Posts Tagged With: events

Dollar Day survival guide

AUGUST 13 IS DOLLAR DAY AT THE ZOO

It’s that time of year again at the Zoo—Dollar Day! This annual summer day is our way of giving back and saying “thank you” to our amazing community that supports us year-round. While Dollar Day is one of the most exciting days at the Zoo, it’s also one of the busiest. So here are a few tips to help you make the most of your Zoo day:

  • GET HERE EARLY. Parking lots open at 7 a.m. and gates at 9 a.m., but lines will begin forming at the entrances well before that.
  • TAKE THE DART RED LINE RIGHT TO OUR DOOR. Parking is limited, and with the attendance we expect on Dollar Day, public transportation is such a great alternative to driving personal vehicles.
    • Or consider ride shares like Uber or Lyft to avoid parking.
  • COME WITH A PLAN. Take a look at a map of the Zoo before you come and figure out your plan for the day. Consider which half of the Zoo you want to visit first: Wilds of Africa (hippos, giraffes, elephants, lions, Gorilla Trail) or ZooNorth (Children’s Zoo, reptiles, tiger, monkeys, otters, etc.). Also consider which special events you want to catch. We have keeper chats throughout the day, as well as the 20-minute, interactive DinoSOAR wildlife show and our popular Cheetah Encounter.
    • Also consider snacks! You are welcome to bring your own (Glass items, alcoholic beverages and single-use disposable straws are not permitted. Also keep in mind that we do not have facilities available for food or cooler storage.) We’ll have $1 dollar deals on select snacks, including hot dogs and chips, as well as canned water.
  • PREPARE FOR THE WEATHER. The forecast calls for sun, with temps that will feel like over 100 degrees. Don’t forget to bring your sunscreen and stay hydrated throughout the day!
  • PACK YOUR PATIENCE. The Zoo is going to be crowded. This day is always one of our busiest. Please be patient if you encounter lines and please be kind to Zoo staff as well as our other guests.
  • SPEAK UP IF YOU NEED HELP. If you have a question, problem, or just need directions, please find a uniformed staffer and ask for help. We’re here to make sure you have the best experience!

Sponsored by Sprint, Dollar Day is going to be a busy day full of fun. We can’t wait to see you here!

Categories: Dollar Day, Events | Tags: , | 51 Comments

Dallas Zoo animals bring smiles to tiny hospital patients and beyond

A small Children’s Health patient prepares to meet a Dallas Zoo animal ambassador penguin along with Outreach Supervisor Shannon College.

Whether it’s a tamandua high up in the sky at Reunion Tower or penguins at a Texas Rangers ballgame, you never quite know where the Dallas Zoo’s Animal Adventures outreach team will go next. With just seven staff members, the team carries out nearly 1,000 animal outreach programs a year across North Texas, bringing animal encounters to places like, schools, hospitals, businesses, convention centers, and many iconic Dallas locations.

When the small staff is not on the road, they’re tending to the needs of the 40 educational ambassador animals that delight, inspire and educate those attending an outreach experience. The job sounds demanding, however for Animal Adventures outreach team manager, Allyssa Leslie, the well-being of the ambassador animals remains top priority, “We work hard to ensure our animals feel safe and comfortable traveling with us. It’s great to see that when we go out to these events, the animals choose to come out with us because they know they’re safe and it’s interesting for them to go to new places.”

Despite all the variety this team experiences, some trips are so special that they’re repeated over and over again. Thanks to the Simmons Animal Safari program, and a treasured partnership with Children’s Health established in 2014, the outreach team returns to the hospital every few months to provide magical up-close animal encounters to small patients overcoming big obstacles.

The outreach team, including two-toed sloth Lola and African penguin duo, Sid and Jazz, arrive with the humble goal of encouraging smiles while gifting a special experience to those families who have more on their plate than planning a trip to the Zoo at this time.

Excitement filled the room as the children enjoyed the animals on stage.

“Even for the children that cannot physically come down to see the presentation, Children’s Health broadcasts the program into their rooms so they can enjoy it as well,” Leslie shares of the experience, “We are glad to be able to go out and hopefully bring some joy and fun memories for the patients and their families.”

Following the animal presentation, families are encouraged to come up close and commemorate the experience with a photo with an animal ambassador. Leslie watches on as the patients eagerly line up to have their moment at the front of the stage, “It’s so wonderful to see the excitement on the kids and their families’ faces when they get to see the animals so close!” she gushes.

At the close of the presentation, one last parting gift is revealed, each family is given tickets as a standing invitation to visit the Dallas Zoo. We look forward to many future visits to Children’s Health, bringing enjoyment to these extraordinary kids and their families with each animal encounter.

(Interested in hosting an Animal Adventures outreach program? Click here for more information.)

Categories: Education, Events, Penguins, Wild Encounters | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Local organization gives back to the Zoo

Fidelity Investment volunteers building the playhouse for the Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo

May 2 was Fidelity Cares Day! This annual day is all about volunteering with more than 7,000 Fidelity Investments employees giving back to local communities around the world on a single day. Almost 400 volunteers from Fidelity Investments helped with this mission of serving our community, and over 80 of them came out to the Zoo!

Multiple projects were kicked off at both the Zoo and at Fidelity’s campus. The first one was actually started by our animals. As a form of enrichment, multiple animals painted on small canvases to help stimulate their minds and bodies. Well, we turned those canvases into magnets. Fidelity volunteers painted the edges of the canvases, added an information label, and adhered magnets to the backs! There were 1,000 magnets created in total, and they will all be for sale soon at our Zoofari Market.

Volunteers also built a playhouse for the Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo. Using pre-cut lumber, Fidelity employees led a team of volunteers through constructing and painting a playhouse for young Zoo guests to use their imaginations even further in play areas. Twenty-five volunteers spent 100 combined total hours building this structure for kids of all ages to enjoy.

The last project was a combined effort of Zoo and Fidelity volunteers. People on both Zoo grounds and on Fidelity’s campus worked on making faux log browse feeders. Browse are used in animal habitats to encourage them to use their natural behaviors and instincts to search for food. Volunteers distressed PVC pipes using sandpaper and rasps; added bolts to help hang the pipe; and used oil-based paint to make the pipe look like a log or a tree branch. Different types of browse will be put in the pipes before they are attached to real trees in various animal exhibits. After 85 volunteers spent a combined total of 42.5 hours, we now have 70 faux log browse feeders for the animals to enjoy.

“The Fidelity volunteers were awesome,” Julie Bates, director of volunteer services, said. “I am always amazed and inspired by hard working volunteers who give their time to help us create a better world for animals. A lot was accomplished thanks to them!”

None of the day’s accomplishments would have been possible if it were not for the Fidelity volunteers. They all spent a total of 837.5 hours working on all these projects to benefit the community and the Zoo. Thank you, Fidelity Investments! We’re already looking forward to next year’s Fidelity Cares Day!

Categories: Children's Zoo (Lacerte Family), Events, Volunteers | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

A hugely successful year with AAZK

Russell Pharr, elephant keeper and president of the American Association of Zookeepers Dallas chapter, guest blogs on ZooHoo!

IMG_6203 SFRTwenty-sixteen was a very successful year for the Dallas American Association of Zookeepers Chapter!  We hosted a huge range of great events and, while having an amazing time, helped make the world a better place for animals.

Join us as we take a look back at 2016:

Bowling and Sailing for Rhinos

IMG_6113 SFRThis was our 25th year participating in the 26-year-old Bowling for Rhinos program, and our fifth year partnering with Alley Cats in Arlington.  In addition to bowling, arcade games, miniature golf, and laser tag, we debuted a BFR photo booth, had a bowling pin decorating contest for the second consecutive year, and hosted our first-ever takeover on Dallas Zoo’s Facebook to help promote the event!

Most importantly, Bowling for Rhinos in Dallas raised $18,000 – 100% of which goes directly to save rhinos, cheetahs, and other animals in Kenya and Indonesia. Nationally, AAZK chapters in the U.S. and Canada raised over $600,000 – an all-time record!

Our one-of-a-kind Sailing for Rhinos event raised $6,000 to help AAZK causes. We continued our partnership with Corinthian Sailing Club and had great weather once again for one of our favorite events.

Labor Day Book Sale

Our annual book sale broke records this year, raising more than $2,000 over three days of selling used books, DVDs, and other items donated by the Dallas Zoo community. Profits were split between the Okapi Conservation Project (the okapi was our 2016 “featured animal,” decided by a staff vote in our second annual AAZK March Madness contest) and the Bat World Sanctuary in Weatherford, Texas. Our book sale continued a partnership between Dallas AAZK and the Zoo’s Enrichment Committee as we sold animal-painted magnets and bookmarks, and allowed us the perfect platform to introduce tote bags with our chapter logo printed on them!

Painting with a TwistOther Conservation Events

Our first-ever painting event, the Painting With a Twist for World Giraffe Day in June, not only raised $1,300 for the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, but also provided a fun way to honor the memory of Dallas Zoo’s own, late Kipenzi.

Our first-ever Salamander Saturday event in May helped raise funds and awareness for some of nature’s less-appreciated creatures. Our contributed funds also helped the Foundation for Conservation of Salamanders to offer a Texas-specific grant for researchers working on salamanders (and we have some amazing endemic species here)! Read more »

Categories: Conservation, Events, Zookeepers | Tags: , , | 1 Comment

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