Thanks to three weekends of (mostly) cooperating weather and fantastic support from the community, Holiday Lights 2006 was a success. Thank you to everyone that attended for your support! All proceeds from the event will go to Buttonwood Park Zoo's educational programming.

There's "snow" place like Buttonwood Park Zoo in the winter. And if visiting our wonderful animals wasn't enough, we've created a number of exciting new experiences in Winter Wildness at Buttonwood Park Zoo.

Join us at 2:00 on Saturdays and Sundays in January and February for a 20-minute Close Encounter of the Keeper Kind and get the inside scoop on life at the zoo from those who know it best, our zookeepers. Have you ever wondered what our otters' favorite treats are, or how much weight a zookeeper needs to lift. And the big question-where does all the poop go? Come for one encounter, or attend them all!

Wednesdays and Fridays in January, February, and March will feature Stroller Strolls at 10:30 AM (weather permitting). Join other parents of toddlers for two quick laps around the zoo (1/2 a mile total) and finish off with a bit of conversation and complimentary hot chocolate or coffee in the cafe.

This winter also brings a Junior Duck Stamp Workshop, an evening showing of "An Inconvenient Truth", Groundhog Day celebrations, Zooper Bowl Sunday festivities, Valentine's Day Cookie Decorating, Cabin Fever Week, and of course, the return of the Toe Jam Puppet Band.

We are proud to announce that Buttonwood Park Zoo educator Jason Theuman has been awarded honorable mention in the 2006 Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Photography Contest for this picture of our black rat snake consuming an egg. The photo was featured in the AZA's national magazine, Connect.

Do you fancy yourself a photographer? Ever taken the perfect picture of one of Buttonwood Park Zoo's animal residents? Now's your chance to share those photographs with other animal lovers. The New Bedford chapter of the American Association of Zookeepers is sponsoring a photography contest at Buttonwood Park Zoo. The winning photos will be exhibited at the zoo and featured in a zoo calendar. Sales of the calendar will support conservation projects and the care of the animals at the zoo. Contact the zoo for more information and contest rules, or visit the zoo's website.

Girl and Boy Scouts can now experience one of the "finest small zoos in the United States” in a new light...flashlight!

Buttonwood Park Zoo announces two new after-hours experiences for Girl and Boy Scouts and other pre-formed groups of 20-40 individuals. Critter Camp-Ins allow participants to wake up in a zoo, and Twilight Tours end at 10:00 PM. Every Flashlight Adventure will be unique, but each will include meals, an evening hike through the zoo, and an exciting and interactive learning experience. Flashlight Adventures programming is even designed to meet select Girl and Boy Scout recognition requirements!

For more information, please call Jen at (508) 991-4556 ext. 11 or send an e-mail to jkarow@bpzoo.org

White-Tailed Deer might seem like one of the more ordinary animals at Buttonwood Park Zoo, but these four-legged hoofed animals are unique in their very own special ways.

White-Tailed Deer can be found throughout much of North America. In spring and summer, they have a reddish-orange coat of hollow hairs that change to grayish brown and grow longer and thicker in winter. The hollow hairs trap air and work much like a down-filled jacket or blanket in keeping the deer warm. Oversize ears rotate like radar to enhance sounds, and the nose of a White-Tailed Deer is 100 times more sensitive than ours. They are plant eaters with a four-chambered stomach that helps digestion of tough plants and twigs. A male deer is called a buck, a female a doe, and the young are fawns. Each year, males grow a new set of antlers made of bone that are at full growth in the fall and shed in the winter. These shed antlers are an important source of minerals for many forest creatures such as mice, rabbits, and porcupines. White-Tails communicate in many ways including sounds, stomping of hooves, scent marking, and raising their tails as a white flag in alarm. When startled they can run at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour!

Believe it or not, in the early 1900’s White- Tailed Deer were over hunted and the species threatened. With conservation efforts and the decline of natural predators such as wolves and mountain lions, White-Tailed Deer are now the most abundant large game species in North America.

We have three White-Tailed Deer at Buttonwood Park Zoo, Nina, Gus, and Denali. Nina is an adult female, and Gus and Denali are both young male fawns born in June of this year. Nina is currently the largest, Gus is the smallest, and Denali has white “socks”. All three came to us from New England Wildlife Center.

Remember those HeadStart turtle hatchlings mentioned in December's ZooLetter? They're growing like weeds! Stop by the aquatics building for a new picture comparing their growth every month.

This picture shows the hatchlings' size when they first arrived in November. How much do you think they've grown?

Have you heard the buzz about Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth"? Join us for a free showing in the Wildlife Education Center on January 18th at 7:00 PM. See it for the first time or refresh your memory and discuss your thoughts on the issues with other viewers.

Refreshments will be served, so please RSVP at (508) 991-6178 x 30.

After a December break due to Holiday Lights, the Toe Jam Puppet Band will return to normally scheduled Monday performances on January 8th. Don't miss the first show of the year!