Summer 2008 Issue No.53 SOCIETY BOARD of DIRECTORS DAVID K
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THE ISSUE... Summer 2008 Issue No.53 SOCIETY BOARD OF DIRECTORS DAVID K. ROBB The Value of Values Chair Charlotte his issue of Alive wraps its stories million or more species cooperate to pro- MARY F. FLANAGAN around the grand, as well as the vide the raw materials that life needs to Vice Chair humble. The stories swing from live. Biologists know that plants free oxy- Chapel Hill TT R. SEAN TRAUSCHKE the peak of animal majesty—African gen for animals to breathe, that fungi fix Treasurer Elephants and Southern White Rhinos— nitrogen for trees to absorb, that bacteria Charlotte to the meekest of creatures—frogs and feed mammals by digesting cellulose and HUGH “CRAE” MORTON III that trees make rain by transpiring water Secretary dragonfly larvae. Linville While the gaps among these beasts through their leaves. Biologists under- ALBERT L. BUTLER III seem large, their differences amount to stand that biodiversity—the full comple- Winston-Salem mere pinpricks in the tapestry of life that ment of life on Earth—matters because EMERSON F. GOWER, JR. Florence, SC inhabits Earth. Quite possibly, our planet biodiversity drives survival. LYNNE YATES GRAHAM harbors 30 million or more different kinds When we plan for our future and the Advance of animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and future of our children, biologists want us EARL JOHNSON, JR. other life forms. And, scientists would to fold biodiversity into the mix of what Raleigh we value. Partly, they want us to value ADDIE LUTHER have us value each of these species—all Asheboro 30 or 50 or 100 million—whatever the biodiversity because our lives depend on MARK K. METZ final number turns out to be. it. But, partly—perhaps mostly—they Charlotte Why? Because these species and their want us to realize that we have grown so MOLLY MILLIS-HEDGECOCK High Point lives intermingle inside a pulsating many and so powerful that we now have MARY NORRIS PREYER OGLESBY Gordian Knot that biologists call “biodi- the power to tatter great sections of biodi- Chapel Hill versity.” This label encompasses the inter- versity’s web. We can disturb the strands THERENCE O. PICKETT play of genes, individuals, species and enough to destroy much of creation. Greensboro To protect this web instead, each of us NANCY PROIA places that make life possible, Durham sustainable and beautiful on must begin to consider the ways MEHRAN RAVANPAY Planet Earth. that our lives and our decisions Winston-Salem Biologists value each affect other people, other SCOTT E. REED species and other parts of the Winston-Salem twist in this LIZ D. TAFT, Ph.D. Byzantine gnarl world. We must begin to Greenville because they see the balance our wants against LAURA H. VIRKLER ways that these 30 the needs of the rest of Hillsborough creation. This consider- SYDNOR M. “MONTY” WHITE, JR. Raleigh ation is a rather small RUSSELL H. WILLIAMS price to pay, really, for Executive Director the beauty, the life and Assistant Secretary the wonder biodiversity EDITORIAL BOARD supplies us in return. Jayne Owen Parker, Ph.D., Editor De Potter, Design & Layout Stephanie Gee John D. Groves Rod Hackney The North Carolina Zoo is open every day of the year, except on Christmas Day. Dr. David Jones Summer hours begin on April 1 and extend from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Standard admission prices are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for children. Winter hours begin Printed on recycled paper Michael Loomis, DVM November 1 and extend from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Zoo Society members and registered Mike McClanahan North Carolina school groups are admitted free. The Zoo offers free parking, free tram Hayley McWilliams and shuttle service, picnic areas, visitor rest areas, food service and gift shops. Your ALIVE magazine can be recycled in any recycling Melinda Prior For information, call 1-800-488-0444. program that takes maga- Ken Reininger zines. To locate the closest Cheryl Turner The Zoo is a program of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. magazine recycling area in The North Carolina Zoological Society is the non-profit organization that supports the Diane Villa your city, call “Solid Waste North Carolina Zoological Park. Society offices are open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 Management” or “Recycling” Russ Williams p.m. For information, please call 336-879-7250 or logon to the Society’s Web page at under the City or County list- Gloria Moore, Proofreader nczoo.com. ings of your phone book. Printed by Piedmont Printing Assessing the Field Guide Pages From the Summer 2008 Alive Magazine The images associated with pages 2 – 5 in the Summer Alive are too large to include as part of this PDF for the rest of the magazine. To download the field guide pages, you need to visit another page in the Members Only Section of our Web site. The URL that you need to visit is located at https://www.nczoo.com/membersonly/20080603102104129 You can either copy the above address and paste it in your browser or visit the Members Only Section and select the menu item (on the left side of the page) that says Additions to the Alive Magazine. We apologize for the inconvenience. go out to the very generous donors who provided gifts of $1,000 or more to the Society between December 1, 2007 and January 31, 2008. Oliver W. Alphin Cornerstone... Health Care PA` David & Cynthia King Elizabeth & Robert Pungello AmericanThank Scale Company YousTeri & Jeffrey Craven Ms. Mary A. Leight Mr. Don Redding Arrow International, Inc. John Crosland III Paul & Caroline Lindsay John & Joyce Reedy The Estate of Mr. & Mrs. James H Mr. Irvin G. Edwards III Mrs. Cynthia H. Little Mr. Dalton D. Ruffin Austin Elastic Therapy, Inc. Mr. Jeremy Luck & Ms. Janet John & Ginger Sall Ms. Sharon Belle & Mr. Mike Fanwood Foundation/West Isaacson SAS Taulbert First Bank Lunsford Richardson Preyer Dr. Anton Schindler BellSouth Matching Gift Program Mrs. Genie Frick Charitable Lead Unitrust Science Hill Quaker Men Ms. Emily Bergl Russell & Geordana Gantman Scott & Michelle Macaleer Mrs. Earl F. Slick Mark & Carol Boles The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Mrs. Millicent S. Marsden Ms. Gaye Spears Mr. & Mrs. J. M. Boozer The Growing Place at First Baptist Mecklenburg County Beekeepers StarPet, Inc. Mrs. Mary Martin B. Borden III Church MindWorks Multimedia, Inc. Mary P. Stephenson Ed & Claudia Bost Mr. & Mrs. Joseph L. Gulledge Mrs. Thetis J. Moore Walter & Gay Sturgeon David & Roxanna Bottjen Hack Foundation, Inc. Ms. Emma Neal Morrison Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. Ron & Cathy Butler Mr. Bill H. Haggard Mrs. Hugh Morton Ms. Barbara Thode Fred E. & Jeanette D. Byerly Dr. James Harper & Dr. Patricia N.C. State Beekeepers Association Dick & Millie Thomas Mr. & Mrs. Clayton L. Cammack, O'Leary NewBridge Bank Touchstone Electric Cooperatives Jr. Nelson & Michele Hendrix Mr. A. E. Nivison Leonard & Joyce B. Tufts Fletcher & Jean Carter Hoffman Nursery Mr. & Mrs. John F. Nuccitelli Wachovia Corporation The Cato Corporation James River Equipment John & Alicia Nunnally Wal-Mart Super Center Charlotte Pipe & Foundry Marv & Burke Jensen Mr. & Mrs. Robert H. Nutt, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Stephen Wallenhaupt Company Mr. & Mrs. David G. Johnston Dr. Nancy B. Pate Mr. Jonathan E. Wilfong & Ms. B. The Coggin Agency Mrs. Laren S. Jones Mrs. Janice Pearsall W. Baker The Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Suzanne Kennedy-Stoskopf & Brad I. Procton & Cathy P. Foundation Michael Stoskopf Procton Jerry & Val Cooper Mr. Herbert S. Kerr Alan, Nancy & Alice Proia 6 | ALIVE TRAVEL SAFARI Chart a new course for future adventures Explore Manitoba November 6 - 12 $4,595* Still in2008 Leave the South behind and venture into Churchill, Canada, Migration Safari to Kenya to search for Polar Bears—the great lords of the Arctic. A August 28 - September 9 √$10,995 professional naturalist will escort our travelers through an Only one space remains on this luxury Migration Safari to ecological sanctuary frequented by Polar Bears and 43 other some of Kenya’s most remarkable landscapes and land- mammal species along with more than 150 species of birds marks. Tour Karen Blixen’s former home, get close enough to and 500 species of plants. The residents include Snowy touch giraffes at the AFEW Nature Center and witness Earth’s Owls, Eider Ducks, Gyrfalcons, Arctic Foxes and Caribou. most magnificent migration as tens-of-thousands of wilde- Look for the Aurora Borealis to dance through the lingering beest and zebra return home to the Masai Mara. Enjoy twilight of the setting midnight sun. The trip includes time impeccable accommodations on every leg of the journey. to visit Winnipeg’s museums and nature center. Wild Adventures in2009 Journey to Costa Rica February 18 - 29 $3,995 Ride an aerial tram to enjoy a bird’s eye glimpse of rain- forest and get in touch with your inner fish as you glide down the waterways crisscrossing Tortuguero National Park and Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge. Raft Class I and II rapids on the Sarapiqui River, watch lava flow from Arenal Volcano, visit nearby hot springs and search for rainbows and Quetzals in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. An optional exten- sion to Caraa Biological Reserve and Manuel Antonio Adventure to India National Park is available. March 5 - 22 **$15,795 (land only) Travelers will visit ancient temples, explore exotic cultures and search for magnificent wild Tigers. There will be time to ride camelback down antique alleyways and climb into more modern vehicles to look for Tigers in parks that were once reserved for royalty. Both Old and New Delhi are on the itinerary, which provides visits to Bandhavgarh National Park, the Taj Mahal and so much more. An optional exten- sion is available to the sacred town of Pushkar, the Delwara temples and Udaipur.