Something’s Cookin’ at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Perhaps you didn’t know an independent company, System Services Association (SSA), is behind all of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s on-site food venues, catering services, and gift shops. We are pleased to introduce Nathan Dirnberger as Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s new Executive Chef. He will manage all aspects of Grizzly Grill, Safari Café, as well as a Taste of the Wild catering, the zoo’s on-site event catering company.

Prior to joining the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo team, Chef Nathan was the Executive Chef at Nosh, an eclectic downtown restaurant. His passion for cooking began when he was just 13-years-old working as an associate at a gourmet food store. Chef Nathan is a Colorado native and has resided in Colorado Springs for the past 20 years. In his free time, he enjoys anything outdoors-camping, hiking, mountain biking, and he loves playing basketball.

We recently asked Chef Nathan a few questions to help you get to know him a little better.

CMZoo – Okay, What is your favorite zoo animal?

Chef Nathan – My favorite animal is a giraffe.

CMZoo - What is your favorite exhibit at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo?

Chef Nathan – Seeing all of the blueprints, I think Encounter Africa will be my new favorite exhibit. Plus, I’m a big fan of the rhinoceros and elephants that will be in this new exhibit.

CMZoo - What are you looking forward to most in your new position?

Chef Nathan – I’m looking forward to representing Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in the community and at upcoming cooking competitions. I’m also really excited about being a part of a great team and continuing a lot of very innovative projects started before my hire. For instance, I can’t wait to expand our current rooftop garden, which can be seen from the Mountaineer Sky Ride.

CMZoo – What new dishes do you plan to add to the menu?

Chef Nathan –I’m excited to introduce an authentic cuisine into each month’s menu. This month, on Saturdays and Sundays, we will be highlighting Mexican recipes. Next month Asian dishes will be on the menu.

CMZoo - What is your favorite food?

Chef Nathan – I don’t have one favorite - I love ALL food!

CMZoo - What is your favorite dessert?

Chef Nathan – I love anything with fruit.

Chef Nathan invites you to stop by the Grizzly Grill or Safari Café and say “hi” the next time you are exploring Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.   

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Celebrates Earth Day All April Long!

By: Kellie McGregor, CMZ Outreach Coordinator & Earth Month Committee Member

In March and April, nature awakes from its deep sleep to enjoy the warmer temperatures. Have you noticed the flowers and grass beginning to peer out from their winter hiding spots? Even the animals at the zoo are enjoying the sun. Just yesterday, one of our Amur tigers was playfully savoring a dip in the water of his exhibit. It’s as if nature is rejoicing the coming of spring. That’s why it’s fitting we are celebrating, too! This April, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is teaming up with Pikes Peak Earth Day, and other businesses and non-profits to celebrate Mother Earth the entire month.


To start things off, we’re throwing a party! The Pikes Peak Earth Month Kickoff Party jumpstarts the month of festivities on April 1, 2012, at Stargazers Theatre in Colorado Springs from 5:30pm to 9:00pm. It’s going to be a night of sustainability, conservation, and fun! Enjoy music, food, and drinks supplied by companies that care about our Earth. Even better, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Zoo On The Move and Quarters for Conservation projects will be there with live animals, and information on how you can protect wild animals and wild places. Guests will also have the chance to make a pledge to make a change in their lives to better the environment through our new pledge program.


Being a part of the Pikes Peak Earth Day committee and the Pikes Peak Earth Month Kickoff Party is especially important to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo because protecting our planet is something we strive to do all year long. In addition to providing up close experiences with animals, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo implemented the Quarters for Conservation program - $0.25 of each admission is allocated to conservation efforts around the world. In an effort to reduce waste, we’ve also begun a composting program. We know that in order to protect our amazing animals and habitats they live in, we must be good stewards of the planet.


We are challenging you to be good stewards of our planet, too. Check our calendar for Earth Month activities at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo or the Pikes Peak Earth Day website for happenings throughout Colorado Springs, then join us at the Pikes Peak Earth Month Kickoff Party on April 1 and pledge to make a change.

What's All the Chirping?

Written by: Thea Etchells

  

The zoo’s Australia area is located at the top of the main hill across from the Encounter Africa construction zone. In season you’ll find alligators, wallabies, and numerous reptiles and birds here.  Hidden in a building in the corner of this area is an exhibit full of excitement and chatter, or as a professional would say, excitement and chirping. 

Budgie Buddies is home to a colorful array of small birds, commonly known as parakeets. But, in their native home of Australia, they are known as budgerigars or “budgies” for short.  Wild budgies live in small flocks in the scrublands, open woodlands, and grasslands throughout the drier parts of inland Australia. They search these areas for hollow trees or logs to build nests. Nests located near water are definitely prime real estate.

A budgie’s diet consists of seeds from different plants, as well as fruits and vegetables. As opportunistic breeders, budgies respond to rainy weather when the grass seeds become most abundant.  Flock mates show signs of affection by preening and feeding one another. Budgies are naturally green and yellow, but breeders have created a rainbow of blues, whites, and yellows, along with some grays. These birds have become popular pets because of their playful nature, ability to mimic human speech, and their small size.

In Budgie Buddies here at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, guests can get up close and personal to our large flock of budgies, along with their buddies the princess parrots, a rosella parrot, cockatiels, zebra finches (birds also native to Australia), and a variety of different finch species from other continents.  During your visit, you might see the birds taking a bath in the waterfall, chatting with a buddy, popping in and out of a nest box or having a bite of lunch.  Our flocks’ favorite activity however, is snacking on seed sticks held by zoo guests. 

Bank on it!

 The piggy bank’s origin dates back to around the 15^th century when peope were crafting useful items, including dishes and jars made out of pygg, a type of orange clay, to hold spare change. Around the 18^th century, people realized the word “pygg” was pronounced the same as the animal “pig.” People began to form “pygg” into the shape of a “pig” to hold spare change, and the piggy bank was born. 

In a new take on the piggy bank, we’re shaping it into an elephant. The white elephant banks are a blank canvas, allowing your inner Picasso to come out and shine. A photograph of your original artwork will be part of a one-of-a-kind art installation in the Encounter Africa exhibit, allowing you to be a part of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s largest project ever. The exhibit features new homes for our elephant herd, African lion pride, meerkats, and the critically endangered black rhinoceros.

Follow these three easy steps and Bank on it!

Step 1: Visit any one of 17 U.S. Bank branches in Southern Colorado to get your very own elephant bank with just a $50 donation. You can also find the banks at the zoo’s front gate (open daily 9am to 4pm) or on-line (shipping & handling fees apply).

Step 2: The bank is yours to keep, so make it your own by decorating it. Don’t forget to email a photo of your bank to bankonit@cmzoo.org for inclusion in the one-of-a-kind art installation. All photos must be received by April 1, 2012.

Step 3: Fill ‘er up! Make an elephant-sized impact by adding to your donation. We’ll gladly accept any additional money saved in your bank at the front gates of the zoo.

For more information on the Bank on it! Program visit www.cmzoo.org/BankOnIt. 

Tiger Enrichment

At CMZ it is our number one job to ensure our animals constantly receive the best care possible and they have happy, healthy lives! 

A big part of this quality care is providing them with an environment that is dynamic and provides daily opportunities and choices for the animals to use their senses and adaptations.  One of the ways we provide those opportunities is through enrichment.

Enrichment is anything that we (animal care staff) can provide that enhances our animals’ environments at the zoo with the goal of drawing out species appropriate behavior.  Just like all the other animals at CMZ, the tigers get enrichment at least once a day.  They are offered a very wide variety of different enrichment items from perfume to boxes to special food items.  They receive something different every day and we try not to repeat enrichment items more than once a month to keep it exciting and novel. 

In the wild, a tiger would spend many hours each day seeking out, hunting and eventually eating their prey.  Because of this, a lot of the tiger’s favorite enrichment items involving food.  We offer food enrichment in a variety of ways: hiding it throughout the enclosure, putting it inside something they have to tear apart or even freezing it into ice treats.  All of these activities encourage the cats to use their adaptations like sense of smell or physical strength to “catch their prey”.  Some of their other favorite types of enrichment are large plastic toys, large boxes they can tear apart and scents, like perfume and spices, sprayed throughout their enclosure.  Providing them with a large variety of enrichment items on a daily basis is a very important part of keeping our tigers active and engaged here at the zoo!!