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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world: indeed it's the only thing that ever has!"
Margaret Meade
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Hours and Information
Buttonwood Park Zoo is open every day (except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day) from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (gates close at 4:30 pm).
Admission Fees:
Adult: $6
Senior: $4.50
Teen: $4.50
Child 3-12 yrs: $3.00
Child under 3: Free
Group rates are available for groups of 10 or more with advance registration. Call (508) 991-6178 for more information.
Free parking.
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April Greetings from Buttonwood Park Zoo!
Spring has officially sprung! This month the zoo celebrates spring with two big bundles of joy, a party for the planet, a week of fun and crafts, suggestions on easy ways you and your family can be more earth and wildlife friendly, and much much more.
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Friday the 13th
Both Friday and the number thirteen have ominous reputations dating from ancient times, and the concurrence of the two on Friday the 13th one to three times a year literally paralyzes some with fear. In fact, 21 million Americans, or 8% of the population, have been diagnosed with Paraskevidekatriaphobia; the morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th.
If you are one of the remaining 92% of the population still functional, visit the zoo on Friday, April 13th for fun with numbers. Pick up an activity sheet at the front desk, and show your completed sheet at the front desk for a small prize!
Friday the 13th
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Spring Fling Week 
April 16-20
Looking for a way to keep the kids busy during April Vacation Week? Look no further than the zoo where activities and crafts are planned for every day of the week, Monday through Friday. The theme will be a celebration of the earth, starting with a conservation activity at 11:00 and kid's craft time from noon to 2:00 each day. Activities and crafts will change daily, so become a zoo member and come every day!
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On April 22, 1970, 20 million people across America celebrated the first Earth Day in a nationwide demonstration of concern for the environment. Groundbreaking federal legislation followed the success of the first Earth Day; the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970, followed by the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act of 1972, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
What can you do to make sure Earth Day 2007 is just as meaningful as the first Earth Day? Join Buttonwood Park Zoo on Sunday, April 22 from 1:00 to 4:00 as we join zoos and aquariums across the country in a celebration of Earth Day with a Party for the Planet! As with any good party, there will be fun, music, and even cake! Family fun and activities will teach you and your little ones that being wildlife friendly can be both easy and fun, while music by the Toe Jam Puppet Band will keep your toes tapping and cake will keep your taste buds happy!
All activities, cake, and even this special Toe Jam Puppet Band performance are free with zoo admission.
Sponsored by:
 
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Attention All Shutter Bugs!
As you enjoy the spring weather at Buttonwood Park Zoo, don't forget to bring your camera! The New Bedford Chapter of the Association of American Zookeepers is still accepting photo submissions for the 2007 photo contest. See the zoo's website for guidelines for submission, or view the pdf here.
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Toe Jam Puppet Band April Sunday Show
Sunday, April 15, 2007
1:00 and 2:30
Zoo admission + $5/family
If you missed the Sunday performance in March, have no fear for The Toe Jam Puppet Band has announced their next Sunday performance at Buttonwood Park Zoo! In addition to their regularly scheduled Monday performances at 10:30 and 12:30 at the zoo this April, the Toe Jam Puppet Band will be playing Sunday, April 15th at 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm. Come sing, dance, and play the hour away in this favorite creative arts playgroup!
The cost for Toe Jam Puppet Band performances at Buttonwood Park Zoo is zoo admission + $5/family.
The Toe Jam Puppet Band at the zoo
The Toe Jam Puppet Band Official Website
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Animal Spotlight: Randall Lineback
At the end of March, Buttonwood Park Zoo excitedly announced the births of two male Randall Lineback calves. The first big bundle of joy was born on the evening of Tuesday, March 6th, and the second was born before sunrise on Sunday, March 18th. Both calves were pronounced healthy by zoo veterinary staff and are strong, playful, and nursing voraciously from two very patient mothers. They can currently be seen in the barn or sharing a pasture with their mothers and the zoo's resident American Milking Devon Oxen at Buttonwood Farm.
 The Randall Lineback is a rare breed of cattle that originated right here in New England. They are the last surviving breed of the once numerous "all purpose" lineback cattle that provided early New Englanders with milk, meat, and assistance with heavy agricultural work. They are named in part for the Randall family of Vermont responsible for their preservation, and for the broad white stripe that runs across the top of the animal's spine. Randall Lineback Cattle are listed as "critically endangered" by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. In breeds listed as critical by the ALBC, fewer than 200 animals are registered each year in the United States, and the global population is estimated to be less than 2,000, making the birth of these two male calves significant to the preservation of the Randall Lineback line.
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| April Eco-Tip: Creating Wildlife-Friendly Families
At the zoo, we're often asked how families can contribute to wildlife conservation efforts. For starters, you can attend programming at the zoo. As noted above from April 16 - 20, during Spring Fling Week at the zoo, we will have programming all week that will show you how to make your home and garden more wildlife-friendly. Don't miss our Party for the Planet on Earth Day, Sunday, April 22.
In addition to joining us at the zoo, you can also help wildlife by considering how you spend your household dollars. Two organizations are working to assist you in making wildlife-friendly decisions when you purchase food and household goods.
 Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program has recently issued regional wallet cards of recommended seafood choices. Similar to the "buy local" campaign in agriculture, the cards encourage the purchase of locally caught seafood from sustainable fisheries. For a northeast Seafood Watch card, visit
www.seafoodwatch.org or stop by the zoo.
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has created a website to inform the public about palm oil. Not commonly known in this country, palm oil is used in food, cleaning agents, cosmetics and as a biofuel. Palm oil has recently become popular in foods as an alternative to oils that contain trans-fats. As a fuel, it is much cleaner burning than petroleum products. The recent surge in interest in palm oil has created a situation where forested areas of Borneo and Sumatra are being clear cut or burned to create palm oil plantations. Destruction of the rainforest impacts populations of many different kinds of plants and animals, including orangutans. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo suggest that you don't boycott all palm oil products, but choose products that use palm oil from sustainable sources. For more information, including a wallet card that lists sustainable palm oil products, visit www.cmzoo.org/palmoil.html
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Arbor Day April 27, 2007
Arbor Day is celebrated to encourage the planting and care of trees, and was originated in
Nebraska before spreading nation and world wide. Pioneer J. Sterling Morton moved to Nebraska from Detroit in 1854 and was dismayed by the lack of trees in his new home of plains and prairies. Then, as they are now, trees were needed as windbreaks to keep soil in place, for fuel and building materials, for animal homes, to improve air quality, and for shade from the hot sun. After building support and enthusiasm for trees through his work in the community and as a journalist, Morton proposed a tree planting holiday in 1872, the first Arbor Day. Prizes were offered to counties and individuals for planting properly the largest number of trees on that day, and it was estimated that more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on that one day.
The tradition of Arbor Day spread quickly, and by 1894 the holiday was observed in all 50 states. Many states and countries today observe Arbor Day on different dates according to their best tree-planting times, but National Arbor Day in the United States is widely accepted to be the last Friday in April. Both Massachusetts and Rhode Island observe Arbor Day on this day, which falls on Friday, April 27th this year.
Arbor Day weekend is a wonderful opportunity for you and yours to enjoy and appreciate trees. A few ideas:
« Pack a picnic lunch and take a hike through nearby woods to see how many different types of trees you can find.
« Make it a family tradition to plant a tree every year on Arbor Day, and watch how the trees, and your family, grow through the years.
« Read a book about trees. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is a classic favorite, but the children's librarian at your local library can recommend many more.
Arbor Day in Massachusetts
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