2023 July Wild Magazine

PUBLISHED FOR FRIENDS OF ROGER WILLIAMS PARK ZOO

welcome!

By Stacey Johnson Executive Director, RWP Zoo and RI Zoological Society

Welcome to all our new members, I am so pleased you are joining our family of friends. To those who are long-time members, we thank you for your ongoing support.

It’s hard to believe that summer is half over already. If you haven’t had a chance yet to see Dinosaurs Among Us or the fabulous interactive bird show, make sure you hurry to enjoy them before they both go extinct. Once you have seen both an animatronic Allosaurus and Pumpernickel, the live red-legged seriema, I am sure you will agree that they are cousins.

And if you have visited us recently, you might have noticed all the new things in store for you in future visits. There is quite a bit of construction happening, but there is minimal interruption to the flow of activity, and it’s always exciting to watch as the Zoo continues to change and grow, just like your families.

To begin your experience with a feeling of eastern Africa, we are nearly complete with a renovation that includes new vistas of antelope, Watussi cattle and zebras, along with aviaries for more than half a dozen new bird species – and perhaps another surprise, or two – who will be in their new habitats before the end of the year.

Work has also begun on Marco Polo Trail to create a new indoor-outdoor habitat for our red pandas. Preferring cool, high-altitude bamboo forest habitats, the red pandas need air-conditioned, indoor digs during the summer when we are all outside enjoying the heat.

When this is completed in 2024, we think you’ll love it as much as the pandas. We thank the City of Providence for

funding this capital improvement, and we thank you for your patience on the boardwalk as you pass through the construction zone!

Engineering is underway on transforming the former harbor seal habitat into an outdoor habitat for Humboldt penguins, a species found in coastal Chile and Perú. Unavoidable delays on the other two projects have slowed us down a bit on penguins, but I promise that I’m looking forward to seeing them as much as you are. The Zoo is grateful to the Providence City Council for allocating a small portion of its ARPA funds to empower this big impact. Our team is working hard to create the best home we can provide for a dozen penguins as quickly as possible in 2024 to make a summertime splash.

It is good to have all these exciting projects underway to expand your Zoo. We love finding new ways to bring you the wonders of the natural world.

So, before summer ends, please remind your friends and family that Roger Williams Park Zoo is a great destination for a one-day trip or as part of a stay-cation for the whole family. Your continuing support has allowed us to expand our offerings so everyone can enjoy time with our animals and relax with family-friendly activities. See you at the Zoo!

Earth Agents, the Zoo’s community conservation engagement program, is celebrating another successful season! Earth Agents began at Roger Williams Park Zoo in 2019 to grow our conservation community and increase our capacity for action. Now it’s become a movement that has spread nationwide, with many other Zoo communities participating.

Our Earth Agents are families who organize and host events in their community to share simple ways to better our planet. Some examples of ways our Earth Agents encourage the community to create change include beach and park clean-ups, habitat creation and restoration, and hosting classes on upcycling and recycling. These agents of change are also helping us to motivate even more families to take action in their communities.

This year, the Zoo added five new families, with 12 families and almost 50 participants in the program. The Earth Agents had a very successful 2023 season, extending their reach into new communities and organizing inspirational conservation and clean-up events.

2023 Event Highlights:

• One Earth Agent’s family worked toward getting their yard certified as a wildlife habitat and created a YouTube video to help other families who were interested in starting the process themselves.

• A family created Earth Agent Mitzvah bracelets for their congregation about being mindful Earth Agents.

• Another Earth Agents family organized a community trash clean-up at their condo complex. They used their stipend to provide refreshments for their guests, and the kids in their community filled up 3 large bags of trash.

• The Earth Agents team from the South Kingstown Eco Club, made up of middle school students, organized a bake sale with bird-friendly and rainforest friendly products. They also provided customers with a QR code to download the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo palm oil app. The proceeds from their bake sale went towards creating a pollinator garden at their school.

These incredible Earth Agents are proving that with small changes, they can have a huge positive impact on their communities and the environment.

FINAL DAYS FINAL DAYS

Now is your final chance to travel back 65 million years in this immersive, walk-through experience that transports visitors through a world of prehistoric wonder. Run, don’t walk to see this before they go extinct!

Featuring nearly 60 life-size animatronic dinosaurs, this is one of the largest outdoor dinosaur exhibits of its kind. Walk up to an 18-foot-long Dreadnoughtus, an 8-foot tall Brachiosaurus, other well-known species, including T-rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus and many more.

Families and children can also experience walking dinosaur rides, dinosaur-themed selfie stations, meet and greets with baby dinosaurs, and hands-on fossil dig stations.

A separate ticket is required for the Dinosaurs

Among Us exhibit, it is not included with Zoo admission and can be purchased online.

they’re history after August 13, 2023 they’re history after August 13, 2023

Also, don’t miss the finals days of Interactive Bird Show

Through - SEPTember 4

Birds, the only direct descendants of dinosaurs, take flight at the Zoo as they display their natural behaviors and abilities during daily shows. Guests can get an up-close look at falcons, macaws, cranes, owls and more as they fly, call and mimic their interpreter — along with some surprise encounters that make this a don’t miss treat (weather dependent).

Free with Zoo admission.

Modern Day Dinosaurs

A Bird Conservation Lecture Series

Roger Williams Park Zoo is proud to partner with the RI Audubon Society, RI Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, and the Providence Parks Department for an exciting new lecture series exploring the conservation of today’s modern dinosaurs - birds!

Learn about local songbird conservation actions through educational programming and featured events happening at the Zoo and our partner locations all summer long.

Bird Banding & Lecture at Audubon Nature Center

Observe bird banding, where experts capture, band, measure and release songbirds in order to record their movements.

• Bird Banding (July 29)

• Bird Banding (August 12)

Join RWPZoo staff for an informative talk about North American songbirds and AZA’s efforts to help songbirds and other local species.

• Bird Lecture (August 3)

Managing Bird Populations Lecture at Roger Williams Park Zoo

Now more than ever, there is an urgent need to understand the habitat and nutritional requirements of birds throughout the year. This talk will discuss Audubon’s Avian Research Initiative, provide an overview of data collected to date and identify the work that is planned in the future.

• Bird Lecture (July 20)

Spotlight on Piping Plovers & Saltmarsh Sparrows

Lecture at RI Museum of Natural History

Learn about RI’s coastal habitats. Learn about the biology of piping plovers and saltmarsh sparrows, their current status in Rhode Island, and ongoing management efforts.

• Bird Lecture & Ornithology Museum Vault Tour (August 10)

Species Spotlight

Bolivian Gray Titi Monkey

Titi monkeys are endemic to the tropical forests of central Bolivia and Brazil. Although their thick, long fur makes them look fluffy and bigger than they actually are, these monkeys only weigh between 2 - 3lbs. Though this monkey’s head and body measure 11-17 inches, its tail can be even longermeasuring 15-18 inches!

While these titi monkeys may be small in stature, their presence in the forests is BIG. Their territorial “chirrup-pump” call can be heard for up to 1.6 miles!

Your Zoo is home to three titi monkeys – siblings Tiago and Rio, and dad Mojito. This close-knit family can be seen in our Faces of the Rainforest.

Isn’t it Wild?

They remain in close proximity to one another for almost all of their activities and often rest together with hands clasped and tails interwoven in a characteristic manner known as “twining.” This unique behavior has been witnessed while they are awake and while they sleep.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 Endangered Species Youth Art Contest!

In honor of endangered species across the globe, we are putting the spotlight on this year’s Endangered Species Youth Art Contest student winners! Capturing nature’s magnificence is no easy task. These creative and exceptionally talented young artists from across New England did an incredible job depicting the pure beauty of wildlife. Let’s give a big round of applause to this year’s winners - your artwork is truly inspiring.

And thank you to co-partner, Jerry’s Artarama of Providence, for their continual support. See some of these beautiful masterpieces in the Zoo’s Big Backyard exhibit!

GRAND PRIZE (JUDGES CHOICE)

Angie Zhang - Mississippi Sandhill Crane

9-12 grade winner Alen-Xu Florida Grasshopper sparrow

9-12 grade honorable mention Lauren Stout sea turtle

9-12

6-8 grade winner Helen Xia piping plover

6-8 grade honorable mention Caroline Du Llanero Coqui

3-5 grade winner Priscilla Yuan Alabama Beach Mouse

3-5 grade honorable mention Louisa Lin sea turtle

K-2 winner Vahinveer Karthik tiger

K-2 honorable mention Evie Villella Pinewood cow

Beacon Mutual Insurance Company

Captain Morgan

Coastline Trust Company

Domenic & Sandy Coletta

PRESENTING SPONSOR

ELEPHANT ENTOURAGE

A.B. Munroe Dairy, Inc.

Bentley Companies

The Bentley Foundation, an affiliate of DiSanto, Priest & Co.

Bootstrap Compost

Arthur Bradford & Caitlin Clark

SNOW LEOPARD LEAGUE

Janci Foundation

BISON BRIGADE

TREE KANGAROO CREW

The Color House

Dimeo Construction Company

First Hartford Realty Corp.

Pamela & Bill Heffernan

GIBBON GANG

David & Kelsey Coletta

Maureen Dumas & Craig Gulla

Foster Veterinary Clinic

Stephen & Diana Lewinstein

Marcum LLP

Liz & Frank Mauran

Miles River Direct

Navigant Credit Union

Jane S. Nelson

Parsons Kellogg

Jonathan & Maya Nelson

Saccoccio & Associates Architects

Textron

Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP

Ron & Joanne Patalano

TORTOISE TROOP

Nancy J. Allen

Jean, Rachel & Becky Aubin

Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino Resort

Roxanne Beretta, Realtor RE/MAX

Big Blue Bug

Martha Bower

Sarah Denby

Zack Denoncour

Eastern Ice

E.W. Burman, INC.

Ferestien Feed & Farm Supply Inc

Meg Ferguson

The Holt Family

Alden G. Hough

Ron & Linda Isaacson

Lahlaf Geotechnical Consulting, Inc.

Patrick T. LeBeau and Meghan

Rawson

McAdams Charitable Foundation, Mr. & Mrs. Norman McCulloch, Jr.

Jack Murray & Lynn Morgan

NEC Solar

North-Eastern Tree Service Inc.

Donna Ottaviano, Ed.D. - East Bay

Educational Collaborative

SDS Disposal, Inc.

SSA Group

The Stoico / FIRSTFED Foundation

Washington Trust

Maribeth Williamson

Pier Fish Company

Karen & Stephen Prest

PVD Food Truck Events

Signature Printing

Spirol

David & Jill Wolff

Woodlawn Gardens Florist

Mario Zocchi & Tonya Brainsky

Thank you for supporting Zoobilee - Feast with the Beasts!

The 31st annual Zoobilee, held on Saturday, June 24th, raised over $220,000 to support Roger William’s Park Zoo’s education and conservation programs. We gratefully thank our sponsors, volunteers and party guests!

Corner Kids’

Can you answer these WILD trivia questions?

PaPer Plate Jellyfish

(From nontoygifts.com)

1 2 4

Butterflies use which part of their body to taste?

A. Tongue

B. Wings

C. Feet

D. Antennae

Sometimes called “rainforests of the sea,” what is the name for the type of underwater ecosystem that occupies less than 0.1% of the world’s ocean area but provides a home for more than 25% of marine species?

A. Salt Marshes

B. Coral Reefs

C. Mangrove Forests

D. Kelp Forests

3

What popular sea creature has the ability to clone itself?

A. Jellyfish

B. Sea Urchin

C. Oysters

D. Sea Anemone

This type of whale is the largest animal on the planet, weighing up to 200 tons (approximately 33 elephants!)

A. Sperm Whale

B. Humpback Whale

C. Gray Whale

D. Blue Whale

Answers located on bottom of page.

Supplies:

• paper plates

• tissue paper

• scissors

• glue

• hole punch

• yarn

• googly eyes

• black marker

Steps:

Step 1: Start by cutting up the tissue paper into small squares. Young kids who aren’t comfortable yet with scissors can just tear up the tissue paper instead.

Step 2: Draw a wavy line at the bottom of the paper plate and cut along that line.

Step 3: Glue the tissue paper squares onto the paper plate.

Step 4: Use a hole punch to make several holes along the wavy bottom line of the paper plate.

Step 5: Cut yarn strands of the same length. Thread the yarn through the holes at the bottom of the paper plate and tie them up.

Step 6: Glue the googly eyes onto the paper plate and use a black marker to draw a mouth. For more fun you can use big googly eyes, or glow in the dark googly eyes and even colorful googly eyes.

Guess Zoo? Can you identify these animals? Answers located on bottom of page.

summer Events & Ongoing Happenings at Zoo & Carousel

JULY

• 12th: Food Truck Sip and Stroll Event with Dinosaurs 21+

• 15th: Build-a-Bouquet: Flower Arranging Workshop at Carousel Village

• 20th: Managing Bird Populations Lecture with Audubon Society of RI

• 22nd: Bowling for Rhinos at Bowlero Cranston

• Fridays: Weekly Food Truck Friday at Carousel Village

AUGUST

• 5th: Dinos at Dusk

• 26th: Brew at the Zoo

• 13th: Final Day for Dinosaurs Among Us

• Fridays: Weekly Food Truck Friday at Carousel Village

SEPTEMBER

• 4th: Final Day for Bird Show

• 28th: Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular opens

• Fridays: Weekly Food Truck Friday at Carousel Village ends September 29

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR ANNUAL MEDIA SPONSORS!

Roger Williams Park Zoo is supported and managed by the Rhode Island Zoological Society and is owned by the City of Providence

Editorial

Roger Williams Park Zoo Department of Marketing and Public Relations

Corrie Ignagni

Vicki Scharfberg

Maxine Colvin

Designer Sara Beatrice

Tandem Designworks

Photo Credits

Roger Williams Park Zoo

WILD is an online publication of the Rhode Island Zoological Society, Roger Williams Park Zoo, 1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island 02907-3659 For membership information call (401) 785-3510 x375 or visit rwpzoo.org.

2023 RHODE ISLAND ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Officers

Patrick T. LeBeau, CFP,® Chair

Nancy Allen, Vice Chair

Sandra L. Coletta, Vice Chair

Margaret Ferguson, Secretary

Maribeth Q. Williamson, Treasurer

Board of Trustees

Martha Bower

Douglas Caniglia

Claire N. Carrabba

Cheryl Cohen

Barbara Cottam

Sarah Denby

Cindy Erickson

Pamela Heffernan

John J. Igliozzi

Elizabeth Rollins Mauran

Dr. Jeffrey Mello

Howard Merten

John J. Palumbo

Steven M. Parente

Karen E. Silva EdD, CHE

Ex-Officio

Stacey Johnson

Executive Director

Rhode Island Zoological Society/ Roger Williams Park Zoo

Wendy Nilsson

Superintendent of Parks

Providence Parks Department

Chairman Emeritus

Sophie F. Danforth*

Trustees Emeritus

Margaret E. Curran, Esq.

Thomas P. Dimeo*

Jocelin Hamblett

James S. Harper III, VMD*

Bradford B. Kopp

Arthur D. Little

Nancy G.R. Moger

Richard Nadeau

Jane S. Nelson

Cate M. Roberts

Philip A. Segal, Jr.

Robert F. Stoico

*deceased

Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. For more information visit www.aza.org

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