Volunteer Updates and Opportunities
Bird Point Counts
Ever wondered what our feathered friends are up to? Now’s your chance to get involved in egg-citing hands-on conservation work! We’re looking for volunteers to assist with bird point counts in collaboration with Cincinnati Parks and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. You’ll help us gather data on bird species across some of Cincinnati’s beautiful parks and contribute to important conservation efforts. Plus, you’ll get to explore nature and sharpen your bird-watching skills. It’s a win-wing!
Here’s the scoop: You’ll sign up to participate in 10-minute bird point counts at one of these parks:
🌳 Avon Woods Nature Center and Avon Golf Course
🌳 Burnet Woods
🌳 California Woods and Magrish Preserve
🌳 Rawson Woods Nature Preserve, Edgewood Grove Park and Mt. Storm Park
Counts will take place between sunrise and 10am, and you’ll have 3 windows of time each month to choose from. Not only will you be helping us keep an eye on the birds, but you’ll also be contributing to crucial conservation science and investigating how habitat restoration is affecting local wildlife.
Click Here for the Full Position Description
Curious to learn more? Join us for a virtual info session on Tuesday with one of Coexistence Impact Fellow, Kai Davis, September 24th at 6:30pm to get all the details and ask questions. (Unfamiliar with our Fellows? – Click Here for a short video on the Fellowship Program)
INTERESTED? – Click Here to Sign Up — Everyone who signs up will receive the Zoom link on Monday, September 23rd.
Everyone who attends the Orientation will be entered into a raffle to win a bird-themed prize pack, including 6 Zoo Tickets!
Let’s make conservation work a real tweet!
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Donate Baked Goods for Bowling for Rhinos:
The Bowling for Rhinos event is looking for some baked goods to sell at their event! If you are interested in donating, please fill out the sign up genius below:
For more information on the Bowling for Rhinos Event – https://cincinnatizoo.org/events/bowling-for-rhinos/
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Wildlife Ranger Challenge – WE need volunteers
We need your help for the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s Wildlife Ranger Challenge! Volunteers are needed at Vine Street Village by 6:30/6:45 am for a 7 am start on September 25th, with the event wrapping up by 9 am. Here’s what you’ll be doing:
- Registration (2 volunteers): Guide participants through the check-in process and help them fill out waivers.
- Sales Table (2 volunteers): Assist at the sales table for SORALO beads and presale Challenge Coins.
- Push-up & Sit-up Counting (2-4 volunteers): Count push-ups and sit-ups for participants during the event.
If you’re interested and available, we’d love to have you join us – Sign Ups available in MVP/Better Impact!
Zoo Updates
Happy 149th Zooversary!
A Note from Thane Maynard, Executive Director:
The Cincinnati Zoological Garden was established in 1873 by Andrew Erkenbrecher and other German immigrants who wanted to bring some of the Old World to America. They began building a beautiful garden in an urban setting, filled with exotic animals, and hosting a variety of cultural events. But it took a couple of years to complete the dream. So, opening day was September 18, 1875. 149 years ago today!
Some of today’s zoo is still much like it was in the Victorian era. Our Reptile House has been here since the beginning and is the oldest building in any North American Zoo. For more than 75 years it was the Monkey House and eventually home to one of our most famous animals, Susie the lowland gorilla.
The old stone pagoda that houses our Passenger Pigeon Memorial is one of the 7 original similar buildings that was our Bird Run. And yes, Martha, the last of her kind lived in that building until she finally died in 1914.
And the zoo is still on the original 67 acres where we opened in 1875.
Since that time of course a lot has changed around here. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is a leader in wildlife education, home to the full time Zoo Academy high school, and offers a master’s degree from Miami University. We have the #1 botanical garden in America according to USA Today. We are nationally recognized as The Greenest Zoo in America, reducing our carbon footprint with major water, energy and waste savings. Our Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) is an industry leader in reproductive biology. And the zoo is partnering in collaborative conservation programs all over the world, working with the folks in wildlife range countries to find common interests so there’s room for both people and wildlife to thrive.
And of course, our animals are what make us a zoo. In the past 8 years we have completed our two largest animal areas – Africa and Elephant Trek – home to our two biggest animals – Fiona and the hippos, and our herd of 8 Asian elephants. During those years we have grown to become the biggest draw in the city of Cincinnati and in Hamilton County. It is that success that has fueled the great programs mentioned above, as well as our numerous efforts to serve our community, both here in Avondale and throughout our region.
So, a year from now we will have a number of fun celebrations of the zoo’s sesquicentennial. And with our same over-achieving drive, we will look forward to our next 150 years and our tercentenary in 2175.
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Elephant Trek Opening Soon to the Public!
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Check out this BEAUTIFUL drone footage!
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Out Cheetah Companion Dogs are Retiring!
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Zoo Tales
Join us for a special milestone: the 100th episode of Cincinnati Zoo Tales! A huge thank you to all our listeners for your support! This week, Jenna and Mark talk with fans, members, and staff at their recording at the Zoo’s main entrance! https://ow.ly/Qr7050TqrOV
Plant & Animal Updates
Exciting News in Jungle Trails
Lily and Mpingo will now be in regular rotation with the other groups. Here they are enjoying the treats and enrichment items that the bonobo team put out to make the first time in their new indoor space a great experience. The team is still working on troop introductions, so they will opportunistically be in guest view as each social combination gets more comfortable with each other.
Fun Note from one of our Horticulture Volunteers, Pat Walsh:
Here’s a strange coincidence… My son is a pediatric cardiologist at the children’s hospital in Memphis. He and some others from the hospital were called over to the Memphis Zoo last week to assist with the wellness physicals for a couple of bonobos who were going to be traveling. Turns out he was involved in the examination of the two that were traveling to CZBG!
Here is a video posted by the Memphis Zoo. My son is in the plaid shirt.
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/JrPLaC5WCHkGnb1L/?mibextid=QwDbR1
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ZooBabies
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Happy Birthday Madea! September 10th
Happy 10th Birthday to Medea the aye-aye. Like a woodpecker, the aye-aye is a percussion forager. Tapping on a dead log with its long & thin middle finger, they listen closely for signs of insect larva inside.
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Kal Update
Kal the bat-eared fox is very smart & is working on being a part of the Kroger Cheetah Encounter. He is building his confidence & is currently working on sit, target, circle and turn. He is doing great with this training.
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Happy Birthday Zoey! September 13th
Wish Zoey a Happy 8th Birthday today! You can easily tell Zoey apart by her droopy left ear.
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Happy Birthday Mark – September 14th
Happy 10th Birthday to Mark the meerkat!
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Don’t Forget to get your Pollinator Kits
Don’t overlook your garden! The fall Plant for Pollinators Kits are on sale now! The recipe has airy, light, & pastel colors that create a soft vibe to compliment your existing pollinator plants. Kits must be picked up from the Zoo on 9/25 between 4pm–6pm https://ow.ly/I5gP50ToAZX
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September 18th – Happy Birthday to our Cougar Brothers!
Happy 14th Birthday to cougar brothers Joseph and Tecumseh!
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Fun Cheetah Enrichment!
Tommy T the cheetah visited the elephant yard before the elephants came outside! This enrichment gives Tommy T new spaces to explore & smell & offers elephants Schottzie & Mai Thai a new scent to investigate! His keepers said he loved exploring & laying in the elephant smells!
Conservation Corner
ALL ABOUT BIRDS
In honor of our recent opportunity to get out in Cincinnati and get some hands on work doing Bird Point Counts during Fall Migration, I thought I would share some fun information about our little fliers and what you can do to help!!
What can you do?
Click Here to Learn More
Volunteer Corner
CZBG Volunteers taking action in our community!
Congratulations to Jen Scheper, WE Volunteer! Read her message below to learn about how she is making a difference in her community:
I wanted to share with my fellow environmentalists & Conservation conscious co-workers of a National Parks Service Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance grant I was able to acquire in conjunction with the city of Newport, KY and a non-profit organization, ReNewport. The information on the grant is in the article below.
With the City of Newport supporting the idea & the design innovation of Chris Schack with Schack’s Yak’s, my vision has become a reality. Here is more info on it. – https://www.facebook.com/share/p/SYtsiHmTYdWFrRmf/?mibextid=oFDknk
***If you know of a volunteer doing good work in the community (or maybe it is you), let me know about it! I would love to feature the good news in our volunteer updates!
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In Case You Missed It: Volunteer Appreciation Picnic _ Time to RSVP
It is time to RSVP for the End of Year Celebration! If you have logged 40+ hours by today, you can RSVP for the Volunteer Picnic in Better Impact! Please make sure to RSVP by October First to grab your spot! Information on the picnic will be sent to everyone the week before the event!
*Please let me know if you have any questions, or if you believe there has been an error. Special circumstances are taken into consideration, please contact your volunteer supervisor.
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Quiz Answer
How many caterpillars will a nesting Carolina Chickadee collect each day?
A. 25-50
B. 100-200
C. 400+