2 April 2015 Arbor Day 2015 Friday 29th May Exciting news… The Warehouse Zoofari is coming to Hamilton Zoo. Thanks to support from The Warehouse, we are pleased to announce the launch of The Warehouse Zoofari programme for Waikato and Coromandel Schools at Hamilton Zoo. The Warehouse Zoofari is a partnership between Hamilton Zoo and The Warehouse. Fundraising will take place in The Warehouse region six stores throughout Waikato and Coromandel during May. Customers can add $1 or more to their purchase and proceeds raised will go towards giving students from decile 1-3 an educational experience at the Zoo by covering admission and transport costs. Auckland Zoo and Wellington Zoo are already running The Warehouse Zoofari and to date the programme has enabled over 7,000 students to connect with and be inspired to care for wildlife. We are very excited to bring The Warehouse Zoofari to our local schools and a huge thank you to The Warehouse and their generous customers for making this possible. More information will be available soon. Teacher Open Day Hamilton Zoo educators would like to thank those teachers who took the opportunity to attend our teacher open day in the holidays. We would like to invite teachers to another open day on the 16th July. On this day teachers will be given free entry to Hamilton Zoo by producing their teacher registration card. You will have the opportunity to look in the zoo classroom, talk to zoo educators about opportunities we can offer. While you are here you are also free to explore the zoo at your own leisure. Have you registered? Get your students involved in planting at Waiwhakareke. Community planting is a great way to engage your students in practical environmental education. Hamilton Zoo offer schools free educational talks following the plantings. Students will have time to be inspired by environmental speakers in 10min sessions, where they will learn how their planting efforts will help restore Waiwhakareke to its natural ecosystem. Spaces are limited so register your interest in these talks by emailing [email protected]. The Rhino - the modern day unicorn and selective lawnmower! Rhinos - strange archaic beasts with a bulky horn on the nose. Greek writers of natural history were convinced of the reality of unicorns, which they located in India. And in the 13th century traveller Marco Polo claimed to have seen a unicorn in Java, but his description makes it clear to the modern reader that he actually saw a Javan rhinoceros. Javan rhinos are now the most threatened of the five rhino species, with as few as 35 individuals surviving in Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia! All five species are in crisis. The rarest of the black rhino subspecies, the West African black rhino is feared to be extinct. The Northern white rhino, a subspecies of the white rhino, is extinct in the wild and has only five animals in captivity worldwide. Sudan, the only male, is under guard 24 hours! A devastating 1,215 rhinos were killed in South Africa alone in 2014, making it the worst year g on record. If it continues to increase at the current rate, then rhinos could sadly be extinct in the wild by 2026. Rhinos and many other animals around the world are currently being poached largely to satiate demand, where many people use wildlife and animal body parts for traditional Asian medicine, as delicacies at restaurants, as exotic pets or as trophies or clothing accessories. Rhinos are being killed for their horn. Rhino horn is made from keratin – the same material found in human hair and nails. Hamilton Zoo Education Team | email [email protected] | 07 8386887 | www.hamiltonzoo.co.nz | Page 1 …….continued from page 1 What will happen after the rhinos are gone? What will that mean for the African savannah? Researchers are increasingly realizing that the removal of mega herbivores from their ecosystems can have devastating impacts like the removal of apex predators. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Ecology, rhinos maintain the diverse African grasslands on which countless other species depend. In Kruger Park in South Africa scientists have researched on the impact that rhinos have on the savannah. Rhinos became extinct in Kruger Park in the late 1880s, but then reintroduced in the 1960s. Rhinos have remained in specific areas so researchers have been able to follow the developments where rhinos graze and where they do not graze. Science Learning Hub Join a free, online, professional development session exploring the Science Learning Hub to find resources for teaching about conservation. We will look at topics such as Saving Reptiles and Amphibians; Soil, Farming and science; Life in the sea; Tōku Awa Koiora (Restoring the Waikato River); Conserving Native Birds; Where Land Meets Sea, Harnessing the Sun (Solar Energy), Enviro-imprints and more… 14th May at 4pm. http://sciencelearn.org.nz/NewsEvents/Events/Science-Learning-Hub-and-conservation Registration: http://goo.gl/forms/YCR4T3untU Rhinos play a role in controlling the make-up of the park’s grasslands. Rhino, like other grazing species, selectively browse on certain grass species, which leaves room for others that otherwise, could not compete to move in and promotes a diverse mosaic of edible plants. Researchers liken rhinos to selective lawnmowers. African landscapes may become very different places if rhino’s aren’t there to diversify plant life and create prime grazing spots for other animals. Hamilton Zoo Hamilton Zoo plays a key role in breeding and recovery programmes for threatened native and exotic species. Zoo Updates To help ensure the survival of the southern white rhino, zoo populations have been established around the world. Hamilton Zoo manages one of the leading breeding herds in Australasia, which is part of a globally-managed population. Breeding animals are selected to maintain maximum genetic diversity and avoid inbreeding. African Hunting Dogs – We recently farewelled five dogs to Singapore. Read about their journey in our Keeper Diaries. White rhinos are very tactile animals that enjoy a bit of human interaction. Hamilton Zoo offers its visitors a unique opportunity to get up close and feel the warmth of its skin. For more information see our animal encounter on page 3. Brolga – we have recently been joined by a female brolga from Auckland Zoo. Fishing Cat - A female fishing cat was imported from Singapore to become part of the Australasian breeding programme. She is currently settling into her off display area. Kea – Our Kea have been spoilt with a newly renovated enclosure. Grounds – Our grounds team are always hard at work. They have been currently working on widening some of our paths to make getting round a little easier. Meet the Keeper Save the Date: September 22 World Rhino Day Teaching resources: Save the Rhino - www.savetherhino.org/ Lesson ideas: Endangered animals and the role of zoos Debates: Will farming rhinos help reduce poaching? Should legal stockpiles of rhino horn be sold on the market? Will it reduce poaching? Pro-Trade/No-Trade Produce a campaign to reduce demand and create behavior change. What does a wildlife ranger do? What can I do to help rhinos when I live in New Zealand? Is it my problem? Make the most of your zoo experience and come along to our free 'Meet the Keeper' talks. Learn more about animal behaviours, personalities, feeding patterns and conservation issues as you watch your favourite animal being feed or given enrichment! Please refer to our online timetable to see what is on offer. Follow our Keeper Diaries -Singapore Swap -So you want to be a zookeeper? http://hamiltonzoo.co.nz/news-and-diaries/keeper-diaries Hamilton Zoo Education Team | email [email protected] | 07 8386887 | www.hamiltonzoo.co.nz | Page 2 Upcoming Zoo Dates Keep an eye on Hamilton Zoo website for further information on what is happening at the zoo. Some dates to watch out for 25th April - World Tapir Day July 29th - International Tiger Day September 17th - Free Schools Day at Waiwhakareke. Please keep an eye out for more details on this in our next newsletter or contact us to find out more. Palm Oil App reader An app is now available to download FREE that helps identify whether a product contains palm oil and if so if it is sustainable palm oil. Simple to use, you just scan the barcode. Available for android and iphone, just search POI palm oil barcode scanner. If your search comes up blank don’t give up. As this App is being developed they are adding products. You too can help by sending a photo of the barcode, ingredients and front of the packet and email them to [email protected]. Sleepovers A very unique overnight experience combining a night session and sleepover at the Hamilton Observatory plus a day at the zoo. Education programmes at both the observatory and zoo can be designed to meet your students’ learning needs. INTERESTED? Contact the Zoo Education Team. Animal Encounters Go behind the scenes at Hamilton Zoo and get up close and personal with some of your favourite animals. Learn more about husbandry, conservation and animal enrichment from the keeper as you enjoy your encounter. Hamilton Zoo offers group Eye2Eye encounters with chimps, Sumatran tiger, lemurs, rhino and native reptiles. For further information, please enquire when booking. Bookings are essential. Keep Up-to-Date Subscribe today and get all the latest educator info in your inbox! New Zealand schools and teachers who registered to receive our Education Newsletter by email will go in the draw each term to WIN a Family Day Pass to Hamilton Zoo. Email [email protected] with NEWSLETTER in the subject line and the name of the school in the main body of the email. Upcoming Environmental Dates World Environment Day – 5th June Arbor Day – 5 June (Hamilton Event 29th May) Get your students involved in planting by being part of the Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park event (opposite Hamilton Zoo). See page 1 for more details and find more information on Arbor Day at www.doc.govt.nz Matariki – 18 June Matariki is the Māori name for the group of stars also known as the Seven Sisters. Plan a sleepover with Hamilton Zoo and have the opportunity to observe these stars at the Hamilton Observatory. http://www.mch.govt.nz/nz-identityheritage/matariki Keep New Zealand Beautiful Week – 14th-20th September A week of activities across the country to clean up New Zealand. www.knzb.org.nz Conservation Week – (1-8 November) Conservation Week gives Kiwis the opportunity to celebrate New Zealand’s special places and native wildlife. www.conservationweek.org.nz and http://www.doc.govt.nz/getting-involved/events-andawards/conservation-week/ Term 1 2015 Winner: CONGRATULATIONS ... Anne Weir Who’s working at the zoo? Ever wondered who is who at the zoo? Pop over to our website and be introduced to some of our team. http://hamiltonzoo.co.nz/plan-your-visit/the-zoo/our-people/ Hamilton Zoo Education Team | email [email protected] | 07 8386887 | www.hamiltonzoo.co.nz | Page 3
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