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Celebrate Earth Day at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo This Weekend Celebrate Earth Day at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo This Weekend

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo has plenty of events on the schedule this weekend.

By Bryan Hudnell

Rosamond Gifford Zoo main entrance
© 2021 Bryan Hudnell

BRYAN HUDNELL: EARTH DAY IS IN FULL SWING HERE AT THE ROSAMOND GIFFORD ZOO AND MOTHER NATURE IS MAKING QUITE THE ENTRANCE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE ZOO’S CELEBRATE PLANET EARTH WEEKEND. ALTHOUGH TODAY’S PLANNED ZOO CLEANUP WAS POSTPONED TODAY DUE TO THE SNOWY WEATHER…THERE’S STILL PLENTY TO DO AT THE ROSAMOND GIFFORD ZOO TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY…INCLUDING VISITING MY FRIEND HERE BESIDE ME. ONE OF THE MAIN EVENTS THIS WEEKEND IS WORLD PENGUIN DAY ON SUNDAY. NOT ONLY WILL VISITORS GET A LIVE LOOK OF THESE LITTLE GUYS SWIMMING AROUND…BUT WILL ALSO LEARN HOW TO KEEP THEM SAFE AS WELL.

April Zimpel: WE’VE ACTUALLY HAD TWO PENGUINS CHICKS SO FAR THIS YEAR. OPAL HATCHED ON FEBRUARY 4TH…AND OUR LITTLE INTEE HATCHED OUT ON MARCH 19TH. ON WORLD PENGUIN DAY…WE’RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT HUMBOLDT PENGUINS IN GENERAL…ALSO HOW SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES THAT YOU CAN DO AT HOME THAT WILL HELP PENGUINS.

HUDNELL: NAVIGATING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND FOLLOWING SAFETY PROTOCOLS SET BY THE STATE HAS CREATED SOME CHALLENGES FOR BUSINESSES…AND THE ZOO IS NO DIFFERENT.

ZIMPEL: SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES OF COVID IS MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS ABLE TO STAY SOCIALLY DISTANT AND TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS DISINFECTED IN BETWEEN USES…SO WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE DON’T HAVE TOO MANY EVENTS THAT HAVE HIGH TOUCH POINTS OR PUTTING PEOPLE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER.

HUDNELL: THE FOUR DAY EVENT FEATURES A VIRTUAL CONSERVATION DAY ON FRIDAY AND A PARTY FOR THE PLANET CELEBRATION THAT HIGHLIGHTS DIFFERENT CONSERVATION EFFORTS HAPPENING AROUND CENTRAL NEW YORK ON SATURDAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WEEKEND’S EVENTS…MAKE SURE TO GO ON THE ZOO’S WEBSITE AT WWW.ROSAMONDGIFFORDZOO.ORG. REPORTING FROM ROSAMOND GIFFORD ZOO…BRYAN HUDNELL…N-C-C NEWS.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Mother Nature made quite the entrance during the first day of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo’s Celebrate Planet Earth event.

The scheduled zoo cleanup event was postponed to Tuesday, May 4 earlier this morning due to the snowy weather.

Despite the event getting off to a rocky start, April Zimpel, the zoo’s bird manager and chair of the zoo’s conservation committee, believes that there’s still plenty to look forward to this weekend.

“The idea for this weekend is to do Party for the Planet which is a celebration of Earth Day along with conservation efforts here in the community and in zoos around the country. And then everything sort of builds towards our World Penguin Day Celebration on Sunday,” Zimpel said.

Opal's hatching on February 4th of this year
Opal’s hatching on February 4th of this year
© 2021 Rosamond Gifford Zoo
Inti's hatching on March 19 of this year.
Inti’s hatching on March 19 of this year.
© 2021 Rosamond Gifford Zoo

The zoo hatched two baby penguins this year, Opal and Inti. The two chicks are among 50 to hatch at the zoo since it established its Humboldt Penguin colony back in 2006.

Here you can check out a complete schedule of events the zoo has planned for the weekend with information on how to sign up and participate.

Full Schedule of this Weekend’s Events:

VIRTUAL CONSERVATION DAY – Friday, April 23

Tune in for a full day of free virtual conservation classes. Attend the zoo’s education team’s 9 a.m. Zoom webinar at https://zoom.us/j/95646179251?pwd=M0o1RTU4ZTUxRlR6K0lCWjZCSEloQT09 and enter passcode 288894 to gain access to the programs.

Find the full class schedule at rosamondgiffordzoo.org/zoo-events/upcoming-events/celebrate-planet-earth/

 

PARTY FOR THE PLANET – Saturday, April 24

Come to the zoo for a celebration of local environmental projects happening in CNY and around the world. Make the rounds to exhibitors like Greening USA, Cornell Cooperative Extension and the SUNY-ESF Snailblazers and attend keeper chats featuring zoo animals.

Exhibitor Tables Open — 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Keeper Chat Schedule:

10 a.m. — Outreach Animal Greeter – Upper Lobby

11 a.m. — Red Wolves Keeper Chat – Red Wolves Exhibit, Wildlife Trail

12:30 p.m. — Primate Keeper Chat – Primate Park

1 p.m. — Outreach Animal Greeter – Upper Lobby

2 p.m. — Asian Elephant Keeper Chat – Helga Beck Asian Elephant Preserve

3:30 p.m. — Giant Pacific Octopus Keeper Chat – Octopus Exhibit, Upper Lobby

WORLD PENGUIN DAY — Sunday, April 25

Join the zoo’s penguin team at the Penguin Coast exhibit to learn about Humboldt penguins, the threats they face in the wild and what you can do to help. Stop by outdoor tables to play games and learn about sustainable fishing, what fish the zoo’s penguins like to eat, how the zoo cares for its penguin colony, and more.

From 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., paint a rock to take home or donate it to the penguins to use for their nests. There will also be a raffle of penguin paintings and other items to help support penguin conservation in the wild.

The zoo’s reservations system remains in effect along with mask and social distancing protocols. Find info on how to reserve a zoo visit at www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org.

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