Portland, 5th, 2016. The Oregon College Savings Plan has renewed its year-round commitment to the Oregon Zoo as a signature partner and will once again be presenting sponsor for the zoo’s spring field trips, helping to provide exciting and inspiring educational opportunities for students and their families.
As springtime arrives at the zoo, the rows of bright yellow school buses can seem as ubiquitous as daffodils. Around 75,000 local students visit the zoo from April through June, making field trips to support school lessons on wildlife and ecosystems.
“We are thrilled to be renewing our partnership with the zoo,” said Michael Parker, executive director of the Oregon College Savings Plan. “Our organizations share many of the same values and goals, such as supporting education throughout Oregon, providing useful and relevant information to Oregon families, and serving as a positive, engaged community partner.”
In partnership with the zoo, the Oregon College Savings Plan is giving away one household membership to the zoo each month. At the end of the year, a grand-prize winner will be randomly selected to receive a $1,000 Oregon College Savings Plan account. Last year’s grand-prize winner was James Hitchcock of Grants Pass. To enter and review the official rules, visit OregonCollegeSavings.com/zoo by Dec. 31, or enter in person at the zoo gift shop. (No purchase required; void where prohibited.)
In addition, any teacher who signs up for a field trip before June 1, will automatically be entered to win a fall ZooSchool experience at his or her school.
Field trips are a tradition for many schools, and the zoo sees these visits as a key opportunity to empower students to be active and engaged stewards of the earth’s wildlife and ecosystems. Each year, the zoo partners with schools to provide educational experiences for children on site, and partners with teachers to help build environmental literacy into classroom curriculums.
“Oregon College Savings Plan’s partnership with the zoo is helping us bring important environmental education programs to more children in the area,” said Grant Spickelmier, zoo education curator. “Together, we are committed to developing the next generation of conservation leaders.”
The Oregon Legislature created the Oregon College Savings Plan, a state-sponsored 529 college savings plan, in 2001 to help families plan for future college expenses and save for higher education with tax advantages. As of Dec. 31, 2015, the plan has grown to more than $1.2 billion, serving more than 71,000 individuals in Oregon.
From Oregon Zoo:
The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission of inspiring the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Oregon silverspot and Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies, western pond turtles and Oregon spotted frogs. Other projects focused on saving animals from extinction include studies on Asian elephants, polar bears, orangutans and cheetahs.
Support from the Oregon Zoo Foundation enhances and expands the zoo’s efforts in conservation, education and animal welfare. Members, donors and corporate and foundation partners help the zoo make a difference across the region and around the world.
The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Visitors who travel to the zoo via MAX receive $1.50 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit trimet.org for fare and route information.
Portland, February 24th, 2016. Oregon Zoo conservationists are working to reestablish the dwindling checkerspot populations in central Washington. So they’ve roused more than 1,500 Taylor’s checkerspot larvae from their winter dormancy this month, transferring the very hungry caterpillars into rearing cups at the zoo’s Imperiled Butterfly Conservation Lab, where they munch on narrowleaf plantain following their 7-month snooze.
A newly awakened Taylor’s checkerspot caterpillar munches on narrowleaf plantain in the Oregon Zoo’s butterfly lab. Zoo conservationists recently woke hundreds of the caterpillars from their winter dormancy in preparation for release into the wild. (Photo by Michael Durham, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.)
This week, Oregon Zoo staffers will join biologists from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to release 1,478 of the growing caterpillars on prairies in central Washington, helping to reestablish populations of checkerspots where some of the region’s best habitat remains. Another 281 larvae will stay behind and complete their transformation into adult butterflies at the zoo — a “rear guard” of sorts that will breed, lay eggs and produce caterpillars for release next year.
“The Taylor’s checkerspot is one of the Northwest’s most beautiful — and most endangered — butterflies,” said Mary Linders, a species recovery biologist with WDFW. “Releasing caterpillars reared at the zoo is part of our ongoing effort to reestablish this imperiled species at sites where it was once abundant. Without large, connected populations, the butterflies struggle to survive.”
The zoo-reared caterpillars will complete their development in the wild, first turning into chrysalides and then — over a span of warm, sunny days this spring — emerging as adult butterflies and unfurling for the first time their distinctive and colorful wings.
Rearing the rare butterflies comes with many challenges. One of the most difficult tasks is feeding the ever-munching larvae, which require vast quantities of specific plants. Thanks to the zoo’s horticulture department, the checkerspot caterpillars are able to feed on narrowleaf plantain, one of the plants their species eats in the wild.
This level of care is crucial: The species is listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and, according to Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, is in imminent danger of extinction. Though once abundant across the inland prairies of the Pacific Northwest, the Taylor’s checkerspot has now lost 99 percent of its grassland habitat to agriculture and urban development. And while the butterflies themselves are small, they are important pollinators and have a big impact on their ecosystem.
The Oregon Zoo has raised more than 20,000 checkerspots for release since joining the recovery effort in 2004. After more than a decade of working to increase the endangered butterfly’s numbers, Linders says the effects are becoming noticeable.
“We’ve started seeing Taylor’s checkerspots at locations where they haven’t been documented in years,” Linders said. “It gives us hope for a species that is very close to disappearing completely.”
Committed to butterfly conservation, the Oregon Zoo is a charter member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Butterfly Conservation Initiative, a collaborative effort among nearly 50 zoos and aquariums. The zoo works in partnership with and receives funding from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Joint Base Lewis-McChord and its Army Compatible Use Buffer program to rear checkerspots and release them into the wild. Additional project partners include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Xerces Society and the Sustainability in Prisons Project administered through The Evergreen State College and Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women.
The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission of inspiring the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is also working to save endangered California condors, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles and Oregon spotted frogs. Other projects include studies on Asian elephants, polar bears, orangutans and giant pandas.
Support from the Oregon Zoo Foundation enhances and expands the zoo’s efforts in conservation, education and animal welfare. Members, donors and corporate and foundation partners help the zoo make a difference across the region and around the world.
The zoo opens at 10 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Visitors who travel to the zoo via MAX receive $1.50 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.
General zoo admission is $11.50 (ages 12-64), $10 for seniors (65 and up), $8.50 for children (ages 3-11) and free for those 2 and younger. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.
Portland, January 8th, 2016. It was a chilly week at the Oregon Zoo. The deep freeze kept visitors away because the zoo was closed for three days. A coating of the white stuff also made for some terrific photos including Amur tiger Mikhail playing in the snow. (Photo credit, Michael Durham.)
The zoo is now on winter hours, with zoo gates open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and grounds open until 5 p.m.
Here’s a look at some of the Oregon Zoo animals making the most of the snowy weather:
Portland, August 22nd, 2015. As home to some of the oldest animals on the planet, the Oregon Zoo has earned a stellar reputation for the specialized geriatric care it provides. For example, Hermosa the Humboldt Penguin has lived a record 33 years. Zoo veterinarians and keeper staff work together, developing innovative ways to make sure the animals in their care have a great quality of life throughout their golden years — teaching an aging sea otter to dunk a basketball, for example — and many of the zoo’s residents live far beyond the median life expectancy for their species. (photo credit, Michael Durham, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.)
Here’s a look at six ultra-geriatric Oregon Zoo residents, each of which is the oldest of his or her kind, like Hermosa the Humboldt Penguin:
She’s on meds for arthritis and her eyesight is not so good, but Hermosa — the oldest Humboldt penguin in any AZA-accredited zoo — is as feisty as ever and a terrific foster mom, according to her Oregon Zoo keepers. In their natural habitat, the rocky South American coastline off Peru and Chile, Humboldt penguins can live to about 20 years, but Hermosa has reached the ripe old age of 33. With her egg-laying days long behind her, she’s shacking up with a male Humboldt named Tamale, and the pair still fosters eggs from other nests, raising chicks in place of less experienced penguin parents. Of the world’s 17 penguin species, Humboldts are among the most at risk, threatened by overfishing of their prey species, entanglement in fishing nets, and breeding disruption due to commercial removal of the guano deposits where the birds lay their eggs. Their population is estimated at 12,000 breeding pairs.
Inji, Sumatran orangutan, 55
At 55, Inji is the oldest Sumatran orangutan on the continent and easily one of the very oldest on the planet. “She’s in amazing shape for her age,” said Asaba Mukobi, the zoo’s senior primate keeper. “She has no trouble getting around and no major health concerns — she isn’t taking any special medication beyond aspirin.” A recent TakePart feature postulated that “what she teaches us about staying fit could help save her wild brethren.” Inji was born in the wild around 1960, came to the United States through the pet trade (legal at the time) and was donated to the Oregon Zoo by her owner in 1961. While Mukobi is thankful the zoo has been able to give her a good home, he says it’s heartbreaking to think about the circumstances that first brought her here. “The pet trade is illegal now, but it’s still around. It’s one of the major threats to orangutans’ survival, along with human encroachment and habitat loss from palm oil plantations. Orangutans right now are at the brink of extinction — especially in Sumatra, where Inji comes from.”
Packy, Asian elephant, 53
By almost any measure, Packy is majestic. Standing 10 and a half feet at the shoulder, he is thought to be the tallest Asian elephant in North America, and he cuts a lithe figure even at six tons. He is also the oldest male of his species on this continent. His 1962 birth helped scientists better understand elephants and opened the door to a new era in elephant welfare. “If you think about the time when he was born, it’s mind-boggling,” said Bob Lee, who oversees the zoo’s elephant program and has worked with Packy for more than 15 years. “Kennedy was president, the Beatles hadn’t made any records yet, cigarettes didn’t have warnings from the Surgeon General. It was a different era. They were writing the book on elephants as they went.” Though remarkably healthy for his age, keepers say Packy is noticeably slowing down. “We just want to give him the most comfortable life we can,” Lee said. “His toughness always impresses me. Sometimes it’s easy to forget he’s a geriatric elephant.”
Conrad, polar bear, 30
Weekly blood tests and meds concealed inside fishy treats — it’s all routine stuff for Conrad, a thousand-pound polar bear at the Oregon Zoo, who at 30 may be the oldest male of his species on the planet. “The median life expectancy for polar bears is 20.7 years for males, and Conrad’s a decade past that now,” said Nicole Nicassio-Hiskey, the zoo’s senior marine animal keeper. “You’d never know it to look at him though — he’s still very playful, especially in cooler weather. Our staff works hard to keep him healthy, active and engaged.” Conrad and his sister, Tasul, were born Dec. 1, 1984, at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, S.C., and came to Portland in 1986. Three years ago, the siblings became the first polar bears in the world to voluntarily give blood — a significant animal-welfare advance that allows them to participate in their own geriatric healthcare. This breakthrough has also proved a boon to scientists studying wild bears in the Arctic.
Kia, Amur leopard, 19
How many 20-year-old cats do you know? And how many of those are Amur leopards? Kia, who turns 20 on Oct. 9, is the oldest Amur leopard on the continent, and Amur leopards are perhaps the most endangered big cats in the world. Around 70 are believed to remain in their southeastern Russia home range. North American and European zoos are participating in coordinated breeding programs to help preserve these critically endangered cats. Though Kia’s reproductive years are now behind her, she has given birth to 10 cubs over her lifetime. For more information, visit www.amur-leopard.org.
Big Pink, lesser flamingo, 49
Wild-caught in Africa in 1968, Big Pink (officially known as B30007, the number assigned to him as part of the International Species Information System) is estimated to have hatched sometime in 1966 and is the oldest lesser flamingo on the continent. He was transferred to the San Antonio Zoo, and lived there until 2013, when he came to Oregon Zoo with the rest of his flock. The lesser flamingo is the smallest species of flamingo, and the pinkest of the two Old World species. With a global population of more than 2 million, lesser flamingos are not considered endangered, although the birds’ main breeding sites are being threatened by industrial pollution and human encroachment. Big Pink is nearly as old as the plastic lawn flamingo, invented in 1957.
Support from the Oregon Zoo Foundation enhances and expands the zoo’s efforts in conservation, education and animal welfare. Members, donors and corporate and foundation partners help the zoo make a difference across the region and around the world.
The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Visitors who travel to the zoo via MAX receive $1.50 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.
General zoo admission is $11.50 (ages 12-64), $10 for seniors (65 and up), $8.50 for children (ages 3-11) and free for those 2 and younger. Additional information is available atwww.oregonzoo.orgor by calling 503-226-1561
Portland, May 22nd, 2015. The Oregon Zoo is ready to welcome summer, with longer hours and a host of seasonal special events. Beginning Saturday, May 23, zoo gates will open at 9 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Visitors may remain on grounds until 7 p.m. The photo is of Kamaria, a milky eagle owl, can be seen this summer during the Oregon Zoo’s “Wildlife Live” show, presented by Portland General Electric. (Photo by Michael Durham, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.)
Lily, left, enjoys a game of King of the Mountain with her big brother, Samudra, who turned five. Photo by Kathy Street, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.
Young visitors watch one of the Oregon Zoo’s Humboldt penguins. The birds returned to the Penguinarium this week following a much-needed filtration upgrade that will save 7 million gallons of water annually. Photo by Michael Durham, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.
On Monday, May 25, the zoo will mark Memorial Day by offering free admission for military veterans and active military personnel, as well as family members who accompany them to the zoo. To receive free admission Monday, May 25, visitors must show a military or veteran organization ID, discharge papers or other official military identification; families of deployed military personnel must show an active duty ID.
Along with more time to enjoy the animals, zoo visitors will be treated to a summer chock full of events, shows and happenings.
Beginning June 13, the zoo’s popular Wildlife Live program, presented by Portland General Electric, returns with free-flight demonstrations featuring bird species from around the globe.Due to construction around the concert lawn, shows will take place in Tiger Plaza this year. The Insect Zoo also opens for the summer on this day.
Summer camps begin June 15. As of this writing, spots are still available for most age groups, but they tend to fill quickly as the end of school draws near. For more information, visit www.oregonzoo.org/camps.
The zoo’s summer concert series kicks off with Chicago on June 21 and winds up on Labor Day weekend with a pair of sold-out shows by “Weird Al” Yankovic. Along the way, concertgoers can catch a variety of world-renowned artists — from new wave party-rockers the B-52s to reggae superstar Ziggy Marley to country legend Emmylou Harris, and more. The zoo’s summer concert series is presented by the Oregon College Savings Plan and Banfield Pet Hospital. For more information and a full schedule, visit zooconcerts.com.
Oregon Zoo supporters can enjoy beverages and culinary delights from more than 25 of the area’s top restaurants July 18th at the annual Zoolala, an Oregon Zoo Foundation event. Photo by Andie Petkus.
Later this spring, officials will announce the line-up of local bands for Sunset at the Zoo, presented by Banfield Pet Hospital. Free for zoo members, Sunset at the Zoo offers a rare chance to enjoy the zoo in the beautiful twilight hours of summer. Packed with a variety of al fresco dining opportunities, live music and activities for kids, Sunset evenings also give visitors the chance to get to know animals that are more active at dusk. Sunset at the Zoo events take place every other Wednesday, starting July 8.
July 18, zoo supporters can savor delicious local fare, dance under the stars, and hang out with some real “party animals,” as the Oregon Zoo Foundation hosts its 16th annual Zoolala, a gala fundraiser presented by Spirit Mountain Casino. For more information or to purchase tickets and tables, visit oregonzoo.org/zoolala.
The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission of inspiring the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Oregon silverspot and Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies, western pond turtles and Oregon spotted frogs. Other projects include studies on Asian elephants, polar bears, orangutans and giant pandas.
Support from the Oregon Zoo Foundation enhances and expands the zoo’s efforts in conservation, education and animal welfare. Members, donors and corporate and foundation partners help the zoo make a difference across the region and around the world.
The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Visitors who travel to the zoo via MAX receive $1.50 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.
General zoo admission is $11.50 (ages 12-64), $10 for seniors (65 and up), $8.50 for children (ages 3-11) and free for those 2 and younger. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.
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