What's New? Blue-gray Tanager relocating to Washington
Eureka Payments has recently created the Community Affinity Program of which the Zoo Foundation, as a nonprofit, is a beneficiary. The credit card processing company will contribute 15% of profits from each new account to a designated organization—the Zoo! “We are excited to be a part of the Humboldt County community and the launch of our Affinity Program is one way we plan to give back to area nonprofits,” commented Steve Kimberling, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. After a cost-benefit analysis, the Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation switched our credit card processing to Eureka Payments because they saved us money—about 30%—in processing fees. Give them a call and get a cost analysis of your transactions—they could save you money and you could support he Zoo at the same time. For more information, contact Steve Kimberling, (707) 476-0571. Or, contact Melinda Booth for a customer testimonial!
The Robert L. Richards Memorial Fund held at the Humboldt Area Foundation recently granted the Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation the funds to purchase a new livestock scale for the Zoo. Collecting regular animal weights is an important part of monitoring the health of our animals, and the new scale will allow the staff to get weekly weights on all the animals in the Barnyard. Members of our Youth Assistant Keeper (Y.A.K.) program will also have the opportunity to assist keepers with the use of the scale as part of their volunteer duties. Thanks to the Robert L. Richards Memorial Fund for their generosity in helping maintain the quality care of animals at Sequoia Park Zoo.
Construction is well underway on the Zoo's new Flamingo, Cavy & Screamer exhibit. In order for renovations to progress, our Chilean flamingos and Crested Screamers have been moved off exhibit and can be found for the time being flocking and squawking behind our Animal Care Center until their new home is ready. When completed, the exhibit will allow for a larger and more dynamic space for our Patagonian cavies and screamers and provide the flamingos with a pond built specifically for their needs. In addition, visitors will be given fantastic views of the exhibit as they cross over a new footbridge on their way to the Aviary. If you haven't stopped by the Zoo recently, come on down and watch the Zoo as it improves for both animals and visitors.
Join Cal Courts and Sequoia Park Zoo for a fun and family-friendly workout Saturday October 16 at 3pm on them main Zoo lawn. This is a Latin inspired fitness-dance program that combines music and movement to create an exciting, dynamic, and effective fitness program. Zumba is exercise in disguise, anyone can do it. "Ditch the workout and join the party!" A special guest will be present learning to Zumba, too! Hoot, the owl will be there to shake his tail feathers! Participants receive a free guest pass to Cal Courts Fitness Center. This activity is free with regular zoo admission.
Wear a costume and receive a prize, then enjoy a day of games, crafts, and treats. Watch our creatures enjoy special jack-o-lantern enrichment treats and explore the creepy crawlie world through animal demonstrations. Event included with general Zoo admission, members get in free. Interested in volunteering? Email or call Kate at 442 - 5649.
We are very excited to announce the return of our Black Bear Tea, to be held on October 9 from 2 - 4 pm! Join us for a special English afternoon tea, hosted by Soroptimist International of Eureka, in support of the Sequoia Park Zoo. Tickets are $25 each or 2 for $40, and can be purchased by calling the Foundation office at 442 - 5649 or at the Zoo Gift Shop.
A flamingo chick hatched at the Sequoia Park Zoo on August 14! The newest member of the Sequoia Park Zoo can be seen waddling around the flamingo enclosure when it is not tucked safely away beneath a watchful parent atop a nest made of mud. The egg incubation process was complicated, involving an absentee biological father, a period of incubation by zoo keepers, and two adoptive flamingo parents. For the full story, email our Zoo Manager.
Shop at BORDERS, online or in stores, on August 28 & 29 using the below coupon and a percentage of your net sales will benefit Sequoia Park Zoo. It's back to school time, too, so now is a great time to stock up and support a good cause at the same time. Thanks, BORDERS!
Please join us for the fourth annual Zootini, the Sequoia Park Zoo's high-style fundraiser, from 5:30 - 9 pm. This year's proceeds will benefit the Zoo's Education Department. The evening's fare includes delectables by Brett Shuler Fine Catering and the popular Monkey Bar by Six Rivers Brewery featuring "Zoo-tins", Gemstone Treasure Drinks by Graystone Jewelers, and wine by Bode Cellars. Enjoy live jazz by Magnolia and participate in activities such as the Lucky You! Wine Pull, silent and live auctions, and up close and personal animal encounters. Click here for a full description of this exciting event, including prices, activities, and menu. We hope to see you there!
Come to the zoo for the latest performance in our Summer Concert series! Enjoy live music, food, beer, wine and kids activities. Concert free with general zoo admission, and members receive a $1 discount. Modern Day Moonshine is a trio who draw their sound from the "soul, blues and rock of the late sixties and early seventies." To learn more about this band and listen to a sample of their music, click here.
North Coast Adventure Centers' portable rock wall will be open for business at Sequoia Park Zoo from July 9-August 6, four days a week from 11am-3pm. Click here for the schedule and more information.
Congratulations to Ella & Asher, winners of our Flat Red Panda Tour Guide contest. Ella & Asher helped introduce the Red panda to Humboldt County by taking their Flat Red Panda on a fishing expedition in Humboldt Bay. Zoo visitors voted Ella & Asher's photo as their favorite out of all of our submissions. Our lucky winners will receive a free birthday party at the Zoo! Thanks to all who participated.
City Council Presentation Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation Board members and staff presented to the Eureka City Council on Tuesday evening June 1. Due to the financial crisis the City of Eureka finds itself in and the upcoming difficult budget talks, the Foundation wanted the Council to know they have their full support for the Zoo. The presentation reminded Council what the Foundation’s mission is, how they accomplish that mission, to what extent they have supported capital improvements to the Zoo in the past few years and where the funds to do so have come from. The Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation generously pledged $50,000 in general operating costs to the Zoo for FY 2010-2011, in addition to the $100,000+ capital improvements planned for 2010 and continuing to offer guest services, marketing and other administrative duties. View the presentation for more details.
Summer Concerts at the Zoo We're excited to announce a new addition to our summer events calendar: outdoor concerts at the Zoo! Enjoy live music, food, beverages and kids' activities with the redwood forest as a magnificent backdrop. The series kicks off on June 26th with a concert by Moogot 2, so bring your picnic blankets and join us for a relaxing summer treat. All concerts are from 5pm to 7pm and are free with Zoo admission. Brought to you by All Hits 95.5 & Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation. Mark your calendars! Concert Dates:
Help celebrate the upcoming arrival of our Red pandas! You may be familiar with the children’s book, Flat Stanley, by Jeff Brown, which features a completely flat boy who finds one of the advantages of being flat is that he can visit new places by traveling in an envelope. We invite your family to become Red panda tour guides (Flat Stanley-style!) and introduce him to your favorite things in Humboldt County. Dowload and print your own Red panda, color him in, cut him out, and he’s ready to explore!
Sequoia Park Zoo is delighted to announce that its new Guest Speaker Program, designed to illustrate different aspects of today’s zoos, will kick off on Sunday April 25th with an inspirational story for today’s youth. Kai Neander, now 16 years old and a junior at the Academy of the Redwoods, has a long history with Sequoia Park Zoo. He will be presenting a talk and slideshow about his experience, Eureka to Qatar: Sequoia Park Zoo Sparks Life-Changing Opportunity for Area Youth, with particular emphasis on his visit to Qatar, in the Sequoia Park Zoo classroom on Sunday April 25th at 2pm. The presentation should last about an hour, with plenty of time for questions at the end. Admission to the presentation is free to anyone wishing to attend; signs will direct attendees to a separate Zoo entrance. Learn more information here.
Visit soon to see our beautiful Western bluebird. Injured by a cat in the wild, he was brought to the Zoo by a wildlife rehabilitation group in the Sacramento area with the hopes of adding him to our aviary. After several months of physical therapy in a large flight cage on Zoo grounds, it was determined that the range of motion in his injured wing was too restricted to allow flight. Zoo staff decided it was unsafe for an unflighted bird to be housed in the large aviary, and after much deliberation, felt he and Winky the Northern spotted owl would make good housemates. She is very docile and still during the day, and the bluebird’s cage doesn’t take up any of her usable space. Plus, now he is safe, viewable, and has just the right size enclosure for his mobility. He vocalizes all the time now, and seems to be settling in quite comfortably.
Foundation Membership Reaches 1,000! The Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation’s membership has reached the magic 1,000! (In fact, we surpassed it thanks to all you new supporters!) The honor goes to Bill and Sue Scott of Eureka. In celebration of their win, Bill and Sue will get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Zoo, complimentary lunch at the Zoo Café, and a free Adopt-an-Animal Super Zooper-level sponsorship package (total value $145). Of course, Bill and Sue will also get the standard membership benefits. “We both think the Zoo is extremely important to the community and want to support it any way we can. We didn’t expect to be the 1,000th member; we just wanted to support the Zoo. But, it is a nice treat,” said Sue Scott when notified about their big win.
The Secrets of the Forest indoor exhibit hall now sports another interactive feature: a Track, Feel, & See Discovery Cart where visitors can use their sense of touch to identify native animals by feeling their tracks and their skulls. Want to see if you guessed correctly? Just open the compartment's lid to reveal the answer! Funded by a grant from Save the Redwoods League, this Discovery Cart will soon have an accompanying cart used as a part of our Zoo Interpreter Program.
Coming Soon: Red Panda Construction crews have officially broken ground on the new Red panda exhibit! Their habitat will be located near the Barnyard, so keep an eye out for changes in this space as you visit the Zoo this spring. Right now, our Red panda pair are at the Denver Zoo with their mother, but before long they will be mature enough to make the journey to Eureka and become animal ambassadors for our Zoo. We're on track to have a grand opening in June, and look forward to welcoming these adorable critters to our Zoo family. Contributions from individuals, foundations and event fundraising efforts (Zootini 2009) make it possible to bring this exciting new species to Sequoia Park Zoo.
SPZ Looking for it's 1,000th Member: Could it Be You? Our membership roll has grown rapidly over the last few years and will reach the magical 1000 total very soon. The big winner will receive a behind-the-scenes tour of the Zoo, complimentary lunch at the Zoo Café, and a free Adopt-an-Animal Super Zooper-level sponsorship package (value $145). All this in addition to the benefits that come with joining - FREE admission to our Zoo, and free or discounted admission to hundreds of other zoos across the nation, 10% discount in the Zoo Gift Shop, quarterly Zoo Chatter newsletter, and invitations to member-only zoo events. You can become a member online, or stop by the Zoo and sign up at the ticket booth, or call 442-5649 and join over the phone with Visa or MasterCard. However you choose to join, do it soon if you want a chance to be the 1,000th member!
On your next visit, spend a little extra time at the flamingo exhibit- you may notice our birds are displaying courtship rituals such as synchronized dancing, honking, and neck stretching. While you're there, you might also here an unmistakable noise from the exhibit next door- our male Rhea is again "booming" as he attempts to woo his female!
Zoo Funding Update We were delighted by the number of members of the public at the February 16 Eureka City Council meeting who expressed interest in helping the zoo “spread the word” about the facility’s many area benefits to a broader North Coast audience. At that meeting, Eureka City Council voted 3:2 to not put Zoo funding up for debate on November's ballot--good news! Foundation board and staff, along with City Council members, are working hard to find alternative sources of funding for the Zoo. Currently, we're talking to the County Board of Supervisors and we hope to form a partnership to explore some alternatives. We'll keep you posted. Again, thanks for all your support. Read on for how you can help!
Seeking Creative Marketing & Fundraising Ideas ln response to the need to get the word out about Sequoia Park Zoo and increase our fundraising efforts, the Foundation is inviting you to submit ideas for both marketing activities and alternative funding channels. We’ll give a free year of family membership to the zoo to the best idea in each category that we receive and can implement. We are open to any and all ideas. On the marketing front, note that the zoo itself has no marketing budget; the Foundation has a small marketing budget, but anything requiring an investment of $300 or more must be approved by the full Foundation Board. So, the cheaper the activity, the greater likelihood it can be implemented. On the funding front, any suggestions for both private and public alternative funding channels would be welcomed and will be discussed with the relevant public bodies as appropriate. Marketing ideas should be submitted to Pat Bitton, Communications Committee Chair. Funding ideas should be submitted to Chuck Dominick, Fund Development Committee Chair. Deadline for idea submission is March 31, 2010.
Happy Birthday, Rosemary! February 4 was a special day for our American black bear, Rosemary- it was her 28th birthday! She celebrated the milestone by indulging in a variety of birthday fare including peanut butter cake, coconut cake, and her favorite- crickets. Delicious!
Zoo Interpreter Program Applications Available Looking for a way to combine your love of animals and education? We're looking for long-term volunteers to help launch our Zoo Interpreter Program (ZIP). ZIP volunteers will interact with visitors using Discovery Carts, animal artifacts, and special animal knowledge we will teach you. Trainings begin in April, so get your application turned in today! Would you like more details? Check out our brochure, or email Amber Neilson, Education Coordinator.
Rosemary the Bear is Ailing Rosemary, our American black bear, is experiencing age-related health problems which, unfortunately, have worsened over the last month. For some time, she has been suffering from the gradual deterioration of her vertebrae. When she became reluctant to walk over the Christmas holiday weekend, she was given another thorough physical exam, which confirmed that the condition has worsened. Sadly, the exam also revealed that her kidney function is failing. Rosie is currently on new medication to help alleviate her discomfort and animal care staff is providing special love and care to accommodate her condition and keep her as comfortable as possible. Her condition is assessed daily to consider her quality of life. Rosemary was born at Sequoia Park Zoo on February 4, 1982, and has been a lifelong resident, delighting generations of visitors. The average life span for black bears living in a zoo setting is 25 to 30 years. She is still viewable most of the time, except when she chooses to rest in her den. Zoo staff is available to visitors who have questions.
Exciting Events for 2010 2010 will be an exciting year of growth and change for your local zoo. What can you expect?
Event Sponsorships available With almost 900 household memberships and 75,000 visitors annually, Sequoia Park Zoo enjoys the support of our community and is a Humboldt County tourist destination. By becoming a 2010 Event Sponsor, your business will benefit from numerous year-long promotional opportunities while reaching a new and diverse audience. And because the Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, your sponsorship may be tax-deductible. Interested in being part of the fun? There is a level of sponsorship that is right for you, contact Melinda Booth for more details.
Visit our free flight aviary, and you're bound to notice our newest additions: a pair brightly feathered Scarlet ibis have joined our flock. Native to South America, these birds are part of the Tropical Andes themed zone we are working towards in our Master Plan. Scarlet ibis nest in trees and we expect they will flock with our Sacred ibis currently in the aviary.
The Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation was awarded a $3,500 grant from the Melvin F. & Grace McLean Foundation to help fund the education department. These funds were desperately needed to help keep this program operating full-time. More funds are still needed to ensure the future of education at Sequoia Park Zoo. To donate for this specific purpose, or share ideas, call Melinda at 442-5649.
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In the News |
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| 12.4.11 | Zoo offers second lecture in conservation series | ||
| 11.21.11 | Zoo developing conservation program; current projects help African wild dogs, red pandas | ||
| 11.14.11 | Flamingos, screamers and cavys -- oh, my!; zoo cuts the ribbon on its newest exhibit | ||
| 10.11.11 | 'Wicked Bugs' pervasive at Sequoia Park Zoo; national exhibit to stay until end of month | ||
| 9.9.11 | Tales of 'Wicked Bugs' at Sequoia Park Zoo | ||
| 8.7.11 | Sequoia Park Zoo holds annual 'Zootini' fundraising gala | ||
| 8.2.11 | ZIP in full swing at zoo; volunteers enhance visitors' experience | ||
| 7.24.11 | Zoo starts 'Interpreter Program' | ||
| 6.8.11 | Eureka accepts grant for zoo; State fiscal woes leave some uncertainty in city budget | ||
| 5.5.11 | Stewart pens another 'wicked' exposé -- this time, it's bugs | ||
| 4.16.11 | Bringing back the river otters; Eureka zoo gets grant to build exhibit with 'watershed hero' animals |
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| 2.9.11 | Eureka's zoo in the running for $2.3 million grant | ||
| 11.6.10 | International Red Panda Day Nov. 13; visit the zoo and read a book | ||
Sequoia Park Zoo’s resident American black bear, Rosemary, celebrated her 29th birthday this month with a custom cake made to suit her specialized diet and topped with one of her favorite treats – peanut butter and herring. Rosemary was born and raised at the Zoo and is one of its most beloved animal residents. Though she is an old bear now in declining health, her condition has been stable, and she is currently undergoing treatments to relieve stiffness and increase mobility in her hind legs. Stop by and visit Rosemary today – she loves to sniff the air and smell you dropping by.
Times-Standard is sponsoring a FREE admission day at Sequoia Park Zoo on Saturday, November 13th, in conjuction with our celebration of 
Flat Red Panda Tour Guide Contest
Meet our Newest, Bluest Addition
Discover Mammals of Northern California
Zoo Foundation Awarded funding for Education Department