APRIL 2015 VOLUME 28•EDITION 4 Spring (and Butterflies) is in the Air! March 22 marked the return of Butterfly Kaleidoscope presented by Citizens Energy Group. If you haven’t made your way to White River Gardens yet this year, make sure you immerse yourself in the beauty of butterflies as these wonderful winged insects are back in the Hilbert Conservatory. We've transformed the indoor gardens into a tropical paradise to bring you butterflies in a way that you've never experienced them before! As you walk through the warm, aromatic indoor garden, nearly 40 species of butterflies will flit nearby — and one might even land on you! Each day, new butterflies, like the blue morpho, monarch and great owl, will be released Photo by Warren Lynn from the chamber. Come to one of our scheduled releases and watch them take their first flight! Learn about the amazing metamorphosis of these creatures — from egg to larva to pupa to butterfly. Feel the soft flutter of their wings as they float by on their way to take a drink of nectar from stunning glass feeders hand blown by Gloria's Garden Glass. Don't forget your camera to capture the stunning colors and delicate details of these fascinating creatures! Children will love the new interactive butterfly building station, where they can build a giant replica of these interesting insects. A dazzling array of colors will fill every corner of the conservatory in this show, making you believe that you are walking into an immense glass kaleidoscope. A breathtaking mobile of giant proportions will twirl overhead as a rainbow of light shimmers in through stained glass panels. These translucent, jewel-toned panels will mimic the butterflies as they float on the air currents high in the air in the Conservatory. There are still opportunities to assist in the Butterfly Kaleidoscope exhibit as a Gardens Naturalist. If you’re a current Naturalist, you can take the upcoming Gardens Photo by Kerrie Best biome training. If you’d like to join the Naturalist program, make sure you attend the Naturalist 101 training from 6-8pm on Wednesday, April 8, in the Polly Horton Hix Institute for Research and Conservation. Please RSVP to Adam Garrett at [email protected] or by phone at 317-630-2041. Volunteer Zoosletter 1 Special Event and Weekly Mascot Shifts Available! Two Mascots and one Guide are needed from 8-10am on April 18 for Race for the Cure. One Mascot is needed from 8:30-11am on April 25 for the Indiana Children’s Wish Fund Airplane Pull at Indianapolis International Airport. Two Mascots and one Guide are needed from 6-10am on May 2 for the 500 Festival Mini Marathon. One Mascot and one Guide are needed from 9am-2pm on May 9 for the 500 Festival Kid’s Day. Shifts for both Mascots and Mascot Guides are now available from Photo by Adam Garrett 10am-1pm on Saturdays and Sundays to greet guests upon their arrival at the Zoo. If you’ve completed Mascot training, you can sign up for shifts on Volgistics. If you’d like to participate as a Mascot or Mascot Guide and haven’t completed the required training, you can still join us in the Polly Horton Hix Institute for Conservation and Research for Mascot and Mascot Guide training. Training will be held from 6-8pm on Monday, April 27. No need to RSVP. Zoo Ambassador Training When guests visit the Indianapolis Zoo, we want them to have the best experience possible. Every visit – whether from a member who visits multiple times each year or an out-of-state patron visiting for the first time – begins in the same place: the Entry Plaza. To help make all Zoo guests feel welcome during the busy spring and summer seasons ahead, we’re on the lookout for Zoo Ambassadors! As a Zoo Ambassador, you will greet Zoo members and guests and provide a friendly, one-to-one presence as they arrive. You will help ensure ticket pricing options are transparent and encourage families to explore membership options. Zoo Ambassadors will also help direct visitors – those with prepaid online tickets or memberships – to the appropriate entry points and offer directions as needed. If you are interested in becoming a Zoo Ambassador please attend one of the following training sessions in the Hix Institute or the Hulman Riverhouse: Thursday, April 9, 6-8pm (Hulman Riverhouse) Saturday, April 11, 1-3pm (Hix Institute) Please RSVP to Alicia Cornett at [email protected] or by phone at 317-630-2059. Zoopolis 500 While May in Indianapolis is known for a certain auto race, there’s another race that’s equally as big. Zoopolis 500 presented by the American Dairy Association Indiana features the fastest radiated tortoises from the Zoo’s collection! Make your way to Dean’s Arena from 11:30am-12:30pm on Wednesday, May 20, for the greatest spectacle in tortoise racing and cheer on your favorite competitors as they race their way to victory lane. Two Deserts Naturalists are needed from 10am-12:30pm to share turtle and tortoise artifacts. Four volunteers are also needed from 10am-12:30pm to help with an interactive game and photo opportunities. Photo by Liz Findley Volunteer Zoosletter 2 Abracadabra - Geraniums! Volunteers from the Herb Society of Central Indiana are responsible for the Sunken Garden in the Polly Horton Hix Design Gardens at White River Gardens. Each year Photo 2 by Nina Evans they dig some of their plants in the fall to overwinter in our greenhouse. And each year they Water well! Keep the potting mix start some plants doing softwood moist, but not soggy all throughout cuttings, using soft-stemmed new your growing adventure. (photo 3) growth to reproduce plants they like. The volunteers were here on a cold day at the end of February to take some scented geranium (Pelargonium spp.) cuttings. Here are the basic steps: Step 1: Cut 4-inch sections of soft stem ends from your healthy parent plant. Remove the leaves from the lower end of the stems so that there are just two to four sets of leaves Photo 3 by Nina Evans remaining (photo 1). Keep the cuttings in a bright spot without direct sun. You might want to put them in a “mini greenhouse,” such as a clear plastic bag, to increase the humidity. Don’t seal it so tightly that there is no air exchange, though. If you decide to re-pot, check for good root growth by very gently pulling on each stem. If you feel good resistance, you can carefully Photo 1 by Nina Evans remove your “babies” and plant Poke holes in a free-draining each into a larger pot. The rooted soilless growing mix and place your plants will do fine without extra cuttings into the holes, making sure humidity from now on. the leaf stems are above the mix Note: Don’t be too disappointed if level (photo 2). If you start several not every cutting is successful. cuttings in a single pot, position the Geraniums are relatively easy to cuttings so the leaves don’t touch. start this way, but there are always some losses! Volunteer Zoosletter Zoosletter Volunteer Geraniums aren’t frost tolerant. So you should wait until after the middle of May to put your new plants outdoors after hardening them off (letting your new plants get used to the outdoors a little bit at a time for a few days). Enjoy the plants you have grown! Nina Evans, Horticulture New Faces in Forests Take a quick stroll through Forests and you’ll notice some new faces. Two endangered Amur tigers, Luka and Maxim, are among the Zoo's newest additions. Born at the Peoria Zoo, the 2-year -old brothers came to Indianapolis in mid-January and are now making their homes in the Tiger Forest exhibit. It's easy to tell that Luka and Maxim are brothers, not only from their looks but also their personalities. They have very similar fur markings, but Luka has slightly larger cheek stripes and Maxim often sticks out his tongue. The two make a great pair and are often seen lying on the same rock or playing in the water together. Even though Luka and Maxim are new to the Zoo, they are making themselves right at home. Photo by Melanie Laurendine 43 The porcupines have not yet been introduced to our female warthog, Lily, and won’t be until her litter of piglets leave for another institution. African Crested Sexually mature females give birth Porcupines, “Spiny Pigs” to one litter of one to four young per year. The gestation period is about and “Porcupettes” 112 days. The young, called The word “porcupine” comes porcupettes, are well-developed, from the Latin porcus for pig and covered with soft, sensitive bristles, spina for spine, hence "spiny pig." and have white stripes on their sides. However, the African crested The young leave home for the first porcupine is a species of rodent in time at about two weeks of age, as the Hystricidae family, and is not their quills begin to harden and their related to the pig at all. The stripes eventually fade. Weaning porcupine is native to hilly, rocky occurs within six to eight weeks habitats in sub-Saharan Africa, after birth and the porcupettes begin North Africa and Italy and to eat solid vegetable matter. They occupies natural shelters among will remain near their mother, and roots, rocks and holes and burrows then in their family group, for made by other animals or by several months before going off to themselves. It is the largest rodent find mates of their own. The African in Africa, averaging about 44 crested porcupine reaches sexual pounds. maturity during its second year. At the Zoo, our resident African In the wild, owls, leopards and crested porcupines are Peter and pythons are natural predators of the his daughter, Piper. Peter was born porcupine. The porcupine warns June 1, 2004 and Piper July 24, potential enemies to back away by 2009, both at the Central Florida clicking its teeth, stamping its feet Zoo. They arrived at the and growling or hissing. More Indianapolis Zoo in early 2011. impressively, it raises its quills and Porcupines can live up to 20 years vibrates specialized quills to in human care. produce a rattling sound. Porcupines are herbivores and eat roots, tubers, bark and fallen fruit. Peter and Piper are very food motivated — fresh logs and branches are kept in their enclosure at all times so the porcupines don’t start chewing on everything else. They get along with male warthog Kazi on exhibit, but can be territorial with him if he strays too close while foraging. Keepers have had to pull multiple quills from Kazi’s snout over the past three years they’ve been together! Photo by Paula Susemichel Volunteer Zoosletter Zoosletter Volunteer If the porcupine chooses to attack, it runs backward until it rams its attacker with its most heavily armed hindquarters. Scales on the quill tips lodge in the skin of predators like fishhooks and are difficult to remove. Quill lengths vary on different parts of the body, from 1 to 12 inches on the back. New quills grow in to replace lost ones. African crested porcupines are not considered threatened as a species but are overhunted in some areas. Farmers tend to view them as agricultural pests because the porcupines dig up cultivated root crops, such as cassava, potatoes and carrots. Hunters and farmers smoke them out of burrows or use dogs to hunt them. Porcupines are hunted for their meat and quills, which are used in some cultures as ornamental talismans. The key to keeping the African crested porcupine off the threatened list is providing education on sustainable practices for agricultural and settlement growth. Support programs that train local communities on best practices, incentivize conservation agriculture, and set aside land for wildlife. Finally, if you did not make it past the elephant exhibit this winter, you missed this frozen waterfall! Linda Daley Photo by Paula Susemichel 3 44 Volunteer Milestones As mentioned in last month’s Zoosletter, many of you reach important milestones in your Zoo volunteer career throughout the year. Each quarter, we’ll post these milestones. Last month we shared years of service reached in the first quarter of 2015. This month we are recognizing those individuals who reached the 100 and 250-hour mark. Congratulations to everyone on their accomplishments! 100 Hours of Service Amy Allen Austin Barker Laura Compton Kelly Griese Kimberly Runnels Megan Schoonaert Crystal Wise 250 Hours of Service Heather Abel-O’Neill Desiree Brandon Robin Meyer Anthony Pedevilla Holly Stephens Sue Terhune Volunteer Appreciation Week Thank you to our amazing Volunteers for all your hard work and dedication to the Zoo! This month, we’re celebrating National Volunteer Appreciation Week! Stop by Volunteer Services after your shift April 12-18, between 11am and 2pm for your special treat. Additionally, we’re drawing Adult Volunteer names each day to win a variety of prizes! Volunteer Appreciation Week culminates with the annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on Monday, April 20. Invitations were sent to volunteers with 25 or more hours served in 2014. If you received an invitation, don’t forget to RSVP to Kristin Kraemer at [email protected] or 317-630-2193 by April 13. 2015 500 Festival Training Series, presented by OrthoIndy During select Saturdays prior to the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, 500 Festival Training Series events will take place near the Zoo. Access to the Zoo may be limited during these runs so please plan on arriving for your volunteer shift accordingly: April 11 — 8am 500 Festival Training Series April 18 — 8am Race for the Cure, Zoo may open late May 3 — 7am Mini-Marathon, Zoo may open late 2015 Elegant Vintages International Wine Auction The 2015 Elegant Vintages Wine International Auction is in the books and was another great success for the Zoo! Featuring selections of fine and rare wine from around the world, this elegant, black-tie optional event includes both live and silent auctions. Auction lots often include many non-wine items such as unique gift packages, magnificent dinners, luxury get-aways, fine jewelry, original art, sports memorabilia, one-of-akind sculptures, behind-the-scenes tours at the Zoo and more! This was another smooth event for the Institutional Advancement team thanks to the awesome group of volunteers who donated their time to help out. Haley Fennell, Special Events Coordinator Photo by Ashley Couch Volunteer Zoosletter Zoosletter Volunteer 45 Volunteer Zoosletter 6 20 Christy McAfee 22 Earth Day APRIL Flower: Sweet Pea Birthstone: Diamond Tiffany Devlin 23 Karine Huys Benjamin Smith 24 Amy Allen Chelsea Wilbur 25 World Penguin Awareness Day Photo by Jackie Curts 1 Teagan (f) ring-tailed lemur (2013) Jesse Claprodt Allison Will 2 Beth Cate Judith Palmer Jill Ann Roush 3 Riley Rae (f) ring-tailed lemur (2013) 4 5 Rosanne Bonjouklian 6 Clarence (m) ring-tailed lemur (2000) Heather Abel-O’Neill Heidi Christiansen Phil Dant 7 8 9 Bob Peale Lisa Wade Celeste Berry Diane Donnelly Quinn (f) ring-tailed lemur (2013) Shannon Gaughan-Kelly David Thomas Volunteer Zoosletter Photo by Jackie Curts 10 Odai (m) Guinea baboon (2005) Julie Adams 11 Phineas (m) desert tortoise (1974) Cindy Mast 12 Erin McCrea-Gantz 13 Kristie Williams 14 Maki (f) ring-tailed lemur (2014) National Dolphin Day Sherri Shahadey 15 Roberta Keil Anita Vancil 16 Matt Brubaker 17Bat Appreciation Day Richard Schonberg 18 Jean Macdonald Alise Vuskalns 19 Matt Holley Brien Krieger Photo by Don Reynolds 28 Fran (f) white stork (1985) Andrea (f) Amur tiger (2008) Karen Rose 29 Jim McGee Sonya Schkabla 30 Debbie Freeman Animal Fact The bald eagle, whose name derives from the conspicuous appearance of its white-feathered head, has been the national bird of the USA since 1782. The only eagle solely native to North America, the bald eagle has been a protected species since 1940. From “Smithsonian Animal: The Definitive Guide” edited by David Burnie and Don E. Wilson 7 Editor: Adam Garrett Reporters: Linda Daley, Nina Evans, Adam Garrett Photography: Kerrie Best, Ashley Couch, Jackie Curts, Nina Evans, Liz Findley, Adam Garrett, Melanie Laurendine, Warren Lynn, Don Reynolds, Paula Susemichel To Contact the Volunteer Office: Phone: 317-630-2041 Kristin Kraemer: 317-630-2193 Fax: 317-630-2031 E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Save The Dates Power Recycling Weekend presented by Ingram Micro — April 11-12 Volunteer Appreciation Week — April 12-19 Volunteer Appreciation Dinner — April 20 Zoobilation — June 12 (Zoo closed) New Volunteers Neil Alwardt Wanda Atwater Ashley Batchik Jim Borthwick Heidi Boyle Julianne Boyle Jordan Brown Sue Burn Sara Bushong Austin Campbell Qiujia Chen Andrew Cohee Katelyn Creigh Wayne Davis Ashley Duty Elizabeth Gomez Alison Hernandez Joan Hilber Alyssia Hill Ashlyn Hughes Megan Klomp Volunteer News ....................... 1 Heather Light Erica Marks Donna Minton Your Chance to Help ............... 2 Margaret Palicka Marilyn Pate Molly Quella Collections News ................... 3-4 Laura Randall Maxine Randolph Desirae Rhodes Ericka Scheck Bill Smith Leslie Soper Jane Testa Mitchell Wehrle Rhonda Weinzapfel TABLE OF CONTENTS Special Reports ...................... 5-6 Birthdays ................................... 7 Announcements ........................ 8 Emily Wilson Volunteer Zoosletter 1200 West Washington Street P.O. Box 22309 Indianapolis, IN 46222-0309
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