bus stop by the Zoo’s main parking lot. Through a partnership with Cohen Recycling, the Zoo will receive $0.44/pound of lights, which will be reinvested into making PNC Festival of Lights even better next year! The bin will be in place through the end of January. 

Coming Up in the Next Volunteer Update:

  • Alumni/Emeritus Members

  In the next Newsletter we will announce the new Volunteer Alumni members.

  • Volunteer Spotlight

    • Have you ever wondered what all the Volunteers do around the Zoo?  Throughout the year we will be featuring the different Volunteer departments and learning about what they do around the Zoo.  On the Third Friday update of each month you will see a feature on one of the Volunteer departments, with an opportunity to learn a little bit about the volunteers in each area.   We will be featuring the Animal Enrichment Volunteers in the next update, below you will find a list of the other departments that will be featured in the upcoming months.
      Ambassador Teams – Visitor Engagement Ambassadors & Wild Encounters Ambassadors
CREW Volunteers – Cat Colony, Endocrine Lab, Plant Lab, Support Services and ZVO
Development & Event Volunteers
Education & Administrative Support
Free Flight Aviary
Horticulture Volunteers
Keeper Assistants
Photographers
SCUBA Divers

  •   Zoo Projects Update

  I am working to gather information about all the projects that are going on around the Zoo from Elephant Trek to North America.

Contact Information:

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

**My in-office hours have been varying week to week to accommodate staff meetings.  The best way to reach me day-to-day is through e-mail.