cat eyes
Buttonwood Park ZooLetter February 2008 
In This Issue
Woo at the Zoo
Shrink Your Footprint
Art Exhibit and Workshop
Cabin Fever Week
FrogWatch USA
Creature Feature
Eco-Tip
Webkinz Pet of the Month
Zoo Happenings
 
"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
 

Hours and Information
Buttonwood Park Zoo logo
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.
 
 
 
It's February and love is in the air at Buttonwood Park Zoo!  Celebrate with us by decorating a tasty heart shaped cookie, attending Woo at the Zoo, staying warm with your sweetheart after reading this month's eco-tip or making our very special Creature Feature your Valentine.

  

     

Woo at the Zoo

Register now!

 

Woo at the ZooSome dance, some sing and some compete to win affection.  Sound familiar?  The courtship rituals of the animal kingdom are surprisingly similar to ours.  For a new and unique Valentine's Day experience, romance your sweetheart with an enchanting evening at Woo at the Zoo.  Begin with a rose, gourmet hors d'oeuvres and cocktails while you learn about courtship in the animal kingdom.  Then, bundle up for a guided tour of selected animal exhibits.  For adults only.

 
All proceeds support the educational mission of the Buttonwood Park Zoological Society.

 

Thursday, February 14th

Choose from 5:30 - 7:30 or 7:00 - 9:00

Members: $85/couple

Non-members: $95/couple

 

Couples must register and pay in advance by calling (508) 991-4556 x 18 or e-mailing jkarow@bpzoo.org.  Spaces are limited.

 

 
Ready to Go Green?
 

Growing Green

 

Shrink Your Footprint Workshop

 Part One:

Growing Green

 

Saturday, February 16

10:00 to noon

Workshop is free but pre-registration is required by calling (508) 991-6178 x 22.

 

 
 
 
 

Join us for the first of a three part lecture series for adults on ways to go green and reduce your environmental impact.  This first session will focus on ways to manage your lawn and gardens in environmentally friendly ways.  Light refreshments will be served.  Pre-registration is required by calling (508) 991-6178 x 22. 

 

This series of workshops is sponsored by: Buttonwood Park Zoo, Dartmouth Natural Resource Trust, Lloyd Center for the Environment,  Massachusetts Audubon Society, Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance,  The Coalition for Buzzards Bay, and Westport River Watershed Alliance.

 

 
Jr. Duck Stamp Art Exhibit and Workshop

Best in Show

Selected artwork from the Junior Duck Stamp Contest is now on exhibit in the Wildlife Education Center until February 26th, 2008.  Stop by and take a gander at pieces of original artwork created by Massachusetts students grades K-12. 

 

Interested in entering the 2008 contest?  Call (508) 991-6178 x 22 to pre-register for a free workshop with artist Maura Conron on Saturday, February 16th from 1:00 to 2:30.  Space is limited so call early! 

 
Cabin Fever Week
 

Toe Jam Puppet BandBack by popular demand: Cabin Fever Week...with entertainers!  Join us every day of February Vacation Week (February 18th-22nd) at 11:00 am for a different children's entertainer followed by kid's craft time from noon until 2 pm.  All activities and entertainers are free with zoo admission, so become a zoo member and come every day!  See the home page of our website for a day-by-day schedule of entertainers.

 

 
Are You a Fan of Frogs? 
 

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is highlighting 2008 as the Year of the Frog to mark a major conservation effort to address the amphibian extinction crisis.  Get involved and explore the world of amphibians!

 

FrogWatch USAFrogWatch USA Trainings

Choose one:

Wednesday, February 27 7:00 PM

Saturday, March 1st 10:00 AM

 

Frogwatch USA is a national frog and toad monitoring program managed by the National Wildlife Federation in partnership with the US Geological Survey that gives YOU the opportunity to help scientists conserve amphibians!  Take part in one of our two trainings to discover what species of amphibians live in Massachusetts, learn how to identify frogs and toads by their calls and see the ways the information you collect can help scientists.

 

These trainings are free but please call (508) 991-6178 x 31 to register.

 

 

 

Party FrogYear of the Frog Leap Day Celebration 

Friday, February 29 10:00 to 1:00

Free with zoo admission

 

Join us on "leap day" for frog related activities!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creature Feature: American Oystercatcher

BennyIn a visit to the Aquatics Environment Center you are likely to encounter a loud, personable black and white shorebird in the Barrier Beach exhibit.  This charismatic bird is Benny, our American Oystercatcher ambassador.  His wild counterparts are found only along the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the Americas in areas with large sandy or shell beaches, tidal mudflats, rocky coast, and salt marsh.  They are easily identifiable by a long, thick, orange bill used to unearth and pry open oysters, clams, mussels, snails, Map of Rangecrabs, marine worms and other food items in the intertidal zone.  American Oystercatcher pairs are monogamous; after a courtship display of head bobbing, parallel flight and loud piping calls a nest is built of sand, pebbles and shells high above the reach of high tide and two to four perfectly camouflaged sandy-colored eggs are tended for 24-28 days.  Upon hatching, chicks are protected, fed and cared for by both parents for at least two months before they are independent. 

 

American Oystercatchers were once driven to near extinction along the Atlantic Coast by coastal development and egg collectors, but given complete protection populations have begun to recover and nesting birds are now found as far north as Massachusetts.  Coastal development and recreational use of shoreline habitats is still a threat and Oystercatchers are listed as a species of concern in several states.

 

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, Benny has requested a personal ad be placed in this month's ZooLetter:

 

Handsome SBWM, 5, ISO Visitors

 

Benny

 

I came to the Barrier Beach exhibit at Buttonwood Park Zoo from New York after my siblings and I were taken from our nest by a misguided citizen while our parents were finding food.  I spent so much time with people when I was just a young chick that I started to forget what my parents looked like.  Now I don't know whether I am a bird or a person and would rather spend time training with my zoo keepers or investigating children that visit me than with the two piping plovers and two semi-palmated plovers that share my home.  I enjoy long walks on the beach, morning, afternoon and evening meals of mussels, wax worms, and krill, serenading those that visit Benny playing with sandcastlesmy home and I just love it when my zoo keepers hide tasty treats in sand castles they build just for me!  Will you make me your Valentine?

Eco-Tip:  Stay Warm!

 

HomeYou've probably heard that lowering your thermostat two degrees can save 4% on your heating bill or that covering windows with a clear insulating film can significantly decrease draft.  Check out the tips below for a few additional ideas on lowering your heating bills AND shrinking your eco-footprint!

 

«  Check furnace filters monthly and replace as needed to keep heat flowing freely.  Better yet, use a reusable filter that can be washed and reused month to month.   When purchasing filters, keep in mind that pleated filters have more surface area to capture dust and dirt. 

 

«  Instead of keeping the water heater set at the usual 160 degrees, lower it to 120.  You'll still enjoy hot showers; the water will just start a bit less scalding than usual. 

 

«  Swaddle your water heater in a cozy insulation blanket to keep the heat from dissipating in a cold basement or closet. (Make sure it doesn't cover the top of the heater or the door that opens to the pilot light.)

 

«  If a hot-water pipe travels a long way through an unheated part of the house, such as a cellar or a garage wall, cover the first 5 to 10 feet of the pipe coming out of the heater with foam pipe insulation.

 

«  Minimize your use of ventilation fans such as bathroom fans and kitchen hood fans in winter. A bathroom fan can suck all the heated air out of the average house in little more than an hour!

 

«  The ceiling fan that cools you all summer can warm you in winter. Using it on the reverse setting (most fans have one), set on low, pushes warm air that has risen to the ceiling back to the ground.

 

«  Make sure your windows are locked to make them tighter and draft resistant.

 

«  Open the blinds and curtains on the sunny side of the house (the south-facing side) when the sun is shining and close them as soon as the sun goes down to retain the solar heat.  Use curtains made from heavy fabric with lots of folds to prevent cold air from seeping in and warm air from seeping out.

 

«  Move furniture away from any exterior walls. Putting some space between you and the cold walls makes the house seem warmer and leaving room for the air to move around actually makes it warmer.

 

 

More tips!

 
Webkinz Pet of the Month
 

Cow Webkinz

Meet the February Webkinz Pet of the Month, the cow, at The North Woods Gift Store.  Purchase the cow anytime during the month of February and get some super surprises at www.webkinz.com!!

 

 
 

 
February Zoo Happenings
 

Every Monday at 10:30 and 12:30

Toe Jam Puppet Band

Creative Arts Playgroup

Cost:    Zoo admission + $5.00/family

Sing, dance and play the hour away with New Bedford's favorite, the Toe Jam Puppet Band!

 

Now - February 26, 2008

Junior Duck Stamp Art Exhibit

Visit the education center to view the display of student art from the 2007 Junior Duck Stamp Contest. Find out how your K- 12 student can enter the contest for 2008. The exhibit is free with zoo admission.

 

Saturday Feb. 9 - Sunday, Feb. 17    11:00 - 3:00

Valentine's Day Cookie Decorating

Cost: Zoo admission + $2/cookie

Visit the Bear's Den Café for a sweet valentine treat.  Decorate your cookies with frosting and sprinkles for the ones you love.

 

Thursday, February 14   5:30-7:30pm and 7:00-9:00pm

Woo at the Zoo

Members: $85/couple

Non-members: $95/couple

Romance your sweetheart this Valentine's Day with an enchanting evening at the zoo.  Begin with a rose, gourmet hors d'oeuvres and cocktails as you learn about the courtship rituals of the animal kingdom and how they compare to ours.  Then, bundle up for a guided tour of selected animal exhibits.  Don't miss this unique Valentine's Day evening experience!  For adults only.  Couples must register and pay in advance by calling (508) 991-4556 x 18.

 

Saturday, February 16               10:00 - noon

Going Green Workshop(for adults)

Cost: Workshop is free with pre-registration

Join us for the first of a three part lecture series on ways to go green and reduce your environmental impact.  This first session will focus on ways to manage your lawn and gardens in environmentally friendly ways.  Light refreshments will be served.

 

 

Saturday, February 16               1:00 - 2:30

Junior Duck Stamp Art Workshop

Cost: Free, but pre-registration is required

Stop by and see the state winners of the 2007 Junior Duck Stamp program.  Interested in trying your hand at entering the 2008 contest?  Join artist Maura Conron for this workshop for students grades K-12.  Space is limited and you must pre-register at 508-991-6178 x 22.

 

February 18 - 22, Monday through Friday

Cabin Fever Week

Cost: Free with zoo admission

Join us every day for something new.  Each day at 11am will be a different children's entertainer, followed by kid's craft time from noon until 2pm.  Become a zoo member and come every day!

 

Friday, February 29                   10:00 - 1:00

Year of the Frog Celebration

Cost: Free with zoo admission

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is highlighting 2008 as the Year of the Frog to mark a major conservation effort to address the amphibian extinction crisis.  Join us on "leap day" for frog related activities.

 
Coming in March:

Tuesdays, March 11 - April 15    10:30 - Noon

Bear Cub Club

Members: $65/child; $30 for second child

Non-members: $95/child; $45 for second child

Run in conjunction with the I.H. Schwartz Center Early Intervention Program, this integrated playgroup is for 2 and 3-year olds and a parent.  Each day features a visit to an area of the zoo, animal stories and songs, craft projects and a healthy snack.  Registration is required by calling (508) 991-6178 x 30.

 

 
 
Contact Info
Buttonwood Park Zoological Society
(508) 991-4556