Category: Conservation

June 8, 2021

In 1992, the United Nations hosted the Earth Summit. This gathering resulted in over 170 countries agreeing to two treaties for environmental diplomacy: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention of Biological Diversity.  Since then, 15% of our land and 7% of our oceans have been protected.  Unfortunately, our planet is facing many different threats right now.  We are seeing a loss of clean air and drinking water in communities around the world.  Forests around the world remove 2.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, and when we clear forests for agriculture and urban development, we are removing these carbon sinks.  We are also destroying vital habitat for species, many of whom are endangered.  Climate change is causing stronger, more frequent natural disasters.  There are over 200 million people around the planet who rely on the protection of coral reefs against flooding.  The Campaign for Nature is committed to securing a better future for our planet, our wildlife and ourselves.The Campaign for Nature is a partnership between the Wyss Campaign for Nature, National Geographic, and over 100 conservation organizations. They are calling on civic leaders to create new policies to protect 30% of the planet by 2030.  By conserving areas that are biologically diverse and represent all of the world’s different ecosystems, we can reverse the damage that has been done and help these areas recover.

It is a fact that protected areas can be restored.  After wolves went extinct in Yellowstone Park, the landscape began to change because of overgrazing by elk and other herbivores.  After 70 years, wolves were successfully reintroduced into the area and the habitats recovered.  Elk were not avoiding the areas wolves hunted, allowing both terrestrial and aquatic habitats to recover.  This is only one example of many success stories.

We can take action today to help protect our planet.  You can join the call for 30×30 and let your civic leaders know you want to protect our planet by signing the petition.   The UN’s Convention of Biological Diversity will be meeting in Kunming, China later this year, where there will be discussions on increasing the areas that are protected. World leaders need to work together with local governments and Indigenous Peoples to make sure that conservation practices are lining up with these protected areas.  This includes providing the proper funding for management and scientific studies for these areas.In the last 50 years, we have lost over 60% of terrestrial wildlife on the planet.  In the last 100 years, we have lost 90% of big ocean fish.  It is not too late to protect what we still have.  By being responsible with our resources and protecting biologically diverse areas, we can make a difference and ensure future generations of both people and animals have a safe, healthy world to grow up in. Join the call for 30×30 today and let your voice be heard by signing the petition!

– Randi Krieger, Zoo KeeperDonate

* Banner photo by Walter Brooks

May 12, 2021

The 5th grade students of Victor Intermediate School planned, organized, and facilitated a successful fundraiser to raise money for pickle toys for the large animals of the Seneca Park Zoo.  Some of these incredible students took the time to reflect and share about their experience.

By: Gillian Allen, Shannon Doyle, Aralyn Nhek, Brody Steward, Grady Strassner, Emma Sullivan, Nathan Terrance, Ava Wozniak, and Kyra Zimliki

What led to this project?
We are 5th grade students at Victor Intermediate School (Victor, NY) and were doing research on zoos for an argumentative unit in ELA. One thing that we kept seeing was the issue of animals growing bored in zoos and showing signs of stress because of their boredom, especially the larger animals that need more space. So, after doing more research, we found out that zookeepers are working to help with this boredom doing animal enrichment. We were so excited about the work that zoos were doing to help animals that we wanted to help out too by raising money. 

One of our 5th grade teachers, Mrs. Condon, emailed the Seneca Park Zoo society to see what we could do to help. They emailed us back to say that we could fundraise for native pollinator plants or GIANT toy pickles that the Polar Bear and lions really like. We wanted to support both but decided to name our project after these GIANT pickle toys and call it: Pickles for Polar Bears!

Why animal enrichment?
Animal enrichment has benefited animals in zoos because the toys keep animals entertained and happier. The toys make the animals happier because they help to prevent boredom and keep them active.  Enrichment can keep these animals healthier, longer just like the pickle toy that we raised money for! These pickles might help keep the teeth strong and gives the polar bear something to play with and carry around. This can help keep the polar bear active and healthy all while feeling like it is playing with a toy!

Our Pickles for Polar Bears Project
The Pickles for Polar Bear project, which would raise money to purchase pickle toys for Anoki the polar bear so she can stay healthy and happy, was organized by the whole 5th grade! Each 5th grade team signed up for a job. Some classes did the announcements, some made posters, some made flyers, some put together an educational video, and some gave out important information about polar bears.

We even had kids make logos for the fundraiser! Each time a person donated, they got a polar bear sticker to show their support. The team that raised the most money got to have a pajama day and get cookies and ice cream. All of the kids got really into it!Project Results
We started the fundraiser to give the large animals at Seneca Park zoo toys to play with to keep the animals entertained. The fundraiser, Pickles for Polar Bears, raised $5,065 dollars in just 8 days! We raised $500 on the first day of the fundraiser! We had four different teams raise over $600! That goes to show how much kids love animals and care about their happiness in captivity. Each pickle costs $250 so we were able to purchase plenty of pickles for the polar bear, lions, and tiger! We even raised enough to donate 10 100 square foot garden beds of native pollinator plants.  

What’s next?
As VIS students, we feel that there is a really good opportunity to let kids help to fundraise and support zoo programs. Kids like us can make a real difference and giving kids the chance to do that is really important!  We are hoping to choose another zoo animal, see what that animal needs, and then raise money to donate to that zoo animal. We also hope to keep researching and learning about the space needed for specific zoo animals to keep them healthy and to learn more about how zoos can provide the important education that people need to protect and love these animals in captivity and in the wild.

Our advice? As said by one of our fellow 5th graders: Look for ways to make a difference in your community. No matter how young or old you are! –Dylan PulverSupport the Zoo

April 26, 2021

In 2019, I had the opportunity to participate in the Climate Alliance Program hosted by Polar Bears International. Through the program, I learned about polar bear natural history and travelled to Churchill, Manitoba, the polar bear capital of the world.  While seeing polar bears in their natural range was an amazing experience, I took something else away from this trip as well.  I realized that my job as a zookeeper is not only to care for the animals here at Seneca Park Zoo, but it is also my job to teach our guests and inspire them to take action to protect these amazing animals and their habitat.For this program, PBI had teamed up with the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation.  So not only was I learning about polar bears, I was now learning evidence-based communication methods about climate change.  I knew that a major loss of sea ice was the biggest threat polar bears are facing, but didn’t know how to confidently talk about climate change.  Climate change can be a topic that scares people, they think it’s too political, or that discussions will always turn into arguments; this was my train of thought.

Through NNOCCI, I learned about the science of climate change and how to explain it in an easy way for everyone to understand using metaphors and explanatory chains that are relatable.  The ocean circulates moisture and heat throughout the planet, similar to how the heart circulates blood through our bodies.  This maintains temperatures throughout the world and helps keep the climate stable; but the burning of fossil fuels, like coal, oil and natural gas disrupts this stability when these emissions build up in the Earth’s atmosphere.  This build up causes the oceans and Earth to heat up, so the ocean pumps too much heat and moisture to some parts of the planet, other parts receive too little.  This is what causes droughts, flooding, and crazy weather patterns.If we think of the ocean as the heart of the climate, we realize that we need to take care of it just like we take care of our own bodies.  The best way to start is to decrease our use of these fossil fuels.  By making easy, common-sense decisions in our everyday lives, we can start to help the planet. Switching to solar and wind power will greatly reduce our carbon emissions. Making sure we are being as efficient as possible with our appliances and even making sure we have energy-efficient windows installed in our homes are easy steps we can start to take to make sure future generations can enjoy our beautiful planet.

Coming home from the program, I jumped right into my keeper chats using everything I had learned.  I can now teach guests how we can be responsible with our resources to reduce our carbon emissions.  I encourage everyone to talk about climate change with their friends and family, just having a conversation is a step forward in working together to help stop climate change.

– Randi Krieger, Zoo KeeperDonate

April 25, 2021

What is World Penguin Day? For starters, it’s a day for us to acknowledge our love for all things penguin, a day for us to admire this quirky little bird who can’t fly, has a most humorous walk, sounds like an angry donkey, and swims like a torpedo. But it’s also a day for us to acknowledge the sad fact that penguins around the world are in sharp decline and some could potentially disappear in our lifetime. To ignore this part of the story is to resign ourselves to the idea that we can’t do anything about it.What can we do in Rochester, New York to help save a bird that lives over 8,000 miles away?

One of the most important steps we can take is to support organizations that are on the ground where these penguins live. Here at the Seneca Park Zoo, we have a colony of African Penguins. These penguins can be found at the very southern tip of Africa. While there are a number of organizations working with African penguins, there is one that stands out to us. The Southern African Foundation for Conservation of Coastal Bird, better known as SANCCOB. In their 53-year history, they have treated more than 97,000 seabirds, most of which were African penguins. So, rest assured, as you pay your entry fee, membership dues, or donate to one of our penguin days fund-raisers you are helping to save these amazing birds.

For more information check out their web site here.

What is the biggest threat to the African Penguin?

Over the years, they’ve had to overcome many threats including egg collection for food, guano collection for fertilizer, massive oil spills from shipwrecks, and human encroachment on their nesting site, but these days, their number one threat by far is lack of food!

A combination of commercial over-fishing and changing water temperatures have left the African penguin on the verge of starvation. As adults struggle to feed themselves it becomes harder and harder for them to feed their chicks. Many chicks are left to starve in the nest as parents are forced to make the hard decision of survival.This is where SANCCOB steps in. While their legal teams work with local officials to change fishing regulations, their rangers work to remove starving chicks from the nests to be taken to one of SANCCOB’s two rehabilitation facilities. Here they’re fed and cared for until old enough to be released back on the very same beach they were hatched on, thus ensuring the next generation of penguins.

How can we help change fishing behaviors?

Here at the Seneca Park Zoo, we encourage everyone to check out seafoodwatch.org. By downloading the Seafood Watch app, you’ll be able to make sure you’re making sustainable choices when shopping for seafood.

– Kevin Blakely, Zoo Keeper

April 23, 2021In 2001, the zoo joined the effort to preserve the most endangered animal in New York State, the Chittenango Ovate Amber Snail. Found only in a small section of a rock ledge in the spray zone of Chittenango Falls located east of Syracuse, the Ovate Amber Snail competes with an invasive European snail.In collaboration with the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation we assist with population surveys across their rocky ledge habitat.  Over the past 20 years, zoo staff have participated in these annual surveys. Mark and recapture studies can tell us how the population is doing and we can use that data to estimate population size. Many different projects have also taken form, all in an effort to help protect this species. Surveys look at native plants and park staff are working to keep the invasive plants from overtaking the Ovate Amber Snail habitat. The snail eats native plants like Joe Pye Weed. Invasive species can grow at an alarming rate and out-compete this native plant for resources. SUNY ESF has a very successful captive propagation program to preserve the species in hopes of someday returning them to the falls. Studies conducted on the water quality and environmental conditions around the falls can help us understand the threats that the snails are facing.

For more information visit the DEC’s website here.

– Robin English, Veterinary Technician

April 23, 2021More and more people are wondering where water goes when it enters our house and storm drains. Here in Monroe County, there are two separate systems that deal with our water which are the storm sewer system and the sanitary sewer system.  The storm sewer system is a system of pipes/ditches and that is not part of the sanitary sewer system that transports sewage from our homes to the water resource recovery facility to be treated. This means any water running into storm drains will be transported to the nearest waterway, and ultimately to Lake Ontario, without being treated at a sewage treatment plant.  

The City of Rochester however has a combined system in certain areas, where stormwater and sewage are transported through the same system of pipes and are treated at the Frank E Van Lare Water Resource Recovery Facility. Regardless of where you live, if you wash your car or fertilize your lawn, those chemicals will end up in Lake Ontario eventually. Remember, only rain down the drain!  

For more information on local water quality conservation visit one of our favorite local organizations, H20 Hero, website here. – Dave Will, Lead Zoo Naturalist for Citizen Science

April 22, 2021

Right now, climate change is having serious effects on this planet. We are seeing a major loss of sea ice, an increase in droughts, and even changes in the ocean’s chemistry. One major cause of climate change is deforestation. Because trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, when people remove trees for agriculture and development, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere increases. According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, almost 18 million acres of forests are lost every year, and almost half of Earth’s tropical forests have been cleared already.Seneca Park Zoo believes it is important to protect the planet by saving these forests. Reforestation is one of the easiest and most important actions we can take to help solve climate change. Trees act as carbon sinks by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, keeping the air clean for local communities. Reforestation programs not only help maintain habitats for a variety of species, but also help stabilize the land from erosion and natural disasters and promote economic development in local communities.

So, what can you do to help? Join us at Seneca Park Zoo to help raise funds for The Canopy Project; for every $1 donated, one tree will be planted!

The Canopy Project has planted trees across the globe. Currently they are working on projects in Madagascar, Sierra Gorda in Mexico, the Mt. Elgon region in Uganda and the foothills of the Himalayas in India. A lot goes into picking these planting sites. Coordinators consider the following when choosing locations: urgency to protect biodiversity, threats to the location from climate change and environmental disasters, development of local communities, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility. Local communities benefit from planting sites as it creates new jobs learning how to care for and maintain the forests for future generations. Many species of trees that are planted also provide fruit and other resources for communities.Help us reach our goal of planting 500 trees with the Canopy Project! By working together, we can make positive changes for both people and animals around the world. Stay tuned all week to learn other ways you can help protect the planet for future generations to enjoy.

– Randi Krieger, Zoo KeeperDonate

February 27, 2021

Human-wildlife interaction is a conservation challenge widespread throughout the natural world. There is little true wilderness left on our planet, and if we want crucial ecosystems to survive, we must constantly assess the effects of our activities on wildlife. With support raised through guest donations at Seneca Park Zoo, our partner, Polar Bears International (PBI) was able to take part in a study to better understand the impact human interaction and disturbance has on denning polar bears and their reproductive success.PBI teamed with researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and Brigham Young University (BYU) to study polar bears in the Prudhoe Bay Operations Area and adjacent habitats across Alaska’s North Slope. Researchers were able to document 138 human-bear interactions, spanning a 42-year period from 1975-2017, with the objective of analyzing the different disturbance stimuli at den sites and the associated bear responses. To ensure consistency in the data, each human-bear interaction was categorized by type of stimulus (humans on foot, small machinery, large machinery, or aircraft) distance between stimulus and bear (0-150m, 151-300m, or 300+m), intensity of stimulus (on a scale of 1-3), and intensity of bear response (on a scale of 1-4).Although individual bears responded differently to each type of stimulus, the study concluded that polar bears in this area are largely tolerant of human activity near den sites. During the study, researchers did not observe any instances of polar bears abandoning sealed dens. This may be due to either the fact that sealed dens are highly insulated and therefore less sensitive to sound and vibrations, or the high cost of abandonment, since polar bears expend so much time and energy to complete their dens. Most den abandonment events were caused by high intensity interactions of low-flying aircraft, and occurred during the fall when dens are in the early phases of construction and the bears have less to lose by abandoning the site.

Data collected from this study is immensely important for not only wildlife managers, but also for industrial workers. Prudhoe Bay is home to the largest active oil field in North America, which leads to a higher frequency of human-bear interactions. This study showed a 1.6km (1 mile) buffer zone is effective for minimizing den disturbances, which means wildlife managers can work together with industrial workers to coordinate human activity rather than halt it altogether.

Studies like this one are crucial when considering the future survival of any species, especially the largest land carnivore of the Arctic. The first step toward conservation is research, and our Zoo is proud to be able to support polar bear research projects through our partnership with Polar Bears International.

–  Annie Wheeler, Lead Zoo Naturalist for Programs

*Banner photo of Seneca Park Zoo’s Ambassador Polar Bear Anoki by Wayne Smith

Your Support Helps Snow Leopard Conservation

September 2020

They said, ”Do you want to be an urban ecologist?”

I said, “Sure, I’ll be an Urban Ecologist.” 

Naaman and I were discussing how he didn’t know at the time that this decision would lead to a morning deep in the Genesee river gorge on a path that offered little room to move between the flowing water on his left and layered stone cliffs to his right.As the Urban Ecologist program manager I think I can safely say that most of the 15 Urban Ecologists we hired this summer weren’t really sure what they are getting themselves into. Each one applied through the City of Rochester’s Summer of Opportunity program with the hope of getting some real life work experience. Luckily this diverse group of high school students were willing to take a chance on a job that was explained as an opportunity to spend the next two years developing their future readiness, studying their relationship to the urban environment, engaging the community in nature-based activities, and working to improve the natural environment through stewardship projects. This adventurous spirit has led to a team of young people who are confidently and courageously facing the particularly challenging set of circumstances we find ourselves in this summer. 

As we considered how to run a program that kept our young people and the community safe and healthy, we saw online work as an opportunity we could take advantage of, but early conversations with our senior urban ecologists provided motivation for figuring out how to provide in-person work as well. They had spent the spring in their homes and they emphatically expressed a desire to get out in nature.  There is plenty of research to back up the idea that getting out would be good for their social, emotional, and physical health. Fortunately the outdoor work embedded in this program lends itself well to a work environment that is well ventilated with space to spread out. We have been able to create a hybrid program that provides both in person and online learning.We have used our time online and at home for a variety of experiences. We worked with an expert to take a financial literacy course. We had a video conference call with an EPA attorney in Baltimore and an expert in environmental justice education in Buffalo. We have had workshops to dissect our sense of place by considering what an urban ecosystem is and how we map our world.  We have read “The Home Place” by J. Drew Lanham and have worked on self-designed community engagement projects.Our in-person work has benefited from the fact that the Urban Ecologists have taken to heart the idea that their attention to health and safety makes a greater impact possible.  With daily health checks, masks on and six feet between each other breaths of fresh air fills our lungs, dialogue about the state of the world fills our ears and gardening soil fills our hands. We have spent several mornings tending community food gardens. We now have a deeper connection to the neighbors who benefit from the freely available fresh food and the pollinators who make that food possible. Removing invasive species in an urban forest has connected us to the ecosystems that bring people in the city peace. Sharing photo stories of Seneca Park connects us to the land in our city and the community of people telling their stories on instagram.

The Urban Ecologists sometimes ask me about getting paid for activities that hardly seem like work like hiking and reading. I tell them it is some of the most important work that can be done right now. Connecting to our environment and each other is necessary in a way it has never been before. I tell them they have a responsibility to share that connection with others. Finding a path through the urban wilderness on foot is just one of the ways they are preparing to lead our communities down an uncertain path. The skills, knowledge, and relationships they are building today will create the hopeful tomorrow we need.

– Chris Widmaier, Seneca Park Zoo Society Urban Ecology Program Manager

*Banner photo by Chris Widmaier

The Seneca Park Zoo Society Urban Ecology Workplace Development Program began 2017 in response to the lack of diversity in the field of conservation.  Now conducted in partnership with the City of Rochester Summer of Opportunity program, participants connect with nature, learn important life skills, and make an impact on their communities. Follow @rocurbanecologists on Instagram.