May 27, 2016
In attendance:
Members: Joe Nappi, Erin Mowatt, Amy Golden, Heather Tassler, Elizabeth Mills, Joe Borsellino, Michelle Medina, Brent Atkinson, Nyssa Turner (new member!)
Non-members: Amanda Scherer, Juliet Elkins
Food: Thank you Brent Atkinson for the delicious fudge treats at the meeting!
Fundraiser/Event Summaries:
- March Ice Skating Conservation Fundraiser
. $777 Raised for Trees for You and Me (voted by AAZK members)
(Reforestation campaign through AAZK & Polar Bears International)
. 32 people attended
- Cinco de Rhino
. $670 raised that will be added to our Bowling for Rhinos Fund (BFR)
. Raffle items and key chains sold. Key chains were a big hit and will continue to be sold at BFR
. 36 people attended including Jim Breheny, Pat Thomas, Colleen McCann and Craig Piper
. There will be alcohol next year
. Cinco de Rhino was organized mostly to be a fun social event, but also help boost our BFR sales due
to the large overhead costs for the event. We are looking into fundraisers for other taxa as well.
- May AAZK Movie Night (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
. Rented our own private 24 seat theatre at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Yonkers
. 19 people attended
. Social event
Travel Grant Update:
- Congratulations to Michelle Medina who was awarded $1000 to attend the advanced Felid Conference
in Denver. She will give a trip report at a future meeting
World Animal Day Update: Jen Loveless
. Cinco de Rhino – event went well and incorporated a variety of departments such as public
programming, EGAD, social media, the FOZ and media services.
- Posters from the event that have messages written by zoo guests for rhino protection unit
rangers will be sent out into the field. We have an additional poster to be signed by zoo staff
that will go over as well.
. World Giraffe Day – event is organized. Will be held in mid-June. Look for info about Jen’s California
Pizza Kitchen giraffe fundraiser in the near future.
. Future World Animal Days – International Tiger Day (hope to focus on palm oil and incorporate bird
and reptile departments), October – Bat, Rat & Vulture Days.
. Randi Winter is working to streamline these events so that we can easily host World Animal Day
keeper chats throughout the year that will have signage and social media coverage.
Bowling for Rhinos Update: Amy Golden
. Deposit to rent out the bowling alley was put down.
. Ticket sales about to go live
. Michelle Medina will be updating the BFR portion of our website. There will be a donation button
on the revamped web page with the ability for donors to indicate which bowler they are sponsoring
. The Event will be held Monday August 15th
. Pushing for personal pledges (Every $25 raised gets you a raffle ticket to submit for a grand prize)
*If you have any suggestions for grand prizes that would be more suitable for keeper staff, please
let us know.
. Suggestion: Jamberry: Custom nail fundraising (referencing that the keratin that makes up rhino
horn is the same substance that makes up our fingernails) (suggested by Elizabeth Mills)
. It should be noted that BFR supports a wide variety of other species beyond just rhinos, including the reptiles, birds, invertebrates,
mammals, plant life and human communities that live in and around rhino habitat in Africa and Asia. This fundraiser helps to connect the
various animal departments in WCS with a common cause that benefits many of the taxa we work with on a daily basis.
National Zoo Keeper Week Update: Heather Tassler
. Zoo Keeper Social Media Take-over (9 to 10 keepers from the different departments/parks)
. Education (activity center for kids around Dancing Crane. Diet prep station, Pool skimmer
station, Dress like a keeper station, etc. Adult station to be considered)
. Formal advertised keeper chats
. Roving keeper informal keeper chats during a designated hour each day
Calendar Updates:
- AAZK is looking into a variety of fun social activities/fundraisers for the remainder of the year, such as…
. Summer Games Night (projectors to hook gaming systems up/Board Games in Congo (June)
. Summer bat walk at the Bronx or Queens Zoo (late summer/early fall)
. Chopsticks for Salamanders fundraiser
. Bronx River Volunteer Clean-up (looking into collaborating with Bronx River Alliance)
. Kingfisher ‘Buy a Feather’ fundraiser in Staff Café
. Paint Bar Night Fundraiser (Fall)
. Croctober Fundraiser for Chinese Alligators in October
. Enrichment Bonanza with Families
. Keeper Presentation Night
. Any suggestions? Send in your suggestions to nycaazk@gmail.com
Logo Contest Design Unveiling: Voting to be conducted via Facebook Online Voting
- See attached pictures of the submitted logos.
- Members will vote online for their favorite submission. Members will receive an email when voting goes live.
- Thank you to all that submitted! Submissions by Joe Nappi, Joe Borsellino and Danielle Taylor (PPZ)
Members: Joe Nappi, Erin Mowatt, Amy Golden, Heather Tassler, Elizabeth Mills, Joe Borsellino, Michelle Medina, Brent Atkinson, Nyssa Turner (new member!)
Non-members: Amanda Scherer, Juliet Elkins
Food: Thank you Brent Atkinson for the delicious fudge treats at the meeting!
Fundraiser/Event Summaries:
- March Ice Skating Conservation Fundraiser
. $777 Raised for Trees for You and Me (voted by AAZK members)
(Reforestation campaign through AAZK & Polar Bears International)
. 32 people attended
- Cinco de Rhino
. $670 raised that will be added to our Bowling for Rhinos Fund (BFR)
. Raffle items and key chains sold. Key chains were a big hit and will continue to be sold at BFR
. 36 people attended including Jim Breheny, Pat Thomas, Colleen McCann and Craig Piper
. There will be alcohol next year
. Cinco de Rhino was organized mostly to be a fun social event, but also help boost our BFR sales due
to the large overhead costs for the event. We are looking into fundraisers for other taxa as well.
- May AAZK Movie Night (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
. Rented our own private 24 seat theatre at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Yonkers
. 19 people attended
. Social event
Travel Grant Update:
- Congratulations to Michelle Medina who was awarded $1000 to attend the advanced Felid Conference
in Denver. She will give a trip report at a future meeting
World Animal Day Update: Jen Loveless
. Cinco de Rhino – event went well and incorporated a variety of departments such as public
programming, EGAD, social media, the FOZ and media services.
- Posters from the event that have messages written by zoo guests for rhino protection unit
rangers will be sent out into the field. We have an additional poster to be signed by zoo staff
that will go over as well.
. World Giraffe Day – event is organized. Will be held in mid-June. Look for info about Jen’s California
Pizza Kitchen giraffe fundraiser in the near future.
. Future World Animal Days – International Tiger Day (hope to focus on palm oil and incorporate bird
and reptile departments), October – Bat, Rat & Vulture Days.
. Randi Winter is working to streamline these events so that we can easily host World Animal Day
keeper chats throughout the year that will have signage and social media coverage.
Bowling for Rhinos Update: Amy Golden
. Deposit to rent out the bowling alley was put down.
. Ticket sales about to go live
. Michelle Medina will be updating the BFR portion of our website. There will be a donation button
on the revamped web page with the ability for donors to indicate which bowler they are sponsoring
. The Event will be held Monday August 15th
. Pushing for personal pledges (Every $25 raised gets you a raffle ticket to submit for a grand prize)
*If you have any suggestions for grand prizes that would be more suitable for keeper staff, please
let us know.
. Suggestion: Jamberry: Custom nail fundraising (referencing that the keratin that makes up rhino
horn is the same substance that makes up our fingernails) (suggested by Elizabeth Mills)
. It should be noted that BFR supports a wide variety of other species beyond just rhinos, including the reptiles, birds, invertebrates,
mammals, plant life and human communities that live in and around rhino habitat in Africa and Asia. This fundraiser helps to connect the
various animal departments in WCS with a common cause that benefits many of the taxa we work with on a daily basis.
National Zoo Keeper Week Update: Heather Tassler
. Zoo Keeper Social Media Take-over (9 to 10 keepers from the different departments/parks)
. Education (activity center for kids around Dancing Crane. Diet prep station, Pool skimmer
station, Dress like a keeper station, etc. Adult station to be considered)
. Formal advertised keeper chats
. Roving keeper informal keeper chats during a designated hour each day
Calendar Updates:
- AAZK is looking into a variety of fun social activities/fundraisers for the remainder of the year, such as…
. Summer Games Night (projectors to hook gaming systems up/Board Games in Congo (June)
. Summer bat walk at the Bronx or Queens Zoo (late summer/early fall)
. Chopsticks for Salamanders fundraiser
. Bronx River Volunteer Clean-up (looking into collaborating with Bronx River Alliance)
. Kingfisher ‘Buy a Feather’ fundraiser in Staff Café
. Paint Bar Night Fundraiser (Fall)
. Croctober Fundraiser for Chinese Alligators in October
. Enrichment Bonanza with Families
. Keeper Presentation Night
. Any suggestions? Send in your suggestions to nycaazk@gmail.com
Logo Contest Design Unveiling: Voting to be conducted via Facebook Online Voting
- See attached pictures of the submitted logos.
- Members will vote online for their favorite submission. Members will receive an email when voting goes live.
- Thank you to all that submitted! Submissions by Joe Nappi, Joe Borsellino and Danielle Taylor (PPZ)
