Naïma Jeannette Hill

A BUG filled weekend it was!  This past weekend at the El Paso Zoo was Bugfest.

At the zoo, there was a chance to learn about insects, see lots of live insects (my favorite the Emperor Scorpion), play insect games, view animals that eat bugs, enjoy a bug cooking demonstration, try your own chocolate-Chirp-cookies and other insect treats, and make your own bugs with recycled materials!!  I was in charge of the insect crafts made of recycled materials and it was a hit.  Although what child doesn’t like arts and crafts?  I collected egg cartons from anyone that would give them to me as well as used toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls that the zoo already had, and the kids and I turned them into caterpillars, spiders, butterflies and bumble bees!  I wish I had taken some pictures but I guess I was busy because I ended up with no pictures of the cute creations.  The moral of the story = re-use your materials at home and let your kids be creative.  One child this weekend made a praying mantis out of pipe cleaners.  I was thoroughly impressed.  If you want to find out when these events are being held at the zoo sign up for the Zoo Education email list by clicking here.

I had some great high school students volunteer their time and help me with arts and crafts.  Thank you very much to those helpful teens!  I also learned some Spanish from them.   I am working on my Spanish but it is coming along slowly.  Most people just assume I speak Spanish, and I don’t blame them, I should!   Rosetta Stone here I come!

Although we did not have any honey bees on exhibit at the zoo this weekend they were still all around us outside.  I was reading a recent article that looked at the number of bees in urban areas as compared to rural.  It found that many bees were in towns more due to the plant diversity among backyards and parks.  At the zoo, the horticulture department does a great job creating lots of different sources of pollen for our friendly honey bees.  For some reason, honey bees and bees in general catch my interest.  Maybe it’s their crazy social structure, or the fact that they pollinate a third of our food supply, or that they can increase the production of agriculture crops, or that we eat their throw-up (honey), or that I fancy the new country song “Honey bee” or that they are just dang cute.  Without bees we would be lacking in fruits and vegetables such as: apples, fruits, berries, almonds, melons, cucumbers, clovers and alfalfa.  I don’t know about you but I could not live without fruits and vegetables! 

Also it is interesting to me, that lately it seems everyone is becoming a bee keeper and enjoying the benefits in their own backyards.  Honey bees are not native to the U.S. although we have grandfathered them in as belonging here.  I really can’t think of another species that we have accepted with open arms like the honey bee.  Honey bees are so crazy and most people don’t know much about them.  For example, did you know:  There are about 20,000 different species of bees.  Queens can live up to 3-5 years, while others workers, drones, etc only live for a few weeks.  Bees have their own dancing language.  When they find a good food source or a great place for a new hive, they orient themselves to the sun and do a little dance.  The stronger and more emphasis on the dance, the better the new home site or food supply is.  They can travel as far as 2 miles away from their hive in search of food.  I could go on and on but that is just a taste.  To find out more visit some bee sites here, here or here.   And of course they can be dangerous and sting although mostly they are not aggressive and harmless.  Not all species die after they sting but some do.  Their temperament is based on a few things:

• weather
• time of day
• season
• genetics
• vibrations
• colors
• odors
• how you react to them

So don’t hang out near a bee hive when it’s cold and rainy or in the dark or winter or smell bad or swat them away.  If you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation simply walk into some brush.  They don’t like that and will leave you alone.  Also if you don’t have a forest to walk into (ie: you live in El Paso), break off a branch or piece of a plant and wave them away with the plant, not your hand.  

So happy beekeeping to all you beekeepers and everyone else, don’t be scared of insects.  If you are scared do some research to learn some more so you can appreciate what you have in your own backyard.

BUZZZ

Temperatures across the country are HOT.  It has been a tough year for farmers, wildlife, and people in general.  I personally don’t mind the heat but I do mind what it does to the fruits and vegetables I like to eat as well as what it does to the plants and animals I like to catch glimpses of in the wild. 

The animals at the zoo are relatively used to the heat.  The African lions are very playful and people always ask, aren’t they hot?  I respond with, African lions are used to the African heat.  The four lions at the El Paso Zoo were born at the Oklahoma City Zoo but they still have the same genes.  I relate it to myself, my father is from Tunisia in North Africa and I like to say that is why I love the heat, I am half made for it! 

The African lion exhibit allows people to get face to face with the lions.  Kids and adults both love to be awed by how large these animals are.  I am fully captivated by the lions as well.  There are two sets of twins born within three days of each other.   They have different mothers but the same father.  The four resident lions are: Malaika (meaning “Angel”), Zari (meaning “Golden”) and Kalliope (meaning “Beautiful Voice”).  The male cub was named Xerxes, a Persian name meaning “Monarch.” Here is a  quick lion picture:

There are less than 20,000 African lions in the wild and they currently listed as Vulnerable although their status is in question.  Their numbers are declining due to habitat loss and human conflict. Many farmers use cheap pesticides to poison lions to protect their livestock.  National Geographic Big Cat Initiative works locally to protect lions and solve the human/lion conflicts.  Do you have a house cat?  You can send in your picture of your cat and donate $5 to the Big Cat Inititiave and have your cat’s picture on the National Geographic website!  Make fluffy famous!

I walked by the Andean Bears on Saturday and noticed they found a way to stay cool:

A bear in warm weather?  Yup, these bears do not need to hibernate because they live in the rainforest where it stays warm year round.  It is really not the weather that makes bears hibernate but more the availability of food.  In colder climates there is not much food available during winter months so they sleep through till the arrival of Spring.  Because there is year round food in the rain forest these bears do not need to hibernate.  These bears inhabit the mystifying cloud forests. 

Not much is known on their ecology but the Andean Bear Conservation Project is working hard to study these bears.   The more we know about an animal the better we are equipped to be able to protect it.  There are also less than 20,000 Andean Bears in the wild.  An easy way to support them is to “like” their cause on Facebook.  If you don’t have funds or the ability to volunteer a simple “like” can help.  When non profits write for grants and approach companies for financial support it is helpful to show how much support the public has given them.  Simple helps. 

Speaking of help, on July 28th the El Paso Zoological Society held its annual Members Night.  To become a member of the Zoological Society simply stop by their office at the zoo or go online.  With membership you receive free entrance into the zoo any day as well as opportunities such as members night.  Membership shows your support for the El Paso Zoo and its mission to celebrate the value of animals and natural resources and to create opportunities for people to rediscover their connection to nature.  We appreciate all of our members and their support of the El Paso Zoo and worldwide conservation!

Members night was a couple hours after the zoo closed, opened for members only to enjoy activities such as rock climbing, face painting, water games, ice cream, animal encounters, animal presentations, live music, dancing and so much more!  Basically it was a Zoo at the Zoo!  There were about 2500 attendees.  Here is a picture of the popular rock wall:

Ok I am thinking I will spend the day like an El Paso Zoo Andean Bear and go hang out in the apartment pool for a while!  Oh, and my older neighbor said, “the best way to stay cool is to think cool!”  So think cool while you are sweating out their today and enjoy this day!

COOL!

There is a distinct smell in the desert, that only comes out on certain occasions.  Most people associate this funny smell with something they long for in the desert… Rain!  The creosote bush is a long living desert plant that inhabits the desert south west.  Most creosote bushes can live to be over 100 years old (some in the Mohave and Sonora desert are over 10,000 years old!) and as adult plants are very drought resistant.  One way creosote is able to live in arid regions is it has a waxy resin on the outside of it’s leaves to prevent water loss as well as keep animals from eating it.  When it rains these resins are volatilized and give off a very distinct smell, which most people here refer to as the smell of rain.  Creosote is very common here so the smell encompasses everything.  It smells a bit like water on fresh asphalt to me but I am adjusting to enjoying the smell like a local. 

Tonight, it started raining about 9:30 and the smell of creosote quickly emerged.  Tomorrow morning the smell will linger on until the water is evaporated off by the hot desert sun. 

The plant also has some medicinal uses such as, steam from the leaves was inhaled to relieve congestion.  Tea made from the leaves is said to cure such ailments as flu, stomach cramps, cancer, coughs, colds, and others.  Today the FDA discourages the use of creosote.

For now I am learning to appreciate the smell of creosote and enjoy the association with rain.  When it rains here, it floods and not much of the rain soaks into the soil.  Wildlife here has been very stressed due to the drought.  There are many desert springs in the area but many have dried up and need the rain recharge. 

Another stress to the water supply is us.  We as humans pump water from the underground bolsons that also deplete the natural springs.  Today, while doing some research I found this cool Water Footprint Calculator done by National Geographic.  Try out this fun test!  I think I am going to put together something like this for participants in our Internet Cafe in the Water Utilities Building at the El Paso Zoo.  That way kids and adults can come in and find out their Water Footprint and ways to reduce it!

Here is one of the sample questions: A gallon (16 cups) of milk—from a cow—requires 880 gallons of water to produce. The average American consumes a cup of milk a day.  How many cups of milk do you drink a day? 

But for now… stop and smell the creosote!

SMELL!

When I moved to El Paso I decided I really wanted to practice what I preach and push myself to do one more thing to help the environment.  I want to commit to ride my bike to work at least one day a week.

I made my first commute on Sunday July 24, 2011!  It is about a 20 mile round trip, with the first 10 to the zoo mostly downhill and the second 10 back uphill.  That works out good as I don’t want to be too exhausted by the time I get to work.  I live on the West side of El Paso, and therefore have to cross I-10 and go through downtown to arrive at the zoo.  I have chosen Sundays as my bike commute day for one reason: lower traffic.  The first commute was really awesome in the morning.  It was cool, hardly any traffic and relatively peaceful.  The way home was hotter, uphill and exhausting!! I stopped and got a diet coke and chocolate bar halfway home to cheer myself up.  🙂

 

 

One gallon of gas when used as fuel produces about 19.4 pounds of Carbon Dioxide.  So if I estimate my car takes 0.85 gallons of gas for my daily commute:

Carbon Dioxide savings: 19.4 (pounds of CO2) x 0.85gallons of gas = 16.49 pounds of carbon dioxide saved x 4 weeks = 65.96 pounds of CO2 per week saved or 791.51 pounds of CO2 saved per year!
 
Money savings:  at $3.50per gallon x 0.85 gallons = $2.975/day x 4 (number of times I will do it a month) = $11.90/month or $142.80 per year of savings! 

They say that riding your bike everyday rather than once a week is better for you as a person.  Their argument is, it is easier to just get in a habit and the hills don’t even bother you anymore.  I am not sure how I feel about this as my first day was HARD!

Here is some more interesting info to inspire you to get out and ride your bike or walk:
– motor vehicle emissions are responsible for 31 % of total carbon dioxide, 81% of carbon monoxide and 49% of nitrogen oxides released in the U.S.
– short car trips (less than 5 miles) are much more polluting than longer trips on a per-mile basis 60% of emissions is released during the first few minutes of operating a vehicle.
– a 130 pound cyclist burns 402 calories while pedaling 14mph in one hour.
– a 180 pound cyclist burns 540 calories while pedaling 14mph in one hour.

The El Paso city voted 7-1 to ticket all drivers who crowd out walkers, runners, cyclists and people using wheelchairs just recently.  Basically, a car HAS to move over into another lane if you are riding on the shoulder.  I honked my cute horn at several cars that did not obey this law.  Maybe I should start remembering license plate numbers!  Although, several cars did obey and moved over.  The overall problem is speed though.  If they would just slow down I would feel a lot safer.  My dream: an entire bike lane or a separate bike trail would be AMAZING .   If you would like to read about El Paso cyclists responding to the bike ordinance click here.  Or to read about the local bicycle groups check out these organizations:  El Paso Bicycle Club,  Borderland Mountain Bike Association (I ride a mountain bike for my commute) and GeoBetty (a great resource for hiking and biking trails). 

All in all, I have an opportunity to make a personal small difference and bike to work at least one time a week.  It is something small and satisfying.  “Do a little, change a lot.”  Also – if I am too exhausted the buses in El Paso are completely run on Biodiesel and all have bike racks!  Way to go SunMetro!

BIKE

On Sunday,  I had the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes with the Asian Elephants. This opportunity is open to the public (at a fee) so register and come along with me for this once in a lifetime experience! Click here for more information and to register.  There are no pictures allowed in the behind the scenes of the zoo so I will try to describe this all as best as possible. 

The elephants have three main areas at the El Paso Zoo.  The main exhibit, a training yard and their night house.  We started off in the night house and as we walked in two zookeepers were working with one elephant, Savannah.  The elephants are in their enclosure and the keepers can train and work with them from the safety of the outside of the enclosure.  Keepers use a target pole (a styrofoam buey on a stick) as an item the animals have to touch to get them to move and shift their bodies in certain ways.  A whistle (usually high pitched) is used as a bridge to make the animal aware that they are doing the correct behavior and positive reinforcement (a treat) is on its way.  This is a common practice used to train animals all over the world.

The keepers were working with Savannah, an 8,000 pound female Asian elephant, having her display different behaviors such as opening her mouth so they can look at her teeth, raising her legs so they can file her finger nails and maneuvering her around the enclosure to wash her entire body.  This training makes life less stressful for the animals during veterinary procedures as well as keeps their brains active.  Keepers can also monitor the health of the animals by making sure they can complete all the movements without any pain.

Even though Savannah is one of the oldest living Asian elephants in zoos she is still learning new things.  About a month ago the trainers were able to teach her how to lay down.  It is amazing to see such a large animal lay down right in front of you.  Elephants, along with all animals, have their own personalities and are also moody.  Sometimes they want to work and sometimes they don’t.  The elephants at the El Paso Zoo are never forced to do anything they don’t want to, they can always walk away.  But most of the time they want to participate because of the tasty treats they get!  The keepers even joked their snacks taste great with milk. (ha)  I was able to give Savannah one of her treats with my hands and loved how her trunk opened up and smothered my hand to pick up the treat. We were also allowed the chance to touch the elephant to feel what their skin is like.  Rough, hairy, very leathery and thick are a few words to describe their skin.  Basically not what you would think!

After Savannah was done with her training, they opened the huge elephant sized doors to move her over and move Juno in to start her training.  Juno came from the Ringling Brothers Circus and has ear piercings to prove it.  As I look at her, I can only imagine the stories she could tell us.  When she arrived at the zoo in early 2000s she was wary and angry at people but over time due to her caring and amazing keepers she has become more comfortable.  Juno also demonstrated some of her training she has learned as the keepers told us more about her and her moody personality. 

After our elephant encounter we explored their outdoor exhibit and all of the enrichment items hidden throughout for the elephants to discover and figure out.  The elephants usually have access to their inside and outside exhibits at night.  Since they weigh so much they only lay down for a few hours at a time and utilize sand mounds placed in their exhibits to lean up against.  This makes it easier for them to get up, and since Savannah and Juno are old ladies, it helps them out immensely.  The keepers also told us that they snore!

Also, everyday at 12pm the zoo hosts an Elephant presentation at the training yard where you can learn about elephants and watch some of their behavioral enrichment training with a zookeeper.

The same day,  I caught a glimpse of the two Malaysian Tapirs taking a dip in the pool!  Tapirs are unique looking herbivorous mammals with long noses, I did manage to capture a few pictures of them with my phone.  The male was following the female all around the exhibit and as they spent some time under water I looked a little closer and realized there was a horse fly they were escaping from!  Take a look at the silly pictures:

 

To learn more about Malaysian Tapirs visit their fact sheet here.

Opportunities.

This past weekend at the zoo was volunteer training for anyone interested in becoming a volunteer at the zoo.  It was two days of informal information on all the possible departments in the zoo to help out with.  That means they heard from zookeepers, horticulture, security, previous volunteers and of course the education staff.  The volunteer training is very informative on the animals in the zoo as well as a an inspiring learning experience.  In line with my duties, I gave a presentation on the El Paso Water Utilities Discovery Center and all about water.  I started off my presentation with the first slide asking a simple question: How long can you live without water?  Do you know?

The answer and the best way to remember it is to think in three’s.  You can live about three minutes without oxygen, three days without water and three weeks without food.  The discovery center at the zoo is a collaboration between the El Paso Water Utilities and the El Paso Zoo.  The building hosts several fun, interactive exhibits that inform kids and adults about how much water they use every day and where it comes from.  As I continued my presentation I continued to share some shocking statistics:

– On average, it takes 5 gallons of water to flush a toilet.  
– The average El Pasoan, uses 111 gallons of water per day. Some cities around the country use over 500 gallons of water per person per day. 
– The water we drink in El Paso comes from three sources: the Rio Grande and two underground aquifers the Mesilla Bolson and Hueco Bolson.  It depends on the time of year and water conditions where the water is coming from.
– About 70 percent of water use in the U.S. goes to agriculture processes.
– Eating a quarter pound hamburger uses about 8 gallons of water to prepare. 

I along with several other presenters shared their story of our journey to where we are today.  All of us hopefully inspired everyone to follow their dreams and never give up.  I was inspired by my co-workers stories, several that started off as volunteers at the zoo.  Others, that were not hired the first time and kept applying until they were.  I feel fortunate to work in an environment where everyone wants to continue to learn and strives to do the best job possible.   When volunteers come to the zoo they gain so much just from the interactions with all the people working to make the zoo a quality destination.  And what a great resource to be a part of with so many departments to be involved with there is something for everyone!