Archive for the ‘Contest’ Category

Feb
02

And The Winner Is………..

Posted by in Animal News & Updates,Children's Zoo,Contest,Just for Kids,Reptiles,Swap Shop

The Three-toed Box Turtle in the Naturally Wild Swap Shop has a new name!  With over 100 submissions, the Children’s Zoo staff had to take longer than expected to go through all the names.  A vote was held by the staff and the overwhelming winner was……………..Lunchbox!  You can follow this link to the original blog post on the contest http://www.houstonzooblogs.org/zoo/2012/12/help-give-rex-a-new-name/

 

Lunchbox the Three-toed Box Turtle

The name Lunchbox was submitted by Brea Madden and she has been given 50 points to spend in the Swap Shop as a reward for submitting the winning name. 

Lunchbox, formally named Rex, lives in the Swap Shop with her mom, Mindy. While Mindy has been here at the zoo since the 90′s, Lunchbox is very young.  She was hatched right here in the Children’s Zoo on August 11, 2010.   Mindy and Lunchbox are both part of the Zoo’s education collection and often go out for presentations or go on Zoomobiles to classrooms. 

Congratulations to Brea on winning the naming rights!  We hope we will see you soon in the Swap Shop to visit Lunchbox and spend those points!

Don’t know about the Naturally Wild Swap Shop?  Click here for more information.

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Dec
28

Help give Rex a new name!

Posted by in Animal News & Updates,Children's Zoo,Contest,Just for Kids,Reptiles,Swap Shop

Meet Rex.  Rex is a Box Turtle who was born right here in the McGovern’s Children’s Zoo and lives in the Naturally Wild Swap Shop.  There is only one problem……Rex is a girl.  When we named her she had just hatched and we didn’t discover that she was a girl until later on. 

 

Rex, the Three-toed Box Turtle

We want to give our guests 18 years of age and younger in the Swap Shop an opportunity to help re-name Rex.  So, until January 15, 2013 you can stop by the Swap Shop and submit your suggestion for a new name. 

Here is some additional information to help you come up with name ideas.  Rex was hatched on August 11, 2010 so she is just over 2 years old.  She is a Three-toed Box Turtle and lives with her mom, Mindy, in the Naturally Wild Swap Shop.  Mindy and Rex are both part of the Zoo’s education collection and go out to classrooms and other presentations.

On January 16, the Children’s Zoo staff will review the names and choose one for Rex’s new name!  The lucky young person that submitted the name will win 50 points to spend in the Swap Shop. 

Dont know about the Swap Shop?  Click here for more information.

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Nov
05

TXU Energy Turkey Calling Contest

Posted by in Contest

Copy written by TXU Energy

It’s time again to flap those elbows, stick out that chin and belt out your best turkey gobble.

The annual TXU Energy Turkey Calling Contest returns to the Houston Zoo on Nov. 10. A warm-up for the 20th annual TXU Energy Turkey Trot benefiting Sheltering Arms Senior Services, this annual event includes competitions for kids, teens, adults and media celebrities. That’s right –  some of your favorite local TV news and newspaper personalities will be giving their best turkey impressions.

Meet emcee and host Cowboy Dave of KILT 100.3 FM radio, who will wrangle the event. SASSy the turkey will entertain the crowd and some of our very own zoo residents will make a special visit.

Top winners will get zoo passes and goodies from Houston Zoo sponsor TXU Energy.

Come join the fun at 10 a.m. for the media turkey call and at 11 a.m. for the general audience event at the Butterfly Stage in the Children’s Zoo on Nov. 10. And don’t forget to join us on Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 22, at the Galleria for the TXU Energy Turkey Trot.

 

 

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Jun
04

World Oceans Day

Posted by in Contest

Saturday, June 9

9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

 Almost two weeks after her release, we can only guess which waters our rescued Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle is exploring today.  One thing is for certain though—she’s got underwater company. With an estimated 50 – 80% of Earth’s creatures living under the ocean’s surface, we can rest assured that she has made plenty of friends since her first splash into the Galvestonwaters on May 19.

On SATURDAY, JUNE 9, you’re invited to come aboard as we celebrate marine creatures like this sea turtle and all of her newfound companions during our World Oceans Day event. Dock your ship at the Houston Zoo and prepare to sail through a day of nautical -themed activities, made possible by the event’s sponsors K12 and United Airlines.

From 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. young sailors can enjoy our Activity Zone throughout the event and afternoon readings of Dr. Seuss’s timeless children’s story One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish on the Butterfly Stage in the McGovern Children’s Zoo at 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. In addition, guests can get unique insights into a few of our marine residents and their underwater worlds during special Meet the Keeper Talks at the Kipp Aquarium. Bring the kids and watch our sea turtle feeding at 10:00 a.m. or learn all about jellyfish at 2:00 p.m.

Here at the Houston Zoo, we think World Oceans Day is a great occasion to recognize all the marine life that call the Seven Seas their home, especially those species that are endangered. Many marine life populations are decreasing at an alarming rate. Right now you can learn more about endangered species by visiting the Rhythm of Conservation website. Brought to you by The Association of Zoos and Aquariums and K12, the site provides information on a new endangered animal everyday and offers fun activities for kids! Make sure to also enter their daily sweepstakes, ending June 15, which enters you for a chance to win a trip to Walt Disney World!

Let’s do our part to learn about marine animals, and make sure they stay around for years to come! We’ll see you at World Oceans Day!

 

Meet the Keeper Talks:

Sea Turtle Feeding – 10:00 am – KIPP Aquarium

Storytime – 11:00 am – Butterfly Stage

Piranha Feeding – 11:30 am – Natural Encounters

Storytime – 12:30 – Butterfly Stage

Jellyfish Chat – 2:00 pm – KIPP Aquarium

This event is FREE with your Zoo admission.

 

 

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

              

May
10

First Ever Crowd Curated Exhibit!

Posted by in Animal News & Updates,Contest,Mammals: Our Furry (and Hairy!) Friends,Primates,Wortham World of Primates

Today we have two big announcements to make! 

First of all, I would like to congratulate Susan Draper on winning our contest posted in the last blog.  Susan will be at the zoo this Saturday to help prepare the exhibit for our new Goeldi’s monkeys, Peach and Andy.  Susan’s husband, Mickey, will be joining us as her chosen guest. We have plenty of work to keep them busy.  It’s important to change out the climbing structures in our exhibits in between previous residents moving out and new residents moving in.  We have lots of grape vine and branches that need to be put into the exhibit so Peach and Andy have plenty of arboreal pathways and can easily get in and out of their night house. Hope Susan and Mickey are ready to get dirty!

The second piece of news is that Peach and Andy were both given clean bills of health by our veterinarians and after a few days of visiting through a mesh barrier they were able to meet face to face. Everything went exactly as we had hoped and it does indeed seem to be love at first sight!  Now we just have to wait for them to clear their required quarantine period and then we can move them to their new home. Are they not the cutest couple?

 

There seems to be no question that they are going to be a great couple! Photo credit: Jennifer Stevenson

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May
04

The Results Are In, and Jeffery’s Right Here in Houston!

Posted by in Birds,Conservation,Contest,Spotlight on Species

We’ve reached the end of our blog contest! We’ve followed Jeffery to Italy, Zimbabwe, Thailand, Singapore and all over the US! I have to say, that’s one well-traveled puppet.
 
We believe this contest and Jeffery accomplished our goal of increasing awareness in the States of the declining population of the Philippine Eagle. 
Raising a thousand dollars for Philippine Eagle conservation is amazing, but the possibilities created by raising a thousand voices for this cause is staggering.What if you tell a friend about this puppet and what he stands for, and she tells her cousin? What if that cousin tells all his friends and somewhere down the line, through the power of social connections, people begin talking, minds start to change, legislation is passed, ecotourism enriches the country, habitats are saved along with the human lives that depend on them, and the 52,177 species in the Philippines, our favorite eagle included, flourish?It’s a very serious thing, the welfare of a biodiversity hotspot like the Philippines, but we’re using the internet and a puppet to get the word out.

You can’t save the eagle without saving its habitat, and Jeffery is here to make people want to save the Philippine Eagle, whether they ever get to see one in person or not.

Along the way, Jeffery has made a ton of friends with the same goals.  We’d like to thank the talented artists at Jeepney Projects Worldwide, Hazel Dawes, one of the eagle’s most avid, talented and generous supporters, local Houston band, The Presidents, and Karlene Co.  Thank you for all your support!

So, now you must be thinking, “I’m really going to miss Jeffery! What will I do without my weekly Jeffery updates?” 

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! You can always find Jeffery on Facebook, Twitter, and now, his very own blog! I’m sure Jeffery will also pop up on Houston Zoo’s blogs as well.  The puppet will continue to travel and cheer for the Philippine Eagle Foundation.
 

"I think White Sands is a fantastic place to visit, but no aerial tour for me thanks, there are waaaayyy to many missiles and rockets to dodge!!" Linda

 
 
 
 

"I’ve always wanted granite counter tops, but this may be a little too much over the top!" Linda

 

"I love to paint, but now it’s time to get off the road and back to the Houston Zoo for the “Bird of Prey” days this weekend. Please join me to celebrate my friends and raise money for conservation!" Tess

 
Tomorrow starts our Birds of Prey Days!  Please come by and learn about the biodiversity of the Philippines and Texas native birds of prey, check out our Philippine Eagle art, and meet some of our resident birds of prey!
 

Liberty, the Houston Zoo's Bald Eagle. Photo by Ali Striggow.

 
 

Catori, the Houston Zoo's Eastern Screech Owl. Photo by Ali Striggow.

 

Artwork by Hazel Dawes

 
 
Come by and visit!  Oh, and drumroll please…the grand prize winner of our contest is….
Tess with 134 points!  Linda came in second with 124 points and Melissa ended the contest with 112 points!  All three of you have a prize to claim! Thank you all so much for participating, and please contact me at mneal@houstonzoo.org to arrange a way to claim your prizes!
 

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Apr
30

Where in the World is Jeffery? The FINAL Week!

Posted by in Birds,Conservation,Contest,Endangered Species,Spotlight on Species

Melissa, Tess and Linda, it’s been a great pleasure!  Thanks for sticking with Jeffery this entire time, and I will be in touch with each of you on Friday, after the final total is announced.  I hope to see you on Saturday or Sunday for our Birds of Prey Days! We plan to have lots of games, keeper chats and opportunities to learn about raptors and the Philippines!

Right now, it’s time to reveal the final photo in our contest!!!

Jeffery visited this public art installation originally created by the art group Ant Farm that encourages visitors to add to the art by spray painting vehicles half-buried nose-first in the ground, at an angle corresponding to that of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.

Where in the world is Jeffery?

 

You have until Friday at 10 AM to submit your final captions!

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Apr
16

Rhythm of Conservation

Posted by in Amphibians,Contest

 

In 1968, a small amphibian landed a spot on the list of “Rare and Endangered Fish and Wildlife of the United States.” Five years later, the Houston toad was included in the passing of the Endangered Species Act, one of the first amphibian species in the United States and maybe even the world to be recognized as declining.  Today the Houston toad is no longer found in its namesake city, and fewer than 300 individuals remain in the wild, largely due to habitat loss.  The Houston Zoo is working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas State University, and the Environmental Defense Fund to ensure the toad’s survival by caring for them in captivity in their early stages of life.  It is estimated that one out of every 1000 toad eggs will make it to be an adult toad. Because tadpoles are food for just about everything in the pond, The Houston Zoo collects the eggs from the wild, lets them hatch and grow from tadpole to toad, and then releases them back into the wild.  The Zoo also works with private landowners to restore habitat and monitor populations in Houston toad counties.

 
For more information about how you can help The Houston Toad, visit our own Houston Toad website.

 

Learning about endangered species is the first step in helping to protect them. According to iucnredlist.org, there are 5,689 known endangered species and 10,002 known vulnerable species on the planet. Can you imagine how different our Earth was before the populations for these species began dwindling?   The Houston Toad is just one of the many species you can learn about. Knowledge is power. The more you know, the more we can help protect the habitats of these precious creatures.

 

To learn about a new endangered species each day, visit the Rhythm of Conservation website. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has teamed up with K12 to bring you information on seventy-five different endangered species as well as fun activities for the kids! The best part is you can enter their sweepstakes daily, up to seventy-five days, for a chance to win a trip to Walt Disney World! As always, you can visit our Conservation Blog for information about endangered species and what we can do to help!

 

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