The Bees are Back in “My Big Backyard”

We are excited to let you know that our honey bees are back in My Big Backyard. Our head bee keeper, Thea Etchells, shares some fun facts about bees.



Fun Bee Facts:
- Bees communicate through a dance. They'll "dance" in a Figure 8 and even "waggle", this dance gives others in the hive the distance and direction of to patches of flowers yielding nectar and pollen, good water sources or to new housing locations.

- Bees are native to Asia, Africa and Europe. Honeybees were first introduced to the East Coast of North America in 1622.

- A swarm of bees is primarily caused by overcrowding of a hive which will happen during the Spring or Summer

- Flower nectar is only one of two sources used by honeybees. Pollen is the other, providing protein and essential nutrients for the bees

- Honeybees are very important pollinators. As field bees forage for nectar, pollen sticks to the fuzzy hairs that cover their bodies. Some of this pollen will rub off into the next flower they visit, fertilizing the flower resulting in better fruit production. The rest of the pollen, they'll bring back to the hive to have the house bees store it in a special part of the comb.



What I find interesting about bees:

- They are absolutely amazing! Worker bees especially! They have so many different jobs in such a short lifespan living only about 6 weeks, (however those born in the fall will live until the following spring). When they are young, they are called "House bees" and work in the hive doing comb construction, brood rearing, tending the queen and drones, cleaning, temperature regulation and defending the hive. The older workers are called "Field Bees;" they forage outside the hive to gather nectar, pollen, and water.


- Bees all go through several days of training, depending on the job...they work each "job" for a few days before moving on to the next without having to go through any training at all. When they emerge from their cell, they automatically start cleaning out their cells and getting to work. Amazing!

Stop by My Big Backyard at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to learn more about honey bees.

Rock the Zoo!

Your Own Personalized River Rock.



Maybe you've always had a thing for rocks. Perhaps, as a child, you had numerous pet rocks—all named 'Bob'. Well, now you have the opportunity to have your very own personalized rock on display at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

Personalized river rocks will be an integral part of the new Rocky Mountain Wild complex. Each rock will be installed to complete the Community Wall of Names at Moose Lake—creating a fascinating mural of the Rocky Mountain river system.

* Engraved river rocks will be permanently displayed on the Community Wall of Names at Moose Lake as part of the new Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit.
* River rocks can have two engraved lines of text with as many as 12 characters per line.
* River rocks can be purchased for $100, which includes the cost of engraving.
* All funds raised from this campaign will help support the new Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit.



This is the perfect opportunity to commemorate special people or organizations while helping Cheyenne Mountain Zoo at the same time.

* Honor family or cherished friends.
* Remember a loved one. Leave a legacy.
* Celebrate your child's Scout troop or third grade class!
* Recognize your business or favorite organization.

Purchase a personalized river rock today and help us with the new Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit!

Purchase a River Rock Now on our website.

Companies for Conservation

It's a Business Proposition.



Join Companies for Conservation and your company will be uniting with Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and its commitment to the conservation and care of threatened and endangered species. By involving your organization and sharing the conservation message with employees and clients, you'll be helping animals worldwide.

With this generous commitment, Companies for Conservation members will receive public recognition and unique opportunities for employee incentives and client rewards. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo relies on donations like this for the majority of its funding and recognizes donors whenever possible.

As a Companies for Conservation member, you'll be making an important commitment to conservation. Membership fees range from $100 to $2,500, and members receive the following benefits:

* Member listing on the Zoo's web site
* Member listing on sign in Primate World (seen by over half a million visitors each year)
* Choice of species to sponsor and fact sheet on the species, including information on its status in the wild
* Information on how employees can help with conservation of the species
* 10% employee discounts for Zoo membership
* Color photo of your animal

Find out more online.

Africa Expedition: Trip Overview and Day 1

Our own, Nicole Mantz, Education Curator for the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, has ventured to Africa on an expedition regarding human/wildlife conflict and coexistence. We just heard from her and wanted to get the update out to you.

Nicole writes:

Jambo! Got into Nairobi yesterday afternoon but wasn't able access internet until this morning. We will be heading Tsavo as soon as we are done with our updates here. I hope to send pictures soon!

Trip Overview:
This Earth Expeditions trip through Project Dragonfly and the Wild Research Consortium* is about humans and wildlife coexisting together. Throughout the course we use the inquiry process to look at different issues associated with humans and wildlife in the African landscape. Since the class revolves around inquiry, I'd like to ask you to do some inquiry along with me...

Look at your surroundings each day, pick something to focus on and spend sometime asking questions about it. When you find a question that really intrigues you, then I challenge you to dig deeper, look for the answer, ask your family, friends, etc. to join you in your quest. I think you'll find that as you take a few moments to dig deeper, and learn more, the world around you start to feel more alive, more illuminated. Using simple inquiry and observation can make an ordinary situation incredibly interesting, and as a result, I hope you feel more connected with the world around. - Join me in my journey as I connect with the people and wildlife of Africa through the inquiry process.

*As part of Wild Research, 15 zoos and aquariums throughout the country make up the Wild Research Consortium. Consortium members attend leadership workshops each year at conservation sites in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.


July 1, Day 1 - A long way for a kiss!

Today we had some time before we met up with the rest of our classmates, so a couple new friends from Ohio and I did some exploration. We really wanted to check out the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and the Giraffe sanctuary. So we hired a guide to take us around these areas of Nairobi. The Elephant sanctuary was first and they had 6 elephant calves ranging in age from 5 months to 2 years.



They were red with dirt and really knew they were the center of attention. So many people crowded around them for the opportunity to get up close and personal. As I observed the people in that moment, it made me think about how much people love connecting with wildlife. I know this is something that we already know, but being in another country, and seeing many people from other countries as well, waiting with great anticipation for their moment to connect with the little guys, reminded me that this connection we crave, truly is universal... it doesn't matter what language you speak.

When we reached the Giraffe Sanctuary, where Giraffe Manor is located, I was again amazed at the people that were crowding around, feeding the giraffe. It made me start wondering, of the people here, for how many is this their first time to feed giraffe?

As I observed, in an effort to answer my question... many were frightened and nervous as they approached "Daisy" the giraffe for the first time. Some spoke English and I was able to ask them if this was their first experience, and for most, it was. As they started connecting with Daisy, they started getting more confident and bolder with their feeding strategies. Eventually you saw them starting to put the pellet in their mouth and Daisy would take it from them, in a sloppy, wet, french kiss. :-)


One of my classmates, Katie, gets a smooch from Daisy the giraffe at the Giraffe Sanctuary.

I just giggle at their expressions and thought about how fortunate we are at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, to be able to provide this opportunity for our guests. The joy that surrounded Daisy is something we see often at the Zoo, and for those who have a chance to have their first encounter with a giraffe right in their home town, or after a little traveling, I'm sure you feel fortunate too... Africa is a long way to come for your first kiss (giraffe kiss that is)!


Giraffe photo from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

Tonight we meet up with our class and head off to Amboseli! Can't wait for the adventure!

Africa Expedition: Background

Facts on Kenya Trip 2010

What: Nicole Mantz, Education Curator at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is on a 16 day Expedition to Kenya.

Where: Various Areas of Kenya: Nairobi, Amboseli National Park, Tsavo West, Olkiramatian, Chyulu Hills

Why: Nicole Mantz on behalf of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is joining an Earth Expeditions Program in Kenya through the Zoo’s participation in the Wild Research Consortium, directed by Project Dragonfly at Miami University and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.

The Wild Research Consortium, started in 2007 through a grant funded by the National Science Foundation, brings together a group of Association of Zoo and Aquarium (AZA) Institutions around a common mission: to deepen public engagement in science and conservation. Wild Research will create and assess exhibit environments that ask visitors, particularly families, to take a plunge, cast off their traditional roles as spectators, and become active investigators and conservationists. The premise of Wild Research is that the most powerful way to engage families is to invite them into the world of science and conservation.

By using inquiry methods to invite public engagement, Wild Research supports what appears to be a recent national movement toward participatory science at zoos and aquariums. In an effort to build capacity, the Wild Research Consortium brings AZA professionals together with conservation scientists and educators for direct research experiences at key conservation sites in Africa, Asia and the Americas. These graduate credit workshops leverage the successful Earth Expeditions program . Participants will spend more than 100 hours at a field conservation site, attend follow-up workshops, and implement cooperative action plans. The Wild Research Leadership Workshops create international collaborations, while building the capacity of zoos and aquariums to connect families to global conservation efforts.

This trip is perfect timing for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo as Nicole will be leading the interpretive planning for the Zoo’s new elephant exhibit. With her experiences in Africa and learning opportunities in the course, Nicole hopes to engage guests with the story of how amazing elephants are and their coexistence with people and other wildlife.