Posts Tagged ‘Good Zoo’

The Memorial Day Weekend marks the start of summer activities at Oglebay and John Hargleroad, Director of Operations, says that all the Oglebay facilities will be open beginning Friday, May 24 with some special activities planned for the Memorial Day weekend.

 

“The always-popular inflatable rides will be at the Schenk Lake area on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. and Doozy the Clown will also be at the lake area all three days from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.,” said Hargleroad.

 

Oglebay will begin offering daily activity wristbands on Friday, May 24.  The wristbands are available at the Good Zoo and Visitors Center through Labor Day and provide all day use at the Par III Golf, Good Zoo and Train Ride, Miniature Golf, Pedal Boats, Fishing, Outdoor Pool, Tennis, Glass Museum, Trolley, and the Mansion Museum. “The wristbands will also provide one admission to the inflatable rides this weekend,” reminded Hargleroad. The wristbands are $16.00 each plus applicable fees and taxes.

 

The Memorial Day Weekend is also a great time to catch up with old friends at the Good Zoo and check out what’s new including the Dinosaur exhibit.  On Saturday, May 25, the zoo will hold “Dino Discussions,” from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

 

The zoo is also accepting entries for the second annual “Capture the Wild” photography contest.  “We had a great response last summer to our photography contest and are looking forward to this year’s entries,” said Penny Miller, Director of the Good Zoo.  “We’ll be awarding some great prizes!” Contest rules and entry forms are available on the zoo’s website at www.oglebay-resort.com/goodzoo.

 

Miller also added that the zoo’s Animal Encounters programs are getting more and more popular.  “This program allows guests to get into animal exhibits with the keepers to help feed and train some of the zoo’s animals including the new mongoose lemurs,” said Miller. Animal Encounters also include the ring-tailed lemurs, red pandas, river otters and kangaroos. The encounters must be scheduled in advance by calling 304-243-4030.

 

The Good Zoo is open daily at 10 am. Admission is $9.00 for adults, $5.75 for ages 3-12, and ages 2 & under and members are free.

 

The popular Segway Tours have also returned for another season.  “Join our friendly guides for an exciting tour on a high tech personal transporter,” said Hargleroad.  “It’s a great way to experience the picturesque natural beauty of Oglebay.” The tours begin at Schenk Lake at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Reservations for Segway Tours can be made by calling 304-243-4090.

 

The Easy Street Band will present a free concert at the Anne Kuchinka Amphitheater on Sunday from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.  “This performance is the beginning of the Summer Sunday Entertainment Series featuring a different band every Sunday through Labor Day at the amphitheater,” added Hargleroad. The entire summer’s schedule is available at www.oglebay-resort.com/summer_ent.htm.

 

“For those who want to celebrate the weekend with an all-American picnic, many beautiful picnic sites are available at Oglebay and can be reserved by calling 304-243-4010,” added Hargleroad.

 

The Seafood Gala is available at the Ihlenfeld Dining Room at Wilson Lodge on Friday evening and the new Smokehouse, featuring Prime Rib, is offered on Saturday evening.  For dining reservations call 304-243-4080.

An informative meeting about the Safari to Tanzania will be held at the Good Zoo on Saturday, April 27 at 1:30 p.m. The meeting will include photographs, food, packing tips and provide answers to all questions!

The Good Zoo is offering an exclusive safari to Tanzania. The trip will be fully escorted by Penny Miller, Director of the Good Zoo, from October 27 to November 8, 2013.  “This trip will allow you to discover quintessential African landscapes when you explore Tanzania, the perfect East African destination for any traveler with an open mind and heart to experiencing wildlife and culture, past and present,” said Miller. “A relaxed attitude combined with some of the best wildlife spotting on the continent is within affordable reach.”  Miller has led previous zoo safaris to Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

 

This exclusive safari will cover unforgettable spots including the unique eco-system of Ngorongoro Crater, the vast savannahs of the Serengeti, and the flamingo-lined shores of Lake Manyara.  Visitors can expect to see a variety of wildlife including buffalo, wildebeest, impala, giraffe, zebra, black-maned lions, black rhinos and the elusive tree-climbing lions with glimpses of leopard, cheetah, hyena, jackal, elephant, and warthog. The trip will also include a visit to Olduvai Gorge where the roots of modern man were unearthed by the Leakeys, plus a visit to a Maasai village.

 

Inclusions to the safari:

• Flights within Africa as specified. On the main safari in Tanzania: Serengeti to Arusha. On the extension, flight between Arusha/Zanzibar.
• Superior accommodations throughout.
• All meals on safari in Tanzania as well as in Zanzibar.
• All wildlife viewing by private 4X4 vehicle with photo roof, driven by a naturalist guide. A window seat is guaranteed.
• Visit to a Maasai village.
• Complimentary bottled water in vehicles and during meals.
• Professional naturalist will accompany the group with 10 travelers on the main safari.
• Penny Miller will accompany the group with a minimum 10 travelers on the main tour and 6 travelers on the extension.
• All applicable hotel and lodge taxes and gratuities.
• All park entry fees.
• Complimentary passport wallets and luggage tags.

 

The cost of the trip is $5,695 per person for double occupancy plus $2,200 per person for round trip air from Pittsburgh.  An optional six day extension to Zanzibar from November 7 to 12, 2013 is an additional $2,195 per person.

 

For the full itinerary and to make reservations visit the Good Zoo website or contact Penny Miller at the Good Zoo by calling 304-243-4027.

Any area residents interested in learning more about birds, trees, wildflower identification, and all manner of other nature topics can sign up now for Master Naturalist classes beginning Saturday, February 23 at the Good Zoo.  An introductory class Names and Identification taught by zoo director Penny Miller will teach students how to use field guides, internet resources, keys, and other resources to identify plants and animals seen in nature, taught from 9 am – noon.  Popular bird expert Dr Scott Shalaway teaches Birds from 1 pm -5 pm the same day.  The four hour class discusses bird biology, identification and back-yard feeding .  Other spring classes include Turtles in Trouble-Conservation of the Box Turtle; Wildfowers, Trees, Citizen Science Investigators, and Nature Interpretation.

 

Students can pick and choose classes at their own pace and may take up to three years to complete the program, but it is possible to finish in one year. Classes cost just $6 per hour of instruction. Classes are held at the zoo on Saturdays and Sundays and often involve walks in the woods and occasional field trips to a farm pasture, wetlands or streams. The curriculum was developed by the West Virginia Division of Wildlife to develop citizen scientists and naturalists across the state.

 

There are 14 required classes such as Mammals; Trees; Wildflowers;  Backyard Habitat Improvement, Insects, and 10 others, and a variety of electives to choose from including Box turtles; Medicinal Plants; Nature Photography; Spiders; Invasive Species;  Mushrooms; Astronomy and many more. Instructors include Good Zoo staff, West Virginia Division of Wildlife biologists and area college professors. Students are all nature lovers and represent a wide range of ages and backgrounds from college students, teachers, scout leaders, farmers, fisherman, to retired folks and nature photographers.

 

“Anyone of any age or background fits into the group, you just have to be a nature lover,” said Vickie Markey-Tekely, the zoo’s curator of education.

 

Student Daniel Caron said, “The program is a fun and interesting way to learn about nature.  I enjoy the program’s interactive, hands-on format.  The classes teach me to see something different every time I step outside.  This has helped me when working in my own backyard and everywhere I travel.”

 

“This is our 10th year, and many of our students participate in several backyard bird projects, put up bluebird boxes, survey and report frog calls, raise and tag monarch butterflies, and improve their garden and property  to attract wildlife,” said Penny Miller, zoo director. Others like to help out at state or zoo wildlife events, or pass on their knowledge to children. “I enjoy teaching my grandkids and neighbors about the monarch butterflies I rear and tag,” said certified Master Naturalist Carol Saseen.

 

For dates, times, and an application please visit the Master Naturalist section at  www.oglebay-resort.com/goodzoo or call Vickie Markey-Tekely at 304-243-4033 or Penny Miller at 304-243-4027.

“Volunteer at the WILDEST place in town!” said Vickie Markey-Tekely, Curator of Education at the Good Zoo.  “We are currently looking for teen and adult volunteers at the zoo.”

 

Volunteers assist with summer camps, birthday parties, sleepovers and other education programs. Volunteers also share what they learn about wildlife by talking with visitors at zoo exhibits and even use live animals and artifacts to educate others.

 

Teen volunteers must be in the 7th grade or above.  Applications are available on the Oglebay website or call the zoo education office at 304-243-4068. The Teen Volunteer Application deadline is Monday, January 7, 2013.

 

Adult volunteer training is held periodically throughout the year.  To receive an application or more information for the adult volunteer program, call 304-243-4033 or e-mail docents@oglebay-resort.com.

An exciting Labor Day Weekend Celebration is planned at Oglebay on Saturday, September 1, Sunday, September 2 and Monday, September 3.  “The most-anticipated event, Wheeling Symphony’s free performance, ‘Music Under the Stars’, will take place on Sunday,” said John Hargleroad, Director of Operations for the Wheeling Park Commission.  The Suzuki Strings will perform at the amphitheater on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. followed by the Wheeling Symphony’s performance at 7:30 p.m.  A brilliant fireworks display will take place at the amphitheater at the conclusion of the symphony.

 

A Labor Day weekend favorite, “Fort Henry Days”, returns to Site One at Oglebay on Saturday, and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 5 p.m. on both days.  A battle reenactment will be held at Camp Russel at 3:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

 

 

The Oglebay Woodcarver’s Show, another long-time favorite Labor Day event, will be held at the Pine Room on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The show features sales, demonstrations and exhibits.

 

Hargleroad noted that there is no admission to the Wheeling Symphony performance, Fort Henry Days and the Woodcarver’s Show, although donations are appreciated at the Woodcarver’s Show.

 

Inflatable rides and a rock-climbing wall will be at the Schenk Lake area on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. each day.  The inflatable rides are $1.00 per ride and the rock wall is $5.00 for each climb.  

 

Daily Activity Wristbands will be available at the Good Zoo and Visitors Center all three days. The wristbands provide all day use at the Par III Golf, Good Zoo and Train Ride, Miniature Golf, Pedal Boats, Fishing, Outdoor Pool, Tennis, Glass Museum, Trolley, and the Mansion Museum. The wristbands are $16.00 each plus applicable fees and taxes.  One free ride on the inflatable rides is included with the purchase of a wristband.

 

“The Labor Day Weekend is a great time to visit the Good Zoo,” said Penny Miller, Director of the Good Zoo. “The zoo will offer a ‘Creature Feature’ on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.”

 

The zoo opens daily at 10:00 a.m. and features 50 different species including zebras, Komodo dragons, kangaroos, wild African dogs, lemurs, otters, spectacled bears and more. Admission to the zoo is $8.00 for non-member adults and $5.50 for ages 3-12.  Zoo members and ages 2 and under are free.

 

New this year is “Drool in the Pool” at the Oglebay outdoor pool on Monday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.  “Dogs, like humans, can enjoy the refreshing water and exercise a public pool provides and many areas across the country allow dogs to swim in a public pool after the pool season is over,” said Hargleroad.  “We are excited to offer this special dog swim when the outdoor pool closes for the season on Monday at 4:00 p.m.” There is no admission to “Drool in the Pool” and complete rules are listed below: 

• All owners must have proof of their dog’s current Rabies vaccination.
• All dogs must be current on all other vaccinations: Parvovirus (CPV), Canine distemper virus (CDV), Canine adenovirus (CAV).
• One human is permitted in the pool with one dog.
• No human swimming – wading only.
• No one under 16 may wade in the pool.
• Participants who are pregnant or have compromised immune systems may not enter the pool.
• No dogs or humans with open wounds may enter the pool.
• Activity is confined to the shallow end of the pool.
• Owners are responsible for any and all accidents and injury to their own dog.
• Vicious or aggressive dogs may be required to leave.
• Retractable leashes are not permitted.
• Dogs must be clean and brushed before entering the pool.
• Owners must pick up their dog’s waste.
• Participants must bath after the event.

Good Zoo staff announced today the winners of their first “Capture the Wild” photography contest. Nine winners and 12 honorable mentions were chosen from 129 entries in child, youth and adult categories. Local residents and Oglebay guests from as far away as Illinois entered the contest.

 

“Nature photography is a wonderful way for kids and adults to appreciate nature in all of it strange and beautiful forms. The fact that we had so many entries the first year, and that 68 entries were from children and teens absolutely thrills me,” said Penny Miller, Director of the Good Zoo.

 

Contest judges were Caren Knoyer, Oglebay’s Director of Marketing, local nature photographer Bill Beatty from Wild and Natural, and Gary Zearott of Zee Photography.

 

“It was encouraging to see the participation of youths of different ages, most are in the early stages of understanding the complexity of photography,” Zearott said.

 

Beatty added, “The quality of the photography was impressive.  I was pleasantly surprised by the photography abilities of the younger, under 18, categories especially the under 12, child category.  It made judging more of a challenge.”

 

Adult winners in first and second place was Bill Brezinski, and third place, Tom Johnston; Youth winners were Veronica  Chapman Casey, Emily Street and Michaela Fisk, and child winners were Danika Vrtar, Gabriel Larance, and Lillian Kuzma. Nine entrants won honorable mentions: Daniel O’Leary, Becky Kuzma, Carmen Heil, Jarrett Galloway, Brandon DeLaratta, Austin Douglass, Bill Brezinski, Veronica Chapman Casey, and Gabriel Larance.

 

The winning photographs will be on display to the public August 10through the September 10 in the Good Zoo entry building lobby. A reception will be held for all contest entrants on August 11 at 1:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served at the reception and all photographs entered in the contest will be on display to entrants and the general public on the day of the reception.

 

Miller said the Good Zoo will definitely offer a Photography Contest next year.

 

The Good Zoo is currently open Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Admission is $8.00 for adults, $5.50 for ages 3-12, and free to members and ages 2 and under. For more information call the Good Zoo office at 304-243-4030 or visit www.oglebay-resort.com/goodzoo.

We’re sure that many of our Good Zoo members are aware of the work that the zoo does to care for and breed endangered species like the Grevy’s zebras, African wild dogs, red pandas, and Panamanian golden frogs (just to name a few) at the zoo, but zoo staff, interns, and volunteers also perform a substantial amount of field conservation with the wildlife in our region as well.  Over the past decade the zoo has trained nearly 60 local students in field conservation and wildlife medicine techniques through our college internship program.  Some of the projects that we have and are currently working on include conservation of the Eastern hellbender, wildlife diseases in the local region, and raptor rehabilitation.

 

The Eastern hellbender is the largest salamander in the Western Hemisphere, growing up to 30” long.  This fully aquatic salamander is considered rare or endangered in each of the 17 states that it inhabits, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.  Since 2005, with funding support from the West Virginia Division of Wildlife, Good Zoo staff have studied the populations and habitats of this species throughout the state of West Virginia. 

 

In 2007 during one of his surveys, zoo curator Joe Greathouse encountered a nest of hellbender eggs that had been abandoned by the father and was growing a fungus on the clutch of eggs that would have devastated the embryonic salamanders still in the eggs.  He brought those eggs back to the zoo and we raised over 120 of these individuals to the point of the eggs hatching.  This was a critical moment in the conservation of this species, as it was the first time that eggs from this species had been hatched in a zoo or aquarium anywhere in the world!

 

Our friends at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, and the Fort Worth Zoo helped in raising several of these animals to nearly one foot in length.  While we were raising these individuals, Joe studied habitats in West Virginia to determine the best place to return these salamanders to the wild, and physiological assessments and genetics studies were conducted on these individuals through collaborative efforts with the Wilds, San Diego Zoo, and Purdue University. 

 

With funding assistance from the West Virginia Division of Wildlife and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, veterinarians at the Good Zoo were able to equip 30 of these individuals with tracking devices, and he will be studying how these individuals move in the wild over the coming months.  Several of these individuals are also being utilized in reintroduction programs in the states of Ohio and Indiana as well in an attempt to hopefully be able to one day bolster the populations of this rare species in association with habitat protection.

 

Over the past decade, Good Zoo employees have also conducted surveys to look for a variety of diseases in local wildlife.  Did you know that an ill great horned owl that was brought into the Good Zoo for rehabilitation was the first animal to have tested positive and confirmed the presence of West Nile virus in wild birds in the state of West Virginia?  Since that time, we have collaborated with Cornell University and local public health officials by sending blood samples from birds that are brought into the zoo’s raptor rehabilitation program to Cornell University for analysis in order to monitor the presence of this disease in our local wild birds.

 

The amphibian chytrid fungus is a pathogen that is driving frogs and salamanders to extinction throughout the world.  With funding assistance from the West Virginia Division of Wildlife, zoo employees and interns have collaborated with scientists from Marshall University, Washington State University, the Wilds, San Diego Zoo, and Smithsonian’s National Zoo to study the presence of this disease and its impact on amphibian populations in West Virginia.

 

The Good Zoo is also one of only four federally licensed facilities for the rehabilitation of wild raptors in the state of West Virginia.  With the assistance of local citizens, humane officers, and conservation officers who transport injured raptors to the zoo and funding assistance from the West Virginia Division of Wildlife, we work to provide veterinary care and rehabilitation to ill or injured birds of prey with the goal of enabling their release back to the wild.  Over the past decade, zoo employees have treated and returned more than 130 of these individuals to the wild in our region.

 

If you have any interest in supporting or participating in any of the zoo’s conservation programs, please contact us at (304) 243-4029 or e-mail Joe Greathouse at jgreathouse@oglebay-resort.com or Penny Miller, Director of the Good Zoo, at pmiller@oglebay-resort.com.

Any area residents interested in learning more about birds, trees, wildflower identification, and all manner of other nature topics can sign up now for Master Naturalist classes beginning January 14 at the Good Zoo. Classes in introductory General Ecology and Terrestrial Habitats are offered January 14, and popular bird expert Dr Scott Shalaway teaches Birds on January 28; the four hour class discusses bird biology, identification and back-yard feeding .

 

Students can pick and choose classes at their own pace and may take up to 3 years to complete the program, but it is possible to finish in one year. Classes cost just $6 per hour of instruction. Classes are held at the zoo on Saturdays and Sundays and often involve walks in the woods and occasional field trips to a farm pasture, wetlands or streams. The curriculum was developed by the West Virginia Division of Wildlife to develop citizen scientists and naturalists across the state.

 

There are 14 required classes such as Mammals, Trees, Wildflowers, Backyard Habitat Improvement, Insects, and 10 others, and a variety of electives to choose from including Box turtles; Medicinal Plants; Nature Photography; Invasive Species, Mushrooms, Astronomy and many more. Instructors include Good Zoo staff, West Virginia Division of Wildlife biologists and area college professors. Students are all nature lovers and represent a wide range of ages and backgrounds from college students, teachers, scout leaders, farmers, fisherman, to retired folks and nature photographers. “Anyone of any age or background fits into the group, you just have to be a nature lover,” said Vickie Markey-Tekely, the zoo’s curator of education.

 

Student Daniel Caron said, “The program is a fun and interesting way to learn about nature.  I enjoy the program’s interactive, hands-on format.  The classes teach me to see something different every time I step outside.  This has helped me when working in my own backyard and everywhere I travel.”

 

“This is our ninth year, and many of our students participate in several backyard bird projects, put up bluebird boxes, survey and report frog calls, raise and tag monarch butterflies, and improve their garden and property  to attract wildlife,” said Penny Miller, zoo director. Others like to help out at state or zoo wildlife events, or pass on their knowledge to children. “I enjoy teaching my grandkids and neighbors about the monarch butterflies I rear and tag,” said certified Master Naturalist Carol Saseen.

 

Those interested in learning can visit the Master Naturalist section at  www.oglebay-resort.com/goodzoo or by calling Vickie Markey-Tekely at 304-243-4068 or Penny Miller at 304-243-4027.