Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Ric Brewer, Communications Today marked the beginning of the ceremonies to open the zoo's new Humboldt penguin exhibit. Local dignitaries gathered to speak about the sustainability features of the exhibit, the hard work performed by zoo staff and contractors and, of course, about the penguins themselves which frolicked playfully as the speakers made their comments. Also on hand was 13-year-old Harrison Grad who, when 11, donated his birthday money to help towards the building of a new exhibit. Well, now his dream is a reality as donors and zoo members were treated to the opening, cupcakes by Cupcake Royale, music by Quicha Mashis, and, once again, the penguins that delighted everyone in their spacious new pool, complete with underwater viewing. Tomorrow, Saturday, May 2, is the official opening for the general public. Come and check out their new digs, learn about the conservation the zoo supports to help these endangered birds in the wild, and what YOU can do to help th

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Keep an eye out for the fun Woodland Park Zoo busboards, billboards, and radio commercials featuring our new penguin exhibit--now "more colorful than ever" thanks to an all new exhibit design that lets penguins swim, sun, dive, splash and porpoise the day away. Explore the exhibit, play games, and download colorful penguin desktop backgrounds at http://www.morecolorful.org/ .

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications A family-favorite for more than a quarter-century, we’re proud to introduce our exciting summer concert series lineup and a new partner, BECU ! We’re also pleased to announce returning presenting sponsor Carter Subaru and our ticketing sponsor, Metropolitan Market . Without further ado, here are the performers for this year: June 17 – The B-52s June 24 – Mavis Staples with special guest Allen Toussaint July 1 and 2 – Three Girls and their Buddy featuring Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin and Buddy Miller July 15 – Ladysmith Black Mambazo July 19 – Los Lobos July 22 – Cowboy Junkies/Son Volt July 26 – Indigo Girls July 30 – Jewel August 13 – Joan Baez August 16 – Nanci Griffith August 19 – Susan Tedeschi with J.J. Grey & Mofro August 26 – Amos Lee Tickets will go on sale on Monday, May 4 at 8:00 a.m. at local Metropolitan Market stores, and in limited quantities at the zoo and BrownPaperTickets.com . For complete ticket informati

Photos and emails are trickling in from WPZ staffers who are currently up in the mountains of Papua New Guinea , celebrating what may be one of the most inspiring Earth Day stories this year. On Earth Day yesterday, thousands of Papua New Guinea villagers gathered in the Teptep village on the Huon Peninsula to hold a traditional Sing Sing, or celebratory gathering, to honor the creation of their nation’s first national Conservation Area . The new YUS Conservation Area—187,000 acres of tropical forest made up of land donated by 35 local communities—will be protected forever from hunting, logging and development. Joining them at the Sing Sing were Woodland Park Zoo Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program staff, representatives from Conservation International , and dignitaries of Papua New Guinea including the Acting Prime Minister—as it is the 12-year culmination of our work together with the villagers of PNG that has brought about this conservation milestone. Lisa Dabek, TKCP Director and WP

Posted by: Jenny Mears, Community Engagement Coordinator (Originally posted in Woodland Park Zoo's Backyard Habitat blog.) There are many ways you can celebrate Earth Day in your own backyard and in your community! - Sign up for Water Features for Wildlife class on April 29 at Woodland Park Zoo: http://www.zoo.org/educate/adult/workshops.html - Check out Savvy Gardener classes and a feature story on welcoming wildlife into your garden: http://www.savingwater.org/savvygardener/default.htm - Sign up for a habitat restoration event with EarthCorps this weekend: http://www.earthcorps.org/volunteer.php - Challenge yourself to some of the easy actions on the zoo's tip list for protecting endangered species and habitats: http://www.zoo.org/conservation/help.html - Share how you're spending this Earth Day, Week and Month: Feel free to post your plans in the comments section and share links for your favorite eco-projects. Together, we can share the habitat!

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications We are really excited about a new project. Woodland Park Zoo and The Greenwood Collective are inviting artists of all experience levels to participate in Penguins on the March , a community art project designed to celebrate the zoo’s new penguin exhibit , spotlight Seattle’s arts community and benefit Woodland Park Zoo’s field conservation projects around the world. Artists are invited to paint, embellish and decorate 22-inch fabricated penguins by the end of May. Penguins on the March will be unveiled at the Space Needle in early June. The artist decorated penguins will migrate throughout Seattle neighborhoods (including Fremont and Ballard) landing at The Greenwood Collective during the July 10th monthly art walk for a silent auction to benefit the zoo’s field conservation projects. The call for artists has begun, and online and email artist submission will be open through April 30th. Here's how to enter: In-person Submissions: The Gre

Watch the penguins explore their new exhibit for the first time and see some of the amazing underwater views visitors will get when they visit. And don't forget to turn up the sound for full effect! The all new exhibit transports zoo visitors to the desert coast of Punta San Juan – home of the largest colony of wild Humboldt penguins in Peru. Watch the video for a peek at the shoreline cliffs, nesting burrows, rocky tide pools, crashing waves and sunny beaches in the naturalistic new home for penguins. And with special windows and acrylic walls, dramatic vantage points will offer guests nose-to-beak viewing as penguins splash, dive and swoop underwater. See it all for yourself when the exhibit opens on May 2!