Wild Discover Zone SWAN LAKE

This activity is designed to engage all ages of Zoo visitors. Your duty as an excellent educator, and interpreter is to adjust your approach to fit each group you interact with. Be aware that all groups are on some kind of a time limit. There are no set time requirements for this interaction. Read their behavior and end the interaction when they seem ready to move on.

Theme:. It is easy to observe wildlife all around us including our own backyards, parks, and green spaces.

Summary: Educators will help visitors observe local wildlife and learn techniques to identify several species of on Swan Lake with the help of field guides and technology.

Objectives: At the end of the encounter, guests will:  Appreciate that wildlife is a part of our communities and accessible to all  Use observation skills to compare and contrast field marks on local animals  Be able to identify several different species on Swan Lake  Engage with technology through the use of binoculars and spotting scope to make observations

Location: Cart near Swan Lake between Gibbon Island and Admin Building

Materials: Binoculars, spotting scope with tripod, Swan Lake field guides, feeder with seed, several hummingbird feeders Background Information:

While many visitors consider “wildlife” the exotic animals we have in the Zoo, there is actually native wildlife happening all around us too! One of the most observable types of local wildlife is . Correctly identifying birds and other types of plants and animals is possible with a few techniques and tools paired with simple observation. One of those techniques is observing “field marks”, the subtle differences in or behavior,

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Field Marks

Field marks are used as a way to observe differences in the appearance of many species of and plants. Through comparison and contrast one can see these field marks and correctly identify different species.

The figure on the left shows field marks of several species of thrushes, the American robin, varied thrush and wood thrush.

The small arrows point to the field marks that help to indentify which species of thrush you are observing.

Wetland Habitat Ohio is home to different habitats including wetlands. Wetlands include rivers, lakes, ponds, low level ground, areas where groundwater is present and flat areas with a lot of rainfall. Some local places you can find wetland habitat are parks, cemeteries, golf courses, and other green belts. Our own zoo has a wetland right in the middle of it which is a great spot to observe local wildlife including birds, pond turtles and fish.

Diving

Pied-billed Grebe (top right) Canvasback (top left) Redhead (left) Note the field marks, compare and contrast the redhead and canvasback; what is similar and what is different?

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Ducks with White on the Face or Head

Bufflehead (top left) Hooded Merganser (top right) Ruddy (bottom right)

Dabbling Ducks

Northern Pintail (top left) (bottom left) Wood Duck (Above)

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Trumpeter Swans

Perching Birds

Song sparrow Northern cardinal Blue jay Red winged blackbird

Zone Set-up: Check the bird feeders and add seed or nectar to the hummingbird feeders if needed. Remove three pair of binoculars from the cart for use by the guests. Set up tripod and attach spotting scope, adjust tripod height as needed for various guests. The tripod is readily adjustable. Place several of the “Swan Lake Field Guides” on the cart for the guests to use in the identification of birds, fish and turtles all found commonly on Swan Lake. Assign one person as Volunteer A and one person as Volunteer B. Feel free to switch roles as often as you both like throughout your shift. Volunteer A should be positioned farther away from the cart to engage visitors in conversation closer to the exhibit and can direct them towards Volunteer B. Volunteer B will be stationed at the cart with the activity materials. Make sure you count guest attendance during your shift.

Breaking the Ice: Tips for getting started. Volunteer A should mingle with guests as they walk by or stopping to observe Swan Lake. Engage them with an icebreaker by introducing yourself as a volunteer and striking up a conversation about their experience at the Cincinnati Zoo, answering their questions, or adding something to their observations. Volunteer B can do the same thing at the cart as guests approach. Ask them if they’d like to check out some of the animals that live on Swan Lake! 4

Doing the Activity: Depending on how your initial conversation starts, there are a variety of ways to have an engaging discussion about the wildlife on Swan Lake. Go with the flow of what the guests are interested in while still focusing on the theme. 1. Encourage the guests to use a pair of binoculars to observe the waterfowl, turtles, or fish near the shore. Ask them to describe what features seem most obvious and to describe those features. 2. Share the Swan Lake Field Guides with the guest and show them the photo of the type of animal they are observing. Help them choose which bird they think they are observing and compare and contrast field marks between similar species. 3. For a closer observation of some of the animals that are farther away, invite guests to try out the spotting scope. Most visitors are very excited to see how much extra detail they can see with the use of a scope. 4. As birds come and go from the feeders, guests can observe and enjoy identifying the different species. 5. Engage guests in a discussion that these are completely local and wild birds and are not “exhibit animals”. Wildlife exists even in our own backyards!

Ending the Activity: Find out if there is any more information they’d like to know about Swan Lake. Make sure to remind guests about other cool places to visit or things to see while they are here! Find out what the guest is interested in and make an appropriate suggestion. Make sure to thank them for stopping by! Zone Clean-up: Put all materials inside the cart. Record your attendance on the attendance sheet and make a note if any materials are missing. Please report any cart issues on the clipboard in the volunteer room.

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