Volunteer Updates & Opportunities
Your Earned Comp Tickets are Printed and ready for Distribution:
I am happy to say that the earned comp tickets for 2024 are in and ready to be distributed! If you did not receive your Comp tickets at the Volunteer Appreciation Celebration on Tuesday and would like to receive your ticket, please complete the form below and let me know the best way to get them to you!
Click Here to Request your Tickets
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Volunteer Appreciation Celebration
Tuesday night we Celebrated the 2024 Adult Volunteer Season with around 150 adult volunteers representing the over 500 CZBG Adult Volunteers who average more than 100 hours a year serving the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens in 40 different roles across all departments! Our Annual celebration happens in October every year with volunteers who are on track to log 50 hours for the year.
This year we had a Monarch Migration themed event with a taco bar (and churros) Scooter Pal obstacle course, Door Prizes, Gi-Raffle Prizes, a rousing game of Wings Up/Wings Down (aka Monarch Heads & Tails) and more smiles and laughs than we could count!
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Festival of Lights Volunteers Needed
Are you interested in helping our Visitor Experience team during the Festival of Lights. Shifts will begin on November 20th with members preview night, and continue through the end of FOL. There will be two separate shifts, 3:00pm-5:30pm and 6:00pm-8:30pm in which volunteers would be welcome to pick up one or the other, or both.
The areas we will have the shifts cover include:
- Outside of Turnstiles (Busy nights only) – Helping recommend buying tickets online if lines are long, directing to the gates to be scanned, chatting up guests waiting for their parties
- VSV- Greeting guests as they enter the Zoo, helping them way find, animal cards, taking photos for guests (but not interfering with the character’s photo assistant)
- Train/Carousel (mostly only busy nights)- Making sure guests hop in line with tickets already, answering general questions about the ride, chatting with guests waiting in line to help pass time
- Grove/Santas helpers (pre-Christmas eve)- Helping guests find Santas village, helping with wayfinding, potentially assisting with Santa’s helpers tasks (in discussion)
If you are interested in learning more about these shifts, fill out the form below to join the list.
Click Here to Receive more Information
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Important Reminder for Dury Gate (Gate 7) Access:
If you are entering through Gate 7 on Dury Avenue, please note that this gate is for employees and volunteers only. You should never badge anyone in or hold the door open for others to follow. We have received multiple reports of visitors entering through this gate and individuals bringing guests through on busy days. This policy also applies to all other gates leading into the Zoo & Botanical Garden.
Exiting Dury Gate:
We’ve also received reports that the Dury Gate is not always being closed properly after use. Please ensure that both sides of the gate are fully secured before leaving. If you notice any issues, contact Public Safety immediately to address the problem.
Thank you for helping keep the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden safe and secure!
Zoo Updates
BLINK Parade Participation
Thanks to the volunteers who walked in the BLINK parade on Thursday night and to the volunteer enrichment team who create the amazing animal silhouettes! This was the first time that the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden participated in this parade and we definitely made the most of it!
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New Mobile App is Coming!
Exciting news ahead! We are preparing to launch a cutting-edge mobile app designed specifically for the Cincinnati Zoo! Get ready to download this app from the App Store (Google or Apple). It will offer features like real-time wayfinding, membership card storage, push notifications, and personalized guest visit planning!
Here is a quick screen recording of what the app looks like, and we will have an official “How to use the app” video out soon to show the features available to guests.
Staff/Volunteer Training: We will be hosting 30-minute sessions where you can learn to navigate the app and ask any questions you have! Please reserve a spot so you can become familiar with the features and help guests get the most out of it.
- Wednesday, October 23rd at 3:30pm
- Thursday, October 24th at 10am
- Friday, October 25th at 12pm (bring your lunch!)
- Thursday, October 31st at 2pm
Sign up for the sessions here!
If you can’t make it to the trainings, don’t stress, remember a video tutorial will be coming out soon. Kim and myself (Brittany) will be around and available to help you if you have trouble.
Additional App Information:
Updated Signage & QR Code: The QR code currently displayed on signage and located on your staff badges will stay the same. It will be redirected to our website for the mobile app information.
Notifications: We have the ability to send out push notifications to guests on and off grounds, and we have 6 Bluetooth beacons placed around the Zoo.
Festival of Lights: We will have a special Festival of Lights “night mode” map that will activate during those dates and times only – preview coming soon!
Make the most of your Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden visit with this FREE app. Navigate the park with ease using our GPS-enabled digital map, plan your day, access your tickets and memberships, and learn more about our animals and plants!
BEFORE YOU ARRIVE
- Download the app (available for Apple and Android)
- Store your Zoo membership card on the app
- Plan your itinerary ahead of time and make the most of your day
- Purchase tickets and memberships through the app!
WHILE YOU’RE HERE
- Check out the attractions, food options, and shopping around you
- Receive reminders for upcoming animal experiences and events during your visit
- Map the most efficient path to the animals and areas you want to see the most
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Welcome New Americorps Cohort
You all have probably seen some new faces around The Zoo this week! Please welcome the 2024-2025 AmeriCorps Cohort! This first day in their departments was October 4th, they are so eager to be here and learn all there is about CZBG and becoming a part of the amazing work being done here! We are so excited they are here with us!
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ZooTales
Get into the spooky spirit with Cincinnati Zoo Tales! We’re debunking myths about one of nature’s most misunderstood creatures—the opossum! Tune in to uncover the truth about opossums and why they deserve a spot as one of Halloween’s unsung heroes! https://ow.ly/H9eV50TMPNP
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Halloween Fun
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Elephant Garden Statue Pre-Order
Pre-order the Elephants Garden Statue today! This statue is modeled after the bronze intertwined elephant sculpture created by Tom Tsuchiya’s protégé, Olivia Faillace, located at the entrance to Elephant Trek. https://shopcincinnatizoo.com/collections/elephant/products/elephants-garden-statue
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Vet Tech Week
Happy Vet Tech Week! Vet techs are an integral part of animal care here at the zoo. There are 3 Vet Techs at the Cincinnati Zoo: Amy L, Janell S & Jenny K & we are grateful for their passion for animals & all they do as part of the animal care team! https://cincinnatizoo.org/animals/animal-care/
Plant & Animal Updates
New Manatees
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Fun Hippo Weight Update
Tucker is 21 years old and weighs a healthy 4,585 pounds! Baby Fritz weighs 1,371 pounds!
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Growing for the Future
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10/10 – Happy Birthday Violet
Happy 1st birthday Violet!! Contrary to popular belief, a porcupine cannot shoot its spines and quills.
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10/10 – Northern Lights appearance
The Northern Lights made an appearance at the Cincinnati Zoo tonight!
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Aye Aye
DYK: aye-ayes are the only primates with ever-growing incisors? In fact, they were originally misclassified as a rodent! The efforts of the Aye-Aye Species Survival Plan helps to ensure their long-term survival. We were able to get this photo during an aye-aye health check.
Conservation Corner
Elakha Symposium
You can support one of our partner organizations and learn about successful reintroductions happening all around the country at the same time! Below is an invitation from Elakha to join in their Virtual Science Symposium.
| We are thrilled to invite you to our annual 2024 Elakha Alliance Virtual Science Symposium on Monday October 21st, 9:00am-4:00pm PDT (formerly known as the ‘Sea Otter Science Symposium). This year’s theme is: ESA at 50: Successful Species Reintroductions. The 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act is a major milestone in conservation history. Attending the symposium allows participants to be part of this historic moment, celebrating progress while recognizing the work still needed to protect endangered species. Presenters will showcase successful reintroduction efforts, offering valuable insights into the strategies, challenges, and innovations that have helped bring endangered species back from the brink of extinction. – KEYNOTE: Lifting Baselines: Marine Mammal Recovery, Ecological Function, and the Consequences of Conservation Success | Joe Roman (Conservation Biologist and Author) – A Snail’s Pace to Recovery: How Washington State reintroduced endangered pinto abalone to the southern Salish Sea | Katie Sowul (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife) – How Sea Otters Helped Decreased Coastal Erosion in the Elkhorn Slough | Dr. M. Tim Tinker (Research Wildlife Biologist) – Northern California Condor Restoration Program: Cultural and Ecological Revitalization in the Pacific Northwest | Chris West (Northern California Condor Program Manager, Yurok Tribe) – Emerging Lessons Learned from Colorado’s Wolf Reintroduction | Kaitie Schneider (Defenders of Wildlife) – Onsite Advocacy for Grizzly Bear Reintroduction in the North Cascades | Bryan Vasquez (Woodland Park Zoo) |
| Learn More & Register for Science Symposium We kindly ask participants for a $10 registration fee/donation to support the Elakha Alliance’s ongoing efforts in ocean conservation across Oregon. Thank you for your continued support of the Elakha Alliance and our shared commitment to fostering a healthy and balanced ocean ecosystem. |