New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Join the Buttonwood Park Zoo on Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22, 2019 for a weekend full of fun and learning.
Calling all educators! On Saturday, September 21, the Zoo will host a “Teacher Appreciation Day”. This special event offers free admission to the Zoo for any teacher, administrator, paraprofessional or homeschool educator with a valid ID. From 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, Zoo educators will be hosting demonstrations of the Science On a Sphere® and Animal Ambassador programming available to schools. There will be an opportunity to win prizes, including a free field trip and a Target gift card.
Additionally, on Saturday, the Zoo will join 80 other institutions worldwide celebrating “International Red Panda Day”. This event, which is free with admission, will be held from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm. The Zoo will be offering fun activities that will raise awareness about the threats these charismatic, yet endangered animals are facing, as well as raffles will directly support conservation efforts in the wild. Zookeepers will offer special “Keeper Chats” that day, giving visitors an opportunity to see the Zoo’s own red pandas, up close.
The Buttonwood Park Zoo opened its first-ever red panda habitat this past May and it is home to Jacob and Marie, easily two of the Zoo’s cutest and most popular residents. Jacob, the Zoo’s 2-year-old red panda, arrived in June of 2018 from Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and was joined in the habitat by 1-year-old Marie in July. Marie was brought to New Bedford from the Greenville Zoo in South Carolina based on a recommendation as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), which the Buttonwood Park Zoo is actively participating in. The goal of the SSP is to cooperatively manage animal populations to ensure the sustainability of a healthy and genetically diverse population while enhancing the conservation of this species in the wild.
The fun continues on Sunday, September 22, when the Zoo will host a celebration in honor of National Elephant Appreciation Day. Join Zoo staff and volunteers between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm to learn more about Emily and Ruth, our beloved Asian elephants, and their wild counterparts.
At 1:00 pm, watch the girls enjoy some birthday-themed enrichment – Ruth is turning 61 and Emily is turning 55! Take part in activities for the whole family while learning more about Asian elephants and what you can do to help this endangered species. All activities are free with Zoo admission and will take place on the lawn at the elephant habitat.
If you would like to bring a birthday gift, donations of unopened packages of unsalted shelled peanuts, yogurt covered raisins, and dried fruit will be accepted on their behalf.
The Buttonwood Park Zoo is located at 425 Hawthorn Street in New Bedford. It is open from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm, with the last admission at 4:15 pm. For more information about these events and other happenings at the Zoo, visit www.bpzoo.org.
