NEWSLETTER FOR EDUCATORS FALL 2012

Dear Educator, WOODLAND PARK ZOO SAVES AND THEIR HABITATS Do you remember seeing us on zoo grounds in February and March? Or maybe we sent you an THROUGH CONSERVATION email about your self-guided visit? For those of you who participated in our research, thank you! We were able to gather some great information that will help the zoo to support teachers who LEADERSHIP AND ENGAGING bring their students on self-guided tours. EXPERIENCES, INSPIRING PEOPLE TO LEARN, CARE AND ACT. We would like to share some information with you about what we discovered during this yearlong project, but first would like to introduce our connection with Woodland Park Zoo. We, Michelle DelCarlo, Eric LaPlant and Siri Linz, are graduate students in the Museology Graduate Program at the University of Washington. The three of us participated in the New Directions in Audience Research track of the graduate program that partners student CONTENTS researchers and local institutions. This process is a learning experience for both students and Programs at a Glance...... 2 organizations. The organizations define a question for a particular area or program and the News and Updates...... 2 students employ methods of data collection and analysis learned in class to provide results for Professional Development...... 3 the organization over a yearlong period. Borneo Earth Expedition...... 4 Our team looked specifically at the self-guided tour format and our participants included K-12 Advanced Inquiry Program...... 4 teachers in Seattle and the surrounding areas. The evaluation question that framed our research and planning was: Educator Resources...... 5

Are K-12 teachers’ goals for their self-guided visits to Woodland Park Zoo being met? School Programs at the Zoo...... 6 School Visit Registration Form...... 7 Some of the secondary questions we looked at were: Homeschool Days...... 8 1. What are K-12 teacher’s goals for self-guided visits to Woodland Park Zoo? Wild Wise...... 9 2. How are teachers preparing for self-guided tours? 3. What motivates the teachers to participate in self-guided tours to Woodland Park Zoo? Up Close...... 10 4. Are the zoo’s resources for self-guided visits effective in helping teachers meet their goals? Conservation Corner...... 11 Through multiple data collection methods (online surveys, onsite observations/interviews and Career Corner...... 13 post-visit surveys) we gathered a rich data set that allowed for some general observations to be Activity for Students...... 14 made about the experiences of teachers during self-guided tours. We have listed some of our Classes and Camps...... 15 results below. Overnight Adventures...... 15 • Overall, participants reported positively about their self-guided zoo visit and the majority found their visit to be successful. • A wide variety of goals were reported, but as expected, the main goals for self-guided visits as Woodland Park Zoo serves as a vital resource for teachers and students reported by teachers were to observe and learn about animals. across the state. Check the zoo’s website • Online materials from the Woodland Park Zoo’s website were reportedly downloaded and for updates on happenings at the zoo, used. The majority of respondents did find those materials helpful. information on education programs, The zoo will be working in the next few months to incorporate some of our results and and plant fact sheets, and other resources for teachers and their students. recommendations into the self-guided format, so keep that in mind when you schedule your next visit. Additionally, don’t forget that the zoo’s website has a wonderful collection of online resources that you can use to help you prepare for your trip as well as many worksheets that can be used during your visit. To find these resources, please use the link below. www.zoo.org http://zoo.org/education/teacher-resources

Thanks again for participating in our research and if you want to know any further details, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Michelle DelCarlo ([email protected]), Eric LaPlant ([email protected]), Siri Linz ([email protected])

Enjoy your future visits to the zoo! NEWS and updates Programs at a Glance Call 206.548.2424 for program information School bus drop-off available only at the South Entrance! Please remember that the only safe zoo entrance to unload and Outreach load school buses is the South Entrance at N 50th Street and Up CLOSE Fremont Avenue North. Schools that ride the Metro bus to the zoo King County; Pre K-12th grades have the option of using the West Entrance. Fees vary Our expanded live animal outreach program provides School-to-Zoo programs and bus funding exciting and educational encounters with a wider variety available to King County schools of species right in your classroom! Choose from our Schools throughout King County with 30% or more of their total longstanding bird of prey programs, or from our new reptile student body receiving free or reduced-rate lunches will receive free or arthropod programs. All programs are geared toward the admission and subsidized transportation expenses. Funding is available specific age groups to which they are offered, and designed September through April, so get your reservation forms in early! You to support the state science standards for those grades. See can attend a School-to-Zoo program, a ZEST program, or plan your page 10 for more information. own self-guided zoo visit. These opportunities are provided with support from the King County Parks levy passed in 2007. For program Wild Wise information, see page 6 or call 206-548-2424. King County; 4th-7th grades Fees vary Quarters for Conservation The Wild Wise program includes a high-impact, multimedia Now you and your students can have a bigger role in forming indoor presentation and a hands-on, inquiry-based outdoor Woodland Park Zoo’s stories by helping us choose which exploration. 4th through 7th grade students learn to hone conservation actions, animals and habitats we work with in the their observation and investigation skills as they study and coming year. One quarter ($0.25) of each admission will be devoted spend time in Washington habitats, including their own! See to our field conservation projects — and everyone who visits is able page 9 for more details. to vote for the project they care about most. Just pick up your token, look for the Quarters for Conservation kiosks inside the West and South Entrances, and VOTE!

At the zoo ZEST (Zoo Experiences for Students and Teachers) School Rates 2012/2013 Free; K-12th grades Rates for schools visiting the zoo are as follows: A variety of K-12 programs are available from October through September 1, 2012 – February 29, 2013...... $6.50 April. Explore the African Savanna, Northern Trail, Tropical Asia, Endangered Species, or Tropical Rain Forest with your students March 1, 2013 – April 30, 2013...... $7.50 and trained docent guides. See page 6 for details. May 1, 2013 – August 31, 2013...... $9.00 All rates are per person, and require advance written School-to-Zoo Programs reservations and a minimum of one chaperone for every Free; K-5th grades in King County six students. Chaperones must stay with students of all ages School-to-Zoo programs are aligned with the NSRC/STC throughout their zoo visit. science kits adopted by Seattle schools. These tour-based programs are available Tuesday through Friday, mid-September through April. They are designed to complement your science Zoo Hours lessons. For schools with 30% or more students on the free and reduced-rate lunch program, students’ zoo admission is free and May 1 – September 30...... 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. transportation is subsidized. See page 6 for more details. October 1 – April 30...... 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Zoo Overnight and Evening Adventures $45-$50 per person Looking for a new way to see the zoo with your students? Take the ultimate field trip: an evening or night at the zoo, where you will revel in a touch experience with an education animal, hear insider stories of what goes on at the zoo, and learn about natural history on special after-hours tours with an expert guide. Open to groups of 22-75, including adults and children, minimum age: 7 years. See page 15 for details.

2 Educator Professional Development

NEW! Online registration and payment! Courses are open to educators of all grades, including pre-service teachers and other professionals. Students enrolled in the AIP Master’s (see page 4) or other Please visit zoo.org/teacher-development and students taking the course for credit will be given priority enrollment. If there click the Register Online button to register is space in the course, Washington state-approved clock hours will be available and pay for this course. Payment is by credit to those participants not taking the course for credit. The courses are held card only. Please contact the registrar at 206- at Woodland Park Zoo (unless otherwise noted) and include presentations by 548-2424 or [email protected] if guest speakers, tours of zoo grounds, group discussions and hands-on activities. you wish to use a different payment method.

Zoo Expeditions: Primate Behavior & In this course, we will investigate primate conservation and behavior Conservation through direct observation at Woodland Park Zoo. Opportunities Four Saturdays in Fall 2012: October 13, October 27, will be provided for comparative studies on topics including social November 17, December 1 structure, reproductive behavior and communication. We will examine 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day primate conservation issues and explore how zoos partner to Credit: 3 graduate semester credits support primate conservation in the field. This course will provide Clock hours: 28 clock hours will be available a foundation for understanding zoo-based and field-based animal Cost: $300 Woodland Park Zoo course fee + $460 Miami behavior research methods and how these methods contribute to University course fee covers the cost of credit and administration. wildlife conservation solutions. Zoo fees cover zoo admission, materials, snacks and clock hours. Registration due dates: Monday, July 30, 2012 (for those taking the course for credit). Monday, October 1, 2012 (for all others)

Ryan Hawk, WPZ

3 Educator Professional Development

EARTH EXPEDITION

Borneo: Primate Conservation June/July 2013 (dates to be determined) Application Due Date: January 28, 2013

Join Woodland Park Zoo and Miami University’s Project Dragonfly for an Earth Expedition to Borneo in Southeast Asia! This program is focused on primate conservation with an emphasis on building an alliance of individuals with firsthand knowledge of inquiry-driven, community-based learning for the benefit of ecological communities, student achievement, and global understanding. Course participants earn 7 graduate credits through Miami University at a substantially reduced course fee. Educators may take this graduate course independently or as graduate students in Woodland Park Zoo’s Advanced Inquiry Program (below), our Master’s program for educators, which is also offered in partnership with Project Dragonfly. Participants will complete web-based coursework from late April through early December 2013.

For more information see the zoo’s website (http://www.zoo.org/teacher-development). Ryan Hawk, WPZ

Advanced Inquiry Program

Woodland Park Zoo and Project Dragonfly at Miami University in For more information on the AIP program, see Ohio are thrilled to introduce the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP), www.zoo.org/education/teachers/aip an exciting new Master’s program for educators. Co-delivered by Application deadline for the Advanced Inquiry Program faculty at Miami University and Woodland Park Zoo professional is February 28, 2013 for enrollment in summer 2013. education staff, the AIP combines graduate courses at the zoo with web-based learning communities that connect a broad network of educators and community leaders. Ryan Hawk, WPZ Advanced Inquiry Program benefits:

• The zoo and the world as your classroom: 21 credit hours are completed at Woodland Park Zoo or field sites around Washington state and 14 credit hours are taken with AIP Master’s students nationwide via web-based learning communities. Up to 7 credit hours from an Earth Expeditions global field course (www. earthexpeditions.org) may count toward the degree.

• Convenient: Can be completed in 2 1/2 years part-time while working!

• Affordable: Approximately $2,720 per year for basic course fees!

• Relevant to the classroom: All program activities and materials integrate Washington’s Science and Environmental and Sustainability Learning Standards as well as national science standards for inquiry-based science learning.

4 EDUCATOR Resources

Woodland Park Zoo teacher packets contain background information, fact sheets, activity All teacher packets are ideas and resource information. Activities included in teacher packets help you meet available for free download Washington’s Essential Academic Learning Requirements and Washington’s Environmental at www.zoo.org and Sustainability Education Standards. Most activities are designed for use with students in grades K-12 and all are easily adapted to suit your needs. The packets can be used to help you design a curriculum for use at the zoo or in your classroom.

Dennis Dow, WPZ

African Savanna: The central theme of this packet is the Raptors: Birds of prey are magnificent animals that can be readily balance of nature. You and your students will examine the relationships seen in both urban and rural areas. Since they are top predators, between plants, animals and people of the east African savanna. This raptors provide an excellent avenue for studying a wide variety of packet includes information about ecotourism and how people can biological concepts, such as predator-prey relationships, adaptations minimize their impact on this fragile and fascinating part of the world. and the effects of human influence.

Amazing Arthropods: The group of animals classified as Reptiles & Amphibians: Cold-blooded animals have arthropods is the largest, most diverse group of animals in the world. developed unique physical characteristics and life cycles for survival It includes insects, spiders and lobsters. This packet helps you and your in a variety of habitats. This packet explores the human-posed threats students explore these fascinating and vitally important animals. faced by reptile and amphibian populations throughout the world. Specific examples are provided about species in Washington state Apes: This packet, designed for grades 6-9, focuses on apes and that are threatened or endangered. helps students to make connections between the physical, behavioral and environmental characteristics of apes. The packet also explores Tropical Asia: Plants, animals and people of tropical Asian the urgent issue of ape conservation. Using an interdisciplinary forests are inextricably linked. This packet looks at interconnections approach, activities are woven throughout the packet, providing that make life in the tropical rain forests of Asia possible and helps students with opportunities to build an understanding of apes’ students to learn about biodiversity and interdependence. Revised adaptations and strategies for survival. packet coming soon.

Endangered Species: This packet is designed for grades 5-12, Tropical Rain Forest: This packet presents information but includes background information and a few activities useful for on forests of the world, with an emphasis on tropical rain forests. grades K–4. You will find current information regarding endangered Activities and information focus on the different layers of the forest species in our state, country and throughout the world. and the species of plants and animals that are uniquely adapted to each layer. Also provided are ideas on how you and your students can Forest Explorers: This packet was designed to supplement help conserve forests. Woodland Park Zoo’s early elementary forest ecology program, but is adaptable for most elementary grades. With sections on forests, Washington Wildlife: Washington state contains some habitats, niches and interdependence, and conservation, Forest of the most diverse ecosystems in the nation. This packet takes Explorers compares Washington state’s temperate forests with a detailed look, through background information, activities and tropical rain forests of Central and South America. resources, at five different habitat regions: the steppe, montane, temperate forest, wetland and urban areas. Northern Trail: Life in the far north is hard. The ground is permanently frozen, the sun never shines during part of the winter, Zoo/Wildlife Careers: Did you know that the zoo employs and never sets during part of the summer. How do animals and plants more than 250 people in careers from accounting to zookeeping? adapt to this environment? This packet helps you share the mysteries This packet helps teachers of all grades guide their students in of Alaska with your students. explorations of zoo and other wildlife careers.

Teaching kits, DVDs and other materials are available for loan. See Teacher Resources at www.zoo.org for loan materials and fees.

5 School Programs at the Zoo

Education programs and materials provided by Woodland Park Zoo are designed to help students See page 7 for a School meet Washington’s Essential Academic Learning Requirements for students in science and other Visit Registration Form subjects, as well as Washington’s Environmental and Sustainability Education Standards.

School-to-Zoo ZEST (open to King County schools) Zoo Experiences for Students and Teachers (open to all schools) Available Tuesdays through Fridays September 18, 2012– April 26, 2013 Available Tuesdays through Thursdays Length: 1 hour (1½ hours for Forest Explorers) October 2, 2012 – Novmber 29, 2012 and For more information, please call 206.548.2424 February 5, 2013 – April 25, 2013 Length: 1 hour School-to-Zoo programs directly complement the NSRC/ For more information, please call 206.548.2424 STC science kits taught in grade K-5 classrooms. Because these programs are so closely aligned to the science kits, they are The following interactive experiences are available free of charge recommended for King County schools that are teaching the (with zoo admission) to all schools. Facilitated by zoo docents, these appropriate science kits or related units. These programs are programs involve students in exploration of different areas of the zoo free to King County schools. Free zoo admission and subsidized and conservation issues through on-grounds zoo experiences and transportation are available to qualifying schools. in some cases, a classroom component. Programs are limited in size. Corresponding teacher packets that provide additional information, Farm and Fabric/Family Farm Grades K–1 activities and classroom curriculum material are available (see page 5). Students will use observation skills of the Animals 2 by 2 curriculum as they explore the differences and similarities in cows, Endangered Species Grades 5–12 chickens and goats. Students also have the opportunity to touch a Using inquiry-based learning, students will examine how wildlife farm animal and make their own fabric from sheep fleece. is impacted by changes in their environment and interaction with humans. Following the classroom program, students will tour the Weather and Organisms/African Savanna zoo to learn in-depth about some of the zoo’s endangered animals Grades K–2 and how they can make a difference. Focusing on the influences of weather on a variety of organisms, this program explores the African Savanna, where students learn Interconnections: People, Plants about plant and animal adaptations to hot dry seasons. and Animals Grades 1–12 While exploring the Asian Tropical Forest exhibit, students will Forest Explorers/Temperate & Tropical discover ways people, plants and animals depend on each other. Rain Forests Grades 1-3 Investigating how living things meet their basic needs reveals Forest Explorers introduces students to the important components important interconnections within ecosystems. of Costa Rica’s tropical rain forests and Washington state’s temperate forests. Students also discover the importance of soil in forest Soaked or Parched? Adaptations in the ecosystems. The program consists of an interactive auditorium African Savanna Grades 1–12 program and a tour of the zoo’s Temperate and Tropical Rain Forests. While visiting African animals including hippos, lions and patas monkeys, students will explore the role of water as a vital resource. Students will Plant Growth and Development/ investigate how the cycles of wet and dry seasons influence the lives of Tropical Asia Grades 2-4 people, plants and animals on the African savanna. Exploring the Trail of Vines, which features ecosystems of tropical Asia, students will discover how plants rely on animals, and how Survival in the North Grades 1–12 animals rely on seeds, seedlings, mature plants and even dead plants. What are the secrets of animal survival in the extreme seasons of the Arctic? Join us for this interactive program that explores the Ecosystems/Northen Trail Grades 3-5 physical and behavioral adaptations of wolves, bears, otters and The essential elements of an ecosystem — animals, plants, soil and other Alaskan animals in the zoo’s Northern Trail. water — gain new meaning for students as they investigate the zoo’s Northern Trail. Tropical Rain Forest Grades K–12 Tropical rain forests are ecosystems of amazing biological diversity. An interactive classroom presentation engages students in becoming different layers of the forest, followed by a tropical rain forest trek to discover wildlife from tropical forests.

6 WOODLAND PARK ZOO Registration Procedures 1. Fill out the registration form. Registration is done by mail 2012/2013 School Visit or fax only. Telephone registrations are not accepted. Questions? 206.548.2424 2. Get your application in early! Three weeks advance Registration Form notice is required for booking your zoo visit. 3. A two week cancelation notice is required to avoid a $50 late cancelation or no show fee.

1st choice 2nd choice 3rd choice Day of week M T W TH F Day of week M T W TH F Day of week M T W TH F Date / / Date / / Date / /

£ School-to-Zoo: September 18, 2012 - April 26, 2013 (King County schools only) £ Farm and Fabric (K-1st) £ 10:15 £ 11:30 Tuesday-Friday £ Weather and Organisms (K-2nd) £ 10:15 £ 11:30 Tuesday-Friday £ Soil/Forest Explorers (1st - 3rd) £ 10:30 — Tuesday-Friday £ Plant Growth and Development (2nd - 4th) £ 10:15 £ 11:30 Tuesday-Friday £ Ecosystems (3rd - 5th) £ 10:15 £ 11:30 Tuesday-Friday £ ZEST Docent-guided: October 2, 2012 - November 29, 2012 and February 5, 2013 - April 25, 2013 £ Endangered Species (5th -12th) £ 10:15 £ 11:30 Tuesday-Thursday £ Interconnections (1st - 12th) £ 10:15 £ 11:30 Tuesday-Thursday £ Soaked or Parched? (1st - 12th) £ 10:15 £ 11:30 Tuesday-Thursday £ Survival in the North (1st -12th) £ 10:15 £ 11:30 Tuesday-Thursday £ Tropical Rain Forest (K-12th) £ 10:15 £ 11:30 Tuesday-Thursday £ Self-guided Experience (All grade levels)

Number of Students: Number of Adult Chaperones: Number of Classes: Grade Level: One Chaperone, over 21 years of age, is required per six students, regardless of their age. Please let us know if your group has special needs.

School Name Office Phone ( ) Contact Teacher Direct Phone ( )  Public  Private  Homeschool Fax ( ) District County School Address City State Zip Email Best times to reach:

Please read and sign this form. Applications cannot be accepted without both signatures. By signing below Mail this form to: I agree to hold our school to Woodland Park Zoo’s Woodland Park Zoo rules of conduct: 601 North 59th Street Signature of Contact Teacher Seattle, WA 98103-5858 Date Attn: Group Registrar Name of School or fax 206.547.3553 Name of Principal Telephone registrations are not accepted. Signature of Principal Date Fall 2012

7 Programs for homeschools

homeschool days Friday, October 12th; Monday, October 15th & Wednesday, October 31st

Mammals 9:30-12:00 exploration Tables Education Center classroom (all ages) Join us for a day at Woodland Park Zoo exploring the many wonders of Interact with zoo naturalists to learn all about mammals. Animals in this diverse group including felids, bears, primates, at hands-on stations. marsupials and others share some very important characteristics. Come explore and build on your students’ natural curiosity about animals and 10:00-2:00 Discovery Carts learn what really makes a a mammal! Zoo Grounds (all ages) Visit mammal exhibits around the zoo and talk Specific programs offered for Homeschool Days are listed here; each with docents about the animals, their life cycles and day has the same schedule so please register for only one date to adaptations to their habitats. attend. There are also many activities that happen daily at the zoo. To see those, visit www.zoo.org/daily-activities. Before you attend, please 10:30-11:00 Mammal Presentation take a moment to plan your time at the zoo as some programs Education Center Auditorium (all ages) happen simultaneously. Zoo naturalists present one of our education mammals highlighting those special features that make it unique and To register visit https://www.zoo.org/education/homeschool the commonalities that make it fit in with other mammals.

Ryan Hawk, WPZ 10:30-11:00 Creature Feature Zoomazium (ages 0-8) Children can get up close with live, furry animals. Meet the star from a puppet story or practice observation skills to discover who’s in the mystery box. You may even design a play space for a curious creature and watch as it explores.

12:30-1:00 mammal Presentation Education Center Auditorium (all ages) Zoo naturalists present one of our education mammals highlighting those special features that make it unique and the commonalities that make it fit in with other mammals.

12:30-12:45 Puppet Show Zoomazium (ages 0-8) Join our puppets as they tell a story and sing a song

Dennis Dow, WPZ about mammals. After the show, join our puppets on stage for a dance party.

12:30-2:30 aNimal Inquiry & Observation Wolf Exhibit in Northern Trail (all ages) Join us at the wolf exhibit to participate in an inquiry investigation. Young students will help us answer a question by making observations like zoo naturalists do and older students will practice being scientists by asking their own question and collecting data to answer that question.

1:00-3:00 Nature Exchange Zoomazium (ages 6-12) Come and learn about incorporating Nature Exchange into your curriculum! Nature Exchange is Woodland Park Zoo’s own special kind of “swap shop” where you can bring in the natural things you find and trade them for things in our collection--shells, rocks, fossils, pine cones and lots of other cool stuff! 8 Programs at your school

WildWise

Please contact the Group Registrar at 206.548.2424 or Available in King County [email protected] for more information, Monday through Friday or visit www.zoo.org September through May

Wild Wise provides a chance for your students to experience the habitats Fees: $160 for the first presentation; and wildlife of Washington in their own classroom and schoolyard. Led by $110 for each additional presentation (can be Woodland Park Zoo naturalists, Wild Wise offers both an interactive multi- either indoor or outdoor) media presentation and outdoor field exploration. With a focus on hands-on Maximum of 4 presentations per day. science and observational skills, Wild Wise is designed to support Washington State Science Standards for 4th to 7th grades.

Ryan Hawk, WPZ

Indoor Presentation Outdoor Exploration The Wild Wise indoor presentation is meant to showcase the Outdoor Explorations are intended to follow the indoor program amazing habitats of Washington and the animals which call them and serve as an extension of the topics covered inside. Many of our home. The program also focuses on skills used by professional Outdoor Explorations have been designed to give your students biologists and naturalists. Students will receive a waterproof field hands-on experience with the topics and skills in the Washington journal and embark on a virtual field trip across Washington, learning State Science Standards how to identify and recognize native flora and fauna. In addition they’ll see what people are doing to protect our environment right here in Outdoor Exploration Options Washington, and what they can do to help. • Nature Explorations • Research-Based Field Exploration • Wetland Exploration • Compass and GPS Use • Nature Journaling • Native Legends and Ethnobotany

9 Programs at your school

UPCLOSE

Live animal encounters in your classroom!

Please contact the Group Registrar at 206.548.2424 or Available in King County [email protected] for more information, Tuesday through Friday – September through May or visit www.zoo.org Fees: $160 for the first presentation; $110 for a second presentation Bring the Washington State Science Standards to life with engaging of the same program, starting no more than 90 minutes after the first classroom encounters with live zoo animals! Up CLOSE programs program’s start time. Maximum of 2 presentations per day. harness your students’ natural fascination with birds of prey, Participating teachers can choose to receive a free copy reptiles, or arthropods to teach about animal classification, life of the appropriate teacher packet. cycles, behavior, ecological systems and more. FREE for low income schools (if 30% or more of your students are on free or reduced-rate lunch, you qualify)

Raptor programs: (Formerly called SOAR programs) Arthropod programs: Maximum 80 students per program (but we strongly recommend Maximum 60 students per program no more than 60 for preschool and Kindergarten groups) What Makes a “Bug?” Pre K-1st grade Owls: Who Are They? Pre K-5th grade, and mixed-age groups Every young child knows the word “bug,” but what sorts of animals Silent hunters of the night, owls loom large in the human imagination. might we include in that category? This program explores the world But the reality of owls and their adaptations for nocturnal life are of arthropods – insects, spiders, millipedes, and more – examining even more amazing! This program is unforgettable for its intended age the characteristics that all species in the phylum share. Supports state group, but also easily adapted for mixed ages and general audiences. science standards K-1 SYSA, LS1B, LS1D and LS3C. Supports state science standards K-1 SYSA, LS1B and LS1D; 2-3 SYSC and SYSE; 4-5 LS1B and LS1C. This Is Their Life: Arthropods 2nd - 3rd grades Arthropods lead very different lives than our own, and in many cases, Raptor Ecology 4th -12th grades very different lives from one another. This program compares and Focuses on food webs, ecology, and the varied and important roles contrasts the fascinating life cycles of different arthropod species. raptors play in ecological systems. Also discussed are threats to Supports state science standards 2-3 SYSE and LS1B. raptors, and how raptors are often key indicators of environmental health. Supports state science standards 4-5 LS2C through F; 6-8 Reptile programs: LS2B, LS2D and LS2E. Maximum 60 students per program

What Makes a Reptile? Pre K-1st grade Reptiles hold great fascination for people of all ages. This program Discovery Kits uses that fascination to explore what all reptiles have in common, and Teachers participating in an Up CLOSE program may also rent what characteristics are used to divide them into their separate orders. an Arthropod, Raptor, Owl or Reptile Discovery Kit for two Supports state science standards K-1 SYSA, LS1B, LS1D and LS3C. weeks. Biological specimens may include: bones, skulls, feathers, skins and mounted displays. Videos, books and current news This Is Their Life: Reptiles 2nd - 3rd grades articles are just a few of the additional items you will find in one Eating plants or eating animals, laying eggs or not laying eggs, growing up fast of these kits. Kits must be picked up and dropped off at the zoo’s or growing up slowly, reptiles run the gamut of different ways of life. Engage Guest Services inside the South Entrance. $27.00 loan fee. your students’ interest in life cycles by introducing them to the astounding world of reptiles! Supports state science standards 2-3 SYSE and LS1B.

10 focus on conservation

CONSERVATION CORNER

Pig vs.

Two new wild pig species have oinked into Woodland Park Zoo. The common (Phacochoerus africanus) and the Visayan warty pig (Sus cebifrons) are both in the family which includes all pig species, from domestic to wild pig species found in Africa, Europe and Asia. All wild pig species are important parts of their environments, often a primary prey for predators from large birds of prey to tigers, and shapers of habitat due to rooting behaviors. And a few are just as endangered as some of the more well-known (and traditionally more attractive) animals.

But beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Warthog Visayan warty pig • Lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland in sub-Saharan Africa. • Historically endemic to forested areas on six islands in the , the Visayan warty pig is now extinct on four of the • Although there are no current major threats to warthog islands due to overhunting and habitat destruction; as much as populations (estimated at around 250,000), the species is 95% has been cleared for agriculture. very susceptible to drought and hunting, which may result in localized extinctions. • The Visayan warty pig is considered critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). • Four large protrusions found on the head serve the purpose of Several European and U.S. zoos are involved in captive breeding defense when males (boars) fight as well as a fat reserve. to ensure their survival. • The warthog is the only pig species adapted to grazing and • Three pairs of fleshy warts present on the visage of the male savanna habitats. Its diet is omnivorous, eating mostly grasses, roots, (boar). Biologists speculate that the reason for the warts is to berries and other fruits, bark, fungi, insects, eggs and carrion. During assist as a natural defense against the tusks of rival pigs during a the wet seasons, graze on short perennial grasses; during fight. The boars also grow stiff spiky hair on top of their heads. the dry seasons, bulbs, rhizomes and roots. • Their wild diet mainly consists of forest roots, tubers and fruits. They may also eat cultivated crops.

11 focus on conservation

CONSERVATION CORNER

Visayan Warty Pig conservation The Visayan warty pig was endemic to six of the Visayan Islands in central Philippines; however, currently it exists in the western mountains of and in scattered forests on Negros, and possibly Masbate. Visayan warty pigs require dense forested areas; unfortunately they have lost over 95% of their former habitats due to logging and cultivation of crops such as sugar cane. With the loss of traditional forest food sources, the wild pigs encroach on cultivated land and face human persecution from farmers as crop-raiding pests. Contact with domesticated and feral pigs led to hybridization and spread of disease. They were also hunted for their meat. Current pure-bred warty pig population estimates do not exist. The population of Visayan warty pigs is both extremely fragmented and declining.

African Warthog by Ikiwaner The Negros Forests and Ecological Foundation (NFEFI) has worked tirelessly for 25 years to protect and conserve the environment and wildlife of Negros. NFEFI projects are mainly managed by volunteers. Over the years these volunteers have worked to reforest hundreds of acres. NFEFI has also established one of the country’s leading conservation breeding centers. However, the Philippine forest species and habitats are one of the most endangered in the world and face imminent threat of destruction.

Conservation actions promote a future for the Visayan warty pig. The Philippines lawfully protects Visayans and some protected areas and natural parks exist on both Panay and Negros islands. The Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources and cooperated in the formation of the Visayan Warty Pig Conservation Programme (VWPCP) in 1991/2. Its goals include surveys and field research, such as status of any warty pigs on Masbate Island; local programs of education awareness, personnel training, and capacity-building; establishment of new protected areas; Visayan Warty Pig by Ryan Hawk, WPZ and conservation breeding programs of pure-bred animals.

Brian Gratwicke Introducing New Zealand’s kunekune Hundreds of breeds of exist throughout the world. One of the rarest is New Zealand’s kunekune (koo-nee-koo-nee). Believed to have descended from an Asian domestic breed introduced to New Zealand in the early 19th century by whalers or traders, the native Maori adopted kunekune as their own; kunekune means “fat and round” in Maori. Woodland Park Zoo is happy to have this breed in our Family Farm.

The kunekune, with its shortened, squashed snouts, twin wattles (known as piri piri), compact body and friendly, placid nature attracted the attention of two pig enthusiasts who helped start a breeding program from the remaining 50 purebred kunekune. Today, they are no longer facing threat of extinction with numbers rising among hobbyist breeders and breeding societies in New Zealand, Europe and the U.S. dedicated to preserving this heritage breed.

12 focus on conservation

Career Corner Excerpts from an interview with R. Scott Vance, Interpretive Exhibit Specialist

WPZ: What does your job entail? RSV: Research directs us to the stories we can tell in an exhibit. In the case of the warty pig, it’s the slash-and-burn story. Basically, after RSV: I work on the exhibits, the things our visitors interact with - decades of commercial and industrial logging, some of which was illegal, communicating the stories of the animals and habitats, helping to the main problem now is the smaller scale slash-and-burn farming develop the content and make the connections to conservation. practices, in which farmers convert smaller forest fragments into Then there’s the care and maintenance of the interpretive program agricultural land by cutting back the vegetation and burning it. They’re elements all over the zoo, the messaging and the signs. But it’s not basically trying to augment their family income by growing crops both just about the signs. It’s about how all of it looks and feels and what to sell and for the family to eat. If they find a Visayan warty pig on their is being conveyed. property, they’ll shoot it for money as well as for food.

WPZ: What does a typical day look like? WPZ: How did you tell that story in this exhibit?

RSV: There’s no such thing! Most days have me spending too much RSV: We identified a couple of key places for signs and then time at my computer and too many meetings. I’m responding to married the sign content with the two views we wanted to show. animal moves, pathway interruptions, that kind of thing. Almost The first view is an overlook of the pristine, natural forest that was every day involves researching something about an animal and its the original habitat of Visayan warty pigs. The second view includes habitat. I frequently consult with Animal Management on signage more of the exhibit that replicates the current slash-and-burn needs and fixes for exhibit problems. Then there are specific project problem (“kaingin” in Tagalog) within the exhibit. Much of this bare, needs such as photo research or a sign plan or acquiring an artifact blackened area kaingin in the exhibit is actually burned, the rest is to incorporate into the exhibit or signage. But I try and get outside made of artificial materials that are painted. That view stimulates a when I can to do my “ground rounds”, making sure everything question in the visitor - then our signs supply answers. functions and looks good all over the zoo. There are only two of us focused on this so the workload is crazy. WPZ: So how can we help Visayan warty pigs?

WPZ: What kind of background do you need for a job like yours? RSV: We can certainly support their cause financially. There are organizations working on deforestation issues in the Philippines. RSV: I would say, traditionally, a background that I don’t have! I Others are working directly with endangered animals*. Supporting believe this job is usually held by a naturalist. But interpretation is the field work of reputable conservation organizations in the field an interesting field and people come at it from different angles. So is powerful. They tend to make their dollars go a long way. And the a background in biology is good - from school or field experience. Philippines is such a hot spot. There are lots of endemic animals Writing skills and communication skills are critical to be able to do and plants – species found nowhere else in the world – being lost the job well. My background is in art, design, communications, and through deforestation. Most of these islands have had tremendous I’ve long been an observer of nature. The design background has loss of forests. Negros has gone from being 98% forested to 28% actually been very useful because immersive exhibits, like we have forested. And only 4% is original old growth forest – the rest is here at the zoo, are very complex design challenges. secondary and tertiary growth. Add the hunting and poaching and WPZ: You recently worked on the new Visayan warty pig exhibit. you’ve got a recipe for endangered species. What was the process from start to finish? But really we are still in the research phase for Visayan warty pig RSV: I immediately find out about the animal, where it lives, how conservation needs. More research is needed on these forest pigs it behaves. I start with the natural history - the wild story. Then I in their natural habitat. We just don’t know enough and there’s little get the site plan for the exhibit and go out on site to see what’s habitat left for them. And because they’ve been hybridizing with possible. What is on site that we can interpret? I also want to try feral (domestic) pigs we don’t even know how many true Visayan to find the problems immediately. For example, a big interpretive warty pigs there are in their range. problem with the warty pig exhibit was that we are asking visitors I would love for people to understand that it’s possible for any to understand that they are viewing a Philippine species, but most competent individual to become an expert on a species – perhaps of the area signage, architecture and setting are all taken from THE expert on a species. And at any rate, one can find interesting Northern Thailand, which is the focal location for the Tropical Asia conservation stories to share with others. Individuals can make bioclimatic zone. Also, where the warty pigs are now was the Asian a huge difference: telling stories about these animals and their marsh. It was a water exhibit nested in a rocky stream bed. Now it’s habitats in a way that inspires others to care. We try to do a dry exhibit that we want to be as vegetated as possible – and the that here at the zoo. But we don’t have an exclusive corner on pigs are little bulldozers. Getting all the elements to work together, that market. It’s the power of social marketing, with or without look right and last is a challenge. technology. People listen to people they know.

* Philippines Biodiversity Conservati¬on Foundation, Manila, Philippines - http://pbcfi.org.ph/ 13 Activity for Students

Ryan Hawk, WPZ

Activity: Pig Populations Gathering information is the first step in trying to save a species. Wild Visayan warty pigs have been hybridizing with feral (domestic) pigs and current estimates of the pure-bred Visayan population do not exist. This activity gives students an idea of the challenges field researchers face when trying to estimate population numbers.

Materials: Area to run in with some cover

Procedure:

• Move to an area where students have room to run that also provides some cover in the form of trees or bushes that students can hide behind.

• Designate one student to be a field researcher. That student should stand facing the play area with his/her eyes closed. The rest of the students represent Visayan warty pigs. Send a random number of students out into the field in front of the field researcher while the field researcher’s eyes are still closed. The rest of the students should stand behind the field researcher so he/she can’t figure out how many students are out in the field simply by knowing the number of students in the class. The students representing the warty pigs in the field can hide or stand out in the open.

• When the instructor says “go” the field researcher should open his/her eyes and estimate the pig population in the area within a 30 second round. The pigs in the field should run around while the field researcher tries to count how many total pigs there are. Any students that are hiding should be instructed that they must become visible to the field researcher at least once during the 30 second round.

• After 30 seconds have passed the field researcher should announce the number of pigs he/she thinks are present. Have different students take turns being the field researcher. Keep track of how close each researcher is to estimating the actual number of pigs in the field.

• Possible extensions include: adding field marks that identify pure bred Visayan warty pigs vs. hybridized pigs and doing math extensions with the collected data.

14 Other Educational Opportunities

Classes and Camps Zoo Overnight and Evening Adventures School’s Out - Days of Fun! Woodland Park Zoo offers one-day programs for children on Start booking for 2013! Spaces are also still teacher in-service days, and days between semesters. Share these available for fall 2012; please see our website for current exciting opportunities with your students’ families. For more rates and offerings. information and to register, visit www.zoo.org/education/camps. We are excited to present this opportunity to extend hands-on Fee: $80 science learning for your class or grade at a fraction of the cost Ages: Children ages 5 to 9 for other overnight camps in the area! In 2012, teachers will have the ability to choose an evening or overnight program that best Whoo Comes Out at Night? fits their learning objectives. Target audience for these programs is Can you fly silently? Do you feel your way around? Nocturnal 2nd-7th grade. Zoo Adventures are offered on Friday and Saturday animals have amazing adaptations to help them hunt and survive at nights from March-November. For more information and to register, night. Together we’ll learn what it’s like to be a nocturnal animal and visit http://www.zoo.org/overnights even see some up close!

October 12, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. A Zookeeper’s Life for Me On this overnight or evening adventure, your class will investigate PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN the triumphs of caring for some of the smallest and largest animals PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOL GROUPS on earth. How is a gorilla transported? A lion fed? A sick animal healed or a healthy animal made to feel at home? Your group will Bring your preschool or kindergarten group to the zoo for a fun- learn about life as a zookeeper while exploring the impressive filled class! Programs are 45 minutes to one hour long and available range of animal care offered at Woodland Park Zoo. A highlight for to kindergartens, preschools, daycare centers, and other groups overnight guests will be creating an interactive element (enrichment of 10-18 children and one adult for every three children. Program item) for one of our exhibits and then watching the animals engage availability is limited. Call 206.548.2424 to obtain an application. with the enrichment item in the morning! Offered September–April each year.

Fee: $8.25 per person, includes admission Stealthy Science: Research after Dark Would your class like to be researchers in training for an evening or Who am I? overnight expedition at the zoo? In this program, students will learn In the classroom you and your students will get up-close and personal about the tools and techniques used by biologists to study animals in with a variety of animal pelts, try and figure out which animals the skins the wild. Hone your tracking skills and use real research equipment belong to and learn some fun animal facts along the way. Then we’ll while prowling the zoo with your research team to see the wonders take you for a short safari to the African Savanna. of the zoo at night through the eyes of a field biologist.

Ryan Hawk, WPZ For more information including additional program offerings, please visit our website at www.zoo.org/overnights or contact the Group Registration Specialist by phone at 206.548.2424 or email at [email protected].

Group Overnight Adventure: (minimum 22 participants) Fee: Sleep in the Education Center: $45 per person Sleep in Zoomazium: $50 per person Time: 6:30 p.m.–9:00 a.m. Age: minimum 7 years old

Group Evening Adventure: (minimum 22 participants) Fee: $35 per person Time: 6:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m. Age: minimum 7 years old

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