BuffaLoveFest at the Buffalo Zoo

 
Celebrate everything Buffalo at the inaugural BuffaLoveFest at the Buffalo Zoo! Sample the goods from local food trucks and breweries, and check out some local artisans and bands! BuffaLoveFest will introduce the BuffaLoveBirds, a band featuring some of Buffalo’s all-star musicians, coming together for one exclusive performance. The event will showcase all that Buffalo and Buffalonians have to offer! Tickets are $20 pre-sale and $30 at the door. Admission to the event includes 2 drinks. The first 500 people to purchase tickets will receive a commemorative poster. BuffaLoveFest is a 21+ event. 

BANDS 
Introducing for the first time, The BuffaLoveBirds All Star Band (featuring Lance Diamond, Caitlin Koch, Eric Crittenden, Vinnie DeRosa, Mike Wagner, & Rob Lynch) 
Andrew J. Reimers 
Jony James Band The Albrights 
The Steam Donkeys 

FEATURING 
Buffalo Trivia
Craft Brew Tastings Zoo
Animal Ambassadors
More to Come! 

FOOD TRUCKS 
Black Market Food Truck 
Let’s Be Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs 
Lloyd Taco Truck 
Roaming Buffalo 
Rolling Joe’s Café 
R&R Barbeque 
The Sweet Hearth 

BEER 
Buffalo Bills Brewery – Dundee – Labatt Blue – Labatt Blue Light – Labatt Blue Light Lime – Labatt 52 – Magic Hat – Pyramid – Shandy 

ARTISAN VENDORS Albright Knox Art Gallery – Born in Buffalo – Buffalo Art – Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra – Buffalo Games – Buffalo History Buff – Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village – Burchfield Penny Art Center – C Designs & Illustrations – CC Designs – City Dining Cards – Community Beer Works – Curiouser Teacups – EmbroidMe – Erin’s Apples – FC Buffalo – Flying Bison Brewing Co. – Gizmo’s Creations – Hotroxs Buffalo Bistro – My Buffalo Shirt – Ooo la la Fashion Truck – Oh Pour L-Amour du Chocolat – Park Edge Sweet Shoppe – Pasteurized Tees – Retro Buffalo – Sweet Jenny’s – The Buffalo History Museum – The Buffalo Zoo’s Animal Department – Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site – WNY Book Arts Center More to come! 

SPONSORED BY Mutual of Omaha, Western New York Division

Tickets Available for Polar Bites 2013

Tickets are now available for Polar Bites 2013, a fundraising event benefiting the Buffalo Zoo.

The wintertime favorite event, presented by the Pro Zoo Board, will take place on Thursday, February 21, 2013 from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. Polar Bites will feature food and beverages from some of Western New York’s finest  establishments, as well as a basket auction, silent auction, and visits with some of the Zoo’s
animals.

The tickets cost $35 in advance and $45 at the door. A limited number of VIP tickets are also
available for $60. VIP ticket holders will receive early admission and gift bags. To purchase
tickets, please call (716) 995-6131 or order online at buffalozoo.org.

Vendors at the 2013 Polar Bites Event will include:







Polar Bites 2013 is sponsored by Phillips Lytle, LLC, Creditors Interchange, 2Find Your Home,
and M&T Bank, with promotional support from Fox 29, MyTV, 97 Rock, Classic Hits 104.1,
Buffalo Spree Magazine, Yelp.com, and Buffalo.com.

New Arrivals at the Buffalo Zoo.

The Buffalo Zoo is pleased to welcome new animals to their collection. 

Among the new arrivals are a rhinoceros, a giraffe, and seven leaf frogs.

A male giraffe named Moke arrived in Buffalo in September from the Dickerson Park Zoo in
Springfield, MO. The year-old Rothschild giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschild) was
brought to Buffalo to breed with the Zoo’s two female reticulated giraffes.

George, a male Asian one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is another new Buffalo
resident. Owned by the National Zoo in Washington D.C, he came to Buffalo via the Bronx
Zoo as part of a cooperative breeding program. The three-thousand-pound rhino will not
reach sexual maturity for at least another two years, when he will be introduced to the
Zoo’s female rhino, Tashi. He is expected to reach between five and six-thousand pounds.
The Zoo recently completed updates to the existing rhino barn and yard to accommodate
the rhino bull.

Zookeepers are also excited to add seven Solomon Islands leaf frogs (Ceratobatrachus
guentheri) to the Zoo’s collection. What makes these frogs special is that they hatch as
froglets, skipping the tadpole stage entirely. The leaf frogs will be on exhibit in the Zoo’s
reptile house after their quarantine period. The frogs came to Buffalo from the Dallas Zoo.

Visit the Buffalo Zoo and meet the new residents! The Zoo recommends calling before you
visit to find out when the animals will be on exhibit. For information about the Zoo’s hours
of operation, please call (716) 837-3900, or visit buffalozoo.org.

Itty Bitty Animal Yoga at the Buffalo Zoo

Let's move with the animals! During this eight-week session, we will be joined by special guest, Bekah Starr, a yoga instructor with Sproutin' Yoga, to let your children's imaginations and bodies run wild! Through interactive games, animal encounters, animated postures and basic yoga principles, we will enjoy a unique opportunity to foster creativity, focus and movement while learning more about animals at the Buffalo Zoo.

Dates: September 20, 27, October 4, 11, 18, 25, November 1, 8

Times: 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. for children ages 6-12 months
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. for children ages 13-23 months

Price: $80.00 per adult/child pair. Discounts will be given for a second child in the same age group.

click here to download the ITTY BITTY ANIMAL YOGA REGISTRATION FORM
Pre-paid registration is required, and all participants are required to pay the workshop fee. For more information call us at (716) 995-6128

The Buffalo Zoo and Erie 1 BOCES Partner to Offer Unique ZooTech School Programs

ZooTech, school programs co-developed by the Buffalo Zoo and Erie 1 BOCES, are now available to all school districts in the Erie 1 BOCES region.

Officially launched in November 2011, the ZooTech programs are designed to incorporate technology with the Zoo’s everyday “living laboratory” of animal residents. Lessons taught under the ZooTech programs are designed for students of all ages and cover a wide variety of subjects. The ZooTech programs have fully been developed as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs that fulfill education standards in a fun and unique way.

"As part of the program, we will help teachers translate their examples into lessons that will align with NYS Common Core Learning Standards," said Julianna Sciolino, manager of professional development at Erie 1 BOCES. "After instituting their lessons in the classroom, the students will attend class at the Buffalo Zoo to interact with the concepts they have been learning. Finally, the students will utilize technology to create and publish examples of their new knowledge." 

“This is certainly not your traditional fieldtrip,” said Tiffany Vanderwerf, the Buffalo Zoo’s Curator of Education. “By being surrounded by some of the world’s most amazing animal species, the ZooTech programs allow a variety of subjects to be more deeply explored by using advanced technology. Aside from the STEM-related curriculum connections, a social studies teacher can deepen their students’ understanding of world hemispheres and an art teacher can discuss exhibit design.”

On Friday, May 18, 2012, a Sweet Home Senior High School 9^th grade class, under the direction of chemistry teacher, John Elliot, will participate in a ZooTech program that features the theme “Evolution: Beyond Darwin’s Voyage.” Students will be immersed in an interactive exploration of evolution. By challenging students to act as though they have discovered a new island (“Zoo Island”, this program allows them to experience the breakthrough that Charles Darwin made more than 180 years ago.

As part of the lesson plan, the program implements technology with use of evolution simulations and flip cameras. Students will gain an understanding of common ancestry and create a wildlife documentary that features video they take of the Zoo’s animal residents.

"It is our hope that the Buffalo Zoo trip will be beneficial to students by giving them a chance to use technology (internet research, video shooting/editing) to create a visual examination of evolutionary relationships among live animal specimens,” said John Elliot, chemistry teacher at Sweet Home Senior High School. “This will create an authentic learning experience that will ideally anchor their understanding of evolution and allow them to draw conclusions from events and items they encounter in their day to day lives. They will then share these videos with the rest of the class, allowing them to become educators."

While the students create their documentaries at the Buffalo Zoo, Erie 1 BOCES professional development coordinator, James Dailey, will provide the students with multimedia assistance. On May 22, an Erie 1 BOCES representative will also offer in-class assistance with the importing of the students’ captured video into iMovie.

For more information about the ZooTech programs, please call the Buffalo Zoo at (716) 995-6128 or visit www.buffalozoo.org.

About the Buffalo Zoo

Founded in 1875, the Buffalo Zoo is the third oldest zoo in the United States. Each year, the Buffalo Zoo welcomes more than 400,000 visitors and is the most visited cultural attraction in Western New York.  Located on 23.5 acres of Olmsted's beautiful Delaware Park, the Buffalo Zoo houses approximately 1,200 endangered and domestic animals and offers visitors a variety of events and educational programs year-round. The Buffalo Zoo’s philosophy is to exhibit animals and plants in naturalistic settings that represent their native habitats. The Zoo is dedicated to providing visitors with a better understanding of nature, including how animals relate to each other, their environment and to humankind. For more information about the Buffalo Zoo, including the Zoo’s “Bundle Up For Polar Bears” initiative, which is taking place through March 16, visit www.buffalozoo.org.

                               

About Erie 1 BOCES

Statewide, school districts partner with BOCES in an effort to provide accountability, municipal sharing, efficiency and educational equity. Erie 1 BOCES, one of 37 BOCES in New York State, is a cooperative of 19 school districts surrounding the city of Buffalo. To assist school districts, the organization provides a variety of educational services including professional development. Erie 1 BOCES' coordinators engage teachers in high quality professional development through classroom practices that integrate the NYS learning standards, assessments and technology to support higher student a­chievement. The service area supports: instructional technology, curriculum, assessments, instruction, and NY state education department updates. Learn more at www.e1b.org.

About Sweet Home Central High School

Sweet Home Senior High School is part of the Sweet Home Central School District of Amherst and Tonawanda. It is the mission of the school district to empower all students to be cooperative, self-directed and lifelong learners, prepared to responsibly meet the challenges of the future. For more information, please visit www.sweethomeschools.com.

The Life of Hellbenders at the Buffalo Zoo

See inside the Hellbender lab at the Buffalo Zoo. This video shows off the work being done there to raise and release eastern hellbenders, to ultimately increase the wild population.

Online AVON Program to Benefit the Buffalo Zoo

Buffalo, NY– Purchase your favorite AVON products and support the wildlife at the Buffalo Zoo at the same time! From now until June 16, 2012, AVON Representative, Patty Riley, will donate 30% of your online purchase to the Buffalo Zoo.

In order to participate, simply visit www.youravon.com/priley. Click on “Online Events,” where you can shop for fabulous beauty products, fragrances, apparel, jewelry, home items and more! In addition to supporting the Buffalo Zoo by making a purchase, you will also receive FREE shipping on all orders of $30 or more. When checking out, please be sure to use the special code BUFZOO101.

This online event is open to all, so please feel free to share this offer with your family and friends!

The Buffalo Zoo extends a special thank you to AVON representative, Patty Riley, for her generosity…and all of you for taking advantage of this great offer!

Zooper Saturday Event Featuring the River Otters and Big Cats, Saturday, March 3, 2012

Buffalo, NY – Come see the Buffalo Zoo’s river otters and fine felines in action!

Enjoy enrichment for the animals and keeper talks about these species. The event runs from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., and activities (with the exception of raffles) are free with Zoo admission. River otters will be featured from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., and the cats will be featured from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

For more information, please call the Events Coordinator at (716) 995-6133 or visit www.buffalozoo.org.

The event schedule is as follows:

11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Face Painters (Face painting will take place inside the EcoStation exhibit.)

11:00 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. Raffles ($1 per ticket or $2 for three tickets)

Photo raffle (river otter): Front gate

Raffle items (big cats): EcoStation

You do not have to be present to win.

River Otters:

11:15 a.m.                    Keeper question and answer session

11:30 a.m.                    Fish feed

12:00 p.m.                    Feeder toy enrichment for the otters

12:30 p.m.                    Raffle winners announced

12:45 p.m.                    Ice treat enrichment for the otters

Big Cats

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.   Help keepers make enrichment for the cats

1:00 p.m.                      Lion enrichment

1:30 p.m.                      Tiger Enrichment

2:00 p.m.                      Serval demonstration

2:30 p.m.                      Snow leopard enrichment

2:45 p.m.                      Raffle winners announced

3:00 p.m.                      Visitor-made enrichment given to lions/tigers

                                                           

This event is part of the Zoo’s new “Zooper Saturdays.” On the first Saturday of every month, different areas of the Zoo will be highlighted for visitors to enjoy. Join us for activities, including animal enrichments, health fairs, raffles and more each month! These events will combine some of your old favorites and even spice them up with new offerings, too, so be sure you don’t miss out! The next Zooper Saturday event will be held on Saturday, April 7 (our Ape-ril event) and will feature the Buffalo Zoo’s Western lowland gorilla troop.

Buffalo Zoo—Revised Hours

Buffalo, NY – Please note the Buffalo Zoo will once again be open seven days a week beginning Thursday, March 1, 2012. Visitors can enjoy the Zoo from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. The grounds remain open for one hour after gates close. 

The Buffalo Zoo’s parking fee has also resumed. The fee is $3.50 for cars (with a portion of the proceeds going toward conservation projects) and $6.00 for buses.

For more information, please call (716) 837-3900

Buffalo Zoo Says Goodbye to Beloved Kodiak Bear, “Toby”

Buffalo, NY -- The Buffalo Zoo is sad to report that Toby, a 22-year-old Kodiak bear, was euthanized on Sunday morning.

Toby was being treated with anti-inflammatory medications for age-related degenerative joint disease characterized by progressive osteoarthritis. Last year, he was taken off the multi-level terrain of his public exhibit and moved to an off exhibit area to keep him more comfortable on an even surface with a pool to provide relief for his joints. As his condition worsened, the difficult decision to euthanize him was made.

The largest subspecies of brown bear, the Kodiak bear is found on islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in southwestern Alaska. Currently, the Kodiak bear population is stable. However, with increasing human populations brown bear habitats are often adversely affected in many areas. (Grizzly bears, for example--another subspecies of the brown bear family--are listed as a threatened species in the United States.)

Estimated to have been born in 1990, Toby was placed at the Olympic Game Farm in Washington State. He was later transferred to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in Montana in August 1993 where he was housed with Fred, a grizzly bear.

Toby and Fred both came to the Buffalo Zoo in 2002 so that the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center would have room to house four “nuisance” bears including a mother and cubs. Brown bears that reside at accredited zoos are considered to be a rescue population. If they breed in captivity, this prevents orphaned or nuisance brown bears from being rescued in the wild since there would be no space for them in zoos.

While bears are typically solitary in nature, Toby and Fred had become used to being around one another. At the Buffalo Zoo, Toby and Fred resided in the same exhibit and delighted visitors, who loved watching them play together in their pool. Fred was euthanized in 2010 after age-related neurological changes resulted in paralysis.

Although not part of the Buffalo Zoo’s long-term collection plan, the Kodiak and grizzly bears helped educate the public about their species by serving as conservation ambassadors. The Buffalo Zoo also exhibits polar bears and Andean (spectacled) bears.

When the Zoo’s master plan was revised in 2004, the Zoo made the decision not to acquire any younger bears until a new state-of-the art polar bear facility, currently in design, is completed. The only exception made to this decision was allowing three young grizzly bears to temporarily reside at the Zoo while Utah’s Hogle Zoo completes its new bear exhibit. The young bears will be transferred to the Hogle Zoo in Spring 2012.

The Buffalo Zoo’s remaining bears are all at the end of their lifespan (generally 20-25 years) with the exception of Anana, the Zoo’s 11-year-old female polar bear, who will be the centerpiece of the new exhibit. Anana’s mate, Nanuq, who is 24 years old, was acquired on breeding loan from Madison, Wisconsin in 2009.

Four Andean (also called spectacled) bears also reside at the Buffalo Zoo: Mischief, age 16; Bernard, age 21; Fernando, age 25; and Diana, age 33. Diana ranks as the oldest of her species in a North American zoo and has developed some age-associated changes, including arthritis and some hair loss.

“While the majority of our bears are certainly showing signs of age-related issues, the Buffalo Zoo remains committed to providing high quality care for them for the duration of their lives,” said Dr. Donna M. Fernandes, President/CEO of the Buffalo Zoo. “All of our bears are beloved by our staff and visitors. Toby, especially, will always have a special place in our hearts and will be greatly missed.”