Get EdZooCated!

It’s been 30 years since I wore a Brownie uniform. I did not pursue Girl Scouts, but I can say with fair certainty that if I were in third grade now, I would give Girl Scouting a second chance, especially knowing all the cool things you can do at the Zoo!

I took over management of the Zoo’s scouts and overnights programs nearly a year ago and have been busy keeping up with the revamped curriculum the Girl Scouts rolled out this year, as well as exploring options for reaching older scouts.

Photo by Monica Tousenard

The new Journey programs for girls are a great way for girl scouts to explore a variety of topics and activities that they might not have the opportunity to try otherwise. It’s been fun exploring all of the new materials and finding the elements of each program that are best completed by the Zoo.

We have many fun new programs for girl scouts of all ages, from Daisies to Ambassadors. One of the programs I’m particularly excited about is the Brownies Household Elf workshop. We will be holding this on Earth Day (April 22). Girls that attend this program will start their day by donating goods to ABVI Goodwill, seeing how a paper shredding truck works and learning about the Zoo’s e-waste recycling efforts. Of course, there will also be animals; they’ll even get to meet some ambassadors for the animals that can be directly affected by recycling efforts.

For the Boy Scouts, we have added many new merit badge workshops, expanding our programming beyond Webelos. There are two workshops that I’m really looking forward to.

Photo by Amanda Adams

The first is coming up soon, on February 12th. It’s our Reptiles and Amphibians Merit Badge workshop. This is my favorite class of animals and I love sharing my passion for these frequently misunderstood creatures in an effort to gain them more fans! In this workshop, scouts will learn identification of various animals, husbandry skills necessary to properly maintain herps (the term for all reptile and amphibians) and learn why they are important, what their conservation status is and what we can do to help.

Last week I attended a training workshop for Frogwatch USA, a citizen science project that even kids can participate in. Since doing an amphibian monitoring is part of more than one of the Reptiles and Amphibians merit badge, I thought it’d be really exciting for scouts to be able to participate at a national level. My goal is to be able to connect area scouts to this program during the 2013 monitoring season.

And last but not least, I encourage any scout interested in the Archaeology merit badge workshop on Sunday, May 20^th to register as soon as possible. I anticipate that since it is one of the first formal programs to be held in our new A Step Into Africa Exhibit, opening this spring; this workshop will be very popular and will sell out quickly. Scouts who attend will learn about excavation techniques, the tools of the trade and why the sciences of archaeology and paleontology are important. I myself have spent the last 12 summers working at a local dig site and am very excited to share the wonders of this science with the next generation.

If you are interested in registering for these or any others of our exciting scout programs, please click here for more information.

- Tina Crandall-Gommel, Conservation Education Coordinator

I receive e-mails and phone calls from pet owners often asking if we would take their pet for the Zoo’s Animal Collection. I would say that 75% of these offers are people asking if the Zoo would take their birds. It is usually the same story: “We have a great bird that we simply can’t care for anymore.” I would love to take all the unwanted birds, but we simply do not have the room nor the need at the Zoo to house all these birds.

Sun conures. Photo by Kelli O'Brien

Many people end up buying a pet bird because they see a one doing something interesting on television, the Internet, at a friend’s house, or at a zoo and think, “Hey that bird was great, I should get one!” After a little while, they realize they cannot provide the bird with all the needs it has, and that caring for it has become overwhelming. The truth is birds are extremely difficult to care for. They are messy, loud, many live a long time and unless they are properly trained, can become aggressive and dangerous.

Some species of parrots can live for 50 to 75 years. This is a huge time investment! In addition, parrots have extremely strong, sharp beaks they use for cracking nuts and seeds and to help with climbing. A parrot that becomes a biter is not something you want in your home. Also, many parrots learn an annoying habit very quickly.  They learn, for instance, that if they scream, you will pay attention to them. Most people will yell at the parrot when they scream, and all that does is reinforce the behavior.

Minnow, the African grey parrot. Photo by Ryan Egan

We have an African Gray parrot named Minnow here at the Zoo. I think he is great; the absolute best bird in the world! Would I want him as a pet? Absolutely not! Being at the Zoo, he gets contact from all sorts of people during the day, and then he has the night by himself.  Parrots crave attention, and most people do not have the time to give a parrot all that attention at their homes.

There are other birds people get as pets as well. Many people get finches, or parakeets. These can be simpler to care for, but you still run into the noise and messiness issues. My best suggestion is to avoid getting a bird as a pet altogether until you know you are absolutely ready. Go to your local library or buy books on the subject. Contact a breeder and ask questions; we have a wonderful store in Rochester, Birds Unlimited, with tons of books for sale on birds as pets and a very knowledgeable staff who have kept all sorts of birds. Consult with a professional and start with a bird that seems the best fit for you. A cockatoo may not be a good bird to start with! Like in my last blog, I see keeping birds as a hobby of love, and something you need to work at for your entire life.

Every time I work with a parrot as part of a program at the Zoo, or any bird for that matter, I always talk about responsible pet ownership. We usually cannot take unwanted pets so if you buy a bird as a pet, please make sure you are prepared to provide care for it for its entire life. If you are unsure on whether a bird is a good pet for you, wait before you get one. Birds are beautiful creatures that can provide great friendship and entertainment, but only if you are responsible in your choice of a bird as a pet.

- Kenny Nelson,  Education Animal Programs and Training Coordinator  

Photo by Kelli O'Brien

To kick of 2o12, we are offering a special discount for our preschool ZooClasses. Register for a class in January and you’ll receive $4 off any additional classes you register for in February and March! Just mention you read about it on our blog.

We offer classes for 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. For our 2-year-old friends, we keep things really simple; each month we learn about a new animal. January is “Remarkable Rabbits”, February is “Opulent Owls” and March is “Smiling Snakes.”

We kick things up a notch for our 3-year-old groups and start to explore topics like “Animal Movements” in January, “Animal Coverings” in February and “Animal ABC’s” in March! Finally, for our 4- and 5-year-olds we start to explore the natural world with themes like “Hug a Bug” in January, “Critters in the Cold” in February and “Animal Disguises” in March.

Each class includes animal visitors to the classroom, stories, crafts, songs and a snack. Register your child today and take advantage of this special offer.  See you at the Zoo!

- Emily Coon-Frisch, Manager of Program Development

With the start of the New Year, people tend to reminisce about the year that we left. Just think about how many lists for top music, biggest news stories and events that happened in the year 2011 that you have seen.

Instead of looking at the past year, I like to think about the year that we just entered and what is coming up. The year 2012 is going to be an exciting year for the Education Department and the Seneca Park Zoo. Here are some of the top things we are looking forward to in 2012:

• Thanks to a New York State grant, in 2012 the Education department will be getting a new office and a new facility to house our Education Animal Collection! We would like to thank all the people that worked hard to make this exciting development come true: Michelle Picardo, Chuck Levengood and everyone else in the Development & Finance Department – Rachel August, Sharon Peterson, Larry Sorel, Kristin Miles-Pavia and David Hamilton.
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  Photo by Kelli O'Brien

  Due to the high demand for our Summer ZooCamp program, in 2012 we will be expanding to three sessions running at the same time instead of the two sessions that we have run previously. This will give more children the chance to learn about the animals and the environment in a fun and interactive setting of our growing Zoo.

• Talking about growing, the biggest news of all, our A Step Into Africa
  

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  Exhibit will be opening this year! The third and final phase of our project featuring a new dining facility, interactive educational opportunities and an 8,000-square-foot enclosure to showcase the return of lions back to your Zoo! A Step Into Africa will also include a Maasai village, archeological Dig Zone and a safari bus.

This is going to be an exciting year, so come down to the Zoo. You wouldn’t want to miss it! Happy 2012 everyone!

- Tim Fowler, Off-site Education Coordinator