Behold, Two June Openings!
June 6 – The long-awaited Acacia Station will open.
Suspended 16 feet above the ground, Acacia Station takes visitors into the trees to square off with the giraffes and offer them tender leaves. Acacia Station will open in the middle of the day (usually from around 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.). Keepers will staff the Station, both to distribute leaves to offer the giraffes and to answer questions about the care of all the animals in the exhibit.
When it first opens, Acacia Station will be free to anyone, as the Zoo will call on visitors to help the Giraffes' adjust to the platform and the new food offerings. Once the Giraffes have acclimated to the new experience, visitors will be charged $3 to enter the station and offer food to the Giraffes.
June 26 — A courtly opening of the The Honey Bee Garden.
A Queen will rule this working hive, which will buzz with busy workers and hold waggle dances throughout the day. Other enticements will include a giant skep, a gargantuan bee and sweet notes about all the foods, besides honey, that bees deliver to the grocer.
Other June Happenings
Every Saturday in June, keepers and volunteers will be out and about to celebrate Bees and Bears.
June 6 – Polar Paws & Claws • June 13 - Grizzly Walks & Talks • June 20 - Black Bears & Bees • June 27 - Teddy Bear Fair - Bring your teddy bear for a check-up with our Zoo veterinarians.
Comings and Goings at the Zoo
The Rocky Coast’s popular Polar Bear Willie remains off exhibit while veterinarians treat his medical condition. We are happy to report that he is doing well. Meanwhile, the equally-popular Polar Bear Aquila is wowing visitors at the exhibit every day.
Inside the Rocky Coast, keepers have readied the bird exhibit for this year’s breeding season—opening up the tunnels to the Horned Puffins’ nest boxes. These birds are now fully adorned in their nuptial plumage and should pair off soon to claim their nesting cavities. Look for mated pairs to lay a single egg.
The North Woods Prairie’s keepers are keeping their eyes peeled for a Bison calf to drop in any day.
The Sonora Desert exhibit has a growing population, too. A recently hatched and cute-as-punch baby Gila Monster will join the adults in the exhibit soon. Meanwhile, an also-cute baby Vampire Bat is growing up under the watchful care of its mom in the building’s nocturnal area.
Thanks to Valerie Abbott for the photographs of Aquila, the Horned Puffin and the Giraffe.
Join our Social Circle
The Zoo Society is preparing to take a virtual leap into the world of social media so that we can expand our circle of friends and ramp up our communication with our tech-friendly fans (you geeks know who you are!).
If you share our love for instant communications, sends us an email about the kinds of news you want us to tweet and post on our soon-to-be-activated Facebook page. Please send your suggestions to ksparks@nczoo.com.
Upcoming Zoo Society Special Programs
06/13/2009
Helping kids get the picture.
Girls only
06/26/2009
-
06/28/2009
Live the dream of becoming a Zoo veterinarian!
CAMP FULL - WAIT LIST ONLY
Boys only
07/17/2009
-
07/19/2009
Live the dream of becoming a Zoo Veterinarian!
07/25/2009
Learn how keepers train their animals and enrich their lives
Coed
08/07/2009
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08/09/2009
Live the Dream of Becoming a Zoo Vet
Keep Our Roads and Highways Safe for Everyone!
Animals are on the move now, looking for mates and for food. And, young animals are starting to move, too, venturing out to find territories of their own.
Please keep their safety—and the safety of your family, friends and self—in mind when you are on the road. Watch your speed, especially when you are driving in neighborhoods or along secondary roads, and be mindful of birds, rabbits, snakes, turtles, frogs, squirrels, foxes and other animals that are sharing the route. Just take it slow and enjoy the ride.
Our Web store is set up to help you remember to drive slowly and safely. We have static decals, car magnets and T-shirts that will help keep wildlife and safety on your mind. Proceeds from the sale of these items benefit native wild animals. Funds raised through this program will be used to protect native
animals inside the park and in North Carolina.
Static decals are $2.95
and are available for the
Box Turtle (the official N.C. State Reptile), a
rabbit and a squirrel, and a
Black Snake. Size for each is about 3 inches by 4 inches. Available exclusively from the N.C. Zoo Society.
We have cute Watch Out for Wildlife T-shirts, too.
Click here to learn more.
Don't Forget
You Still Have Time to Adopt an Animal For Father’s Day. Tell us which animal you want to adopt from our standard adoption list, and we will wrap your choice as a special, $45 Father’s Day Adoption.
Your gift arrives with a personalized Adoption Certificate, a Zoo Society ball cap, and a fact sheet that includes a photograph of the animal you have chosen.
Be sure to tell us the animal of your choice in the same section of the order form where you type your Father's Day message. Standard shipping is included.
Click here to adopt an animal for Father's Day
Zoo Camps Are Back
The Zoo's Education Office continues its tradition of offering a variety of camps for children. To learn more and to register, click on the links below and you will be forwarded to the Zoo's camp information page.
Zoo Society members get a discount on many Zoo Education programs. To receive your discount, call Zoo educators (336-879-7716).
Camps for Rising 1st Through 3rd Graders...Camps for Rising 3rd through 6th Graders...Overnight Camps for rising 4th to 6th gradersHerp Hideaways, June 25-26 or July 15-16. This program includes a night hike and an overnight stay. To learn more or to register,
click here.
Travel
America’s National Parks *$3,867July 22-August 6
Curator of Mammals Guy Lichty will lead this 16-day tour of some of America's most majestic natural parks and cultural icons. The itinerary includes Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Arches, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks. The price covers 15 nights of lodging, 26 meals, 19 sightseeing tours, airfare and other taxes. Airfare is included but could fluctuate until final payment is made.
Whales & Wilderness Adventure to Alaska **starting at $4,649August 5-13
Join Zoo Society Executive Director Russ Williams on his fifth trip down Alaska's Inside Passage. The cruise ship is the 166-foot Spirit of Discovery—small enough to slip into spaces that the big ships cannot and large enough to offer safe and comfortable sailing. A four-day extension to Anchorage, Denali National Park and Fairbanks is available.
* Based on Double Occupancy, including airfare
** Based on Double Occupancy, and land-only package
For more information, contact Stephanie Gee at 336-879-7253 or e-mail sgee@nczoo.com.
Planning a Legacy
Are You 70 1/2 or Older? Thanks to charitable IRA legislation enacted at the end of last year, you can make lifetime gifts using funds from your individual retirement accounts (IRAs) through 2009 without any undesirable tax effects. More
Giving In Tough Times Can Provide More for Your Heirs and Cut Taxes Americans today are anxious about their money. Their stock values are falling and their 401(k) plans are so low that it’s hard to open the quarterly statements. It may be the wrong time to think about charitable giving—or is it?
One Couple's Estate Planning Makeover Gayle and Andy Smith thought they had plenty of time to draw up an estate plan. But then Gayle's mother died unexpectedly, and that rang a bell. Maybe they weren't immortal after all. These are the five steps you should take.
Organizing Your Estate Documents Keeping all your necessary estate-planning paperwork in one place will help your heirs carry out your wishes when the time comes. Check this list to be sure everything is in order.
More
Send questions and comments about this Web site or Z-mail content to
Jayne Owen Parker, Ph.D. at jparker@nczoo.com.
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, please e-mail
Carolyn Parks at cparks@nczoo.com and type “unsubscribe” in the subject line.
Our
mailing address is: North Carolina Zoological Society, 4403 Zoo
Parkway, Asheboro, N.C. 27205. Phone 336-879-7250, toll free
888-244-3736. Web address: www.nczoo.com.
Thank you for your continued support of the North Carolina Zoological Society.
Last modified
07/14/2009 12:28pm.
