Jennifer — Page 84

Key Attraction July 2013 – Cincinnati Zoo Africa

July 5, 2013 By Jennifer

The Cats Slides

The grassy plains of Africa, cascading waterfalls, flowing streams and a communal watering hole give you the experience of an African Safari here at the Cincinnati Zoo. Phase III of the Africa exhibit features a footpath that winds under a wooden bridge, naturalistic rocks and termite mounds. And Pride Rock the new home of the African Lions that you can see up close and personal through the twelve foot tall glass wall.
The path continues and leads to the Cheetah Encounter where cheetahs can be seen racing at top speeds and other cats including fishing cats, African servals and Anatolian shepherds can be seen frolicking through the quiet grasslands. You can also see a red river hog at the Cheetah Encounter.
See the Zoo’s herd of Maasai giraffes from the expanded Giraffe Deck that now features a covered Tree-house reaching out to the giraffe yard taking visitors closer than ever to the Zoo’s tallest residents. In addition, there’s a new Circle of Love animal encounter where guests can meet unique African animals from 10a.m. – 3 p.m. daily.
The Zoo is still in the midst of a campaign to complete Phases IV and V which will bring Zebra, gazelles and some of the most beautiful birds to the Savannah portion of the exhibit and a much anticipated hippo area with both above and below water viewing.
“Because most people don’t get the opportunity to visit Africa, taking in the natural beauty of its landscape and wildlife, the zoo has decided to bring Africa to you,” said Thane Maynard, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Zoo. “Africa is what most people think of when they picture wild animals in their natural habitat. Our hope is for the zoo visitors to leave here feeling connected with Africa and feeling inspired to help save wildlife in wild places. We want them to experience their own African safari – one that they can enjoy in the near future and remember for a lifetime.”

Green Building Standards
The “greenest zoo in America” is keeping it green, the Africa site restored almost the entire area from an existing parking lot and features underground storage tanks that hold roughly 400,000 gallons of water that is collected, stored and reused. 75% of all the construction waste was diverted from landfills and sent to recycling centers.

Filed Under: Entertainment

Editors Pick July 2013 – Ride the Ducks

July 5, 2013 By Jennifer

Ride, Splash, Quack!

The Duck tour is a fun way of touring the Greater Cincinnati area. Travel on land and water in one vehicle while touring the streets of Cincinnati and Newport and by making a big splash into the Ohio River. Ride the Ducks is truly a unique way to see the area.

Filed Under: Entertainment

Key Cover Story – It’s A Shark Ray

June 27, 2013 By Jennifer

Millions of gallons of water hold thousands of animals from around the world at the Newport Aquarium and now they have the largest collection of Shark Rays on display in the world at the Surrounded by Sharks Exhibit.

The Newport Aquarium was the first in the Western Hemisphere to have a Shark Ray on display when Sweetpea arrived in 2005. “When Sweetpea made her debut in 2005, she was an instant hit with our guests,” says Mark Dvornak, Curator of Fish and Intervention. She was joined by Scooter and now Sunshine and Spike in the 385,000 gallon salt water tank. With that Mark shares, “Now our guests have the opportunity to see four of these amazing creatures, swimming all around them and making emotional connection with them. Guests leave here with a realization of what amazing animals there are in the ocean.”

Some unusual characteristics making this animal so amazing are that the Shark Ray is closely related to the shark having a dorsal fins and a flat, ray-like underside. Its appearance, including dual fins and human-like eyes, make this animal even more special. Shark Rays have a calm, gentle gaze and move gracefully through the water unlike sharks with their steely predatory stare and sharp, quick movements.

The Shark Rays are also part of the Breeding Program. By studying these animals the Newport Aquarium hopes to learn as much as possible so that the Shark Rays will be enjoyed by future generations. Mark explained, “Our Shark Ray Breeding Program goes beyond our hope that one day we have baby Shark Rays here at the Newport Aquarium. It encompasses a multi-faceted approach to studying rare animals and the data we are collecting will hopefully lead to a better understanding of the species world-wide.”

The Breeding Program is important to avoid the extinction of this incredible animal because of the lack of knowledge. The Shark ray fins are highly desired as food in certain cultures and there is a concern to dwindling numbers in the wild. Both successful breeding and general information on the biology of this species is important. By studying these amazing fish, the Newport Aquarium hope that Shark Rays will be enjoyed by future generations.

Scooter

Spike

Sunshine

Sweetpea

Stars of the Surrounded by Sharks Exhibit

Sweetpea – In 2005, Newport Aquarium made history by becoming the first aquarium in the Western Hemisphere to display their first Shark Ray, Sweetpea.
Scooter – Added in 2007, to create the world’s first Shark Ray Breeding Program.
Sunshine – Arrived in 2009 and was on display in the Coral Reef Exhibit before transferring to the Aquarium’s off-site research holding facility. She has now joined the rest of the Shark Ray group.
Spike – The newest member of the Shark Ray group. He weighs just over 200 pounds and is the second male added to the group.

Shark Ray Feed

Did You Know?

Shark Rays are also called bowmouth guitarfish and mud skate.
Shark Rays are the sole member of the Rhinidae family.
Shark Rays have small round teeth and powerful jaws to crush hard shells of crabs and lobsters.
Shark Rays have spiky horns on their head making them look like prehistoric creatures.
Shark Rays have a dorsal color pattern of many white spots over bluish gray or brown background with a pair of black markings over the pectoral fins.
Large Shark Rays can reach a length of 8.9 feet and a weight of 300 pounds.
Shark Rays give live birth to two to eleven pups.
Shark Rays are found near the sea floors and prefer sandy or muddy areas in the Indo-Pacific.

Shark Ray Feeds
Diet: Feeds on bottom dwelling crustaceans, mollusks and fish.

Monday – Friday at 1:00 p.m.
All days and times are subjected to change to accommodate animal behavior and care needs.

Newport Aquarium is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums which sets the rigorous professional standards for animal welfare, veterinary care, wildlife conservation, research, education, staffing and safety.

Filed Under: Main Stories

The Queen City

June 27, 2013 By Jennifer

Cincinnati, also known as the Queen City, is a city rich in history and culture with exceptional visual and creative arts, professional sports teams and top notch museums. Whether you are a resident or a visitor there is always something to learn, see and do in Cincinnati and our neighboring cities of Covington and Newport. For those reasons and many more, it’s no surprise that in 2012 Lonely Planet Travel Guide named Cincinnati number three of the top ten travel destinations in the United States.

Cincinnati offers all the benefits of larger cities like Chicago and New York while maintaining the small hometown hospitality. In this section we like to bring interesting facts and opinions. This is what we have for you in this month’s issue:

Washington Park

Select your favorite song from tne listed composers from your mobile device @
classicalwalkoffame.org
to be added to the Washington Park Fountain Jukebox queue.

Washington Park
In Over-the Rhine and surrounded by the largest collection of early Italian architecture in the U.S., Music Hall and the new School for Creative and Performing Arts is an eight acre park that has been a meeting place for the community since 1855. The park was renovated in 2012 with consideration to the features allowing them to add new amenities while preserving unique historic elements. Here are some of the old and new features available at Washington Park.

The Bandstand

The Bandstand
In the heart of the park is the bandstand that was originally constructed totally of wood. The Mission Revival style bandstand now in its place was built in 1911 and is constructed of concrete and has a tile roof. Tivoli lights illuminate the night while park goers enjoy live music and entertainment.

Cannon from Farragut Fleet at Mobile Bay

Cannon from Farragut Fleet at Mobile Bay
Donated by T.W. Seib of the Sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, the cannon has been at the park since 1870. Used in the Civil war, it was used when Union Rear Admiral David Farragut successfully attacked Mobile Bay, Alabama blocking the last port in the Gulf of Mexico supplying Confederate troops. It serves as a commemorative monument to soldiers inducted in the park.

Children’s Playground
This safe and creative playground is 18,000 square feet of fun. Activities include a sandbox, climbing wall, dual slides, play castle and a canal boat
in a stream all inspired by Historic Cincinnati Structures.

Mosaic Art Bench

Mosaic Art Bench
The Mosaic Art Bench was a community project uniting the Art Academy of Cincinnati, Miami University’s Center for Community and the Peaslee Neighborhood Center. Lead artist Suzanne Fisher collected images of peace from area residents and local artists then taught the children the technique to create the functional work of art entitled “I Have a Dream of Peace”.

And Much More
An Interactive Water Park, Dog Park, the American Classical Music Hall of Fame, live music, plays, dances, movie nights and even fitness activities like Zumba and Yoga are a few more examples of how Washington Park has accommodated the needs of the community.

Filed Under: Entertainment