UPCOMING PROJECTSWe are planning several new zoo improvements to engage children more effectively with wildlife. Over the next three years, we will modernize the current habitats and introduce some new animals to our zoo. Our plan is to "net over" 1 acre of the current zoo to create a large enclosure where many of the animals will be loose inside with visitors and have our staff and volunteers, called Zoo Naturalists, facilitate animal encounters.
Raccoon Creek - Coming Soon!
The now abandoned old bobcat exhibit will be renovated to add light into a new landscape with boulders, a flowing creek, waterfalls and pools. Raccoons love to play in water and so our goal for this renovation is to offer playful discovery to both the children and raccoons in a re-creation of a creek side habitat.
Loose in the ZooNetting the Zoo is part of an exciting new project called Loose in the Zoo. The Netting will be designed to cover the zoo into one large enclosure,
BOBCAT RIDGE
MUSEUM EXHIBITS
The Friends have donated over $50K to fund the current exhibit, "Clean Green Energy Machines!", which explores green living and renewable energy. If you haven't visited the museum lately, please stop by the Museum to see the new wind and solar machines which were installed in April 2009.
East Palo Alto Science Outreach ProgramEach year, the Friends are very proud to sponsor the East Palo Alto Science Outreach Program. This valuable science program provides hands-on classes for hundreds of East Palo Alto children in kindergarten through 3rd grade from Willow Oaks Elementary School. These deserving students are from an ethnically and racially diverse and predominantly low-income community, with limited access to interactive science education classes. Since 1999, over 3,000 students have attended this program, and we hope to expand this program to other EPA schools in the upcoming year. If you would like to help sponsor this important community project, please contact us at info@friendsjmz.org. In 2010-11, the Friends funded 199 science classes for 500 students at Willow Oaks Elementary School, and 200 students through the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula. In 2009-10, we received a $15,000 restricted grant from Cisco to digitize the JMZ science curriculum and offer a teacher workshop. Thanks to the following Cisco employees who supported and recommended the Friends for funding: Peter O'Riordan, Michelle Gibson, Dalia Geller, Helen Lechner, Mark Gorman, Carol Barrett, and Flavio Bonomi. We also received $25,000 from Carmen M. Christensen to teach 181 science classes at Willow Oaks Elementary. In 2008-09, we received a $25,000 restricted grant from 4 donor-advised family funds, operated by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, to offer 200 classes and teacher incentives to continue the program. In 2007-08, we provided 192 classes with restricted grants from the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund ($5,000), the Rotary Club of Palo Alto ($7,500), and the Palo Alto Community Foundation ($5,000). In 2006-07, this project was generously co-sponsored by the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund allowing us to offer 96 classes to 300 children. In past years, Members have helped fund:"Go Figure!" Exhibit 2007 With member donations, the Friends helped support the "Go Figure! "exhibit. The exhibit encouraged young visitors to engage in their own methods of problem solving and creativity through a series of interactive games. "Let's Go!" Exhibit 2006 The very successful "Let's Go!" exhibit explored the dynamics of motion and allowed kids to spin, bounce, and roll as they experienced different ways to move and learn about the science behind motion. Starlab Planetarium. Members helped purchase the starlab in honor of former JMZ director, Mearle Carson, who retired in 1991. Coastal Stream Exhibit. The exhibit was a re-creation of part of San Francisquito Creek in Palo Alto and designed by local environmental artist Mark Brest van Kempten. Mark spent months on the exhibit, collecting native flora and fauna from the creek. The result was a near exact duplicate of a section of the creek. Bat House. Originally build as a nocturnal house in 1969, the enclosure was reconfigured for bats in 1998 and then again in 2004. Members helped raise over $125,000.00 for this project. We installed viewing windows, heaters, lights and signage. The JMZ is proud to be the first zoo in the Bay Area to have fruit bats on exhibit for the public. |
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Although the JMZ already boasts both raccoons and children, we're setting the stage for more
interaction and discovery for these two intelligent creatures. This modest renovation will provide children with remarkable viewing and interaction with the raccoons. Children will help provide consistent behavioral enrichment for our two rescued raccoons, Aigone and Ruby.
where many of the animals are loose inside with visitors. The animals "loose in the zoo" may include tropical birds, native butterflies, waterfowl, pheasants, and small mammals such as rabbit, and duiker. Landscaping would be added to provide refuge and roosting places for the animals and holding and introduction enclosures would be installed to help manage the health and welfare of the animals.
"Buzzzz" exhibition lets kids explore the beauty of bugs and their fascinating life stories through hands-on exhibits and by observing living and pinned insects and spiders. "Buzzz" encompasses various developmentally appropriate activities for children aged 0 to 9. The Friends gave nearly $50,000 to help fund this exciting new exhibit. 
