From the Louisville Zoo:

Louisville Zoo volunteers Emily Goldstein, an 18-year-old University of Louisville freshman; Sam Leist, a 18-year-old Senior at Saint Xavier High School; and Kaitlin O’Bryan, a 15-year-old sophomore at Atherton High School, have made it to the final round in the international Project Polar Bear contest sponsored by Polar Bears International (www.polarbearsinternational.org/project-polar-bear).

The contest challenged teens to find ways to reduce carbon emissions in their home communities. The four finalist teams—from Louisville, Ky.; Tulsa, Okla.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Winnipeg, Canada—will travel on an all-expense paid trip to the San Diego Zoo in California at the end of April where the winning team will be announced.

“Our teens are downright inspiring,” Louisville Zoo Director John Walczak said. “I am so proud of their accomplishment and dedication to the Zoo and our mission of bettering the bond between people and our planet. These teens exemplify conservation leadership and they are working hard to educate others to make a difference. Polar bears illustrate the beauty of the Arctic, and we must do all we can to save them.”

While in San Diego, the teens will get a VIP tour of the San Diego Zoo, including a behind-the-scenes stop at Polar Bear Plunge and a trip to Sea World. The grand prize for the winning team will be a trip to see polar bears in the wild in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada—the polar bear capital of the world.

“While we are very excited,” Leist said, “what is important is not the recognition of our achievements, but the fact that the recognition itself means people are beginning to care about the world.”

For the contest, the teens developed a free Energy Use Evaluation Kit for local businesses and organizations that evaluates the business’ energy use and offers easy energy-saving options to implement.

“Our team was able to convince dozens of companies to commit to saving 17 million pounds of CO₂ per year!” Goldstein said. “If three teenagers from Kentucky can do this, think of what could happen if everyone would do their part?”

In addition to the kit, the teens made presentations to local businesses to educate employees on the importance of using less energy and asking them to sign a carbon emissions reduction pledge.

“I was amazed at how many people were saving CO2 but didn’t realize it,” O’Bryan said. “Some things are so easy to do and when we gave them suggestions, they were happily surprised that they were already doing it. It inspired them to do more.”

The teens have a website, www.louisvillezoo.org/projectpolarbear that features information and resources on polar bears and climate change in the form of quizzes, a photo gallery and journal.  At the end of the contest (which ran from June 1 to December 31, 2009), the team reduced more than 17 million pounds a year of CO₂ though pledges.

This is the second year a team of Louisville teens entered Polar Bears International’s Project Polar Bear contest. Last year, the team of Goldstein and Brandie Farkas won the grand prize—a 6-day, 5-night trip to the polar bear capital of the world in Canada to see polar bears in the wild and go dog sledding. (Read more at http://www.louisvillezoo.org/news/press/MR/2009/MR%2009-05-04_polar.htm.)

For detailed information on all four finalist projects in this year’s Polar Bears International’s Project Polar Bear contest, visit http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/programs/project-polar-bear/winners#2009-winners.

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Congratulations to all of the young, conscientious, and compassionate people who aren’t just TRYING to make a difference – they ARE making a difference.  Also, Kudos to the Louisville Zoo.  The success of Louisville teens reflects on the zoo and the education it provides.

Mark your calendars: Pre-historic creatures are set to invade the Louisville Zoo in March 2010.

A new adventure will be stomping into the city of Louisville and heading straight for the Louisville Zoo in March. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we’re very lucky here in Kentucky for a great number of reasons and one of them is the outstanding Louisville Zoo. There’s always something extra-special going on at this amazing zoo. Just check out what’s coming in a few months!

From the Louisville Zoo:
Precautions are being taken as the Zoo prepares Dinosaurs Alive!, a temporary dwelling for a herd of 16 robotic dinosaurs never before seen at the Zoo—including the giant Brachiosaurus, the menacing Tyrannosaurus rex, the fierce Deinonychus whose name means “Terrible Claw,” and the Cryolophosaurus which is often referred to as the “Elvisaurus” because the large crest atop its skull resembles the iconic hair of Elvis Presley.

Through the magic of incredible, futuristic technology, the mammoth, life-like animatronic creatures that roar, snarl and move will offer a full-blown dino-reality experience to visitors as they travel back in time along a lush, winding pathway where these enormous primeval creatures lurk at every turn. There, guests will encounter adult dinosaurs, youngsters and even a nest with eggs and hatchlings.

The robotic dinosaurs are built on steel frames by Billings Productions of McKinney, Texas, and high-tech electronics and air pistons power the dinosaurs’ menacing claws and gnashing teeth while a booming sound system gives them their distinctive roars and chirps. One of the animatronic creatures can even be operated by visitors using a remote control box.

In addition, kids can excavate dinosaur fossils at a paleontologist dig site using brushes and sifters to search for clues about the lives of dinosaurs.

“Guests of all ages will be transported back in time as the world’s largest and most advanced collection of high-tech, life-size animatronic dinosaurs come to life here in Louisville,” Zoo Director John Walczak said. “This Dinosaur exhibit will be a fun and educational learning adventure for the entire family. We’ve lost many animals from this planet over the course of history, and unfortunately animals are still becoming extinct today. Conservation and preservation are at the heart of the Zoo’s mission and it is our hope that visitors will come away from this exhibit both excited and more aware of the need to conserve animal species living today.”

In a revenue-sharing partnership with Billings Productions, Dinosaurs Alive!, is similar to other new attraction partnerships at the Zoo like Sky Trail High Adventure Course and the 4-D Ride Theater.

Dinosaurs Alive! will open mid to late March and will continue through the end of September. A special attraction fee of $5 applies for non-members in addition to regular Zoo admission and $4 for Louisville Zoo members. Children age 2 and under are free. Groups of 15 or more may call (502) 238-5348 in advance for group discounts.

Shopasaurus—a new gift shop at the exhibit’s exit—will be fully stocked with “dinorrific” toys, games and souvenirs to help visitors take home a reminder of their amazing experience.

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The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

*** Get up-to-date information about the Zoo’s upcoming Glacier Run exhibit by checking out our new Glacier Run blog. You can also show your love for the Louisville Zoo by becoming a fan on Facebook.

Holding the paint brush steady, Mikki gently touches the canvas adding her final stroke and smearing orange paint through vibrant green. Mikki has been painting more than 15 years and has painted more than 200 works of art. She is no ordinary artist, though. Mikki is a 9,000-pound female African elephant who uses her trunk like a hand to hold a paint brush to create her masterpieces.

Visitors to the Louisville Zoo can now get their very own Mikki masterpiece at the Zoo’s new Nature’s Gift Shoppe located inside the African Outpost restaurant. This store features works of art by some of the Zoo’s most popular animals (elephant Mikki, gorilla Jelani and orangutan Segundo).

Keepers at the Louisville Zoo strive each and every day to enrich the lives of the animals for which they care. In order to do so, they add interesting activities like painting to the animals’ daily routines. Enrichment activities are fun for everyone—animals, visitors and keepers. With our animal art enrichment, animals are given nontoxic, environmentally-safe materials and the option to paint if they choose to do so (and positive reinforcement for a job well done!).

The new store also features fair-trade products from around the world from South America to Asia including hand knit animal finger puppets from the Andes Mountains in Peru, handmade baskets from Bangladesh and tree-free paper journals from artists in India.

There are also sheep wool toys, purses, booties and baby hats that are made in Mongolia with proceeds going toward the Snow Leopard Trust and improving the livelihood of the impoverished families who live in the region. The new store also carries elephant-friendly ivory products (which look like ivory but come from the tagua nut that grows from a type of South American palm tree). Other available items include Himalayan jewelry, natural seed jewelry from artists in Antigua, hand woven pillows and purses from India and much more.

The sale of these fair-trade products helps people in developing countries move toward economic self-sufficiency and stability.

Prices for the one-of-a-kind animal artwork range from $25 for a 5-inch-by-7-inch painted canvas to $250 for a 20-inch-by-30-inch painted canvas, and fair-trade products start as low as $1.

Proceeds of animal art purchases benefit the Zoo’s animal enrichment programs and conservation efforts. Nature’s Gift Shoppe is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

MEET THE ARTISTS!

Mikki
Female African elephant Mikki was born in 1985 and arrived at the Louisville Zoo on July 28, 1987, from the wild.

She became a mom in 2007 to Scotty, the Zoo’s first elephant born in the Zoo’s 40 year history.

Her favorite activity besides painting is eating!

Mikki has been painting more than 15 years and has painted more than 200 works of art. She uses her trunk like a hand and holds a paint brush to paint her masterpieces, which are always a rainbow of colors.

Jelani
Jelani, a blackback gorilla born at Lincoln Park Zoo in 1997, arrived at Louisville Zoo in 2002. Jelani currently resides with three other blackbacks—Bengati, Kicho and Cecil. He is a laid-back individual, but enjoys rough play and daring antics at times. He enjoys the company of all of the blackbacks of the group, and he can often be seen playfully chest beating with one hand when interacting with other group members.

Jelani has been finger painting for more than four years. His keepers say it is an outlet of his artistic expression and that it is enjoyable enrichment for Jelani.

Segundo
Segundo is a 21-year-old male Sumatran orangutan who was born at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas. He has been at the Louisville Zoo for about 12 years.

You can tell Segundo apart from our other male orangutan at the Louisville Zoo because Segundo doesn’t have a throat sac. It was removed when he was about 15 years old due to air sacculitis, an infection within an orangutan’s air sac. Segundo was only the fifth orangutan in North America to undergo a throat sac removal.

Segundo is quiet and shy and likes to hang out and spend time with his keepers. His favorite foods are ripe pears and believe it or not, lima beans!

Segundo really enjoys painting, but once he begins, watch out—he likes to not only paint the canvas, but the walls and everything near him.
Click on each of the thumbnails to see the larger versions. I would love to fill our entire home with these beautiful pieces – I’d have an animal’s painting in each room. The Louisville Zoo is just amazing.

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The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). For more information, visit www.louisvillezoo.org.

The information and pictures are courtesy of the Louisville Zoo and I’d love to thank them for sharing.

I told you a few days ago about Timmy the Gorilla’s upcoming birthday at the Louisville Zoo. Well, the big day came and went and all the stops were pulled out to celebrate the monumental birthday. It’s a really, really big deal to be the oldest male gorilla in all of North America. Below is an account of the festivities, along with pictures. Click on any of the pictures to see the larger versions. So cute – I love these guys!

Timmy, the oldest male gorilla in North America, celebrated his 50th birthday in style today, January 17, as a packed crowd gathered inside Louisville Zoo’s Gorilla Forest to honor his significant milestone.

“This was really a special celebration,” Gorilla Forest Supervisor Roby Elsner said, “because it is very rare for a male gorilla to reach this age. Timmy is pretty phenomenal.”

Before the festivities began, a 300-pound ice sculpture “cake” carved in the number 50 and decorated with frozen fruit juice was loaded in and set up for Timmy and the three females in his group—Paki, Mia Moja and Kweli.

While the three girls went over right away to investigate the ice sculpture, which was created and donated by Galt House Hotel and Suites Executive Chef Brian Riddle, Timmy seemed more interested in gathering up and eating the oranges used as decoration around the sculpture. After the curiosity of the females waned, in his laidback fashion Timmy sauntered over to the ice sculpture, examined it and began to pull oranges out of the frozen fruit juice mounds.

Other gorillas also took part in the momentous occasion with special piñata enrichment.

During the party it was announced that an official Proclamation signed by Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson declared January 17 as “Timmy the Gorilla Day” in observance of Timmy’s birthday milestone.

“We were thrilled to commemorate this significant achievement in Timmy’s life with a community-wide celebration,” Elsner said. “Timmy is definitely special, and this day is an important testament to the wonderful care our animals receive at the Zoo.”

BACKGROUND

Born in 1959, Timmy is a laid-back silverback adored by the female gorillas in his group. Before arriving at Louisville Zoo in 2004, Timmy lived at the Memphis Zoo, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Bronx Zoo.

Louisville Zoo’s award-winning Gorilla Forest is on the forefront of gorilla management and meets the demographic trends of current gorilla populations like geriatric gorillas. The Louisville Zoo has a total of 11 gorillas.

“With the extraordinary care our animals receive, the Zoo has an important role to play in caring for an increasing number of aging gorillas,” Elsner said. “Gorilla Forest is a great home for Timmy because this unique facility allows close keeper contact with him all day long and the freedom for him to make choices about his environment that can increase his comfort, like staying inside or going outside.”

Because of the steep decline of great apes populations in the wild, 2009 has been declared Year of the Gorilla by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Convention on Migratory Species, the UNEP/UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Great Ape Survival Partnership and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. For more information, visit www.yog2009.org.

For more information on the Louisville Zoo and Gorilla Forest, visit www.louisvillezoo.org.

Want. Want. Want. Want. Want.

I haven’t been so overcome with wants since the last time I stepped into my local Starbucks. I gotta tell you, I love myself some polar bears. Aw, man – they’re amazing. If you took one look at my computer area in our home office, you’d see that it’s a bit of an obsession. But I’m “cool” with that.

“Bear” it all: Exclusive Louisville Zoo Glacier Run polar bear ties and totes available in time for the holidays!

Louisville Zoo’s new exclusive Glacier Run ties and totes feature polar bears, the beautiful icons of the Arctic (and Joi’s desk).

From the Louisville Zoo:

These special one-of-a-kind ties and totes were created through collaboration between the Zoo, Vineyard Vines and local retailer Parallel 38.

Both the ties and totes are available in either royal blue or red for a limited time only now through December 31 at Parallel 38 (3905 Chenoweth Square) or the Zoo’s Development Office (in person or by calling 502-238-5615). Ties are $85 and totes are $125 with all net proceeds going to support the Zoo’s Glacier Run Capital Campaign. The Zoo can also mail items for an additional $5 shipping and handling fee.

After December 31, the exclusive ties and totes will be offered only as a special premium with a contribution of $2,500 or more to the Glacier Run Capital Campaign.

“We are thrilled with this partnership and the sophisticated, stylish products,” Louisville Zoo Director John Walczak said. “Not only will you be telling people that you support the Zoo and Glacier Run by wearing the tie or carrying the tote, you will bring awareness of how bold, beautiful and awe-inspiring polar bears are and how we must do everything we can to save them.”

To celebrate the partnership and exclusive launch, Parallel 38 is hosting a special in-store Zoo party on Thursday, December 18, from 5 to 7 p.m. with wine, hors d’oeuvres and real live animals.

“We are delighted to help support the Louisville Zoo and Glacier Run,” said Terri Cardwell, owner of Parallel 38. “I’m an avid animal lover and have been a friend of the Zoo for many years. I’m excited to be a part of the Zoo’s efforts to inspire caring and conservation among visitors of all ages. Polar bears are symbols of environmental awareness and climate change, and Glacier Run is going to bring that message home to Kentucky.”

The Zoo’s Glacier Run exhibit, currently under construction and scheduled to be complete in 2010, will feature polar bears, seals and sea lions and will educate visitors about global issues hopefully inspiring them to take action for the planet.

“Glacier Run will be a life-changing experience,” Walczak said. “It will fundamentally advance the Zoo’s mission of ‘bettering the bond between people and our planet’ through education, recreation and quality family fun.

“Your purchase of these ties and totes and contribution to the Glacier Run Capital Campaign will ensure that our kids, friends, families and visitors will enjoy a world-class zoo experience—including up-close viewing of magnificent polar bears—right here in our back yard.”

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Vineyard Vines is an apparel company founded in 1998 by brothers Shep and Ian Murray, inspired by their love of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

Louisville boutique Parallel 38 offers premier lines of clothing, travel and lifestyle products to experience the good life with well-known brands including Vineyard Vines, Barbour, Patagonia, Lacoste and Tommy Bahama. For more information, please visit www.parallel38.com or call 1-866-392-9375

Hmmm. As much as I want the totes, I think I simply MUST have the big furry guy in the middle.

Click each thumbnail to see the larger version.

Have you seen the newest issue of People Magazine on the stands? Angelina Jolie sort of jumps right out at you doesn’t she?! Then, too, there’s Nicole Richie looking more beautiful than ever with her adorable little girl, Harlow (she looks just like her daddy, Joel!).

Quite frankly, though, the real star is inside the magazine, and when it’s all said and done, he’ll be bigger than Nicole, Harlow, and Angelina put together. He’s Scotty, the adorable baby elephant at the Louisville Zoo – and he has a big beautiful picture and a write up. Whatcha got for that, Miss Jolie?!

“This is pretty exciting,” Louisville Zoo Elephant Area Supervisor Dave Campbell said. “We definitely think Scotty is a celebrity, and now the rest of the world will think so, too!”

Lousville Zoo’s Scotty the Elephant in People Magazine

Scotty is an 18 month old African elephant and he’s featured in a section about Zoo superstars. Click the picture above of Scotty and his lovely mother to read the article. They’re so cute!

Did You Know?

• The birth rate for an African elephant is 200-250 pounds!
• African elephants are the largest living land animal.
• Male African elephants can be agressive and often fight one another to the death.
• Ivory tusks are actually incisor teeth, which grow continuously.
• African elephants are Endangered  (I honestly didn’t realize that!)

The Did You Know’s are courtesy of Louisville Zoo’s website.  Click HERE to read more about this beautiful animal.

If you’ve never been to the Louisville Zoo, what in thunder are you waiting for?! 

One of the things that most “identifies” me is my love of animals. So, it’s no surprise that whenever my family visits a new city, the first two things I want is directions to the zoo and directions to Starbucks.

A girl’s gotta have her priorities.

The Louisville Zoo is, without a doubt, my all-time favorite zoo.  I can’t put my finger on it, but somehow they seem to treat their animals with more genuine respect and love than any place I’ve ever seen.  The residents of Louisville’s Zoo aren’t “attractions,” they’re simply their much cherished and pampered “pets” – we’re just lucky they allow us in to visit.

I also LOVE their gift shop.  I go wild in zoo gift shops – it’s the only way I can “take the animals home” with me.  I have so many stuffed animals, mugs, bookmarks, pens, tees, etc.  I read once that you should surround yourself with things that make you smile – animals never fail to make me smile ear to ear.  Here at my desk, as a matter of fact, there’s a little stuffed polar bear staring at me from the left and a bison watching intently on the right.  I think they’re counting how many cups of coffee I’ve had this morning.

Four, guys, four.

I could spend hours upon hours watching these beautiful, entertaining animals. The gorillas, alone make it seem like you’ve been transported to a whole other, “cooler” world.

Now we have a chance to show our love for the Gorillas as well as the other handsome residents.

From the Website:

The Louisville Zoo is working with a company called Eco-Cell to recycle cell phones, help the environment and make money for conservation.

Many of us have one or more old cell phones stuck in drawers or closets just waiting for a place to go. You don’t want to throw them in the trash because you’ve heard its bad for the environment. Well the Louisville Zoo has a solution for you!

Bring your old cell phones to the Zoo anytime throughout the summer and put them in the special containers on the Front Plaza. ANY kind of cell phone will be accepted – even the big, heavy ones that were popular 10 years ago and wouldn’t come close to fitting in your pocket now.

Eco-Cell will donate up to $15 for newer model phones. And because the Louisville Zoo is an Eco-Cell Silverback Partner, we receive money for EVERY phone that we recycle.

Please be sure these are old phones and that your service has been disconnected.

I know, for a fact, that we have about 5 old cell phones lying in drawers around here. Now they can finally make themselves useful. My youngest daughter and her boyfriend are cut from the same animal-loving cloth that I am. They happen to have plans to visit the Louisville Zoo this weekend, so I’m sending along my old cells. As well as orders to hug the animals. Nah, I’d better not do that, they’d do it.

Before visiting the zoo, visit their website and “bone up” on your animal knowledge. That’ll impress even the lions. Hover over COLLECTION in the navigation at the top, then hover over ANIMALS, then choose the category you want to wax brilliant with. There’s a wealth of fascinating information here.

For example, did you know a cotton topped Tamarin can jump 50 feet from treetop to ground without
injury? Well, me too, of course, but that’s impressive stuff for a little guy.

Have a great Wednesday and get yourself to the Louisville Zoo as soon as possible.  I’ll be the one with her arms full of stuff in the gift shop, the one who’s husband looks like he’s the next victim in a horror flick.  That’s usually right before he reaches the point of helping me pile things on. If you can’t beat them, join them?