🌏 EARTH WEEK
Monday, lesson 16: Spring Forest Flowers
It’s Earth Week! Joel the Zoo Curator provides an educational presentation on Spring ephemerals, the lovely little flowers that can be found on the forest floor this time of year. Learn how to identify our common forest floor flowers then get out in to the forest to discover these beauties for yourself!
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Tuesday, lesson 17: Upcycling with Niabi Zoo
Joel the Zoo Curator shows how to upcycle and old t-shirt to make a reusable bag that is also washable.
These help reduce our dependence on single use plastics which are harmful to the Earth. Upcycling items you already have, is a fun way to bring new life to an old item.
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Wednesday, lesson 18: Earth Day
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Thursday, lesson 19: Animal Tales – The Mad Pallas Cat
For Earth Week, Jessi the Zoo Keeper reads The Mad Pallas Cat by Cali DiScope with Haruto the Pallas Cat looking on. See how the Pallas Cat uses its secretive ways to surprise some children.
Learn how human activities have caused damage to the environment where Pallas Cats live.
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Friday, lesson 20: Connecting with Nature - Trees
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Previous lessons from the Niabi Zoo
Lesson 15: Painting Enrichment Project with a Snow Leopard
As people are social distancing at home, many are taking up hobbies such as painting. See Kira the Snow Leopard participate in a positively reinforced training session as she uses her paws to paint.
Narrated by Assistant Zoo Director, Tammy, the enrichment session conducted by Bri the Zoo Keeper shows the process of giving behavioral opportunities to enrich the daily lives of the animals at the Zoo.
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Lesson 14: Learning about the sloth
The story book, Slowly, slowly, slowly” said the sloth written by Eric Carle, is read by Andrea the Zoo Keeper, who is joined by Sal the Sloth as he listens to the story. Animals don’t seem to understand why the sloth is so slow and doesn’t seem to move or say much. As the sloth shows, it is important to take time to consider and be thoughtful about what to say before just saying the first thing that comes to mind. We can learn much from slowing down like the sloth.
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Lesson 13: Connecting with nature through waterways
Joel the Zoo Curator shares the importance of getting outside and connecting with Nature. Clean streams, rivers, and oceans are vital to animals and our own survival, yet people regularly pollute them with chemicals and trash. Take a moment to reflect on our impact on these wonderful waterways and learn how you can help.
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Lesson 12: All about the snow leopard
Interact with Jessi the Zoo Keeper as she shares some amazing animal adaptations that can be found on Snow Leopards to help them survive in the wild. See the colors of a Snow Leopard and find out how they help the cat. Try to jump as far as a snow leopard and find out why its tail is so long and paws are so. thick. See Nico the Snow Leopard move about his habitat showing his adaptations.
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Lesson 11: Animal Tales: Miss Spider's Tea Party
The story book, Miss Spider’s Tea Party written by David Kirk, is read by Joel the Zoo Curator. Count the ways Miss Spider tries to become friends with insects. Most are afraid of Miss Spider until they come to appreciate how helpful she can be. Meet Arana the Red Knee Tarantula and learn how spiders can help us.
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Lesson 10: Being flexible with the Domestic Ferret
Ferrets are very flexible. Joel the Zoo Curator as well as Jess and Laura the Zoo Keepers present Penny the Domestic Ferret to demonstrate just how flexible she can be. We can all be more flexible in our lives in order to protect animals and their habitats.
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Lesson Nine: Animal Tales- Giraffes Can’t Dance
The story book, Giraffes Can’t Dance written by Giles Andreae, is read by Kristina the Zoo Keeper to the Giraffes at the Zoo. Sometimes we can feel like we don’t know the steps in a dance the everyone seems to know.
As Gerald the giraffe learns, each of us have our own talents and can sway to the rhythm of our own dance.
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Lesson Eight: Turtle vs. tortoise with the Russian Tortoise
When is a turtle not exactly a turtle? Is there a difference between those on land or in the water? Can a turtle climb out of its shell? Joel the Zoo Curator will answer these questions and more as we explore the differences between turtles and tortoises. See a variety of turtle artifacts and meet Natasha the Russian Tortoise.
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Lesson Seven: Connecting with Nature: Prairies
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Lesson Six: Animal Tales: The Problem with Prickles
The story book, The Problem with Prickles, written by Barbara Davoll is read by Bianna the zookeeper.
She's reading to the African Crested Porcupines at the zoo.
Listen in and learn why it's challenging to be friends with a porcupine and how everyone has qualities that make them valuable, even if they seem a little prickly at first.
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Lesson Five: Warning colors of the Blue-tongued skink
Joel the Zoo Curator shows how warning colors used by animals are a way for them to communicate “Stay Away!” Some animals with warning colors may be distasteful or poisonous while others may benefit from having these colors when they are not dangerous at all. Meet the Blue-tongued skink and learn how sticking its tongue out helps protect it.
Join us weekdays at 3 p.m. for more Virtual Zoo2U. Follow @Niabi Zoo for more animal content and visit www.NiabiZoo.com
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Lesson four: Connecting with nature in the forset
Since you can’t come to the Zoo, we are bringing the Zoo2U! WQAD has partnered with @Niabi Zoo to bring you Virtual Zoo2U each weekday through April 17.
Joel the Zoo Curator shares the importance of getting outside and connecting with Nature. Explore the forest on trails while still maintaining social distancing. Whether you go to a park, forest preserve or even your own back yard, spending time in Nature can help us reduce stress.
Join us weekdays at 3 p.m. for more Virtual Zoo2U. Follow @Niabi Zoo for more animal content and visit
www.NiabiZoo.com
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Lesson Three: Feeding Browse to Colobus Monkeys
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Lesson Two: Painting session with a Black African Leopard
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Lesson One:
Animal Tales: Gorilla Chinchilla
The story book, Gorilla Chinchilla written by Bert Kitchen, is read by Joel the Zoo Curator. Hear about a variety of rhyming pairs of animals that you might encounter at a zoo. Meet a chinchilla up close and learn about some of its amazing adaptations!
