NYC AAZK Meeting – January 30, 2017
In attendance: Carolyn Rezkalla, Leela Samaroo, Michelle Blatz, Brent Atkinson,
Leah Simoncek, Joe Borsellino, Tim Mohl, Nyssa Turner, Elizabeth Mills, Alyssa
May, Amy Golden, Maryellen Constantino, Heather Tassler, Vanessa Jones, Taylor
Ritz, Lauren DelGrosso, Bill Doyle, Lisa Walker, Joe Nappi
2017 NYC AAZK Exec Team:
Joe Nappi – President, Lisa Walker – New Vice President, Avi Shuter –
Secretary, Amy Golden – Treasurer
2016 Year in Review:
March Ice Skating Conservation Fundraiser: $777 Trees for You and Me
reforestation project
May Cinco de Rhino: $670 (put towards Bowling for Rhinos fund)
May Rented out private theatre at the Alamo Drafthouse
National Zoo Keeper Week Silent Auction: $1,600 (successful keeper chats,
social media presence)
August Bronx River Alliance volunteering to clean up river
August Bowling for Rhinos: $7,000, 175 people attended
September Paint Night Fundraiser: $300 Baton Rouge Zoo keeper flood relief
Croctoberfest: $1,300 raised WCS Crocodilian conservation projects. Over 70
people attended
Dues: $15 members of AAZK National, $25 for non-national members
- Benefits: Access to $1000 annual Travel Grant, discounts for AAZK events,
voting on AAZK business,
priority reservations for upcoming Regional Symposium
Participation:
- We would like to make AAZK as inclusive as possible, and have people
participate to whatever level
they are most comfortable. Help shape the future of our chapter by
joining one of our committees, or
by organizing your own event.
- Interested in organizing a particular volunteer outing? Want to raise money
for a specific conservation
issue, animal or other cause? Reach out to us and we’ll help you organize
your event!
Committees: Inquire at nycaazk@gmail.com if you are
interested in joining a committee!
Travel Grant: Review annual travel grant applications
Conservation Committee: Help steer the chapter’s volunteering and fundraising
efforts
World Animal Days: Help organize keeper talks and events revolving around World
Animal Days
National Zoo Keeper Week: Join the committee to help put together this
signature event.
Bowling for Rhinos – Spearhead organizing AAZK’s largest annual fundraiser
Animal Planet ‘Unofficial Premiere’
- 50/50 Raffle to benefit NYC AAZK
- Be sure to RSVP whether you are going or not to allow other zoo
departments to be invited should
space permit.
4th Annual Northeast
Regional Symposium:
- Wednesday April 26, 2017 at the Bronx Zoo
- Up to 150 keepers will be admitted into the event
- 30 spots to be reserved for WCS keepers, with priority being given to NYC
AAZK members
- Free zoo admission and parking for non WCS keepers
- Behind the Scenes tours will be offered during the day
- 15 keeper presentations in the evening, with a one hour pizza dinner break
during the session
- March 1st: Deadline to submit presentation abstracts to nycaazk@gmail.com for review
- Flaherty Learning Center will be utilized for the presentations
- Possible silent auction/other fundraising options during the event to raise
additional money
- Funds from the symposium will go towards hosting a larger national AAZK
conference down the road
- Suggestion (Vanessa Jones ) highlighting squeezes/enrichment at Bronx,
encouraging keepers from
other zoos to bring photos of their zoo -equipment, enrichment,
etc.
- AAZK exec team will be setting up an interdepartmental meeting to help
organize the event
- We are looking for keepers that are off Wednesdays to volunteer to help run
the event
Chapter Fundraising Ideas:
Postcards
Calendars
Ostrich eggs/Peacock feathers
Enrichment at Home packet
Honey from World Birds
Up and Coming Events (all event dates not yet finalized):
Enrichment Night with Families
Ice Skating
Alamo Drafthouse Night
Cinco de Salamander Fundraiser
March Members Meeting
