On February 21, we celebrated Providence's 1st Birthday! The young Masai giraffe’s party included birthday enrichment, a specially baked sweet potato, carrot birthday cake, and oversized present boxes fit for the 11-foot tall one-year-old. Guests signed a birthday card as tall as Providence herself and were treated with keeper talks, a bio-fact conservation booth, a giraffe-themed photo booth, and a coloring station for all of Providence’s fans.
The Greenville Zoo partnered with Friends of the Reedy River and South Carolina Adopt-a-Stream to provide a citizen scientist workshop. Adopt-a-Stream’s mission is to create a network of watershed stewardship, engagement, and education through data collection. Volunteers were trained on zoo grounds and in Cleveland Park on how to monitor and track water quality and share information about the local water resources within their communities. By providing baseline data about stream conditions, volunteers, local communities, educators, and local government agencies can partner to protect and restore our waters.
Progress on the ocelot enclosure continues. The previous exhibit has been demolished and construction on the new structure is steadfast. The new enclosure includes two habitats with the ability to join the spaces when breeding recommendations are given. The Greenville Zoo is home to two ocelots, Evita and Oz. Ocelots are the most numerous cats in the tropical Americas, but their populations are declining. We expect to see the new ocelot exhibit completed and ready for public viewing by early spring.
This month’s homeschool program was “Once Upon an Animal.” Once upon a time, dinosaurs roamed the earth. Once upon a time, dodo birds and passenger pigeons were a common sight. Once upon a time, there were many critters that aren’t here anymore. Students investigated the world of extinct creatures, and how to protect the animals we love from becoming extinct with lessons in conservation. The Greenville Zoo provides monthly homeschool programs for grades K5 - 8th. Check out next month’s theme on our website and sign up by calling 864-467-4850!
The Greenville Zoo Education Department partnered with the Children’s Museum of the Upstate this past week to strategize ways to spread conservation messages within our community.