the member magazine for Riverbanks Zoo and Garden | September - October 2025
Volume XLV, Number 5
Riverbanks is published six times a year for members of Riverbanks Society by Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, Columbia, South Carolina.
Riverbanks Park Commission
Alana Williams, Chair
Mike Velasco, Vice Chair
Cliff Bourke, Treasurer
Jeffrey T. Reeves, Secretary
Robert G. Davidson
Chip Huggins
Deneen Shockley
Riverbanks Society Board
Patti Embry-Tautenhan, President
Wes Jackson, Vice President
Deonca Shuler, Treasurer
Thomas Manly, Secretary
CONTENTS
CONNECT.
Deans Fawcett, Immediate Past President
Sheila Abron
Emily Bedenbaugh
Will Elliott
Lauren Greene
Corinne Goldman, DVM, MS, DACVIM, SAIM
James Herlong
Denise Hudson
Mark Allen Jones, MD, MBA, FACS
Manny Licata
Donna Longo
Lindsey Miles
Matt Mungo
Allison Sanford
Richard Slater
Jan Stamps
Kaleb Unverfehrt
Riverbanks Senior Leadership Team
Thomas K. Stringfellow, President & CEO
Christie Vondrak, Chief Administrative Officer
Lochlan Wooten, Chief Operating Officer
Rachael Bashor, Vice President of Mission Engagement
Kevin Eubanks, Vice President of Operations
Ashley Harris, Vice President of Finance
Monique Jacobs, Vice President of Advancement
Greg Peccie, Vice President of Animal Care
Martha Weber, DVM, Vice President of Animal Health
Riverbanks Senior Staff
Brian Blankenship, Director of Guest Services & Security
Shawna Brumfield-Washington, Director of Marketing & Communications
Andy Cabe, Director of Horticulture
Sarah Dougherty, Director of Development
John Guertin, Director of Maintenance
Tracy Hughes, Director of Human Resources
John Thompkins, Director of Information Technology
Jordan Ward, Director of Construction & Planning
Kendra Bottini, Aquarium Curator
Antonio Fernandez, Curator of Birds
Sean Foley, Curator of Herpetology
Andrea Mueller, Curator of Behavioral Husbandry
Alyson Proveaux, Curator of Mammals
ACT.
IMPACT.
Subscriptions to Riverbanks are $24 per year. Members of Riverbanks Society are entitled to one free subscription along with free admission and guest passes, discounts at Zoo & Garden gift shops, invitations to special events and much more. To subscribe to Riverbanks or to join the Society, visit riverbanks.org or call 803.779.8717 and press 1.
Contributing Photographers - Larry Cameron, Lynn Hunter Hackett, Michael Jones
Cover Photograph - Toco Toucan by Larry Cameron
New Wetlands Monitoring Partnership
Rachael Bashor | VP of Mission Engagement
Wetlands play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity, filtering water, providing wildlife habitat, and reducing the impact of flooding in our communities.
At Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, our commitment to conservation isn’t just about protecting wildlife—it’s also about empowering our entire team to actively participate in conservation efforts. We’re thrilled to announce an exciting new collaboration with the Carolina Wetlands Association, specifically designed to engage team members from across our organization in hands-on conservation.
This fall, a pilot wetland monitoring program will launch on the Riverbanks campus, engaging staff from departments across the organization. Quarterly monitoring activities will include collecting critical data on the health and wellbeing of our wetlands.
This initiative advances our commitment to creating meaningful conservation opportunities for our workforce. Experience has shown that participation is strongest when our colleagues can engage in activities that are collaborative, hands-on, and easy to access onsite.
We’ve tapped into the specialized skills of different teams within Riverbanks to lead this initiative including Life Support Systems, Horticulture, Herpetology, Mission Engagement, and Human Resources. To ensure the success and accuracy of our monitoring activities, representatives from these teams completed training sessions this summer led by the experts from the Carolina Wetlands Association.
Wetlands play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity, filtering water, providing wildlife habitat, and reducing the impact of flooding in our communities. By collecting detailed data through this monitoring effort, we will deepen our understanding of wetland health, informing future conservation decisions and actions that protect and enhance these critical habitats.
Our partnership with the Carolina Wetlands Association underscores our ongoing dedication to meaningful conservation through collaboration and hands-on involvement. We’re proud to provide yet another valuable opportunity for our dedicated team to make a tangible difference for wildlife and natural habitats at Riverbanks and beyond.
Together, we’re ensuring the continued health, vibrancy, and resilience of South Carolina’s treasured wild places for future generations.
World Migratory Bird Day is approaching on October 11, but celebrating native bird species is always in season.
As the built environment continues to overlap with the natural world, migratory bird populations face increased risks including injuries, habitat loss, and decreased food sources. However, there are many ways that Riverbanks strives to protect migratory birds—and with help from some friendly faces around our park, you can learn how to protect them too!
Visitors might notice windows around the park with a variety of patterns like dots or artwork. Unlike humans, birds cannot recognize glass as a solid barrier, resulting in collisions with glass that injure millions of birds every year. To help protect our feathered friends, Riverbanks has installed special window vinyl, decals, and UV-striped doors at our “high-risk” windows to make them bird-safe. Anyone can make their own bird-safe glass at home using these methods or other creative tools.
When stopping by the Birdhouse, guests may meet some of our passionate conservation engagement volunteers. They are often available with an interactive demonstration showing how a regular windowpane can be made birdsafe by using colorful (and washable!) window chalk. Kids especially are encouraged to get creative and learn how drawing their favorite designs can also help protect local birds.
Modifying a window’s appearance is a highly effective way to prevent collisions with glass and safeguard native bird populations, but there are plenty of other ways to support migratory birds and their habitats:
Add window screens to reduce reflectivity or lower the blinds during the day.
Decrease light sources at nighttime to prevent disorientation during migration.
Add birdbaths, nest boxes, or pollinator friendly plants that encourage foraging, nesting, and shelter for migratory birds. Make sure to avoid harmful pesticides!
Be sure to visit Riverbanks October 11, and join us in our World Migratory Bird Day celebration!
Riverbanks Joins Forces to Protect the Rocky Shoals Spider Lily
Rachael Bashor | VP of Mission Engagement
At Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, our dedication to protecting native plants in South Carolina runs deep. One plant we’ve long championed is the Rocky Shoals Spider Lily—a beautiful flower found only in select spots along our rivers. Blooming from May to June, this lily produces seed pods from late June through July. While we’ve been committed to working with this species in the Broad and Congaree Rivers, we recently had the exciting opportunity to partner with other conservation leaders working to help the lily flourish in other rivers.
Riverbanks staff joined colleagues from the Catawba Riverkeepers and Clemson University for a special propagation event at Great Falls. The mission? To continue establishing a new Rocky Shoals Spider Lily population in a recently restored habitat along the Long Bypass Reach.
This event provided us a chance to experience a different approach from our own process. Typically, we collect seeds, carefully grow them in controlled conditions, and plant them into their natural habitat during later seasons. However, this particular day involved planting seeds collected by volunteers earlier that morning at Landsford Canal State Park.
Once the collected seeds arrived in Great Falls, our teams hiked down to the riverbanks, scouting the perfect spots to give the lily seeds their best chance to thrive. Under the guidance of the Catawba Riverkeeper experts, we carefully planted seeds directly into their new home, sharing insights and discussing different strategies along the way. Events like these are invaluable. They allow us to exchange ideas, learn new methods, and strengthen partnerships crucial to conservation efforts. Protecting native plants like the Rocky Shoals Spider Lily helps maintain healthy ecosystems and supports local wildlife, benefiting our entire community.
At Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, we know that the future of South Carolina’s natural habitats depends on collaborative efforts. Together, through projects like this, we can keep our state wild, vibrant, and full of life.
Winter Zoo Camp
Registration Opens September 15
Member discount code: MEMBER25!
Adult Workshops
Concrete Leaves
September 20 and 27 • 10-11:30am
$30 members, $36 general public
This two-day workshop guides you through creating a unique piece of art for indoors or out. Using the wonderful variety of leaves from Riverbanks Botanical Garden, participants will select a leaf, create a sand mold, and make a concrete cast of their chosen leaf. On September 27, the leaves will be cured and ready to paint during class. If you can only make the first date, arrangements can be made for picking up your leaf at a later time.
Plant ‘n’ Pour
October 9 • 6pm • $20 members, $25 general public
Stroll through the Garden and learn about great plants for pollinators during this after-hours program. Enjoy demonstrations of how to help beneficial insects and create a healthy ecosystem in your backyard. Tickets include one drink per person.
Creating a Water Garden
October 18 • 10am • $20 members, $25 general public
Zach Steinhauser from Wingard’s Market will guide participants through the steps of creating a backyard water garden that fits your space and budget. The workshop will cover basic needs of a water garden and which plants perform the best in South Carolina.
Drying and Using Herbs
November 8 • 10am • $20 members, $25 general public
Join us as we talk about effective ways to dry and preserve herbs for use year-round. Participants will learn about herbal mixes for dips, soups or teas, while creating an herbal blend of their own to take home.
Holiday Wreaths
December 13 • 10am or 1pm
$30 members, $36 general public
Use fresh cut greenery from the Riverbanks campus to create a wreath for your door or a table top centerpiece. With a variety of leaves and seed heads, no two wreaths ever look alike!
Discover Nature in Hidden Places
Mary Catherine Ballou | Horticulturist
Imagine trekking through woodland paths, across an open grassy field, down plant-lined trails until a shaded clearing appears, surrounded by trees, ferns, and toadstools, with dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy overhead. Upon closer inspection, colorful details emerge, revealing a neighborhood of fairy houses, some nestled in tree boughs, others at eye-level. Squinting, the fairies themselves appear in various positions, illuminated by an array of suncatchers hanging upon branches and suspension bridges made of wood or rope.
Welcome to Riverbanks’ fairy garden, an evolving oasis hidden off the beaten path, between the treehouse and bullfrog pond at Waterfall Junction, offering a break from the hustle and bustle of the sunny splash zones. The elliptical-shaped fairy garden features several access points ranging from steps onto the lawn to a makeshift route winding beneath the weeping winged elm. These entry options, some more visible than others, highlight the fun of discovering new places. The fairy garden provides an area at Riverbanks where visitors of all ages can discover, and rediscover, the abundant joy and magic hidden among life’s tiny details.
The initial fairy garden began with Waterfall Junction’s opening in 2016. Fast forward to today, and a revival of this haven is underway. Along with handcrafted fairy houses and silhouettes, other highlights include a mound covered in shade-loving plants with a door tucked into the side of the terrain, a barrel containing unearthed objects emphasizing inspiration found in nature, and a child-sized bench for kids to sit upon and allow their creativity to run freely. A reading circle is in the works along with other whimsical installation concepts.
Children are welcome to explore this whimsical section of the Botanical Garden, enriching their discovery of the natural world and maybe constructing a fairy residence of their own. As this renovation is completed, guests are encouraged to visit this fall to witness the progress and perhaps catch a glimpse of fairy magic in real time, experiencing the wonder themselves.
The Travels of a Cinereous Vulture Chick Zoo to Zoo
Last spring, a cinereous vulture chick hatched at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. This hatch was very exciting, as cinereous vultures are a rare, near-threatened species with wild populations declining and their natural habitat range shrinking.
After three days of care by our bird team, I was given the amazing opportunity to transport the chick to the Toledo Zoo and shadow their bird staff. My primary goal on this trip was to observe the chick’s care while learning as much as possible about how the Toledo Zoo cares for their adult cinereous vultures, the juvenile flock, and many of their other birds.
Paige Dunn | Bird Keeper
Riverbanks collaborated with the Toledo Zoo in 2022, when their male Cinereous vulture, Eddie, successfully raised Parker, a chick hatched at our zoo, who is now integrated into the Toledo Zoo juvenile flock. Cinereous vulture chicks depend on their parents for care and protection until they are ready to leave the nest, typically between six and seven months old. This makes having a reliable foster parent especially important.
We have high hopes that this new young bird will also join Toledo Zoo’s juvenile flock of five males and three females. This unique arrangement provides young birds with the opportunity to bond with each other from a young age and choose their mate, a strategy that increases compatibility and supports the long-term success of the Species Survival Plan®. Despite their age, the juvenile flock has access to multiple nest platforms available for the vultures, so pairs beginning to bond can practice nest building and potentially lay eggs for the first time.
The trip up to Toledo was a long drive filled with adventure. The chick stayed warm in a portable brooder box, with stops being made every three hours for feedings. Upon arrival, the chick was fed and settled into one of the brooders for the night. The next morning, I gave the chick her morning feed and then watched as the team performed a health check on the chick before she was introduced to Eddie.
Cinereous vultures are one of the most beautiful species housed at Riverbanks.
Eddie was gentle and attentive towards the chick right from the start. Keepers supplemented the chick’s diet with three daily feeds of small pinky mice and rats, carefully observing feeding response and overall health. Cameras on the exhibit allowed keepers to monitor them throughout the day, tracking how often Eddie regurgitated food to feed the chick. Under his care, the chick has grown exponentially. Regular health checks have proven that the chick is growing as expected.
The Toledo Zoo bird team is incredibly compassionate, creative, and hard-working. Over four days, they allowed me to shadow their daily tasks. I gained professional insight into day-to-day animal care, enrichment, diets, exhibit design, and more. This collaboration allows us to develop our professional relationship with the Toledo Zoo and supports our shared efforts in the Species Survival Plan. Cinereous vultures are one of the most beautiful species housed at Riverbanks, and the knowledge I gained from this experience will help us continue to improve the care of our mated pair, Walter and Meera, as well as future chicks.
Walking About with Wallabies
As a zoo facility, we constantly evaluate our habitats and weigh the needs of different species; and sometimes that means we need to adjust what our animal diversity looks like. Regular visitors to our Kangaroo Walkabout have probably noticed some changes over the last year, and all have been made to enhance the wellbeing of each individual animal that calls that habitat home.
Riverbanks currently has two of the fifty Tammar wallabies that are managed as part of a Species Survival Program (SSP). To ensure genetic diversity and a healthy population, the SSP needs facilities to commit to helping grow the population, which is what we decided to do! Simone and Bandit welcomed their first baby, recently named Sherman (a reference to “P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way” from Finding Nemo), thanks to all of your votes. This does mean that Sherman will be leaving us to go to a new home once he is old enough, but we’re hopeful that Simone will continue to provide us with more joeys over time to continue to support the population of Tammar wallabies across the United States.
With this new commitment to the wallaby SSP, we needed to take a hard look at the space we have available for their growing family. Having four red kangaroos was visually impressive, but kangaroos need more room than their smaller counterparts, and we knew we needed to make room for more wallabies. Another facility was looking to expand their red kangaroo population, so we decided for to collaborate and send them two of our females. We selected two individuals who would handle the relocation well, and we were happy they could go together to a new home.
Now that we have two kangaroos instead of four, we can add to our wallaby population! Sherman is already here and capturing the hearts of everyone who sees him, and hopefully Simone will more young, jumping, jovial joeys to the habitat. We also are working with the Bennett’s wallaby SSP to bring in more individuals for our male Bennett’s wallaby to have new friends to spend time with.
Saying goodbye can be hard. Sending animals to a new home feels like sending a teenager off to college—we hope that we hear updates, want them to succeed, and hope they will contribute to the bigger picture. But sometimes those goodbyes mean that we get to say “Welcome!” to some new friends. Please come by and say “Hello!” to our new friends at the Kangaroo Walkabout and be on the lookout for some new arrivals as they settle in.
Alyson Proveaux | Curator of Mammals
Sherman is already here and capturing the hearts of everyone who sees him.
THE ANIMAL EXPERIENCE
Greg Peccie | Vice President of Animal Care
The vision to bring animal habitats across the river has been in the works for several years. But how do we decide which habitats to build and what species will be represented? As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Riverbanks Zoo and Garden follows a template for animal representation called the Institutional Collection Plan. As species are considered and habitats are planned, Zoo leadership weighs various factors to determine the best choices. From costs for construction and daily operational needs to the expertise of the animal care staff and the conservation or sustainability needs for a species within the zoo and aquarium community, decisions become more challenging than simply picking a favorite animal.
Expanding the animal experience across the river is exciting for the Zoo, our members and the community. An increase in the developed acreage alone will propel Riverbanks into a higher class as one of the larger zoos in the country, but we won’t be developing all of the space all at once. While we are already thinking of future additions that will come further down the road, we are focused on the more immediate animal habitats planned for this next phase of Bridge to the Wild. Highlights will include considerable improvements for one of our most significant animals, a new species that will call Riverbanks home, and an opportunity to help address a critical need.
VISUALIZE THE JOURNEY
will encounter a brand-new tiger experience. AZA previously identified tiger breeding as a priority for big cat sustainability, and Riverbanks is committing the resources to support this goal. With a long history of tigers going back to Happy the tiger, we are excited to participate in the Sumatran tiger breeding program moving forward.
Continuing along your journey, you will have the chance to meet a new addition to the Zoo family—the red panda. This iconic species will be a highlight for many, whether you experience them playing in their indoor spaces, sleeping in the treetops, or interacting with guests during Backstage encounters.
home to Central and South American primates. There is a very serious issue with spider monkey and small primate confiscations at ports of entry due to wildlife trafficking. Providing homes for these oftenorphaned primates while sharing with our guests the importance of choosing pets wisely will make a measurable impact on helping wildlife and wild places.
The expansion of animal experiences at Riverbanks will continue to unfold in the years to come. We are excited to share these first few ventures with you as we build a Bridge to the Wild.
