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Girl Scouts on Safari at Binder Park Zoo!
May 21, 2011
Binder Park Zoo is teaming up with the Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan for a fun-filled day for Girl Scouts and their families. On Saturday, May, 21, 2011 Girl Scouts on Safari participants will receive a 30-45 minute education program with live animal presentations, a giraffe feeding at Twiga Overlook in Wild Africa, a ride on the Z.O.&O. Railroad or Binda Conservation Carousel and many other “Scouts Only†specials.
In addition, the participating Girl Scouts and their families will have the opportunity to hear critter encounters, keeper talks, and watch the Wildlife Discovery Theater Stage Show. Other Scout offers include a coupon for a free small ice cream cone and receive 10% off any t-shirt in either of the Zoo’s gift shops.
Participants must pre-register for this event by Friday, April 29th at www.gshom.com by clicking on programs, program calendar and finding the Binder Park Zoo event on May 21st.
By pre-registering participants will receive admission into Binder Park Zoo along with all of the “Scouts Only†specials for discounted rates; $10.50 for children 2-10 years of age, $13 for adults, and $6 for Binder Park Zoo members. Children under 2 are free. In addition, a fun patch may be purchased for only $2 more!
For more information please visit, www.gshom.com or call 269-343-1516.
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Spring is definitely in the air! Binder Park Zoo opens on Earth Day!
April 22, 2011
It’s a sure sign of spring when opening day at Binder Park Zoo is just around the corner. April 22nd will mark Binder Park Zoo’s 35th season of being open and what better way to celebrate than with an Earth Day/Easter eggstravaganza!
“We are very excited for the coming season, says Stacey Lawson, Chief Operating Officer. We have some new events and programs coming up that are sure to please the whole family. The activities for Earth Day and Easter will be a great way to kick off our 2011 season. There’s going to be a lot taking place opening weekend, so it’s a great time to visit.â€
Saturday, April 23rd will be chock full of Earth Day specials! Binder Park Zoo is giving you the opportunity to do your part for the environment and bring your unwanted cell phones with you to the Zoo on April 23rd to be recycled. In fact, everyone who brings in a cell phone to be recycled will receive a $1 off admission. MP3 players, handheld gaming systems, e-readers, digital still, video cameras, laptops, GPS and portable hard drives are also being accepted to recycle. This offer is limited to one per person. Luckily for guests, the early bird really does get the worm. Be one of the first 100 people to arrive at the gate and receive a sapling. What better way to celebrate Earth Day than to plant a baby tree right in your own backyard! Don’t forget to pick up a reusable Binder Park Zoo Souvenir Mug in order and receive $1 refills!
In celebration of Earth Day, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is throwing a world-wide event called Party for the Planet! AZA is partnering up with Disney to highlight the new motion picture to be released on Earth Day, African Cats. Binder Park Zoo will also be in on the fun. Visit the Party for the Planet information table and receive a FREE African Cats Activity Book and reusable cup with a FREE drink coupon. Supplies are limited and will be available on a first come, first serve basis. Guests will also have the opportunity to win an Easter basket full of Binder Park Zoo and Easter fun including a FREE one year membership to Binder Park Zoo, a reusable Binder Park Zoo water bottle, a plush bunny and more! Register to win from 9:00am to 2:00pm at the Party for the Planet booth.
“Being environmentally friendly is a key component to our overall mission here at the Zoo, says Jenny Barnett, Director of Wildlife, Conservation and Education. By raising awareness of how even the smallest gesture, such as recycling cell phones for instance, can make a difference with the environment is a huge step in the right direction.â€
Zoo guests will also have the opportunity to meet Binder Park Zoo’s very own “Easter bunny,†Winston, the giant Flemish rabbit. On Saturday, April 23rd, Winston will be available for meet and greets at 11:30am to 12:30pm and 2:30pm to 3:30pm. On Sunday, April 24th the times are from 12:30pm to 1:30pm and 2:30pm to 3:30pm.
Nuts are many of the animals’ favorite treats! Come observe the animals dive into packages filled with nutty enrichment during “Animal Play Days – Goin’ Nuts!†In fact, some of the birds and monkeys can crack a hearty Brazil nut with one chomp. This program will be occurring throughout the day on April 23rd so keep your eyes and ears peeled for animals going nuts for nuts.
Binder Park Zoo is open Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For additional zoo information or a schedule of events visit www.binderparkzoo.org or call 269-979-1351.
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Early Bird Registration Available Now through April 30th
April 11, 2011
Governor Rick Snyder has declared April as “Michigan Wine Month†to honor Michigan’s wide selection of quality wines and the wine industry’s significant contribution to the economy. In celebration, Binder Park Zoo is offering discounted early bird registration for Corks for Conservation. Now until April 30th, take $5 off per person on your registration!
Register now and have the chance to be a part of Binder Park Zoo’s third annual Corks for Conservation wine tasting event on Friday, July 15th from 6:00pm to 10:00pm and sample some of the best wine Michigan has to offer! Enjoy the Zoo after-hours with live music, delicious hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction, live animal presentations, a complimentary Corks for Conservation wine glass and of course wine from over eight Michigan based wineries and beer from Arcadia Brewing Co., all while helping conserve endangered wildlife. With this early bird discount pay only $35 per person or $65 per couple now through April 30th!
Special VIP tickets are also available for a wine tasting class hosted by Mark Reinke from Mega-Bev in Battle Creek to be held at 5:30pm the day of the event for an additional $15 per person.
To register and for more information please call 269-979-1351 or visit http://www.binderparkzoo.org/corks/index.php
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We Shovel a Lot of It! Zoo Doo Days Only at Binder Park Zoo
April 14, 2011
When you think of the Zoo, the first thought that pops into your mind isn’t normally poop but the reality is with such large animals, there ends up being a lot of it laying around. Binder Park Zoo came up with a solution for this stinky problem. Why not turn the zoo animal’s poop into compost?
Now Binder Park Zoo is willing to share their Zoo Doo with all of you. Come visit Binder Park Zoo on April 9th and 14th for your chance to pick up your very own truck load of Zoo Doo. This enriching opportunity is available from 9:00am to 1:00pm both days. It only cost $25 a truck load for non-members and $20 a truck load for members. We will even load it up for you!
You don’t want to miss this opportunity and there’s no doubt that your plants will definitely thank you. For more information please call 269-979-1351.
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Binder Park Zoo is for the Birds….And Bird Lovers!
April 8, 2011
Binder Park Zoo is proud and excited to be hosting a native wildlife walk through Zoo grounds every Monday morning in April and May. Guests will meet Steve Belson, a well known bird expert, at Binder Park Zoo’s main office at 8:00am.
Steve Belson has been birding for over 25 years and has led many groups on guided nature tours for Kellogg Community College, Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and Michigan Audubon along with his own birding groups in Michigan and Canada. If you have bird questions, Steve has the answer.
Be prepared to see a wide variety of bird species during this walk including but not limited to golden winged warblers, yellow throated vireos, Baltimore orioles, cuckoos, osprey, indigo buntings, red headed and pileated woodpeckers, wood duck, trumpeter swans, Cooper’s hawk, and even Binder Park Zoo’s resident Bald Eagles. In fact, this is the perfect time of year to see some of Michigan’s migratory waterfowl such as golden eyes and buffleheads.
So come out and join fellow nature lovers and enjoy the beauty of natural Michigan wildlife! For more information please call 269-979-1351.
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Building Blue Bird Boxes with Bill and Pat Stovall
April 13, 2011
Have you been searching for something fun and enriching for you and your whole family. The answer is as easy as building a blue bird house. On April 13, 2011 at 7:00pm Binder Park Zoo and the Battle Creek Brigham Audubon Society will be hosting an event all about building blue bird boxes. Join Bill and Pat Stovall as they lend their expertise in this family friendly program.
Bill and Pat Stovall are long time conservationists and nest box monitors. Since 1989 Mr. and Mrs. Stovall have specialized in creating nest boxes and feeders designed to attract a variety of bird species. Due to the fact that these particular bird boxes are locally made, specifically designed and built very well makes them popular amongst bird lovers.
Building bluebird houses is an integral part of ensuring this amazing bird’s survival. As quoted by the Michigan Bluebird Society, “Because of habitat loss, environmental pollution, and competition of non-native bird species (House Sparrows and European Starlings), bluebirds have suffered large declines compared to their original numbers. However, bluebirds have been shown to thrive in areas where there is human-provided housing that is actively monitored. As a result, through the efforts of many people, bluebirds have increased in numbers in the last 10 years. Putting up a nest box is the easiest and most important thing you can do. Not only are you helping bluebirds to populate, but watching a pair of adults build a nest, lay eggs, and feed their young is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding things you will ever experience. Just ask any bluebird landlord - you'll be hooked and changed forever!â€
The entire family will get a kick out of this one-of-a-kind event. Learn about nest box placement, the types of birds that frequent nest boxes, and what it takes to monitor your very own trail of boxes. In fact, guests will even have the opportunity to build their very own nest box during the event. In order to be in involved in building a bird house, participants must pre-register at bcbrighamaudubon@gmail.com and pay a small fee of $15 per person to pay for supplies. The lecture itself is still free. So come on out to Binder Park Zoo on April 13, 2011 for a fun activity the entire family can enjoy!
A short BC Brigham Audubon business meeting will start promptly at 7:00 pm, with the presentation beginning immediately afterwards at 7:15 pm. The meeting will take place in the Cross Administration Building (Zoo Office). The event is free to the public. For more information, please contact Binder Park Zoo: 269-979-1351.
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BC Brigham Audubon Society and Binder Park Zoo present the snakes of Michigan
March 9, 2011
Do you have a keen interest in snakes and are interested in learning more about these reptiles? Now’s your chance! On March 9, 2011 at 7:00pm Binder Park Zoo and the Battle Creek Brigham Audubon Society will be hosting an event all about just that, Michigan snakes. Join Bill Flanagan as he discusses the various species of snakes that live in Michigan and shares some of his observations in the wild.
Bill Flanagan’s childhood fascination with snakes was fostered by an early association with the Dayton Museum of Natural History. Working with the museum’s live animal collection led to a career in zoos that has included positions with the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the Toledo Zoo, the Detroit Zoological Institute and the Lincoln Park Zoo. Ophidian highlights of his zoo career include working with National Geographic on a king cobra film and documenting parthenogenesis in Aruba island rattlesnakes. Currently he is involved with the eastern massasauga Species Survival Plan and an effort to develop husbandry standards for smooth green snakes.
Mr. Flanagan has worked on field projects throughout the eastern United States, South America and the Caribbean. Over the last decade he has enjoyed getting to know the snakes of Michigan through field work with Michigan Natural Features Inventory on surveys for rare reptiles and amphibians, and conducting his own master’s research on the lesser siren in southwest Michigan. In fact, Michigan is home to a surprisingly rich diversity of snakes, eighteen species in which Bill will discuss each and every one.
A short BC Brigham Audubon business meeting will start promptly at 7:00 pm, with the presentation beginning immediately afterwards at 7:15 pm. The meeting will take place in the Cross Administration Building (Zoo Office). The event is free to the public. For more information, please contact Binder Park Zoo: 269-979-1351.
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Sketching wild animals, bring it on!!
February 19, 2011
Feeling a little creative? Binder Park Zoo has the perfect solution. On February 19, 2011 from 10:00am to 4:00pm Binder Park Zoo is hosting the first of its series of Art Workshops. This particular program will be focused on sketching live animals. The cost is $65 per person and is for participants 13 years of age and older.
They move, they wiggle, they turn their backs on you, they hide from you… and they exhibit personality just like people…drawing live animals can be a challenge! But it’s also a lot of fun and very rewarding when you finally get it just right.
The program will start with an overview of animal locomotion and drawing basics: overall shape, movement, skeletal and muscle structure, plus simple rendering techniques for fur, hair, feathers, and scales. Participants will then take a look at some small animals up close to get a different perspective. Lastly and maybe most exciting of all, participants will head to the barns to observe and draw some of the larger critters at the Zoo to further test their drawing skills.
Artists of all skill levels are welcome! Space is limited and pre-registration is required.
To register online or for more information please visit www.binderparkzoo.org or call 269-979-1351.
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The Great Backyard Bird Count!
February 9, 2011
Do you love birds and wish there was a way for you to help in their conservation? You’re just in luck! On February 9, 2011, Binder Park Zoo and the BC Brigham Audubon Society will be hosting a program about just that. This one-of-a-kind event will give guests an inside look into the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) and how you can help. Participants will learn not only about this wonderful scientific opportunity but also tips on identification and the use of photos for documenting sightings. This is a perfect opportunity for beginner bird watchers to hone their skills or for parents looking to get their children involved in nature right in their own backyard. Whatever the case may be, this is one event you don’t want to miss.
The official GBBC takes place on February 18-21, 2011 at the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary as well as locations all over the United States. This is the 14th annual event of its kind and all ages are welcome to attend. Learn how watching birds at your feeders or going out for a bird walk and recording your observations can be helpful to researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. “Taking part in the Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way to get outside with family and friends, have fun and help birds – all at the same time,†said Audubon Education Vice President, Judy Braus. “Even if you can only identify a few species you can provide important information that enables scientists to learn more about how the environment is changing and how that affects our conservation priorities.â€
This program will be headed up by Josh and Kara Haas who are, in fact, both BC Brigham Audubon Society Board members. Kara Haas has been manager of the Michigan State University’s Kellogg Bird Sanctuary since 2009. She has been an interpretive naturalist for the past ten years and has worked for Michigan State Parks, the YMCA of Chicago’s Camp Pinewood and the Kalamazoo Nature Center. Kara loves spending time outside, typically leading a group of adults and children down a trail to learn about something intriguing in nature. Coincidentally, it was this passion of getting people outside to enjoy nature that led her to serve on the board of the Battle Creek Brigham Audubon Society and the Michigan Bird Conservation Initiative. Kara has a degree in Biology from Hope College and will soon complete a Master’s in Teaching from Western Michigan University.
For the past six years, Josh Haas has been involved with Raptors in the Michigan region in many different capacities. It all began at the Kalamazoo Nature Center where Josh was a part of the Bird of Prey Program. With the help of staff at the center, Josh was able to re-energize the program and today it now reaches several thousand people each year. His work involving the raptors includes training, health physicals, and programming and continues today at both the Nature Center and the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Each fall, however, his passion is re-directed to counting Hawks that fly at a great distance along Lake Erie.
Today, Josh is currently an official relief counter for the Detroit River Hawkwatch where he can be seen counting Southward Hawks on their way to wintering grounds. In addition, he is a Nature Photographer where his work can be seen by visiting glancesatnature.com. While his love for everything “birds†is evident, his passion for Raptors will always be the most prevalent.
A short BC Brigham Audubon business meeting will start promptly at 7:00 pm, with the presentation beginning immediately afterwards at 7:15 pm. The meeting will take place in the Cross Administration Building (Zoo Office). The event is free to the public. For more information, please contact Binder Park Zoo: 269-979-1351.
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Don't Monkey Around, Be My Valentine!
January 12, 2011
Do you have a lot of love to give this Valentine’s Day? Binder Park Zoo has the perfect gift. Show your significant other just how much you truly care by giving them the opportunity to become an official ADOPT parent. For a limited time only Binder Park Zoo is offering a baby red-capped mangabey ADOPT in honor of the youngster’s birth on November 9, 2010 in the wee hours of the morning. This one-of-a-kind ADOPT package will include a genuine ADOPT certificate, an informational fact sheet about red-capped mangabeys, a special Valentine’s card and a color photograph of the animal all for just $20.
After allowing the baby to grow and mature, zookeepers have been able to determine that the newest arrival is in fact a little girl. Lola, as zookeepers have decided to name her, is doing very well and flourishing with her parents. This comes as very good news for zookeepers who have been keeping a close eye on the entire family dynamic during the past couple of months.
This is the first offspring for both parents. “We were apprehensive about the success of the parents rearing the infant since they are both first time parents, however they have exceeded our expectations with their close attention and care for the baby†said Andi Kornak, the Zoo’s Curator of Collections. Lola and her parents are set to be on exhibit when Binder Park Zoo opens for the 2011 season.
The red-capped mangabey is a small African primate weighing between 12 and 26 lbs, females being much smaller than males. Their home range is in the western equatorial countries in Africa; Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, and Republic of Congo. This arboreal species can be found foraging for fruits, nuts, tender shoots, mushrooms, ants, and flowers in troops of 14-23 animals. Their original habitat and numbers have greatly decreased over the last two decades due to human encroachment and hunting. Mangabeys are hunted for the commercial bushmeat trade which is heavily reducing wild populations. It is difficult for researchers to get an accurate survey of how many are left in the wild, but they can determine that this animal that was once widespread through out its home range is now drastically disappearing from areas with heavy agricultural and hunting pressure. Binder Park Zoo currently houses four red-capped mangabey monkeys and is only one of eight zoos in North America to exhibit this unique species.
Make this Valentine’s Day a memorable one by giving the gift of a Binder Park Zoo ADOPT. ADOPTS can be purchased online at www.binderparkzoo.org/support/adopt or by calling 269-979-1351 ext. 153.
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