Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Wild Magazine Spring 2023

LAND OF THE TIGER VOTED ONE OF THE BEST EXHIBITS IN THE NATION

ILLUMINIGHTS SUMMER SPECTACLE WOOD STORKS

UPCOMING EVENTS

AIP GRADUATION

April 14–August 11 · Friday Nights 6–10 p.m.

jacksonvillezoo.org/illumiNights

Table Of Contents

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24 Snapshot Society

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SENIOR MANAGEMENT

Jeff Ettling, Ph.D., President and CEO

Teresa Kennedy, Chief Operating Officer

David Hagan, Chief Zoological Officer

Holly Ellis, Chief Financial Officer

Nikki Smith, Chief Philanthropy Officer

Paula Shields, Chief People and Culture Officer

Leanne White, Director of Education

Kelly Rouillard, Director of Marketing & Sales

Rick Holzworth, Director of Support Services

Todd Martinsen, Director of Guest Services

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Chuck Ged, Chair

Lucia Lindsey, Chair Elect, VC Capital Campaign

Missy Peters, Secretary

George Mikes, VC Finance & Treasurer

Anne Marie Cushmac, VC Governance

Salmaan Wahidi, VC Animal Care, Conservation and Wellness

Paula Renfro, VC Education

Karen Estella Smith, VC Garden & Art

Kerri Stewart, VC Special Projects & Properties

John Hayt, Honorary Advisor

26 Trakids

Front cover photo: John Reed

GENERAL BOARD

Paul Blackstone

Scott Chamberlayne

Jonathan Coles

LeAnna Cumber (COJ)

Lenny Curry (COJ)

Kenyonn Demps

Al Ferraro (COJ)

Dan Fields

Wilfredo Gonzalez

René Kurzius

Barnwell Lane

Clint Pyle

Param Sahni

Paul Sandler

Joel Swanson

Scott Witt

HONORARY BOARD

Danny Berenberg

Ivan Clare

Dano Davis

Diane David

Lenore McCullagh

Elizabeth Petway

Herbert Peyton

Clifford Schultz

Frank Surface

Janet Vaksdal Weaver

HONORARY PAST

CHAIRS COUNCIL

Martha Baker

J.F. Bryan

Carl Cannon

Howard Coker

Charles Commander

Jed Davis

Matt Fairbairn

Joseph Hixon

J. Michael Hughes

Lewis Lee

David Loeb

Richard Martin

Frank Miller

John A. Mitchell

Thomas Schmidt

Bill Rowe

Carl "Hap" Stewart

James Stockton

Penny Thompson

Courtenay Wilson

WHO'S WHO AT THE ZOO

Ashley Nelson & Dani Perez

Mammal Keeper III

How long have you worked at the Zoo?

Ashley: I started out as a Wildlife Services intern in 2017 and just reached my five-year anniversary.

Dani: I have worked at Jacksonville Zoo for one year.

What does a day in your shoes look like?

Ashley: My day usually starts with checking on all the manatees and feeding them their morning diet. They are fed four times a day, which can be very time consuming when there are five adult manatees eating 100 to 150 pounds each. I then spend a few hours completing cleaning tasks and scrubbing the pool. Depending on medical cases, we often have procedures once or twice a day or we need to get an updated weight on a manatee. Whenever possible, I carry out observations on the manatees using the Zoo Monitor app through our Wellness department and document every bit of information in our Zoological Information Management System. I love that there is always variety in the day and that the pace can quickly change when a manatee rescue occurs.

Mammal Keeper II

The new build of the Manatee River is typically discussed in daily meetings, and it is interesting to be a part of the process and share in everyone’s excitement. I also still work daily with the Wild Florida animals, so I spend a lot of time maintaining exhibits and training and enriching the animals that reside there.

Dani: As a manatee keeper, every day can vary greatly but usually our days revolve around the three different aspects of the Manatee Critical Care Center (MCCC), which are manatee rescues, rehabilitation and releases. Day to day rehabilitation for the manatees involves behavioral observations, facilitating medical procedures and feeding the manatees lots of romaine lettuce. Our busier days usually involve receiving a newly rescued ill or injured manatee, where we are able to assist Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in the rescue and/or transport of the manatee to the MCCC for veterinary care and rehabilitation. When a manatee has been fully rehabilitated and is ready to be released, we will transport the manatee by truck to a pre-determined site and release them back to the wild. In addition to caring for manatees, I also help care for other native Florida mammal species and African primate species, which usually involves cleaning exhibits, administering medications and animal training.

What were your previous jobs/career paths and how did they lead you here?

Ashley: I spent my first years out of high school working as many different jobs as I could. I think there are important life lessons that can be learned from exploring different areas of work, so I had jobs in everything from hospitality, fast food, road work and retail. I volunteered in an animal shelter and participated in the ZooTeens! program with the Oregon Zoo when I was younger, but my passion for art originally sent me down a career path towards Costume Design for the film industry. I realized that I loved being outdoors and working with animals more, so I went back to school for Zoology. I graduated with a focus in conservation and research of endangered species, which led me to an internship here at the Manatee Critical Care Center.

Dani: After graduating Georgia State University with a bachelors in biology, I was accepted for an animal care internship with the Navy Marine Mammal Program where I got hands-on experience in the day of a life of a marine mammal trainer. After my internship I immediately got my scuba certification, an important prerequisite skill to become a marine mammal trainer, and started a job at a local dive shop in Jacksonville where I was able to expand upon my scuba diving knowledge extensively. Building this skill eventually paid off as I was hired by the Navy Marine Mammal Program as a marine mammal trainer, where I worked with Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins and California Sea Lions for two years. I loved my job as an animal trainer, but I felt the calling to explore work with different species of animals in different contexts. I saw the opportunity for

a unique internship with Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens where I would be able to utilize my marine mammal background, as well as work with my second love, great apes! I started as an intern, and then was hired as a keeper assistant and then finally hired as a full-time manatee keeper.

What is your favorite animal?

Ashley: My favorite animal has always been the elephant. It was a career goal of mine to work with them and I finally had the chance to work with Asian elephants at a sanctuary in Thailand. As a close living relative, I didn’t stray too far by working with manatees.

Dani: My favorite animal is actually the Orangutan I just find them hysterical and so endearing!

What is your favorite exhibit?

Ashley: That is a tough choice! I love the gardens we have, especially Savanna Blooms and Asian Gardens with the bamboo forests. I also love Wild Florida because of the natural and peaceful feel the overhanging trees provide. I do love the newer exhibits like Land of the Tiger and the Kapok tree in African Forest, as well, that offer more enriching experiences for the animals.

Dani: My favorite exhibit is the gorilla exhibit.

When or how did you first develop an interest in animals/the zoo world/education?

Ashley: Our family grew up with a variety of pets; there were always animals in the house. My mom grew up the same way and has that caring heart that can never let a stray animal go without a home. We cared for cats, dogs, guinea pigs, lizards, even a skunk and a Canadian goose. My mom is the reason I have an interest in rehabilitation and a passion for working with animals.

Dani: When I was a kid in the late 90’s I had every episode of “Really Wild Animals” on VHS which I would watch on repeat. This show is where I first learned about Jane Goodall who became my greatest inspiration and continues to be to this very day. I also grew up visiting Zoo Atlanta countless times; it was my absolute favorite place to visit and it definitely had a large influence on my love for animals and zoos.

Are you native to Florida? If so, where? If not, where did you grow up?

Ashley: I was born in Oregon and lived there until I was 21. I’ve lived in a lot of different places since, but I still go back as often as I can to visit family. It really is a beautiful state and I miss being able to get “lost” in the mountains.

Dani: I am not a native, but have been living in Jacksonville, FL for five years. I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia.

What is your favorite part of your career or what is your most memorable experience at the Zoo (or your old zoo)?

Ashley: My favorite part of my career is the work we do with the rescue, rehabilitation and release of manatees. I have been with the Critical Care Center (almost) since the first manatees arrived and have been able to work with every manatee that has been in our care. They are such fascinating animals with different personalities, but Buckeye and Cassie (the first rescues) will always hold a special place in my heart. The most rewarding part is participating in every aspect of the manatee’s rehab, from the rescue, overnight care, procedures and the release. We don’t do training or enrichment with the manatees, so it’s our way as keepers of getting to connect with the animals. I think Inigo, with his long-term care, has easily been one of the most memorable manatees!

Dani: My favorite part of my job is whenever we release one of our rehabilitated Florida manatees. I’m so grateful for the privilege to contribute to the conservation of the Florida manatee in the most hands-on way possible.

Top Left: Ashely coordinating efforts during a manatee weighing procedure. Lower Right: Dani working with the same manatee on the same procedure.

Our Commitment to the Greater Good

For more than 100 years, we have inspired the appreciation of wildlife in guests across Florida and around the world. In 1971, we became designated as a non-profit organization, enabling us to further our efforts. Nonprofits essentially allow people to work together for a common cause. Here at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, that is connecting our community with wildlife and wild places.

We first connect our community with wildlife and wild places through our educational initiatives. According to our accrediting agency, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), there is growing evidence that aquariums and zoos are highly effective at teaching people about science and connecting them to the natural world. Our professional and knowledgeable staff use their skills to provide entertaining educational programs for all audiences—whether it is a Stroller Safari program with a child and their parent, a homeschooled student coming for a class, a teen volunteering through ZooTeens!, a student on field trip or an adult volunteering through a corporate opportunity.

We also connect our community with wildlife and wild places through our conservation programs. It is a priority for all AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to save species from extinction. We are committed to protecting the wild counterparts of the plants and animals you may see at our Zoo and Gardens. Half of our Conservation Fund supports programs that save species in the biodiversity hotspots of Africa, Asia, South America and Central America.

A quarter of the Fund supports projects in the southeastern United States, and the other quarter goes to staffgenerated proposals. Manatee rescue and rehabilitation is our Zoo’s largest regional conservation initiative that we work tirelessly at every day.

We finally connect our community with wildlife and wild place through the most obvious effort: visits through our gates. Our staff are committed to providing the highest quality of care to our animals and plants. Our wellness team conducts welfare and wellness-related research to ensure that the animals living in our care are given opportunities to thrive. Through research, our goal is to not just improve the wellness of animals in our care, but of animals everywhere.

As a Member, you may know the thrill of seeing a white rhino from the Africa boardwalk or discovering a giant lily plant in Asian Bamboo Gardens. Every interaction with wildlife builds appreciation for the species and encourages action to protect them for years to come. That is what we see as our common cause.

Nonprofits are motivated by goals beyond finances, but must generate income to accomplish those goals. We raise funds through ticket sales, memberships, donations and events to help us accomplish our educational, conservation and animal wellness goals. Thank you for being a Member and furthering our mission.

The Gardens at Trout River Plaza

Births, Hatchings, Acquisitions

By Donna Bear, Curator of Species Management and Jasmine Alvarado, Species Management Officer

Hooded vulture

(Necrosyrtes monachus)

Even though it is one of the smallest species of vulture, the hooded vulture still has a wingspan of up to six feet. The “hood” is downy feathers that run down from the top of the head to the bottom of the neck, where it has a white, feathered collar. As a juvenile, the downy plumage is brown but lightens to beige as they get older. As carrion birds, they have a long, narrow beak, perfect for scavenging. But their diet does not affect their cleanliness. In fact, wild vultures are inclined to spend more time near watering holes and bask in the sun to keep themselves clean. During breeding season, hooded vultures will pair with the same individual for their whole lifetime. They work together to build a nest and raise the chick. One egg is laid per season, and its incubation time can range from 48 to 54 days (about two months). The chick will fledge three to four months later. But even after it has learned to fly, it will depend on its parents for another few months before finally seeking its own territory.

African pancake tortoise

(Malacochersus tornieri)

As the name suggests, the African pancake tortoise is quite flat—a feature the tortoise uses to its advantage. But their shells are also distinct in another way. All turtles are born without fully formed shells. As they grow, the empty spaces throughout the carapace in the upper shell will merge and eventually solidify. But for the African pancake tortoise, even the adults keep those openings allowing them to be more flexible, fast and agile. Their unique shell structure paired with their size gives them the ability to hide from predators and the unrelenting sun’s heat in the smallest of places. They will wedge themselves into a crevice or in between rocks and then dig their claws into the stone to become almost immovable. With their tan or brown coloring, trying to find these tortoises in their natural habitat can be a challenge. See them for yourself (or at least try to) at the African Herp House!

Grand Cayman blue iguana

(Cyclura lewisi)

The Grand Cayman blue iguana is a first-time species for the Zoo. Our very own Assistant Curator of Herps, Birds, and Others, Cayle Pearson, is the program leader for the Species Survival Plan (SSP) of these magnificent lizards. They can grow up to five feet and weigh up to 31 pounds, yet despite their size, they are herbivores, eating a variety of leaves, flowers and berries. But in their natural island habitat, they have been seen eating crabs, slugs, caterpillars and other small critters. And like their name suggests, these iguanas are blue, but the shade of blue can vary from teal to almost violet. However, newborn hatchlings are a dark grey, becoming more vibrant as they get older. The blue iguana reached an incredible milestone in 2018, when the one thousandth blue iguana was released into the Salina Reserve on Grand Cayman Island. This is all thanks to Blue Iguana Conservation, the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, and the International Reptile Conservation Fund among other pivotal organizations that helped bring this species back from near extinction.

October–December 2023

Legend: 0.1.2

• First digit male

• Second digit female

• Third digit sex unknown

• Two digits only represent male and female

• CAPS = Endangered Species

• * (Asterisk) = First time at the Zoo

• †(Dagger) = Released back into the wild

Wood Storks

The wood storks are back! The African Loop is once again alive with the clacking of bills and the rustling of white feathers. Wood storks have been building their nests at the Zoo since 1999.

This year is extra special for the wood storks. They were listed as Endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 1984 because of habitat loss for this indicator species. Due to diligent work in securing and improving habitat for the storks, the only native North American stork was downgraded to Threatened under the Endangered Species Act in June of 2014. Work in wetlands management and Everglades restoration has continued to improve the status of the wood stork. Habitat recovery and population monitoring has now brought the species up to more than 10,000 breeding pairs and 99 nesting colonies, one of which is here at the Zoo! The USFWS has proposed to remove the wood stork from the Endangered Species Act list completely. We have actively monitored and banded wood storks since 2003 and work in concert with the Wood Stork Recovery Group to improve the US population.

We are proud that the storks continue to choose to nest here. Our readily accessible rookery has provided information to scientists and biologists that have worked hard to bring about their recovery.

Our rookery has fledged more than 3,500 nestlings since it began in 1999 and we have banded 391 nestlings and 33 adults found breeding in the rookery. We have assisted with placing satellite tags on adult wood storks to determine core foraging areas surrounding an active rookery and acquire information on migration habits of the storks. Our data over the years has been shared with the USFWS, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Audubon and biologists from the St. Johns River Water Management district.

These amazing birds have not only made an amazing come back, but have helped forge new partnerships for Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens within the wider conservation community. In mid-April, you should be able to hear the nestlings from the boardwalk (the only time in the wood storks’ life cycle when they vocalize) and get unique glimpses of this wonderful bird.

Wood storks nesting in the Africa Loop. There has been a proposal to remove the species from the Endangered Species Act list.

Travel back millions of years to experience the thrill of the prehistoric age of dinosaurs. Along the way, join forces with our team of educational scientists to unravel the environment dinosaurs lived in and the plants they consumed. Come and see 18 of the most fascinating dinosaurs including Triceratops and the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Carnivores, herbivores or omnivores? Test your dinosaur knowledge with fun and fascinating activities at Dinosauria. Learn about paleobotany—the study of terrestrial fossils including the study of prehistoric fossils, and how plants from prehistoric ages are ancestor species to those found in Florida!

Journey along paths with full-scale, scientificallyaccurate animatronic dinosaurs with realistic movements and roaring sounds. Find out how dinosaurs evolved over time, where they lived, how they behaved and the discoveries paleontologists and paleobotanists have made about their habitats.

Kids can hone their artistic skills with the Drawing Alive Digital Game by coloring dinosaurs and watching them digitally come alive on screen. Plus, artwork is a take home souvenir for kids to enjoy.

MEMBER TICKETS ON SALE

Disnosauria is part the Total Experience package. Members will also be given the exclusive option to purchase Dinosauria a 'la carte, on-site only.

Presented by

The Plants of Dinosauria

By Chris Dailey, Horticulture Manager

Dinosauria is back! The popular prehistoric animals are here through summer and then they will be gone again. But what won’t be gone are the plants with prehistoric ties to dinosaurs. Throughout the Zoo, plants whose ancestors are as old as dinosaurs are all around you!

Sabal palm Coontie

Bald cypress

Left: Southern magnolia flower

In the Cretaceous period, the landscape saw the addition of flowering plants like magnolias and palms. Southern magnolia is a much loved and well-known tree in the south. Our landscape includes many southern magnolias with their massive flowers in late spring and early summer. Magnolias appeared at a time in history when common pollinators like bees and butterflies did not yet exist. Instead, the attractive and fragrant magnolia flowers relied on beetles for pollination!

Further back in history, during the Jurassic period, the landscape looked very different than what we see today. However, some modern-day plants are related to Jurassic plants. These prehistoric plants include cycads and conifers. Coontie is a Florida native cycad that can be seen in several areas around the Zoo. These cycads are primitive and non-flowering plants that have been around longer than the T-Rex.

Prehistoric conifers are represented today by trees like the bald and pond cypress. Fossil records indicate that trees closely related to cypress were present in the Jurassic period. Today, cypress trees are another dominant plant in the south, especially in and around water. These trees are important roosting sites for birds such as turkeys, heron and egrets. In the largest cypress trees, ospreys and bald eagles often build their nests.

Enjoy the dinosaurs while they are here, and the plants again and again.

Fossils of fan shaped palm leaves from the Cretaceous period resemble the leaves of fan palms like the Sabal palm. Sabal palm, also known as cabbage palm, is the official state tree of Florida and South Carolina. It is a dominant plant seen across landscapes and natural areas all around the south. The fruit from these native palms is eaten by native animals like songbirds, quail, turkeys, small mammals, deer and bears.

"cf. Sabal" by James St. John, CC By 2.0, Flickr.com

Palm fronds and Coontie near the Administration building.

Example of a fossil Sabal palm frond.

An illustration of prehistoric plants and landscape.

Jax Zoo Tube

IllumiNights Summer Spectacle

Behind the Scenes with NBC Nightly News: Kids Edition!

Gorilla walks like a human Health Exam on Rescued Manatee Inigo

To see additional videos please visit our YouTube Channel

Dinosauria + Age of Flowers

Upcoming Events

Yoga with Penguins

Saturday, April 29 | 7:30 – 8:30 am

Tuxedo Coast in Play Park

Exercise and meditate at an unconventional setting – Tuxedo Coast! Find your center and relax into your stretches with Magellanic penguins enjoying a tranquil swim in the newly renovated habitat as the backdrop.

Tickets

Art in the Garden Festival

Saturday, May 6 and Sunday, May 7 10 – 3 pm

Celebrate creativity in all its forms during the Art in the Garden Festival. It is your chance to experience intriguing art, curated music and extraordinary living pictures all within our lush gardens. Stroll through the Zoo enjoying and appreciating art and plants, and kids can enjoy special activities. Listen to live music in the open air and shop local vendors.

Support local businesses and vendors by bringing home your own art and goods. Complimentary pick up of purchased products is available as you exit the Zoo. A unique selection of tasty food and refreshing drinks will also be available for purchase. Admission is included with daily tickets.

JACKSONVILLEZOO AND GARDENS

AIP Graduation

Inaugural Advanced Inquiry Program Graduation

Did you know that our Education Department offers a master's degree program through Miami University? We are one of 10 zoos and botanical gardens across the US that offer the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP), a groundbreaking master’s degree program designed for students of all backgrounds and career stages.

We acquired the AIP in 2020 and recently celebrated our first cohort graduation on Saturday, January 28! Eight graduates earned their master's degree in Conservation Biology through Miami University in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023. We are home to the only AIP institution in the southeast and growing each year..

The AIP is a part of Project Dragonfly, an education reform imitative housed in the biology department at Miami University (in Oxford, Ohio). The program was developed with an understanding that conservation work needs a multidisciplinary approach and individuals of all backgrounds and skillsets are needed to make social and ecological change in our communities. The program accepts students with a passion for integrating conservation into their careers, if they hold a bachelor's degree and can commit to completing the program within a two-and-a-half to five-year timeline. Students complete their degrees online through Miami University and by attending experiential class days held at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, which allows flexibility for full-time working professionals.

The program is not thesis-based. Instead, students graduate with a Master Plan Portfolio that is made up of various projects they complete throughout their time in the program. The Master Plan is a theme running through the body of the coursework, which is unique to each student and meant to include action items that can give hands-on experience in the field of conservation, boost their resume and apply to their work. Because of this and the diversity of student backgrounds at the start of the program, Master Plans vary largely from student to student in the field of conservation work.

Some examples of Master Plans that our recent cohort of graduates have completed range widely in topics and include: stormwater resilience and community engagement; mitigating human to wildlife conflict in urban Florida; promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in Conservation; and conservation of the Florida manatee and freshwater springs ecosystems.

Some of the hands-on course work that students completed while in the program include development of a nine-part animal wellness manual, creation of a podcast on the

topic of creating a more equitable conservation movement, educational resource guides for Florida educators on the topic of climate change and how to protect our state’s waterways and other various research within Jacksonville and northeast Florida.

AIP students also have the choice of integrating an Earth Expeditions field course at a global field site into their degree path, with one of Project Dragonfly’s 16 conservation partners worldwide. Manatee Cohort graduates travelled to Belize, Costa Rica, Galápagos, India and Thailand in 2022 as part of their coursework and global understanding of communitybased conservation efforts.

Congratulations to our inaugural cohort of AIP graduates and all the fantastic work they completed! To learn more about the AIP, email AIP@Jacksonvillezoo.org or visit jacksonvillezoo.org/aip. Applications are due February 28 each year for a summer program start. See a full list of “Manatee Cohort” AIP graduates, their Master Plan and locations below.

Our Inaugural AIP “Manatee Cohort” Graduation (Each cohort is named after a Florida native species):

• Emily Blum (Jacksonville, FL): Stormwater Resiliency and Stormwater Community Engagement in Northeast Florida.

• Nicollette Hagey (Palm Beach, FL): Increasing the Rate of Active Transportation Use in Urban Areas Through Environmental Awareness and Urban Forestry.

• Alyssa Knowlton (Jacksonville, FL): How companies can support conservation and sustainability goals.

• *Kimberley Lamb (Jacksonville, FL): Weaving compassion and contemplative practice into conservation efforts. (*Graduating Spring 2023)

• Derek Mock (Jacksonville, FL): Promoting conservation of the Florida manatee and local springs ecosystems.

• Myranda Parker (Pasco County, FL): Mitigating human to wildlife conflict in urban Florida.

• Victoria Regan (Gainesville, FL): Promoting diversity, equity and inclusivity in Conservation.

• Kristen Simmons (Jacksonville, FL): From Surviving to Thriving: A Look at Animal Welfare Across Organizations

Learn more at: jacksonvillezoo.org/AIP

Inca Tern

Location in the Zoo

Emerald Forest Aviary in Range of the Jaguar and Penguin Exhibit in Play Park

Diet Fish and crustaceans

Habitat

Typically along rocky coasts or where sandy beaches are backed by cliffs

Range

Along the Pacific coast of South America, from Northern Peru to South and Central Chile

Conservation Status

IUCN Redlist NT

Photos: John Reed

SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT

Tag your posts with #jaxzoomember for a chance to see your pictures or videos in Wild Magazine.

bajakrista

Land of the Tiger Came in at #5 as Best Zoo Exhibit

Thanks to all your votes, Land of the Tiger came in at number 5 as the Best Zoo Exhibit in USA TODAY 10 Best contest. Check it out

The state-of-art exhibit provides tigers and the other animals with choice, encourages natural behaviors, opportunities to explore and exercise.

Photos: John Reed

W.I.L.D. Program Teens

Break Ground on Florida Heritage Food Garden

By Jamie Lynn Lankenaur, Community Engagement Supervisor

The W.I.L.D. Program, a grant-funded youth leadership and environmental literacy program, is a part of the Education Department. Matt Day and Alex Hopf, the program’s specialist and assistant respectively, decided to extend the team’s classroom outside. Since the teens work throughout the school year and over the summer, Day and Hopf planned a garden. In true W.I.L.D. team fashion, the teens were a part of every step of the process.

Coordinating and collaborating with our Horticulture department (for plants and soil) and the Facilities department (for cutting the lumber and borrowing tools) they had the teens build two four-by-eight-feet garden beds and a shade structure, filled the beds with soil and began planting spring season plants.

“Many of the teens had never built anything before,” said Day. “This was their first time using hand and power tools. I am happy to say that they loved the experience!”

“This was their first time using hand and power tools. I am happy to say that they loved the experience!”

—Matt Day, Youth Program Specialist

The first plant was okra, which sparked conversation among the team about whether they would eat this food. The conversation turned to fried okra, a staple and favorite in southern cooking. Around the same time the team was establishing the garden, they were introduced to the idea of a heritage food garden, which is growing in popularity in Florida. The idea is to grow foods that are historically and culturally valuable in the region and connect diverse populations to gardens and growing food—which ties in seamlessly with the W.I.L.D. Program’s mission. Thus, the idea of growing a heritage food garden here was born.

Every time a new team project is established, such as the garden, it comes with a valuable environmental lesson and these lessons are enriched by a social and cultural context. Getting teenagers building a garden, planting seeds and watching them grow to a point of cultivation can teach many skills, but in the vein of environmental literacy, allows an experiential connection to the topic of food resiliency and food deserts in their local community.

Although still in its initial stages, the W.I.L.D. Program is collaborating with the USDA-funded project at Santa Fe College entitled The Florida Heritage Foods Initiative: Connecting Local Food with Local Culture . The team also plans to visit community gardens sprouting and taking root all around Duval county, with a special focus on community gardens in historically underserved neighborhoods. These partnerships and community connections deepen lessons and make learning more relevant and connective for the teens.

Some of the more popular plants represented in a Florida heritage garden are sweet potatoes, collards, blackeyed peas and figs, while some lesser-known varieties are roselle, cassava and chayote. Each of these foods represent the diverse communities of Florida and bring awareness to regionally significant food crops linked historically and culturally to Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.

Okra sparked conversation amongst the W.I.L.D. participants. "Okra" by NatalieMaynor, CC By 2.0, Flickr.com

Sweet potatoes.

"sweet potatoes" by Jonathan Cutrer CC By 2.0, Flickr.com

Black-eyed peas. "good luck from oklahoma" by woodleywonderworks, CC By 2.0, Flickr.com

A Photographer’s Point of View

By John Reed, Photography Volunteer & Snapshot Society Instructor

As a photographer, instructor and workshop leader, I've encountered a variety of human interactions at the Zoo. The one I'd want to discuss is about photographer etiquette.

I was once shooting images of the lions with my large 500mm lens on a tripod. This day it was not particularly crowded but regardless, I positioned myself a bit back from the railing because with my tripod and lens, I was taking up a fair amount of space.

It's often that I experience folks taking photos get upset with others accidentally stepping in their shot or getting in the way. I don't think this is fair! Those that are not taking photos have as much a right to enjoy their interaction and experience at the Zoo as anyone else. I can't tell you how many times I've been nudged by strollers, wagons, motorized cars or simply the crowds. It's not at all unusual to have small children run into me, my tripod or right in front of me when getting a shot. Sure, it can be annoying at the time. I admit I may have a moment of dismay or frustration, but I soon let it pass. We have to remember we are not special just because we're holding a camera. More importantly, we must remember why the Zoo is here. It's not here just for me, or just for you, or just for any one person. It is here for everybody.

( Sidebar : that’s something else photographers can do…don’t hog a spot. Be considerate of the other guests enjoying their day.)

Then while I was peering through the viewfinder, I saw a small head popping up into the frame, down, then up again. I looked around and it was a small boy jumping up in front of the camera thinking I was shooting for TV and he wanted to be on the show! Did I miss some shots? Probably, but I had to laugh.

Photos: John Reed

Always keep in mind, the more people that come away with an enjoyable day at the Zoo, maybe, just maybe, they will be more inclined to have concerns for wildlife in general and conservation specifically. And as for the little kids, what better time to begin teaching love and respect for the animals than at the Zoo. Let’s get the kids excited by the animals early in life and hopefully build a lifelong interest in protecting them!

Through it all, we must remember why the Zoo exists in the first place. Accredited zoos and aquariums play a vital role in education and conservation for animals and plants around the world. Extracurricular activities, education and conservation help others realize the importance of wildlife and their habitats so that they will have a future. There is always another photo waiting to be taken. Be kind. Share.

Share Those Great Pictures!

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SMART FAMILY FUN

Interactive fun creates a curiosity for learning. As Nature Agents, you can discover, learn and bond together on a scavenger hunt!

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