Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Janel Kempf, Early Childhood Music and dance are important to so many people, in cultures all around the world. We use it to express joy and sorrow, to deepen our connections to our culture and nature, and even to learn. Animals around the world and all over the zoo use music and dance in their daily lives as well—and at the zoo, some of them are hard not to notice! Siamang pair Bagus and Sam live in the Trail of Vines near the Malayan tapir and the orangutans, but can be heard well outside of zoo grounds when they really put their hearts into singing duets. Their complex song is an important pair-bonding activity for these small apes, and in their native habitat lets other siamang pairs know their territory is already taken.   Pair bonding is a common purpose in the animal world for dancing, too—just like it can be for people! Not far from Bagus and Sam, in the Assam Rhino Reserve, a beautiful bird couple may have caught your eye. They’re demoiselle cranes Louis and ...

Posted by: Ryan Driscoll, Education Studying Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea) and the issues surrounding invasive species, students from three Seattle middle schools—Asa Mercer International, Washington and Denny International—are resisting the invasion thanks to another great term of our ZooCrew after-school program. Using a combination of games, research, and some hand-crafted wanted posters, students explored the impact invasive species have both in Australasia and here in the Pacific NW. They also generated ideas on what people in our communities could do to help, and learned about advocacy strategies to get their messages out there. Of course, this was all while getting to interact with live animals and examining biofacts from Australia and New Zealand! All of this new information was then applied to their group projects which are highlighted below: Western Shield Camera Trap Project Since our focal area was Australasia, it was...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications By day, he’s systems technician Chris K. from the zoo’s IT department. But by night (err, well, by around 3:00 p.m.), he’s Bat Man. Chris K. teaches the students about bats in our own backyard and around the world. Photo: Woodland Park Zoo. At least, that’s what the kids in Woodland Park Zoo’s middle school after-school program, ZooCrew , call him. Chris is one of the latest zoo staffers to join the growing list of mentors who help ZooCrew kids see a future for themselves in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) career. ZooCrew instructors work with the students all semester long and bring in help from mentors like Chris when the students are ready to try their hands at career-focused projects. With a passion for defending bats from their undeserved reputation and from mounting conservation threats , Chris was a great match to lead students from Eckstein, Mercer, Washington, Madison and Chinook Middle Schools through a ...

Posted by: Dr. Deborah B. Jensen, President & CEO Dr. Deborah B. Jensen. Photo by Matt Hagen. One of the perks of my job is the daily reminder of the many pathways to science and discovery at the zoo. Each of our 300 animal species, and thousands of plant species, has a unique biology and story reflecting the way it, like millions of other creatures, has found to survive on Earth. Likewise, I’m reminded of how zoo visitors’ journeys of discovery can lead to personal insights or new knowledge, or even open pathways to careers or timely innovations. Every day, I get to watch thousands of young people, teachers and families begin this wondrous trek. As a leader and as a scientist, I am privileged to engage our community in building pathways to a sustainable future. In many ways, today’s youth are ahead of the rest of us in recognizing the challenges our world faces, and they are looking for ways to begin designing lasting solutions. Of the 15 global challenges identified...