Oregon Zoo - Portland, OR - www.oregonzoo.org
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Oregon Zoo - Portland, OR - www.oregonzoo.org |
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Press
Kits: Press
Releases: NOTE: Dates indicate date of press release, not the date of the event.
Students are encouraged to ask questions about current polar bear research projects, including studies on polar bear behavior, whisker pattern recognition, Conservation Manitoba's Polar Bear Alert Program, and polar bear maternity dens in the Churchill area. " Science is about doing exciting things, making fascinating discoveries and having fun," said Shepherdson. "I hope the opportunity to see the bears through the eyes of a wildlife scientist will breathe some life into the study of science for these students." The
Mac Store has generously donated the equipment for the video conference. The
zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown
Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible
by MAX
light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take
TriMet bus
#63 to the Oregon Zoo. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE
(7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information. October
7, 2004 Five finalists will be announced on Nov. 1, and online voting will resume to determine America's Favorite Zoo. The winner will be announced Nov. 16, 2004.
October
6, 2004 October
6, 2004 Both
announce wind power purchases to offset zoo electricity use Simultaneously, the zoo announced it will also purchase green power through PGE’s Clean WindSM program. At the exhibit, a 1,000-pound Steller (northern) sea lion, “Gus,” symbolically started the flow of renewable power by pushing a large button mounted on the Steller Cove cliffs, as a class of 22 second graders from Portland’s Capitol Hill Elementary School cheered. It was the first of a series of joint efforts between the zoo and PGE to promote renewable energy over the next year. Details of the other efforts will be announced in coming months. “Our mission is to inspire our community to create a better future for wildlife. Using renewable energy is an important part of that effort,” said Tony Vecchio, director of the Oregon Zoo. “We hope Oregon’s citizens will support our cause by purchasing green power.” Vecchio said that by being almost 100 percent pollution free, renewable power products have very little impact on plants and animals, and pose very few risks to threatened fish like the northwest’s salmon and steelhead. He added that green energy eliminates the contribution to global warming and climate change made by conventional power generation. “We’re pleased to be served by PGE’s nationally recognized renewable program.” Many of the species on exhibit at the zoo, such as polar bears and northwest types of salmon and trout, directly benefit from reduced use of conventional power-generating plants. Others indirectly benefit from improved food supplies and better habitat when electricity customers choose green power. “Our joint green power purchases are another example of PGE and the zoo’s environmental teamwork,” said Carol Dillin, PGE vice president of public policy. “PGE’s support of the Oregon Zoo goes back almost a quarter of a century. In the coming months, we’ll look for additional ways to support the zoo’s mission with green power and other resources.” From August through October, PGE is purchasing new wind power equal to Steller Cove’s electric usage from the Stateline Wind Facility in southeastern Washington.* That prevents more than 715,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the air – the equivalent of keeping more than 63 cars off the road for one year. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. The
zoo’s support
of renewable energy complements its other earth-friendly initiatives
as an Through
its renewable energy program, PGE offers customers three different
green power options: Green SourceSM, Healthy
HabitatSM or Clean WindSM.
PGE’s renewable program is ranked number two in the
nation for the amount of green power sold to retail customers
and
is the fastest
growing green power program in the state of Oregon. More
than 31,000 customers have chosen renewable power, a six-fold
increase
in less than
three years. PGE
customers interested in purchasing renewable energy can
sign up in person at the Steller Cove exhibit on Sundays
during October.
Additionally,
on Oct.
9, customers who sign up for a renewable option at the zoo will
receive a free zoo entry pass valid for one adult or child.
PGE customers
can
also enroll
online at www.PortlandGeneral/Renewable, call 503-228-6322 in
the Portland area, 800-542-8818 outside of Portland or sign up
at many local retailers
and neighborhood events.
October
5, 2004 PORTLAND, Ore.- Oregon Zoo wants its visitors to enjoy a good scare this Halloween season on their new thrill ride, Superstition. The frightening feature, which is produced by SimEx-Iwerks, opens on Friday, October 8 and runs through Sunday, October 31. The ride begins as the rolling cars rumble down the creaking tracks. Symbols of superstition abound, from black cats to skeletons. Images of Elvira herself crop up in unexpected places, catching riders' eyes as they roll through a shimmering hall of mirrors. Suddenly, the track beneath seems to drop away and they're off on a breathtaking roller coaster ride. "The ride really puts you in the Halloween spirit," observed Oregon Zoo Director Tony Vecchio. "We expect to hear lots of screaming as our visitors journey through the ride's graveyards, dungeons and dark forests filled with ghosts, skeletons and scary creatures." Superstition is the zoo's latest simulator ride. The simulator premiered in May 2003 with Deep Sea, which according to Vecchio was a "tremendous success." Proving to be even more popular was Dino Island, which will return to the simulator on November 1. More than 176,350 people have experienced the simulator theater, which has generated $617,360 for many conservation and education programs at the zoo. Superstition plays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the SimEx-Iwerks simulation theater located on the former entry plaza directly across from the Amur Tiger exhibit, close to the Zoo Railway Station. In addition to regular zoo admission, a $4 ticket ($3 for members) is required. Due to the limited number of seats, a maximum of 800 visitors per day are able to experience the ride. Superstition is geared to a preteen and older audience. Parental discretion is advised.
October
4, 2004 To
celebrate on that day, the Oregon Zoo is promoting "Martes de locura-$2," a
spin-off of the new Two-Buck Tuesday, targeted to Spanish-speaking guests. "The zoo is for everyone, and appreciating wildlife transcends language and culture," according to Director Tony Vecchio. "This event is critical to our mission of inspiring our community to care about the future of wildlife; we must broaden our audience for that message to resonate with the entire community." Zoo maps and keeper talks will be offered in Spanish that day and representatives from KeyBank will be handing out free ZooKeys to the first 100 families through the gate. "The Hispanic community is growing tremendously in the Portland Tri-County area, and we recognize the need for Spanish language programming to share our vision of conservation," said Assistant Curator Gilbert Gomez, who helped organize the Spanish-speaking keeper talks. KeyBank has been a long time supporter of the zoo and has sponsored the ZooKey talking boxes for many years. More than 50 fifth graders from Clarendon Elementary School in North Portland will attend Martes de locura-$2 thanks to a generous donation by KeyBank, which paid for transportation and zoo admission. Martes de locura-$2 is co-sponsored by La GranD AM 1520, La Romance AM 1150, RECUERDO AM 1230 and El Hispanic News.
Oregon Zoo Director Tony Vecchio has great respect for Marker. "Laurie Marker is internationally recognized for her tireless efforts to save the cheetah," said Vecchio. "She is the leader in cheetah conservation and has a great understanding that saving cheetahs doesn't work without a comprehensive approach. I look forward to hearing her speak about her important work." The lecture will focus on the decline of cheetahs-there are only 12,000 cheetahs remaining in the wild-and efforts to save this threatened cat. Marker will share stories of cheetahs she has come to know, including four new cheetah cubs recently born at Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. Marker will also discuss innovative ways CCF is helping farmers protect their livestock from cheetah predation. Farmers often kill cheetahs to protect livestock. In an effort to prevent cheetah shootings, CCF trained guard dogs to protect farm animals from predators. The dogs bond with herds of goats, sheep and cattle, scaring away cheetahs. CCF trains the dogs, then gives them to farmers at no cost. Currently, more than 130 dogs work on Namibian livestock farmland. In addition, Marker will talk about bush encroachment, a major problem for both the Namibian economy and the cheetah. Overgrown brush makes it difficult for cheetahs to hunt, and thorns can seriously injure the cats, even blind them. Farmers experiencing economic hardship due to bush encroachment are less likely to tolerate livestock predation by cheetahs. CCF hopes to harvest brush and build and manage a plant to process the brush into fuel logs and wood chips. New small businesses will also harvest the brush, helping restore cheetah habitat, while contributing to the Namibian economy. The restored habitat will provide grazing lands for wildlife and cattle. CCF hopes this model partnership between business and conservation organizations will illustrate that conservation can be self-sustaining. Marker co-founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in 1990, locating CCF in Namibia, Africa, where the largest population of wild cheetahs (approximately 3,000) can be found. Twenty-five years ago Marker began working with cheetahs at Wildlife Safari in Winston. She still considers Oregon her home. The lectures, which are sponsored by the Cheetah Conservation Fund, will be held on Sunday, Oct. 10 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the zoo's Cascade Banquet Center. Tickets are $10 general admission, $8 students, seniors, Oregon Zoo and Audubon Society of Portland members, and are available at the zoo reception office during regular business hours. Zoo admission is not included in the price of the lecture ticket; however, zoo admission is not required to enter the Cascade Banquet Center. Further information on the lecture or the Cheetah Conservation Fund may be obtained by calling Teresa Delaney at 503-675-1292.
During the dinner, guests will meet two cheetahs and find out why the fastest land animal is in a race for its own survival. In addition, Marker and Peter Gros, co-host of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, will present a preview of Wild Kingdom's upcoming special about CCF. The special will air on Animal Planet in early 2005. Nearly 25 years ago, Marker discovered her life's calling through her work with cheetahs at Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. Wildlife Safari is the state's only animal care facility working with the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's Species Survival Plan to successfully breed cheetahs. Marker has sited CCF's headquarters in Namibia in Southwestern Africa, which is where the largest concentration of wild cheetah still survive. Though Marker lives in Namibia all year round, she still considers Oregon her home. The Cheetah Conservation Fund's patron reception will be from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $150. The buffet dinner and auction is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $75. For tickets call 503-675-1292 or e-mail cheetahoregon@msn.com. CCF
is an internationally recognized center of excellence in research and
education on cheetahs and their ecosystems,
working with
all stakeholders
to achieve best practices in the conservation and management of the world's
cheetahs. Its major support office for education and management
is in the United States, with conservation programs in Namibia, Kenya,
South Africa, Zimbabwe and Iran. |
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Diners will indulge in satays with
various sauces, ginger calamari, fried tofu with sweet peanut sauce served
with fresh pickled cucumber salad, chicken soup with
mangoes, roast
duck with
red curry, vegetarian pad thai, jasmine rice and coconut custard
with mangoes. Complementary wine is also included courtesy of McWilliams
Hanwood Estate.
Finalists
were selected based on their scores in seven different categories:
habitats/exhibits; educational programs; awards
and recognition; staff highlights, recognition or commendations;
community events, involvement or service; other visitor programs,
activities or attractions; and organizational partnerships
and
affiliations. The winning zoo will not only boast the title
of America's Favorite Zoo, but will also earn a $25,000 grant."
We're proud to be the only Northwest zoo included in the semi-finals," said
Oregon Zoo Director Tony Vecchio. "Oregon Zoo has a
stellar reputation for our education programs, special events
and our
conservation projects such as pygmy rabbits, Western pond
turtles, Oregon silverspot butterflies and California condors."The
public may cast their vote for Oregon Zoo through Oct. 29, by going
to the Zoo Tycoon Web site at 
During
the pre-show, riders are greeted by self-proclaimed "Mistress
of the Dark," television's campy horror-hostess Elvira.
She introduces her new concept for a theme park - actually
a SCREAM park called "Elvira's Tragic Kingdom." With
tongue planted firmly in cheek, Elvira chirps that her park
will be for people who are tired of those "thrill rides
where everyone survives!" Elvira is joined by her assistants
- Dracula, the Wolfman, and of course, Frankenstein. 
