Navy Day at the Zoo, September 16

The Buffalo Zoo will host Navy Day on Sunday, September 16 as part of Navy Week in Buffalo.

The event runs from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and is free with regular Zoo admission. The
Zoo will offer a special “High Five for the Military” discount during the event. Members of
the United States military and up to four additional guests will be admitted to the Zoo for a
total of $5.00. A valid military ID must be presented at the admission gates to receive the
discount.

The Navy Day event will feature activities and demonstrations including a Navy Simulator,
the Navy Band, Navy SEALS parachuting into the Zoo, and a special sea lion show. Some of
these activities are weather permitting.

Members of the Navy’s elite parachuting team, the “Leap Frogs” will be parachuting from
airplanes onto the Zoo’s gazebo lawn at 10:00 a.m. Admission gates will open at 9:45 a.m.
to allow visitors time to enter the Zoo before the paratroopers arrive.

Navy week in Buffalo will run from September 10 until September 17. For more information
about Navy Week, please visit http://www.navyweek.org/Buffalo2012/index.html.

For more information about Navy Day at the Buffalo Zoo, please call (716) 995-6133 or visit
buffalozoo.org.

Hispanic Heritage Day at the Buffalo Zoo

The Buffalo Zoo will host Hispanic Heritage day on Saturday, September 15.
The fun-filled event celebrating Hispanic Heritage month runs from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00
p.m. It will feature special musical performances, vendor tables, and demonstrations. The
event is free with regular zoo admission. Visitors can bring a donation for the WNY Food
Bank to receive $1 off admission.

Hispanic Heritage Day at the Buffalo Zoo is presented by the Hispanic Heritage Council of
WNY Inc. and Goya Foods.

For more information, please call (716) 995-6133 or visit buffalozoo.org.

Behind the Scenes!

This latest "Wild Workshop" at the Buffalo Zoo is an exciting experience that gives you and your family a once-in-a-lifetime chance to go behind closed doors at the Zoo. Meet zookeepers as we visit three exhibit areas to learn the daily routine or preparing animal diets, observing behavior, training and more. Don't forget to bring your camera! The fee for Zoo members is $30.00 for this special session, $35.00 for non-Zoo members.

Important Notes:
Due to the unpredictability of animals, tour experiences may vary.
Please be aware that we will be visiting confined zookeeper work areas with close proximity to wild animals. All participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a paying adult. All participants must abide by staff instructions at all times. If you require reasonable accommodation as a result of a disability or other reasons, please call 995-6128 for assistance.

Grandparents Day at the Buffalo Zoo

The Buffalo Zoo will host its annual Grandparents Day event, presented by Fisher-Price on Sunday, September 9.

Grandparents can bring their favorite little ones along to the Zoo from 10:00 a.m until 4:00
p.m. Each grandparent will receive free admission to the Zoo with one paid child’s
admission. Grandparents will also receive $5 off a grandparents membership purchased that
day.

There will be a variety of activities taking place throughout the day at the Delta Sonic
Heritage Farm exhibit.

11:30 a.m – 3:00 p.m. Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society craft and
information booth

11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Crafts with the Buffalo Zoo docents

11:30 a.m. – Sheep agility keeper talk

1:00 p.m. – Pig demonstration keeper talk

2:00 p.m. – Mule demonstration keeper talk

For more information about the event, please call (716) 837-3900 or visit buffalozoo.org.

Become a Zoo Docent

The Buffalo Zoo is looking for a few good men and women....to become Docents! A Docent is a volunteer teacher and tour guide who enjoys spreading the Buffalo Zoo's message of conservation and education throughout Western New York. Docent responsibilities include acting as Zoo tour guides, interacting with Zoo visitors, conducting live animal presentations, and participating in educational outreach throughout the community. 

     

Becoming a Buffalo Zoo docent is a serious commitment and a rewarding journey.  Established in 1974, the Docent Organization’s goals are to help the Buffalo Zoo Education Department “educate, unite, and involve people in the conservation and preservation of the natural world.”  With over 100 active members, the Zoo’s extremely dedicated volunteer organization plays an essential role in Buffalo Zoo programming both on and off Zoo grounds.  To become a Docent, you must be at least 25 years of age and interested in both animals and the environment.  Training for the 2013 class will take place on Saturdays, from January through April 2013.  Classes will run 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Two orientation sessions will be held to share what being a Zoo Docent is all about.  These information sessions will be held at the Buffalo Zoo (in the Education Department) in  October 20, 2012 and November 10th, 2012  from 10:00a.m.-12:00. These sessions will be your chance to learn more about the Zoo and the Docent Organization, and to get a glimpse of what the docent experience entails.  If you are interested in becoming a docent, you must attend one of the orientation sessions.  To sign up for an orientation session, call Maureen Pantera, the Zoo’s Volunteer Coordinator, at 995-6132.  

Sea Lion Shows to Resume at the Buffalo Zoo

The Buffalo Zoo will resume its Sea Lion shows this weekend.

The Sea Lion shows will take place at noon every Saturday and Sunday in September and October, as well as Monday, October 8 for Columbus Day. The shows will be presented at the amphitheatre in NOCO Sea Lion Cove. Shows are free with regular Zoo admission.

The shows feature the Zoo’s two California Sea Lions, Dallas and Pocus.

Dallas and Pocus will also be featured during the October Zooper Saturday event on October 6. The event runs from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and will feature training demonstrations and other fun activities. All activities in Sea Lion Cove are presented by Noco Energy and the Zoo's Zooper Saturday programs are sponsored by Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC.

For more information about the Sea Lion shows, call (716) 837-3900 or visit www.buffalozoo.org

Buffalo Zoo Receives Award for Interactive Educational Programming

The Buffalo Zoo received a 2011-2012 CILC Pinnacle Award Honorable Mention from the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) for its distance learning programs.

The award is presented annually to organizations delivering outstanding interactive
videoconferencing programs for grades K-12. Recipients are chosen based on teacher
evaluations submitted through the CILC Web site.

The Buffalo Zoo’s distance learning programs, sponsored by Time Warner Cable, provide students in Western New York and across the country with an opportunity to explore science by seeing live interactive footage of exhibits, animals, and staff at the Zoo without leaving their classrooms. For more
information about these programs, call (716) 837-3900 ext 143 or visit
http://buffalozoo.org/distance_learning.html.

The Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) is a not-for-profit organization
specializing in the access to applications and the utilization of video conferencing for live
interactive content and professional development, as well as Web-based collaborative
learning environments for K-20 education. For more information about the CILC, visit
http://www.cilc.org/.