First Friday Update_5/6/2022

Posted on By Amber Suttmiller

First Friday Update – May Edition

Vote for Us:

You can vote every day for the Cincinnati Zoo, help us confirm what we all already know…That the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is #1 in the country!  Click the link below and vote, help push us over the top!

Click Here to Vote

 

Zoo Updates:

 

 INSPIRED Experiences

I’m sure many of you have seen this image in buildings all around the Zoo!  We are doubling our efforts to give our visitors an INSPIRED experience every day and we need your help!  As time goes on you will hear more about each of the letter of the Acronym.  This week, we will focus on the first letter “N” with a message from Chad Yelton!
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I just wanted to continue the conversation about how all of us can play a role in creating INSPIRED visitor experiences here at the Zoo.  The “N” in INSPIRED represents “New Idea Generator”.  All of us have ideas, but do we ever put those ideas into practice?
Watch this video to see a how a very simple idea can start to plant a big seed in our smallest visitors.
Shout out to Kyra Banks for sharing her story!
So, what’s your great idea to inspire visitors?  Bring it.
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If you would like to learn more about each of the INSPIRED letters, Mollie and Kate did a wonderful job “inspiring” the staff at our recent staff meeting.  Below you will find the link to the video, it is about 20 minutes long and covers all the letters with examples and a fun role play at the end!
Click Here to be INSPIRED so you can INSPIRE

Message from Winton Ray:

Good afternoon,
The CZBG lost another of its legends when Milan Busching passed away at the age of 71. Milan was the first Curator of Invertebrates, a role he fulfilled from 1977 to 2002, ultimately retiring from the CZBG in 2004. Upon his hiring Milan was tasked with building an impressive collection of invertebrate animals to fill out the World of the Insect, a zoological exhibit to be unlike anything in existence in America at that time. Needless to say, Milan’s efforts were successful, and the facility thrived under his leadership, establishing it as the world’s foremost insect exhibit. Milan’s efforts also established him as a leader in his field; enthusiasts from across the country and around the world sought out his advice, which he dispensed in his characteristic avuncular style. Milan knew how to tell a story, punctuating any tale with further anecdotes and a laugh or two. Milan may have been a genius, but he was relatable genius.

Through the rest of his life insects remained near and dear to Milan’s heart; after he retired to his Dearborn County, Indiana farm he continued to add to his prized (preserved) insect collection and helped his local 4-H chapter start a Bug Club.

Milan was really the best. He was humble, engaging, curious and brilliant. He made a mark on all he met, and he inspired so many people with his passion for insects. For those of us who’ve followed in Milan’s footsteps at the World of the Insect his legacy is one of excellence and a commitment to sharing our love of insects with the world. But the world has a little less wonder in it with his passing.

Time to Plant your Annuals

To Learn more about the annuals being planted all around the Zoo right now, check out the article below written by our very own Steve Foltz.
Click Here to Read More

May is the Time for Zoo Babies

Zoo Babies is always a visitor favorite!  Have you seen our new Stellar’s Sea Eagle chick or went to visit our adorable Amali?  Check out the Article below to learn more about Zoo babies!
Click Here to Read More

North America Update

Black Bears and Sea Otters are coming to Cincinnati!  The Zoo recently shared some new information about the North America exhibit and the animal heading our way!
Click Here to Read More

Cincinnati Zoo Ambassador Council

Have you heard of our Ambassador Council?  The Zoo’s Ambassador Council is an energetic group of emerging leaders who are passionate about the Zoo.
Click Here to Learn More

Avian Flu Update

I’m sure you have heard about the Avian Flu affecting the poultry populations in our region.  Check out the link below to learn more about what the Zoo is doing to protect our flock.
Click Here to Read More

Gangsta Gardner comes to Avondale

Ron Finley, the self-proclaimed Gangsta Gardener from South Central LA, visited students at Rockdale Academy in Avondale this morning to talk about how the simple act of gardening can change the world and empower individuals. After a brief presentation in the school’s gym, students, teachers, parents and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s horticulture team got busy with the kids with hands on activities in the Urban Learning Garden that came to life last summer as part of the 2021 Avondale Community Makeover project.

Cincinnati Zoo Tales

In this new episode of Cincinnati Zoo Tales, there is a chat with Dr. Erin Curry, who confirmed Fiona’s mom was pregnant via ultrasound!
Click Here to Listen

Save Our Bees

Were you able to visit the Native Plant Sale at Bowyer in April?  Learn more about our next upcoming sale, sponsored by Klosterman, from our very own Brian Jorg.
Click Here to Watch the Video

Net Zero Goals

Click Here to Read All About our Progess

Just For Fun

Amphibian Week

Did you know that this week, May 1st-7th, is Amphibian Week?  Click on the link below to learn more about these incredible creatures!
Click Here to Read More

Who needs help with their Mulch?

Who knew that Red River Hogs could be so helpful in the Horticulture Department?  Sir Francis Bacon was helping out our Horticulture team! Red river hogs barrel their way through the forest in search of food. Using their strong snouts and sharp tusks to bulldoze through the leaf litter and soil, they dig up a dinner of roots, bulbs, other plants and small animals.

Adopt a Shelter Pet Day

April 30th was Adopt a Shelter Pet Day and the Zoo celebrated in the most adorable way possible…with Remus!  Check out the link below to read more.
Click Here to Read More

Manatee Kiss

Too Cute not to share!  Have you ever ben on the receiving end of a Manatee kiss?

World Penguin Day

April 25th was World Penguin Day.  Always a crowd favorite, our energetic penguins are always quick to put on a show.  With our African Penguins and Little Blue Penguins currently behind the scenes, due to Avian Flu, reading the article below is a great way to learn more about them and their cold weather friends while they are safely tucked inside.
Click Here to Read More

Fenn’s Kiss

One of our resident Giraffe youngsters heard that the manatees were getting attention for giving kisses and he couldn’t be outdone!  Check out the video below!

Earth Day

April 22nd is Earth Day and the Zoo continue to lead the way with Conservation and Sustainability efforts.
Click Here to Learn More

International Pallas Cat Day

International Pallas Cat Day was April 23rd!  Celebrating International Pallas’s Cat Day with Isabel & Katarina. Katarina is 10 & was born at the Cincinnati Zoo! Her care team says she’s pretty easy-going for a Pallas’s cat! They both seem to really like tearing up/scratching cardboard boxes, bergan scratchers & logs!  Unlike other small cats, Pallas’s cats have round pupils! They also have characteristic black spots on their forehead.  Similar in size to a housecat, the Pallas’s cat is a predator specialized to live in the mountainous regions of central Asia. Their coat coloration and flat ears that sit on the sides of their head give them supreme camouflage.  2yr old Isabel arrived at the Zoo in December from Dakota Zoo! Her care team says she is curious & attentive to what they’re doing & will even sit up high & watch as they clean. CREW will eventually work with her in efforts to Save Species with Science®

  Plant & Animal Information:

Zip

Zip the wallaby! Kangaroos and wallabies lick their forearms to cool off and give off excess heat through their tails.

Sundew

Did You Know: you can buy a carnivorous plant like the sundew in a test tube from the zoo? CREW’s Plant Research Division uses tissue culture for conservation, but you can get in on the action too! Make sure your new pet gets plenty of flies to eat!

Imani

As the dominant predator on the African savannah, lions can take the largest prey of any other carnivore in the region. They are successful in only one of every four hunts.

Sand Live Oak

Quercus geminata is the common Sand Live Oak, native to the southeastern US! At CREW, we experiment using common species so we can better understand how to best conserve their endangered relatives.

Moe

Lightning

Lakeside Daisy

Lakeside Daisy is an endangered Aster species from Ohio! The only wild population that exists in the US grows in an active quarry! Off site populations like the one in bloom CREW ensures that this plant persists through losing its habitat.

Sugar

Rico

Rico the porcupine eats leaves, bark, fruits, shoots and small animals! His muscular tail is nearly as long as his body and essentially acts as a fifth limb.

Ajani Joe

A kiss from Ajani Joe to his mom Seyia! Rhinos have a poor sense of sight and rely instead on their senses of smell and hearing.

Stellar’s Sea Eagle Chick

The Steller’s sea eagle chick has really grown since hatching on March 2. Never far from water, the Steller’s sea eagle displays impressive fishing skills. Its favorite prey, the salmon, has an extremely tough skin for which the eagle is equipped with a specialized hatchet-like beak. Look for him/her on your next visit during Zoo

Terri

Have you ever heard the Call of a Rhinoceros Hornbill?  Thanks to our feathered friend, Terri, here is your chance!
Click Here to Watch the Video

 Zoo Birthdays

Mai Thai

May 1st was Mai Thai’s 49th Birthday!  This beautiful lady celebrated with a Pool Party!  You can check out the excitement in the by clicking the link below to watch the video.

Harapan

April 29th is Harapan’s Birthday!  Eventhough Harapan is no longer here at the Zoo, we celebrated his big day with lots of joy! We’re wishing him the best of luck pairing with a female rhino at Way Kambas Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary to help save his Critically Endangered species!!
Click Here to Learn More

Conservation News:

Lion Landscapes

Our partners at Lion Landscapes are doing great work to protect lions in Africa and to help reduce human-wildlife conflict
Click Here to Learn More

Opportunities:

Education Volunteer Opportunity

  The Education Department is on the hunt for a Summer Camp Aide to assist the Instructor and provide special attention and flexibility by accommodating for a large spectrum of children who may need learning support.  This opportunity would be for the entire Summer, working certain days of the week during Summer Camp hours with a start date of May 25th.  
Working Conditions/Requirements:
  • Lift/Move/Carry up to 30lbs without assistance
  • Stand/Walk for extended periods of time
  • Exposure to outside weather conditions
  • Ability to work on knees for extended periods of time, including frequent bending and squatting
If you are interested in this position and would like to learn more, please click on the link below.
Click Here to Sign Up

Tulip Bulbs

Over the next 2 weeks the horticulture department is doing an All Call for help digging up tulip bulbs and repotting some plants around the Zoo.  The Horticulture Department typically needs help Monday through Friday mornings, from around 8:30am-12.  If you are interested and available to help, sign up through the link below and I will pass your information along to the facilitator.
Click Here to Sign Up

Native Plant Sales at Bowyer

The 2022 Native Plant Sale dates are here! Located at the Zoo’s Bowyer Farm (2210 Mason Montgomery Road, Lebanon, OH), these sales offer a wide selection of reasonably priced, well-grown, hard to find, and ecologically important native plants.
Native plants, including ones found throughout the Bowyer Farm ecosystem, will be for sale. The preferred payment for all sales is credit card.
Dates: May 14, May 28, June 11, July 9, August 13, September 10, September 24, October 8
Time: 9:00am-1:00pm

Barrows Lecture Series:

We hosted our Third speaker in the Barrows Lecture Series.  If you missed it, and would like to listen to her lecture check out the link at the bottom of the section.
Our third Barrows speaker is Nilanga Jayasinghe, a manager on the wildlife conservation team at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and focuses on Asian species, particularly elephants, rhinos, tigers, and snow leopards, among others. She has nearly 20 years of extensive experience in international species conservation and has worked on conservation issues across the board in Asia, Africa, and North America. Her areas of expertise include human-wildlife conflict, Asian elephants, strategic planning, connectivity conservation, protected area management, and capacity building. She is a member of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG) and the Asian Rhino Specialist Group (AsRSG) under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Species Survival Commission (SSC), and is a member of the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group under the IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas.
In her role, Nilanga works with WWF field teams and partners in more than 15 countries in Asia to further conservation efforts on the ground for WWF’s priority flagship species. She provides technical support for species conservation and management efforts and mobilizes resources to accomplish conservation activities. In addition, she works with global partners to develop and implement initiatives that harmonize species conservation with broader conservation goals.
Click Here to Watch the Video

There is still 1 more lecture in the series and it isn’t too late to buy tickets.  There are 2 options to hear the lectures, in-person and virtual.

Click Here to Buy Tickets

Our Second Barrow’s Speaker,  conservationist Dr. Arnaud Desbiez, is working to save South American Giants.  While he was here in Cincinnati he made time to visit Jenna and record a Zoo Tales Podcast!  Make sure you listen to BE INSPIRED!
Click Here to Listen

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.