VZL V28 11 - Indianapolis Zoo

NOVEMBER 2015
VOLUME 28•EDITION 11
The Nature Conservancy and Indianapolis Zoo Join Forces
to Ensure a Healthy Gulf of Mexico
Indiana may be landlocked, but Hoosiers can play a long-term
pivotal role in providing a healthy Gulf of Mexico for all sea life,
including dolphins. The Nature Conservancy and the Zoo, both long
known for leadership in protecting nature across the globe, have
partnered to increase public awareness, support and engagement in the
Gulf of Mexico conservation program.
The Gulf has lost nearly 50 percent of its wetlands, 60 percent of its
sea grass beds and 85 percent of its oyster reefs. This is due in large
part to pollutant nutrient runoff causing large areas of the Gulf to be
uninhabitable for dolphins, oysters and other marine life. Unless this
area is restored not only will cetaceans feel adverse conditions, but
also the people who rely on the Gulf of Mexico for their livelihoods.
Indiana plays a huge role in the pollution of the Gulf — identified as
one of the states contributing the most excess nitrogen (11 percent) in
the Gulf, creating oxygen-free dead zones.
Photo by Judy Palermo
Changes people make in Indiana can make a difference in the Gulf.
The Nature Conservancy in Indiana has been working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Soil and Water
Conservation Districts, farmers, and landowners along the Wabash River to restore floodplain forests. According to a 2014 study by
the University of Notre Dame, nearly 600 pounds of nitrogen are cleaned out of the river annually by every acre of floodplain that is
restored.
“We’re thrilled to be able to partner with the Indianapolis Zoo and deeply appreciate their support of The Nature Conservancy’s
work in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Robert Bendick, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Gulf of Mexico program. “What happens
upstream in places like Indiana can significantly impact the environment and animals of the Gulf Coast. Working together we can
raise awareness of how important Indiana is to the marine life on the Coast, and help ensure that we can protect this region for
generations to come.”
The Indianapolis Zoo and The Nature Conservancy will
develop and implement programming for the Atlantic
bottlenose dolphin program at the Zoo to increase public
awareness. The Zoo will create a video with footage from
the Gulf area explaining how we all can make a difference
— that video will be shown during daily dolphin
presentations in the Zoo’s Dolphin Pavilion.
“We are excited that The Nature Conservancy is partnering
with the Indianapolis Zoo to raise awareness of our work in
the Gulf of Mexico,” said Mary McConnell, state director
for the Conservancy’s Indiana Chapter. “Through this
partnership Hoosiers will learn that their actions here in
Indiana have an impact on what happens in the Gulf.”
The new dolphin presentation programming will be ready
for Zoo guests in the summer of 2016. “We couldn’t be
Photo by Judy Palermo
more pleased to join forces with such a proven and
successful organization as The Nature Conservancy,” said
Dr. Rob Shumaker, Supervising VP of Conservation, Science and Education at the Indianapolis Zoo. “Together we can take on the
challenges and the solutions to create a healthy Gulf of Mexico for not only humans, but dolphins as well.”
Volunteer Zoosletter
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Photo by Erik Markov
The Indianapolis Zoo is proud to continue the tradition of Christmas at the Zoo presented by Donatos and
Teachers Credit Union. We’re looking for friendly volunteers over the age of 17 to help bring this event to life
by assisting in the following areas:
Set-Up: Nov. 10 (1-4:30pm), 12 (12:30-4:30pm) and 19 (1-4pm). Inside and outside activities. Help prepare
and install decorations around Zoo grounds, in Oceans and White River Gardens.
Event Days: Wednesday-Sunday, Nov. 27-Jan. 3, plus Dec. 21, 22, 28 & 29 (closed Christmas Eve and Day,
New Year’s Eve and Day). Volunteer shift times from 4:30-9:15pm unless noted.
Animal Enrichment Assistant: Assist guests with making paper chains for the animals to enjoy as
enrichment during the event (4:50-9:15pm shift time).
Certified Cookie Decorator: Assist children with frosting cookies and adding toppings, keep the table tidy
and monitor the supplies from concessions. This activity can get messy!
Craft Gift Tags: Assist guests with making a holiday gift tag to take home with them. Help keep guests
entertained while waiting patiently with little ones (through Dec. 23).
Fire Pit Monitors: Outside activity. Keep the campfires going at a nice, low (non-bonfire) level. Make sure
guests do not step into the pit or get too close to the fire (4:45-9:15pm shift time).
Floater: Be available to help in various capacities around the Zoo in support of the event. Please be prepared
to work outside if needed (4:45-9:15pm shift time, Friday-Sunday, Dec. 5-27).
Gleeful Greeter: Actively welcome guests at White River Gardens, direct guests to Santa’s Workshop,
explain event activities and fill in with any assignments as needed. Please be prepared to work outside if
needed.
Post Holiday Crafts: Help guests put together simple take-home items (Dec. 26-Jan. 3).
Santa Letter Messenger: Help children write letters to Santa. After Christmas, help them write thank-you
notes to Santa.
Santa Line Assistant: Help answer questions about visiting Santa, maintain an orderly line while children
wait to see Santa and visit with families in line (through Dec. 23).
Scavenger Hunt Specialists: Help families find items on the scavenger hunts in the Hilbert Conservatory and
award prizes for children who complete the activity (4:45-9:15pm shift time).
Please note all Volunteer positions are filled on a first-come, first-served basis and are not guaranteed. Please
login to Volgistics to sign up for shifts, email volunteer@indyzoo.com or call 317-630-2041 for more
information.
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Dolphin Pavilion Upgrades
As part of the exciting new partnership with the Nature Conservancy, the Zoo will be using dolphin
presentations as a vehicle to tell the story of our connections to the Gulf of Mexico and the species that call it
home. To assist the Marine Mammal staff in telling that story, the Zoo will incorporate video into the
dolphin presentations.
As part of the Dolphin Pavilion makeover, the existing scenic set will be removed and a new set will be
Installed, including an 18-foot by 44-foot video screen. The Zoo has contracted with SRO Design of San
Antonio to design, fabricate and install the new set. SRO does many of the scenic sets at Sea World parks’
Shamu Stadiums. Jo Hohlbein, director of Creative Services, Stacey Green, dolphin Area Manager and Jodie
Baker, Curator of Marine Mammals, have been working closely with the SRO design team over the past
couple of months in creating the new visuals.
Pictured above is a preliminary view of what you can expect to see. The new design includes lots of color and
strong thematic elements suggestive of Indiana and our connection to the Gulf of Mexico through rivers. The
new set will be installed before Thanksgiving, with the video work completed before next spring.
Photos by Abbie Doan
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protected from the sun's rays.
As the Zoo's reforestation project
advances, it will focus first on a
50-hectare section of the park,
equivalent to a little more than 120
acres. Collaboration and care are
already leading to evidence of
conservation successes. In 2013, Dr.
Rob visited the national park and
planted a seedling (pictured left). Take
a look below at how much growth has
taken place in the course of two years!
Furthering the Zoo's
Reforestation Project in
Kutai National Park
Photo by Rob Shumaker
Spending the day with orangutans
may be nothing new for Dr. Rob
Shumaker, the Indianapolis Zoo's
Supervising VP of Conservation,
Science and Education. And yet, being
surrounded by the sounds of southeast
Asia's rainforest isn't quite routine.
Recently, Dr. Rob traveled to Borneo
to further the Zoo's role in a
reforestation project in Kutai National
Park. After flying into Balikpapan, Dr.
Rob headed to the seaport city of
Bontang to meet with park officials
alongside Dr. Anne Russon, who leads
the Kutai Orangutan Project and has
studied orangutans for more than 30
years. Joining the group was Pak Erly,
director of the national park, who
assisted with verifying research and
approving reforestation work that will
take place over the next five years, an
encouraging confirmation for
long-term science and conservation
efforts.
But it wasn't all business inside
buildings. Anne's project has expanded
Volunteer Zoosletter
to include both the Mentoko – which
means "on the river" – and Prevab field
sites within the national park, so Dr.
Rob and the team explored the forest
and even had the chance to observe a
young male orangutan in the canopy.
In addition to supporting field sites,
the Indianapolis Zoo is protecting
habitat throughout Kutai National
Park. Just a decade ago, the national
park was largely considered a
conservation wasteland, after forest
had been destroyed from fires and
human development, making the
habitat unsuitable for populations of
orangutans. Now, areas throughout the
park are becoming conservation
priorities to ensure a bright future for
these red-haired great apes.
Locations like Bukit Senara – Senara
Hill – are once again becoming
covered in green, yet still are not a
prime path for orangutans to travel
through the forest. Why? While the
area looks lush, the pioneer species
that have regrown there are not usable
for apes' needs. However, these plants
provide the perfect amount of shade for
new seedlings to be planted and
The Kutai Orangutan Project started
in 2009 in an effort to protect the
seriously endangered orangutan
population and recover the critical
habitat that has been largely destroyed.
Located within the Kutai National Park
of East Kalimantan, Borneo, the site
runs along the south side of the
Sangatta River and inland. This is an
important site because it is vulnerable
due to excessive clearing and people
moving to the land. So far, the project
has found more than two-dozen
healthy apes in this area that are
reproducing normally. You can learn
more about orangutan conservation and
how you can get involved at the
Indianapolis Zoo's Simon Skjodt
International Orangutan Center.
Melanie Laurendine, Conservation
Public Relations Specialist
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Lion Pride Welcomes Adorable Cubs!
Photo by Jackie Curts
Our pride of African lions just got three times cuter! That's
because three cubs, two males and a female, were born on
Sept. 21 to first-time parents, mother Zuri and father Nyack.
When Zookeepers arrived that day, they found that 9-yearold Zuri had already delivered her first cub sometime during
the night or early morning. The others followed around
10am and 1:15pm. These are the first lions born at the Zoo
since 2003.
Brown Bag Winners
Congratulations to Julianne Boyle and Ann Dettwiler, who won $25 Cheesecake Factory gift cards at the Oct.
12 brown bag on California sea lions. Make sure you attend future sessions and login to your Volgistics
account frequently for your chance to participate in upcoming giveaways!
ZooBoo
Thank you! Thank you! It’s been another exciting ZooBoo presented by Central Indiana Honda Dealers. We
can’t thank you enough for all the time and help so many of you provided (several of you over multiple days)
to make this such an exciting trip to the Zoo for families. ZooBoo has clearly gone to a new level with us now
seeing twice as many guests as we did six short years ago. Thank you for offering friendly faces across
numerous activities to guests coming out to spend the day with us and the animals!
Meg Magsamen
Special Events and Advertising Manager
Photos by Adam Garrett
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Lost Children Procedures
Do you know what to do if you encounter a lost
child? During the Zoo’s busy holiday season, children
can easily become separated from the person who
brought them to the Zoo. Here are some important tips
in case you encounter a lost child at the Zoo:
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Remain calm. Getting anxious or excited may
make the situation worse.
Contact Zoo Security at 630-5111. Give them your
name and location and a description of the child,
including his or her name and the clothes and
shoes he or she is wearing. Follow all the
Photo by Jason Wright
instructions given to you by the Security officer.
Crouch down so you are eye-level with the child.
Young children are often intimidated by unfamiliar faces.
Calm the child by asking what they like about the Zoo or what animals they’ve seen today.
Let the child know you work at the Zoo and are here to help.
Find out who brought the child to the Zoo. Where was the last place they saw their family?
Ask if the child has an ID bracelet or name tag. Many school groups will place ID bracelets or name tags on their
students before arriving at the Zoo.
Refrain from touching the child, including giving hugs.
If the child says he or she is thirsty, only offer water. Offering food or other beverages may trigger allergic
reactions.
Remain with the child until a Security staff member arrives onsite. Even if the child finds the adult he or she came
with to the Zoo, let an employee release the child.
Keeping an eye open for lost children and knowing what to do to help will make the Zoo a safe place for everyone to
visit!
New Volunteers
Debi Brink
Dennis Brink
Deserae Clark
Cindy Esham
Amy Ferree
Phil Goddard
Melissa Gruver
Mikaela Hendrickson
Lisa Hopwood
Matt Huddleston
Shelly Huddleston
Thomas Huizinga
Kathryn Larimore
Bryan Malloy
Mary Ann Marchand
Maggie McGhee
Nat Noland
Mick Pittard
Jennifer Richardson
Shari Robinson
Kristin Schenck
Lauren Schuster
Katherine Sellers
Natalie Smith
Elizabeth Stucker
Neal Walerko
Jess Wingate
Sandy Zainey
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16 Kalei (f) Atlantic bottlenose
NOVEMBER
dolphin 2000
Katresha Taylor
Flower: Chrysanthemum
Birthstone: Topaz
1
18 Tonya Simpson
19 Desiree Brandon
National Animal Shelter and
Rescue Appreciation Week
Polar Bear Week
Nov. 1-7
Photo by Carla Knapp
9
Photo by Kerrie Best
3 Rafiki (m) Guinea baboon
2009
Katie Boruff
Scott Chapman
Gretchen Heinrich
4
5
Ajabusana “AJ” (f)
reticulated giraffe 1998
Barbara Wagers
10 Laura Riley
11 Natalie Smith
13 Kelly Griese
14 Sydney Johnson
Mary Okragly
Heather Shah
Shari Robinson
Rhonda Weinzapfel
6
Nancy Leffler
Amy Lilly
Susan Stewart
Nancy Tatum
7
Jay Hook
Dawn McKinney
Shelby Nester
8
Orangutan Caring Week
Nov. 8-15
Rachel (f) Guinea baboon
2002
Tawny Schoettmer
Volunteer Zoosletter
Photo by Dan Boyd
Rod Vogel
20 Emme (f) rainbow lorikeet
2008
25 Meagan Higgenbottom
Megan Klomp
Sandy Zainey
29 Pam Galyean
Animal Fact
Photo by Dave White
15 Tundra (f) polar bear 1986
Allen Baliff
The gharial’s long, slender snout
may look fragile, but it is armed
with small, extremely sharp teeth.
It catches fish sideways, and then
flicks them within its jaws so that
it can swallow them head first.
The bulbous growth on the end of
the nose is present only in males,
and is used to produce sounds
and bubbles during courtship.
From “Smithsonian Animal: The
Definitive Guide” edited by
David Burnie and Don E. Wilson
7
Editor: Adam Garrett
Reporters: Adam Garrett, Melanie
Laurendine
Photography: Kerrie Best, Dan Boyd,
Jackie Curts, Abbie Doan, Adam Garrett,
Carla Knapp, Erik Markov, Judy Palermo,
Rob Shumaker, Dave White, Jason Wright
To Contact the Volunteer Office:
Phone: 317-630-2041
Kristin Kraemer: 317-630-2193
Fax: 317-630-2031
E-mail: kkraemer@indyzoo.com
agarrett@indyzoo.com
volunteer@indyzoo.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Volunteer News ....................... 1
Your Chance to Help ............... 2
Collections News ................... 3-5
Save The Dates
Power Recycling Weekend presented by Ingram Micro — Nov. 7-8
Members Only Breakfast with Santa — Dec. 5 & 12
Christmas at the Zoo presented by Donatos and Teachers Credit Union —
Nov. 27-Jan. 3
(Zoo closed Christmas Eve & Day; and New Year’s Eve & Day)
Winter Hours
Nov. 1, 9am-5pm
Nov. 2-25, 9am-4pm Wednesday-Sunday
Nov. 27-Jan. 3, 2016, Noon-9pm Wednesday-Sunday plus Dec. 21-23, 28-30
Closed Thanksgiving; Christmas Eve & Day; and New Year's Eve & Day
Volunteer Tickets
Twice each year, Volunteers earn one admission ticket for every 25 hours of
service given (these tickets are handed out each April and October); stop by
the Volunteer Office to pick up your tickets if you volunteered more than 25
hours between April and September 2015. The tickets must be picked up by
the end of November or there is no guarantee of availability.
Special Reports ...................... 5-6
Birthdays ................................... 7
Announcements ........................ 8
Volunteer Zoosletter
1200 West Washington Street
P.O. Box 22309
Indianapolis, IN 46222-0309