Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Stacey Hammond, Education The ZooCrew middle school outreach program is back in action this fall at Asa Mercer International Middle School, Washington Middle School, Seattle World School, and McClure Middle School. This quarter, ZooCrew participants learned about issues facing the animals of the African savanna. The participants designed their own projects to take action on these issues, raising awareness and advocating for the animals. Check out some of the projects from this quarter! Waterhole Restoration Project: bringing awareness to issues around waterholes in the African savanna and highlighting a resource for people to learn more about the issues and projects happening. Video created by Ava, Isobel, Tracey, Malia . Michael from Seattle World School chose to write about the Waterhole Restoration Project and bring awareness to the issue of resource depletion and how it affects animals. In his blog post, he explains what people can do to get involved with h

Posted by: Julie Ann Barowski, Volunteer Program Coordinator Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. Today is International Volunteer Day, and we want to take this opportunity to celebrate Woodland Park Zoo volunteers! More than 1,000 individuals generously donate their time in a variety of ways every year, and we are so appreciative and proud of all the amazing work they do! Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. Whether you visit during the day or an evening event like WildLights , you’ll surely encounter some of our wonderful volunteers. They offer a friendly smile, interesting animal info and stories, maps and directions, and whatever assistance you may need. Maybe you’ve had a zoo volunteer come to the rescue of a skinned knee with a cool zebra-striped bandage. Perhaps a volunteer has taught your family just how a goat likes to be petted, or offered you the chance to touch a snake for the first time. Even if you haven’t yet met a zoo volunteer in person, their hard w

Posted by: Jenny Mears, Education Interested in pursuing your degree through the Advanced Inquiry Program? Join us for an informational forum on November 13. Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ) has teamed up with Project Dragonfly from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio to offer the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP), an exciting Master’s program for a broad range of environmental and education professionals, including classroom teachers, zoo and aquarium professionals, and informal educators. The AIP offers a ground-breaking graduate degree focused on inquiry-driven learning as a powerful agent for social change, public engagement, and ecological stewardship. Woodland Park Zoo is one of eight institutions across the country that offers the AIP Master’s. The first AIP cohort started in 2011 (and graduated last December!) and students have already reported positive changes in their personal and professional lives. We asked Kate Marcussen, AIP graduate student and a Woodland Park Zoo Education Progr

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications In June, we asked kids (ages 2-12) to take part in our Animal Observation contest . The participants were prompted to sit for 3 minutes to study an animal. During this time, the kids had to complete an ethogram (behavior chart) for the duration of the study. They carefully watched their subjects and then charted what they saw. They were also asked to take notes at the end of the observation as well as sketch their animal on the back of the paper. Field researchers use ethograms to document animal behavior. An ethogram is a chart which displays a list of possible behaviors as well as a timeline. Using this tool, researchers can quickly document the minute-by-minute actions and behaviors of an observation subject. Researchers also rely on sketching and drawing or photography to supplement their notes. Practicing backyard animal observations is a great way to introduce kids to conservation science. This activity promotes critical thinking,

Posted by: Laura Lockard, Public Affairs A suited Mayor Murray greets a tuxedoed penguin. Photo by Ryan Hawk/WPZ. We had a very special guest at the zoo this morning, our very own Mayor of Seattle, Ed Murray ! Senior Zoo Walkers enjoy a Q&A with Mayor Murray at the zoo. Photo by Ryan Hawk/WPZ. As they wrapped up this morning’s stroll around zoo grounds, the Senior Zoo Walkers —who participate in a joint Seattle parks and zoo senior health program—were joined by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray for conversation and a cup of coffee. After a welcome by zoo President and CEO, Deborah Jensen, Mayor Murray addressed several of the walkers’ questions and concerns about our city, including traffic and bicycle safety, and funding for the city’s parks and the zoo. Coffee and conversation at the zoo. Photo by Ryan Hawk/WPZ. The Mayor acknowledged that many necessary infrastructure projects at the zoo, local parks and community centers have gone unfunded and incomplete. He express

Posted by: Jessie Maxwell, Education For the young and young at heart—a zoo is truly a place for everyone to discover wildlife and to be inspired to learn, care and act. It comes as no surprise to people that we offer programs for children here in the zoo’s Education Department, but less known are the programs we offer for senior citizens. Through our Senior Classes , senior citizens have the opportunity to learn more about the zoo and the animals that call it home, as well as get some unique opportunities. “I really enjoyed the class [and] loved being with people of my same age group.” – Sandy Bell Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. The most recent Senior Class, “In Like a Lion,” gave the seniors a chance to see our resident lions up close and learn how zookeepers provide enrichment for the animals’ development and well-being. Many animals at the zoo receive enrichment, and the class attendees began the class by watching the lions devour a treat. Photo by class att

Posted by: Deborah B. Jensen, President and CEO Elephants have long played a role in the community and in our hearts. At Woodland Park Zoo, we have cared for elephants since we received our first one in 1921, funded in part by donations from local school children.  Asian elephant Chai at Woodland Park Zoo. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. I am pleased to announce that the zoo will commit $1.5 to $3 million to strengthen the Asian elephant program at the zoo, as well as play a key role in multiple elephant conservation arenas. This pledge follows a six-month, critical and thorough external review of the zoo’s elephant program by the Elephant Task Force —a panel of local community representatives and internationally-distinguished scientists and animal care professionals—and a review of the Task Force’s report by the zoo’s Board of Directors and staff. The new strategic direction of the zoo’s elephant program endorses many of the options given to the zoo by the

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications Photos by Kirsten Pisto/Woodland Park Zoo With Valentine’s Day on the way, you might find yourself selecting flowers—perhaps a beautiful orchid—for your partner. But did you know orchids have their own partners? Orchids and certain fungi share a symbiotic relationship. The idea of symbiosis, whose Greek roots mean “living” and “together,” sounds almost romantic. Yet when it comes to symbiosis—the relationship between two species in which one species is dependent on the other—not all is created equally (i.e. “It’s complicated.”) Dendrobium speciosum in our Tropical Rain Forest exhibit. If symbiosis were a box of chocolates (we’re really going hard with this Valentine’s Day theme), it would come in different flavors—some sweet, and some you want to spit out. Mutualism is any relationship between individuals of different species where both individuals benefit. Commensalism describes a relationship between two living organism

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